Guide to making game boots + How to make PTF Themes

[psphacker]

Guide To Making Gameboots

Introduction
This is a guide on how to make your own ]gameboots for you PSP. A gameboot is the little video thats about 2 seconds long that plays when you start a game. But beware this can result in your PSP becoming a brick because gameboots are flashed to the PSP's intenal drive called Flash0. In this guide I'll be using quite a number of different applications. Ok, with that out of the way we can start the guide.


Downloads
SUPER Converter - Used to convert videos to .AVI (Specifically .FLV videos)
Download

TMPGenc Xpress - Used to edit the video
Download

avi2wav - Used to extract the sound from the .AVI into a .WAV
Download

UMD Stream Composer - Used to make the .MPS file
*Note: This was leaked by Sony and if anyone wants me to take down the link I will without questions
Download
Mirror Link - MEGAUPLOAD

MPS To PMF - Used to convert the .MPS file created by UMD Stream Composer to make the actual gameboot file.
Download


Preparations[list type=decimal][*]PSP with Custom Firmare[*]A video you want to use, only 1 1/2 seconds of it is used though[*]Video editing software with the ability to see the frames[*]UMD Stream Composer[*]The MPS To PMF files[/list]Table Of contains

[DYV] Downloading Your Video Off of Youtube
[CYV] Converting Your Video source
[VED] Video Editing
[ESV] Extracting Sound From The Video
[UMD] UMD Stream Composer
[MTP] MPS To PMF
[FYG] Flashing Your Gameboot
[END] Finished Gameboot - Download


[DYV] Downloading Your Video Off of Youtube
1.Find the video you want off of youtube

2.If you are using Firefox just use the Download Helper to download the .flv file. If you are using Internet Explorer open a new tab/browser.

3.Go to the site: TechCrunch

4.Once you're there simply copy the URL from the youtube video and paste it into the "Enter YouTube URL" box and hit Get Video.

5.Save the file with the extension of .FLV

Firefox


Internet Explorer



[CYV] Converting Your Video Source
1.Install SUPER converter and run it or use any other converter that you know that can convert .FLVs to .AVIs.

2.For the users of SUPER the settings are..
Video Options
Aspect - 16:9
Frame/Sec - 29.97
Options - Hi Quality/Top Quality (Takes a while to convert with Top Quality but has the best outcome),

Audio Options *Only do this if you want audio, if not hit disable
Sampling Frequency - 44100
Channels - 2
[img width=370 height=400]http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/9208/step2settingsih0.png[/img]

3.Now drag your .FLV video into the gray box at the bottom and make sure it's checked and then hit Encode.

4.When it's done go into the folder where you installed SUPER and look for the Output folder, that's where your video will be.


[VED] Video Editing
1.Install and run TMPGenc Xpress. Your also going to have to run the crack thats included.
*Note: You can also use your own video editing software but the maximum length is 72 frames long, frames not seconds.

2.For the TMPGenc users, hit the Set Source tab and drag your video into the box.
*Note: If you come across an error saying that the video cannot be loaded, only the audio part can, you need to hit New Project then add your video.
-Thanks to cold dog for pointing that out for me

3.Once it has loaded your video a popup should appear, make sure you set the Aspect Ratio to 16:9 or it wont be full screen on your PSP.
[img width=600 height=237]http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/4169/step3clipinfoea5.png[/img]

4.After that click on the Cut-Edit tab, now this is the hardest part. You want your video to be exactly 72 frames long, not seconds the gameboot itself wont even be 2 seconds long.

5.Now there are two VERY IMPORTANT rules here.
A - When you cut the video that is in front of the part you want, find the exact frame you want then subtract two from it, this will give you that exact frame
B - When you cut the video that is after the part you want, find the exact frame again and add 1, that'll cut off all the frames after that.

6.Now that you know the two rules, you can start cutting the video. Look for the two boxes that say Start Frame and End Frame. That is the boundaries of where you want to cut off. So if you wanted to cut off part of the beginning it would be 0 in the start frame and whatever frame you come up with using Rule A. For cutting the end you put what frame you came up with using Rule B and the very last frame of the video in the End Frame box.
[img width=426 height=400]http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/5532/step3cuttingyourvideopahj7.png[/img]

[img width=426 height=400]http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/5254/step3cuttingyourvideopazs5.png[/img]

7.Now to fix the audio, go to Filter at the top and scroll down to Audio Correction and enable and click on it, then a few settings should come up to the right.

8.Now click on Volume Change, then check Activate Volume Change. The default of TMPGenc is to reduce the audio to 95% of the original video, so all you have to do is set it to 100% again.
[img width=426 height=400]http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/3138/step3soundcorrectionnx4.png[/img]

9.After you do that, just hit OK at the bottom. Then hit Set Output and choose .AVI Output.
[img width=269 height=400]http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/3713/step3outputzy8.png[/img]

10.The size of the video has to be 480x272, make sure the Framerate is set to 29.97 progressive.

11.Output Codecs must be set to the settings below for audio..
1.Video Output - Uncompressed RGB
2.Audio Output - Uncompressed PCM, 44100 Hz, 16 bit, 2 ch (stereo)


12.click on Encode at the top, and hit Output Preview to make sure it's exactly how you want it. After that set the save destination of your choice then hit Start Output.
[img width=466 height=400]http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/5005/step3videooutputzz5.png[/img]


[ESV] Extracting Sound From The Video
Open avi2wav, then browse for you edited video. Once you find that highlight your video and hit ".WAV" at the top left corner of the application.
[img width=435 height=400]http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/3329/step4extractingsoundpz6.png[/img]


[UMD] UMD Stream Composer
1.Open the UMD Stream Composer, it should be in..
UMD Stream Composer/bin/UMD Stream Composer.exe

2.Click on NEW at the top left. And create a new clip name and project name. After that click on next and then check PSP Movie Format (for game). Very important to do that.
[img width=438 height=400]http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/1471/step5settingsol4.png[/img]

3.Go back to the same tool bar that you found NEW on and look for Video Source. Click on Open and choose your edited video. Do the same with Audio Source.


4.Go to the very top and click on Run, then choose Encode + Multiplex then just let it sit till its done.


5.The file will be under.. My Documents/UMD Stream Composer/MuxWork. Look for the 00001.MPS file and drag it to the desktop.


[MTP] MPS To PMF
1.Open the MPS To PMF folder and then drag the .MPS file into the gameboot folder.

2.Then run the Gameboot Converter and out comes your gameboot. It should be named 00001.PMF, you can change that to anything you want with the extension of .PMF.
[img width=600 height=298]http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/1458/step6gamebootconverterbp8.png[/img]


[FYG] Flashing Your Gameboot
/!\This can brick your PSP, so follow this part word for word. I do not take any responsibilities for any bricks./!\

1.Go into recovery by turning on your PSP while holding the R Trigger.

2.Go to Advanced then Toggle USB (flash0)
*Note: Make sure you have a memory card in or your computer will not be able to open the flash drive
**Note: 3.71 M33-2 has problems accessing flash through recovery so you can also use the VSH Menu feature by pressing Select in the XMB. Then set the USB Device to Flash 0.

3.Open the flash drive through My Computer. Then go here..
X:/vsh/resource/

4.Then just back up the original gameboot and just replace it with your new one. Make sure your new gameboot is named gameboot.pmf.
*Note: Any firmware above 3.80 will probably have the gameboot hidden. You could either make it visible again through folder options or you could just drag your new gameboot in replacing the old (if you just drag it in you'll be deleting the old one).

[END] Finished Gameboot - Download
This is the gameboot that I made during this tutorial.
It's Rathalos from Monster Hunter flying towards you and then shoots flames at you.
Note: Make sure to change it to gameboot.pmf
Rathalos Gameboot

[psphacker]

Guide To Making Your Own .PTF Themes

Introduction
This guide is on how to make your own .PTF themes for your 3.7x PSP. This is for both official and custom firmwares at 3.70 or above. A .PTF theme is a much easier way to flash a theme onto your PSP. Not only is it easier but also safer much faster because it is done right in the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar). In this guide I'll be using Adobe Photoshop CS3 (Any photoshop should work if it can save for web & devices) and Sony's Theme Converter. This is actually a very easy process, it's just really repetitive and lengthy.



Downloads
Sony's Theme Converter - http://www.mediafire.com/?czyspoxl5dj
Adobe Photoshop - I suggest downloading Adobe Photoshop CS3 off of.. http://pspiso.com/showthread.php?t=112002 *Under PSP117's Section


Preperations[list type=decimal][*]PSP With 3.7x Or Higher[*]34 Pictures You Want To Use In The Theme (Preferably White Backgrounds)[*]Adobe Photoshop[*]Sony's Theme Converter[/list]Step 1 - The Category Icons
Photoshop Portion
Image Size - 64x48
Number of Icons - 7 *Including TV Output
1.Open your picture using Photoshop.

2.Under the tool bar choose the Background Eraser Tool, it should look like an eraser with scissors next to it.

3.Settings for the background eraser
-Brush: *Bigger the better so you don't miss anything
-Limits: Find Edges *This is so that it determines the edges so it doesn't fade the original picture
-Tolerance: *Varies from picture to picture. If your picture fades you need a lower tolerance. If not then go higher so you don't miss anything.
[img width=466 height=400]http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/781/PhotoshopPart1.png[/img]

4.Now that you have the background eraser ready, click on the white areas of the picture (the areas you don't want to see) till it is checkered with white and gray.
[img width=503 height=400]http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/8774/PhotoshopPart2.png[/img]

5.Once you finish that, you're now ready to save the picture. Go to..
File -> Save for Web & Devices *VERY Important to do that or it wont work. You can also use the key combination Alt+Shift+Ctrl+S
[img width=202 height=400]http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/2029/PhotoshopPart3.png[/img]

6.The settings for saving in this format
-File Type: PNG-8
-Adaptive
-Colors: 256
-Transparency: Checked


7.Go to the left side of the preview screen and click on the magnifying glass. Magnify your picture to see if there are any white spots left. If there are go back and use the background eraser to get rid of them.
[img width=493 height=400]http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/8017/PhotoshopPart4A.png[/img]

8.Once everything checks out how you want it to look, click on Save at the top-right of the preview screen.

Sony Theme Converter Portion
1.Open the theme converter.

2.Click on the Category Icon tab.

3.Double click inside the white box next to the icon that you made and browse for you picture you just saved.


4.Once it uploads you can hit the preview button at the bottom for a quick preview of the icon. That is exactly how it will look on the PSP.
Note: If there are any white spots go back into photoshop and use the background eraser to get rid of them.


Finally just repeat the process for all the category icons.


Step 2 - First Level Icons
Image Size - 48x48
Number of Icons - 23 *Including TV Output Settings
This is actually the same exact process as the Category Icons. So if you remember all the steps then go on ahead but there is ONE difference between the Category Icons and the First Level Icons. It is that we have the option to add a "glow" to our icons. But if you don't want a glow you may use the same icon for it. It will be named as the Icon Focus in the Theme Converter, remember that.

Step 2, Part B - Icon Glows
Image Size - 48x48
Number of Icons - Same as the first level icons.
1. Open your picture for the icon that you want to make the glow for.
Note: If you already made your theme, just re-open the image and re-save it as a normal .PNG rather than the .PNG for Web and Devices. This is done so you can unlock the layer from your picture.

2. Now click on the layers icon from the tool bar it should look like two diamonds on top of each other. Then click on the fx button at the bottom of the layers tab and then choose Outer Glow.


3. Change the opacity to 100% so the glow stands out. Of course if you want your glow to be more faint lower the opacity. Now if you want to you can change the color by clicking on the box with the color. Next you can change the size of your glow, like I said 1-10 pxls is the best. And finally click on the gradation bar.


4. First click on the ink droplet to make the hollow diamond appear. When it appears move it to the very right. Now the location of it should be at 95%. If you have multiple colors in your glow then you'll have to click on the ink droplets to make the diamonds appear then move it to the very right.




Anyways the process to make the Category Icons and the First Level Icons are EXACTLY the same. So if you need a refresher just scroll up to the Category Icon part of the guide.


Step 3 - Secondary Level Icons
Image Size - 32x32
Number of Icons - 1
This is only found under one area, the settings. The little side options under any of the settings will have them. This is exactly the same as the Category Icons and the First Level Icons. This also includes the "glow" but we can use the same picture as a replacement. Refer to Step 2, Part B - Icon Glows if you need any help.


Step 4 - Wallpaper
This is where it gets fairly easy. You can use any wallpaper you would like but it has to be 480x272 .BMP format. You can convert your picture to .BMP using photoshop so you don't lose any of your colors.
Note: Don't use Paint to do this or you will lose colors.


Step 5 - Information Tab
In the theme converter there is a tab called Information. This is general information for the theme, the Name, Version, and Product ID. The name can be what you want it to be. The Product ID is basically just random numbers (eg 467359). The Version is the version you want to call your theme.


Step 6 - Others Tab
This is mostly about the preview before you put the theme on the PSP. The image size for the Preview Icon is 16x16. The Preview Icon is the little icon that shows when you scroll over the theme. The Preview Image is basically a smaller version of your PSP screen. You can use photoshop to shrink down the image size Alt+Ctrl+I and make the image size 300x170. This is for the image that pops up when you scroll over a theme. Lastly the Theme Color, you can make it what you want it to be.


Step 7 - Last Steps
Now that you have all your icons, backgrounds, preview stuff ready you can finally make the actual .PTF file. Before you do that, you might want to save your theme. When you save the theme it'll be saved as a text document that you can open later on using the theme converter and it'll automatically upload all the pictures from the specified locations. Anyways to export your theme just hit F5.

Once you have the .PTF you can finally put it on your PSP. The theme goes into..
MS0:/PSP/Theme/YourTheme.PTF
Note: ms0:/ is the root of the memory card

The home menu color, background and icons for XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) will change, based on the theme that is selected.

On your PSP go to:

Settings -> Theme Settings
And select your theme, then you can apply any color of your choice.







My Monster Hunter Theme
This is just [color=rgb(0, 153, 0)][size=3px]a little something[/size][/color] I made. My favorite game for the PSP so far


Here is the link to download my theme.
http://www.mediafire.com/?6hdym8hod1l

Here's a theme pack for people who can't be botherd to make some :P this goes to



sample:























DOWNLOAD LINK

[color=rgb(34, 34, 156)]http://ifile.it/ohgcwd6[/color]

[PSPFan]

Awesome guide. Alot of work gone into that.

I was thinking of making my own themes. To bad I'm crap at Photoshop

[Dokioto]

Question:

I have been using the same old cxmb for a while and I would like it if there were no boots at all. I got rid of the initial start up boot with the recovery menu but how would I go about with the game boot?

I assume I would need to do something with flash0?


EDIT: Do you have any info on making cxmb themes?
Like this:


Thanks for any information

[psphacker]

1) Well you could make a game boot that lasts only 0.1 seconds.
2) No, sorry ill tell you when i have found out about them...

[Dokioto]

Yeah I might try that..

Edit: Anyone know how cxmb theme boots work? I never touch flash0 and have some nice boots.

Must be somthing with the plugin I guess

[Mikato]

Awesome post, but i cant get the sony theme creator coz, media fire says the file is not there.

[Anonanon]

I'm currently not a PSP owner but will be, and I want to confirm something before I wreck one. Will PSP 3000s with ChickHEN R2 + GENS-A brick with custom PTF themes?

[Schuyler]

Dokioto:

A lot of ctf themes have the gameboot built in. I extracted each theme, removed the gameboot, and compiled, all using Red Squirrel's CTF Manager. I did this so I could have the same gameboot for every theme though.. lol

[irateautomaton]

so i've got a few neat ptf themes but none of them will show up when i go to themes in settings. i'm running 3.80 m33-5. mostly i just want my MGS2 theme to work, it looks amazing
can anyone help?