3DS:BAX

BAX

Developer(s)	Wolfvak
Console	Nintendo 3DS
Version	3
Links
Website	gbatemp.net/threads/497717
GitLab	Wolfvak/BAX

BAX is a homebrew program for the Nintendo 3DS (compatible with all models) that allows you to display video streams on load. Thanks to boot-time entrypoints, this can be done on boot, giving a similar impression to the loading animation of a PC or a mobile smartphone.

Please note that while it's designed to boot into another payload (usually Luma3DS) after running, per design it will not load the second payload alongside itself, but rather sequentially - the time to boot will always be extended by exactly the length of the video. It is also not feasible (though it is possible in theory) to have BAX start loading the HOME Menu while playing the video due to how NATIVE_FIRM handles GPU initialization.

Important Notes

• BAX can only be booted from the SD card, and attempting to boot from elsewhere (CTRNAND, FIRM0/1 or an NTRBoot cartridge) will only cause problems.
• Because of how NATIVE_FIRM works, if you reboot into it from AGB_FIRM (the GBA Virtual Console), the GBA save game will not be saved until you boot AGB_FIRM again.
• BAX performs no GPU initialization, only register tweaks, and assumes the GPU has already been initialized by the time it boots. As a result, only B9S-compatible bootloaders are guaranteed to support BAX - but you should only be using boot9strap or fastboot3DS anyway, both of which are compatible.
• As BAX loads before Luma3DS, it creates an extra 'grace period' before the START/SELECT keys are registered, similar to placing a splash before payloads.
• To create animation files for BAX, see here.

Installation

Following these instructions will move your Luma3DS firmware file to sdmc:/bax/boot.firm, with sdmc:/boot.firm being the BAX payload instead. Please keep this in mind when updating Luma3DS in the future so you don't accidentally overwrite BAX.

1. Download and the latest release of BAX from its GitLab page (The release.zip file)
2. Insert your console's SD card into your computer
3. Create a folder named bax on the SD root
4. Move your existing boot.firm file into the bax folder
5. Copy BAX.firm from release.zip into the root of your SD card
6. Rename the BAX.firm you copied to boot.firm
7. Copy your BAX animation files to sdmc:/bax/
8. Your SD card should now look something like this:

• (root)
  • bax
    • boot.firm (Your existing Luma3DS file)
    • my_animation_1.bax
    • my_animation_2.bax
    • my_animation_3.bax
  • boot.3dsx
  • boot.firm (Used to be named BAX.firm)

BAX is now installed! It will choose a random animation to play at boot, then continue to Luma3DS.

Following these instructions will move your Luma3DS firmware file to sdmc:/bax/boot.firm, and may move other files elsewhere depending on your setup. Please keep these new locations in mind when updating files in the future, or else the updated file may not be the one that's loaded into use.

1. Download and the latest release of BAX from its GitLab page (The release.zip file)
2. Insert your console's SD card into your computer
3. Create a folder named bax on the SD root
4. Move your existing boot.firm into the bax folder
5. Copy BAX.firm from the release.zip to a place of your choosing, such as on the SD root
6. Copy your BAX animation files to sdmc:/bax/
7. Boot into the fastboot3DS configuration menu by holding HOME while powering on
8. Go to Boot setup... and select the first slot, then select Select [slot 1] firm and navigate to where you put BAX.firm on the SD card
9. Once selected, ensure Set [slot 1] autoboot is checked and back out to the main menu
10. To test, go into Boot menu... and select Boot [slot 1]; your animation should load, then the system should load normally
11. Your SD card layout may vary, but if you followed the instructions' suggestion, it will look like this:

• (root)
  • bax
    • boot.firm (Your existing Luma3DS file)
    • my_animation_1.bax
    • my_animation_2.bax
    • my_animation_3.bax
  • BAX.firm (the file in the first boot slot of fastboot3DS)
  • boot.3dsx

Configuration

If you create a text file, sdmc:/bax/boot.txt, that only contains a plaintext file path to a .firm file (such as sdmc:/firm/Luma3DS.firm, then when BAX.firm boots it will boot that file instead of sdmc:/bax/boot.firm.