ArkTool - Software and sourcecode for accessing ark/hdrs

**xorloser** · Joined: 06 Mar 2008 Posts: 68

Hi all - I've written some tools and sourcecode for accessing the ark/hdr files found in guitar hero and similar games. It's been mentioned in the xbox360 thread for a while, but now that a GUI version has been done i thought i'd inform the rest of the site since the tools and source code works for all systems not just xbox360.

ArkTool F.A.Q. - Please read this before posting any questions
Staff Edit: Removed. Read more here.
Screenshot

Hopefully this thread can be used for bug reports etc about this tool and sourcecode. I don't really plan on adding more features to this tool as there are already other tools that handles other editing stuff nicely. This is made to complement them.

Some features/info about ArkTool:

* Supports the games: Guitar Hero 1, Guitar Hero 2, Rockband, Karaoke Revolution.

* Supports the systems: PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox360.

* Allows the following access: Extract / Insert / Delete / Replace / Rename files and directories.

* Does encryption/decryption on the fly while extracting and inserting encrypted files. This includes dtb fiels and song files from rockband (mogg/vgs/pss).

* Has no limits such as file must already exist or be a certain size or smaller.

**GameZelda** · Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 1705

Great job with all those tools. I should try to add a song in the GH2 songlist, but the problem will be the same that with the tutorials, we'll need to make the songlist longer, and that probably requires to modify the 3D files, which I have no idea about

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(Ok, I failed to do it in 24 hours...

).

GH:WT-PS2 Customization Progress
[100%] Make it work (w/songs loading) in a DVD5 (thanks psychospacefish!)
[100%] Modify audio (Finally done 25/11/2008)
[100%] Modify charts (Done 26/11/2008! Customs finally

)

**quovadis13** · Joined: 01 Apr 2007 Posts: 152

So the only thing between us and Rockband customs on the PS2 is to figure out the audio then??
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Goals
[X] Buy a real drumset
[X] Mod it to work with Rock Band
Thanks rkuo for your awesome guide!

Ever wonder to yourself "I wonder how well quovadis13 is doing in Rock Band"? No? Well, click here anyways

**killawiz** · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 327

Omg good job man, this is just what I was waiting for epecially for use with rockband. Now I can get the charts off of rockband and put on gh2 or whatever, (after I figure out why my drive won't read the disk as a game instead of a DVD)

**xorloser** · Joined: 06 Mar 2008 Posts: 68

v5.2 is now released, so if you had downloaded it before now (v5.1) i suggest you get v5.2. use the same link at the top of the page to find where to download it.

the main change is a fix when replacing an encrypted file with another file that is bigger than it and then saving the results. previously ths gave an error during the save process and so didnt complete writing out the changes.

hopefully there aren't many more bugs, but if you find some please report them in this thread and i will fix them. i will also post any future updates and bug fixes here.

**Priddo** · Joined: 24 Oct 2006 Posts: 197 Location: Australia

Good work mate

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**Gorby** · Joined: 11 Aug 2007 Posts: 171

Good job again, it only gets better and better

**jonbusby** · Joined: 19 Feb 2008 Posts: 35

The tool works like a charm, you can use it to edit almost anything, its a freakin huge jump in customs. It works great with rockband by the way, i was bored and messed around a lil this mornin and it worked perfectly, now all they need to do is figure out what audio it uses, anyways, great job man.

**Teancum** · Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 437

Nice work man. Gonna see what I can do about adding GH1 costumes to GH2.

**Finalizer** · Joined: 18 Apr 2007 Posts: 1413

Works beautifully. I've managed to add new directories & files to the songs folder, and ghex has no problems with the new files. Hopefully, the songlist thing will be figured out soon so we can add new songs without worrying about the setlist not scrolling thing.
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Oh snap son | Finalizer's Custom charts | Attention Internet: Before you use the word "Awesome", consider using this first.

**ModuRaziel** · Joined: 03 Nov 2007 Posts: 78 Location: Canada

sorry, I havent been following this project, so forgive my n00bness.

Am I correct to assume that this program allows you to add/edit songs in the guitar hero and rock band games on the 360? if so, i'm assuming you'd need to have a modded xbox in order for it to work, right?

**Summersett** · Joined: 24 Aug 2007 Posts: 311 Location: Michigan, USA

I've found a bug.

I extracted songs.dtb from "main/config/gen/songs.dtb" (GH2 PS2) and then tried opening it with Nachyoz GH2 Name Editor v1.0d but got an error saying "Unknown chunk 75 3E FF 66".

EDIT: I extracted songs.dtb from GHEx and edited it with GHne and then replaced it with your ArkTool 5.2, then tried extracting with GHEx and loading it up with GHne again and I'm getting "Unknown chunk 75 3E FF 66" again. Now I can't use GHne to rename any of my songs.

EDIT 2: Went back and tried extracting with ArkTool 5.2 to see if now that I replaced it with Arktool I can only extract and edit with ArkTool and when i tried loading songs.dtb in GHne I got a "Unknown chunk CA E8 A2 3B".

**xorloser** · Joined: 06 Mar 2008 Posts: 68

please read the tutorials included, they explain how to do exactly what it is you are trying to do.

basically the problem is due to encryption. the easy way to edit ps2 files is to turn off the "on the fly" encryption by unchecking the crypt item on the Options menu.

Note: You should turn this off both when extracting and inserting ps2 files if you want to use the current ps2 editors.

Hopefully the dtb editor can be altered to use unencrypted files. i mean to contact the author before, but hadnt got aroudn to it. ill try it now.

**snake2** · Joined: 11 May 2007 Posts: 285

I managed to add the light that blinds as an EXTRA song to gh 80s after play with me i'll post a mini tutorial and a youtube video in about an hour
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My Videos

I FINALLY beat Trough the Fire and Flames on expert

Adding new songs to Guitar Hero 2 with out replacing old songs or tutorials

**snake2** · Joined: 11 May 2007 Posts: 285

uploading is down on youtube right now here is what i did

extract campaign.dtb and songs.dtb from gh80s

extract songs.dtb from gh2

extract thelightthatblinds folder from gh2

open gh80s in arktool

create a folder in songs called thelightthatblinds

add all the files into thelightthatblinds folder

open campaign.dtb

expand order

expand arena

click on playwithme

hit insert

click insert after

select keyword for chunk

type thelightthatblinds for data/id

save campaign.dtb

open gh2 songs.dtb

click on the lightthatblinds

edit -> copy

open gh80s songs.dtb

click on becauseitsmidnite

edit -> past

click on insert after

save songs.dtb

reinsert files with ghex and burn as normal
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My Videos

I FINALLY beat Trough the Fire and Flames on expert

Adding new songs to Guitar Hero 2 with out replacing old songs or tutorials