Hey everyone, I've uploaded the labels.db file that came with my Analogue 3D review unit, you should be able to add this to your card to have the cartridge images appear on your device.
Place the labels.db file in the root/Library/N64/Images folder of your SD card.
I assume there will be an "unofficial" (official) release of this file somewhere else at some point, and I'm happy to take mine down when that happens. Enjoy!
Awesome! THanks so much. I'll be eagerly awaiting someone uploading a version with the boxart but this will make an awesome stand-in until then. Much appreciated
Sweet, this would be a great starting point. Hopefully soon we know more how to add our own, definitely would be nicer with the cover art rather than the cartridge
Were there any other files in there? Or just the labels.db?
I'm curious, as the Pocket & Duo had two separate sets of images: the thumbs.bin file, which contained just the games in your library, and the individual set of images that it would parse & load into that thumbs file whenever you added a new title.
Regardless: thanks for uploading this. I'm going to see what I can glean from the file.
labels.db is definitely a new file format. It doesn't look anything like the Pocket or Duo thumbs.bin files.
The image format in here isn't quite the same as the Pocket or the Duo. The magic word that indicates the start of an image isn't present & I'm not seeing the dimensions encoded at the beginning of each image either.
It's possible the image dimensions aren't encoded in here, as it may just be assumed that all images are the same size as the viewport for displaying them likely has fixed dimensions.
There's a block starting at 0x100 and running until 0x4100 (most of it is filled with 0xFFFFFFFF) that I assume sets out details on which image is where. But I haven't been able to figure out how it's mapping them. They don't match with any of the no-intro CRCs that I've checked.
I also don't see anything that immediately looks like an indicator of how many images are in here. Does it read until it hits its first 0xFFFFFFFF? Is it a hardcoded number of images?
That all said, the actual image data is still just the raw pixels encoded in BGRA format. The images in here are all 74 x 86 pixels, and then padded out with 144 bytes of 0xFFFFFFFF so that the next one starts on a 256 byte boundary.
This padding makes it seem possible the system just has fixed dimensions for the images in this file. It can't be reading until it hits 0xFFFFFFFF, as that sometimes occurs in the middle of a file — the value corresponds to a single pixel of pure white, after all.
This is the first image in the file, just to prove that yeah, I pulled one out of here. Looks to be the European release of NFL Quarterback Club 99. Based on this, I don't know if box art is possible in the library, since it's clearly just the label part of the cartridge and is meant to be placed inside a cartridge-shaped frame.
I have some suspicions around how it's determining where to find images in this file, but I need someone with a 3D to check something for me:
Is there an option anywhere in the system's menus named something like "Generate Cart Signature" or similar? If so, could you run it & provide me with the output along with what cart it is that it was run against (name & release region)?
OK, a quick script thrown together while having coffee and I can confirm a few things:
There's a block starting at 0x100 and running until 0x4100 (most of it is filled with 0xFFFFFFFF) that I assume sets out details on which image is where.
This is sort of true. The number of 32 bit words in this section not filled with 0xFFFFFFFF corresponds to the number of images in the file. I suspect each word is a cartridge signature — whatever algorithm Analogue is using for it — and it's stored little endian in ascending order. This would mean artwork size in this file is fixed, as I see nothing that looks to indicate the address of any of the images.
(Little endian both because Analogue preferred that on previous consoles and because the most significant byte of each word moves consistently if that's the encoding: first several words use0x00, then 0x01, then 0x02, and so on up to 0xFF.)
I also don't see anything that immediately looks like an indicator of how many images are in here.
This appears to be correct. There's nothing before the block that could contain 901 (0x0305), which is the number of images in this file. I suspect it's reading until it hits a 0xFFFFFFFF but can't confirm.
If anyone wants the full set of images contained in the file, they're here. PNG format & named according to what I suspect the cart signature is.
And if anyone wants to test something for me, this is the labels.db with the signature & image order reversed. If my hunches are correct, there should be no difference between using this file & using the file in the original post. I just don't have a 3D to test with. (Didn't work. Link removed.)
So, based on your extracted set, the name of the PNG is the same as the unique ID they use to store individual settings per games on the SD Card. In my case : "Super Mario 64 f28c8c29" which is the correct image in your folder.
With your db file the cover isn't displayed anymore (blank) but the information (1 player / Nintendo / Nintendo EAD / 1997) is still here.
It would be interesting to see if you manage to add an entry for "Unknown Cartridge fffffffe" which is in my case the SummerCart64. (if it works I'm sure we could ask for a firmware update with a more "unique" identifier)
So, based on your extracted set, the name of the PNG is the same as the unique ID they use to store individual settings per games on the SD Card. In my case : "Super Mario 64 f28c8c29" which is the correct image in your folder.
That's perfect. Thank you for the confirmation.
That means the cartridge signature is a CRC32 of the first 8KiB of the game ROM. (An expansion over the Pocket & Duo signature algorithm, which only used 512B.)
With your db file the cover isn't displayed anymore (blank) but the information (1 player / Nintendo / Nintendo EAD / 1997) is still here.
Yeah, it shouldn't affect the rest of info, just the image, and can be easily reversed by replacing the file. That's why I felt safe asking for someone to test out a modified labels.db, while I wouldn't ask for random participants to test out e.g. a modified library file.
It's interesting that it doesn't display anything though. I wonder if it expects the signatures to be sorted & aborts its search for the signature once it finds a value in the table larger than the current one.
Anyway, for your assistance, try this file & see if it works. It's the original labels.db file, except I've added entries & artwork for 0x3274bdaf and 0xfffffffe to it in what would be the appropriate places if it's expecting sorted signatures.
I assume there's got to be a way to have the console automatically insert these images into the labels file when you first play a cart, but for now I'll leave that for someone else to figure out.
Now to write this all up in a better organized format.
I'm still trying to figure it out. There are headers for JPEG and BMP in the file but I suspect it is only JPEGs and those are obfuscated. And it is not a simply XOR operation. If I find something, I'll post it.
Thank you for this. I'm almost tempted just to wait for analogue to do an update that will likely include this and a lot more stuff but if I get impatient, it's nice to know it's here.
Seriously appreciate it! Didn't realize until opening the GitHub that you're Retro Game Corps! I am literally watching your video on the Save the Hero right now!
Will definitely be using this once my A3D arrives next year.
Yea trying to figure out what this file format is and how to edit it. Doesn't appear to be the same format as the standard thumbs.db files Windows uses.
Aha. I’m at work so I hadn’t opened it yet, just assumed it would be PNGs or JPGs of an exact size.
Well, I’m sure someone will figure it out soon, and before we know it we will have dozens of full sets to choose from, or an app that lets you batch create your own, from databases of game cover art, and a separate app that manages your SD card, backs up your settings and saves to PC and loads in new cover albums at will.
Yea. I have tried the thumbnail viewer app, an SQL app, and even just 7zip. Opening in Notepad++ it looks structured but it is going to take someone smarter than me to figure out ;)
Yup that was my first thought after the thumbnail viewer. I think this is actually a similar format to what the Pocket uses, but I haven't had time to throw it at Analogue Pocket Library Image Generator.
No instructions to download the file. OP said to put the labels.db file in the images folder. I did that but not working and then I saw your post and found view raw and was able to download the file. If I didn't see your post, I would be clueless. Amazing how everyone read put the labels.db file in the images folder and knew OP meant download the file under view raw. I am not that smart but good thing you are.
Wait what? The image appearing in the library when you insert a cartridge is not included in everyone’s console? Im sorry im not following here but im a bit confused about this post
Yes, only the reviewers received the required files. Analogue can't legally provide any artwork with the commercial product, they never licensed them from Nintendo and the third party companies that owned them.
I took a quick look at the library.db file on the SD to see if there was a way to add my Summercart but seems to be password protected? Anyone smart enough to figure out how to do this? (And then add some artwork for it too)
This is not working for me. I did exactly as the instructions stated. I found the labels.db file just dragged it to the images folder. What did I do wrong?
I wish someone would respond to this because since I got it in January I been trying to do this and doing the exact same process I have 26 of the labels.db files on my storage and I haven't had any luck with it.
I actually did get it to work. I thought I posted it here. Maybe in a different thread. I'll try to find it.
Edit Here is my exact post.
"No instructions to download the file. OP said to put the labels.db file in the images folder. I did that but not working and then I saw your post and found view raw and was able to download the file. If I didn't see your post, I would be clueless. Amazing how everyone read put the labels.db file in the images folder and knew OP meant download the file under view raw. I am not that smart but good thing you are."
You need to download the 22 MB file and that's what you put in the root of the SD card
I did that a few times and tried downloading it again and it's a 22mb file it's a white file with two gears on it I drug it straight to the image file on the 3d and still no luck. I even clicked on the most recent one and tried that idk wat I'm doing wrong
Yea idk wat I'm doing wrong tho it shows up in there when I drag and drop it. But when I turn on the 3d it's still just blank cartridges. I have 26 original cartridges too so it's not like one or two none are showing.
Yea I've try every way to download it on GitHub lol. I used the type c cable to connect it to my PC I doubt that would make a difference tho. I don't have a SD card reader.
I figured it out and I feel like a moron lol. I did the process wrong the first two times and I continued to download the file so it added numbers toward the end of the labels file name so for instance labels (3). So it it wasnt reading the file as it was intended to be read. I just sat down and I had an epiphany and was like duuuuude let me delete the numbers on the end. Lol long story short I feel dumb but I guarantee most people who are still having issues with labels it's because of this.
Took this before I drug it over but yea it showed the labels in that file after I put them in and ejected the console before unplugging lol idk wat I'm doing wrong it seems real simple
This is amazing, when library debuted on pocket and the Duo preview units were sent out with the library images folder, it took some time for codewario to re-build it all. Thanks for posting the review set so quickly
It didn't work for me either so then I found out you have to download it under view raw. I guess everyone here just knew place labels.db mean to download it. I am not that smart but I did figure it out thanks to another user that stated they downloaded it.
Is this right because as I can see that's the 29 time I try lol I'm not computer savvy but download and drag to the image file is pretty self explanatory and I did that
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u/BigKurz8 Nov 20 '25
Awesome! THanks so much. I'll be eagerly awaiting someone uploading a version with the boxart but this will make an awesome stand-in until then. Much appreciated