DAT Tool (a program to create/extract dat files)

[Agetian]

Hey,

This is a DAT Tool, a small program that can be used to create .DAT files (databases the game uses for modules and for data), as well as extract them. This program uses the original game I/O library - tio.dll, so you'll need to copy the appropriate files from your ToEE installation into the folder where you will deploy the DAT Tool. Since it uses the original game library, the files are created and extracted exactly as they were supposed to be!

The utility comes with a manual, which is simple but which is a must read before you start working with the program, installing it, or trying to create/extract anything.

Download here: DAT Tool Version 1.0

To everyone who is wondering: yeah, I finally got the permission from everyone I wanted to in order to release the thing!

Enjoy!
- Agetian

[Zebedee]

Thank you I was cursing not being able to extract a specific file all week (on a lap top and haven't room for a full ToEE extraction) and then today I found this. I'm Mr.Perceptive this week

Thanks Agetian.

[Agetian]

Originally Posted by Zebedee

Thank you I was cursing not being able to extract a specific file all week (on a lap top and haven't room for a full ToEE extraction) and then today I found this. I'm Mr.Perceptive this week

Thanks Agetian.

Thanks for showing your interest, Zeb. If you're gonna have any feedback regarding this tool, I'd love to hear.

- Agetian

[krunch]

The DAT tool works great. It allows us as a modding community to see a lot of things in proper prospective from the dat files without having to be able to read and assimilate the data structure in hex format of which the average person is untrained and is incapable of doing. [Now, if we just had a DLL tool. *grin* j/k]

[Zebedee]

Feedback : It works and it's great. It's pretty foolproof too as I was able to use it.

Shame about no visual feedback but can't have everything.

[Agetian]

Originally Posted by Zebedee

Feedback : It works and it's great. It's pretty foolproof too as I was able to use it.
Shame about no visual feedback but can't have everything.

Hey Zeb,

Thanks for the feedback. 'No visual output' problem comes from the fact that the program is, actually, a big hack that uses the original game library TIO.DLL. That DLL contains a premade function which does all the job on the .dat file, and there's no way for me to integrate DAT Tool into the data loop of that library. So, sorry, but it's something I cannot fix, even though I'd love to..

- Agetian

[Zebedee]

I appreciate that Agetian. It's a very minor thing in any case in comparison to the ability to extract just one of the DAT files whenever you want

[sooly]

hi everyone. i'm sorry to revive this thread but i'm stuck and need help.
can some one please send me the tio.dll and zlib.1.2.1.dll to get the tool working?
i lost them some how and i cant find them anywhere.

thanks for you time

[wizgeorge]

Use Zanes dat v1.05 from the download section/other modding tools. It works good.

[Ramiel]

I am deeply to revive this thread, but does anyone please have the tio.dll and zlib.1.2.1.dll? <-(zanes.dat does not work)

I searched the whole internet but I can't find them, If anyone could upload it, I would be very glad.

If you don't know how to upload these files, I could give you a link to a data hoster.

[Shiningted]

Are you using Zane's correctly? You drag the .dat file over the .exe icon: a novel way to do it Also, don't those files come with the game?

[wizgeorge]

The files are in toee root, but dll files require a hex editor. Zanes wont work on .dll files. You can get a free 30day trial version of UltraEdit32 on download.

[Ramiel]

Originally Posted by Shiningted

Are you using Zane's correctly? You drag the .dat file over the .exe icon: a novel way to do it Also, don't those files come with the game?

I tried your method, but this is all what I get:

Originally Posted by wizgeorge

The files are in toee root, but dll files require a hex editor.

Do you mean the TIO.dll and the zlib.1.2.1.dll? Could you upload it or in which section could I find them?

[wizgeorge]

The .dll files are in the toee root directory and the .dat files come with patch2. Different kinds of files and the dat extractor wont work on .dll. You have to have a hex editor to open tio.dll, temple.dll and any .dll file. The presentation you got is because a .dat extractor wont open .dll files. Two different worlds.

[Shiningted]

Well, depends what he is trying to open. Zane's may have become corrupted.

Ramiel, sorry to be a hard-ass but I will just say what everyone else who is not responding is thinking - we don't post the original files of the game. If you own the game, you own the files If not, we can't help you. I know you're not trying to amass a pirate version one file at a time, but the .exe and .dlls are the files that contain the source code and are the most aggressively-protected elements of any game, so we don't propogate them here unless they've been modded.

[wizgeorge]

If a person is planning on doing some modding of there own, at least the files are there. I have 3 computers and I move a lot of files around, but I keep all the important ones(.dat, .dll, etc) originals in a safe external source. Already had one harddrive crash and lost many, many hours of work. Never edit the original files in root. Transfer to another computer or external source and do your editing/modding there.

[Ramiel]

I know you're not trying to amass a pirate version one file at a time, but the .exe and .dlls are the files that contain the source code and are the most aggressively-protected elements of any game, so we don't propogate them here unless they've been modded.

Oh, are these two .dll-files such important things?

The .dll files are in the toee root directory and the .dat files come with patch2. Different kinds of files and the dat extractor wont work on .dll. You have to have a hex editor to open tio.dll, temple.dll and any .dll file. The presentation you got is because a .dat extractor wont open .dll files. Two different worlds.

I am not sure if I understand you right, but my screenshot doesn't show the opening of a .dll-file, I tried that program on a .dat-file (with draggin' the file on the zane-.exe).

And ToEE is Temple of the Elemental Evil? I never heard of that game, is it an original game or an Add-On?

[Shiningted]

This is a site for modding the Atari game Temple of Elemental Evil and those DAT tools were developed for that game. If you don't have the game, thats why you can't get the tools to work.

If anyone would like to contact Ramiel privately and help him out, please do.

[taltamir]

This is the first OS I tried this on so maybe I am doing something wrong. I copied the two needed dll files into the same directory as the dat tool. And I try to run it in windows 7 64bit and it errors out on me.

dattool.exe - Application Error
The application was unable to start correct (0xc0000005). Click OK to close the application.

[wizgeorge]

ToEE is a dll, python script game engine. The dat files 1-4 can be opened with a dat extractor like Zanes 1.0.5. Dll files are written in hex (base 16) and require a hex editor like UltraEdit32. The OS shouldn't matter, but you can't trust no damn computer. A dat extractor wont open a dll file. Two totally different technologies.

[Shiningted]

Hmmmm... based on Ag's OP, I tihnk he is saying he copied the .dlls needed to run Ag's new extractor but it still didn't work.

Taltamir, have you tried Zane's? It works fine onece you realise you have to drag the .dat over the .exe and drop it in, as it were.

[taltamir]

wait... drag it unto? I was double clicking the exe, do I need to run it using command prompt or something?

wizgeorge:
I never tried to open a dll in the dat extractor. I was following the following instructions:

Prerequisites to get the ToEE DAT Tool to work.

1. Create a new folder which will be used for the DAT Tool. That directory must contain all the files you’d like to pack into a dat file, as well as you’ll copy your dat files to extract there. Copy the ToEE DAT Tool into that folder. NOTE: I wouldn’t recommend you to use the ToEE folder to create/extract .dat files, since you risk corrupting your game installation.
2. Copy the files tio.dll and zlib-1.2.1.dll from your ToEE game folder into the DAT Tool folder. If you don’t do this the DAT Tool will cease to function.
3. The DAT Tool is ready to work.

I created a directory, copied the EXE to it, copied the two dll files to it, then double clicked the exe... then ran the exe as administrator, then tried it in XP compatibility mode as an administrator, nothing worked.

EDIT:
command prompt does the same thing.

also:

In order to extract files from a .DAT file:

1. Copy the .DAT file you wish to extract files from into the DAT Tool folder.
2. Start the DAT Tool, choose the “Extract files from a DAT file” option.
3. In “DAT file to extract”, type just the name of the DAT file to extract (no folders and relative paths allowed!), e.g. toee4.dat
4. Hit “Execute” to extract files from the specified .DAT file. Note that it may take a while to finish, so don’t worry – the program won’t hang (hopefully ), it simply works kind of slowly, without any visible output on the screen for now. Unfortunately, screen output is impossible since we are hooking into a custom dynamic link library (tio).

So it reads as if there should be a GUI interface to choose "extract" from.

[wizgeorge]

Zanes works great. Just extract to the toeeroot and click on a dat file and it creates a folder. Quick and easy.

[Shiningted]

Sorry, Taltamir, we're talking at cross-purposes. Its Zane's that you drag-and-drop things into, and as WizGeorge says, it works great. You can get it here:

Zane's ToEExtract v1.05 - http://files.co8.org/tools/toeeextract.rar

[taliwang]

can someone upload the two dll? i have downloaded the game (1.2gigs) and when i applied the patch error it says cannot find any toee(usa ) on your computer

[wizgeorge]

You should be able to install the game from the CD and apply Atari patch2. If you are using a no-cd crack then you must have the correct one. Search the forums for more info. You can Google what you need.
The DAT extractor is for .dat files and a hex editor is needed for .dll files. All the files come with the install in the ToEE root directory.
Never edit/change the original game files except in an external source or drive that doesn't have ToEE on it.

[narsa]

Wait, is this program only for a specific game?

[wizgeorge]

Don't think so. Should work on any file with the .dat extension.

[narsa]

well if thats the case, i will need to get TIO.DLL and the other one from somewhere else
however, the thing is ive search the whole internet and havent found any reference to either of the files (except here of course). If these files come with some Atari game then i expect that this program is only for that game.
(i apoligize if i sound a bit "rude" but i just really want to be able to use dattool)

[wizgeorge]

All the files are in the Toee root directory. Zanes 1.0.5 is in the downloads and must be in Toee root. Extract it there and copy/paste the extract to the root.The dat files are big and take awhile to run.
The dll files reuire a hex editor, like ultraedit32 which has a 30day free-trial.
All editing should be done in an external source/partition that doesn't have toee on it. A 4GB flash would be handy.