Getting FF9 Fields Viewer working - FF9 image file extractor necessary?

[enemjay]

I posted this question in the tools section of the forum but have received no response, perhaps it was the incorrect place to put it.

I downloaded Zidane_2's FF9 Fields Viewer but in order to view the game's fields, it seems that I've gotta unpack the ff9.img file. Zidane_2 developed a tool for this and it's available on a separate Qhimm thread but the download link is dead. I read on XeNTaXhttp://forum.xentax.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=6250 that Noesis can unpack the files but after doing so I don't see the files laid out in the directories described (EX folder 4 is "fields", folder 5 is "monster data" ect.) Anyone able to post a live download link to the FF9 image file extractor made by Zidane_2 or have advice on how to get the Field Viewer to read the ff9.img file?

[Tirlititi]

I answered in the other topic. The download link was still valid recently.
Zidane's website has troubles. Let's hope they are not permanents...

[enemjay]

Hey thanks alot for reuploading that Tirlititi. I downloaded it and unzipped it. It has the 2 .exe files and two accompanying .cpp files however when I open the converter.exe it crashes.

The error message reads out a series of "modules". I don't know if this means these require some dll files in order to function:

module 1
converter.exe

mod 2
ntdll.dll

modd 3
snxhk.dll

and on and on...

2nd part of the error report:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?>
<DATABASE>
<EXE NAME="converter.exe" FILTER="GRABMI_FILTER_PRIVACY">
    <MATCHING_FILE NAME="converter.exe" SIZE="24781" CHECKSUM="0x33BABF53" MODULE_TYPE="WIN32" PE_CHECKSUM="0xD173" LINKER_VERSION="0x10000" LINK_DATE="05/14/2013 17:12:29" UPTO_LINK_DATE="05/14/2013 17:12:29" />
    <MATCHING_FILE NAME="ffix_img_extr.exe" SIZE="1026331" CHECKSUM="0x918B3822" MODULE_TYPE="WIN32" PE_CHECKSUM="0x100E09" LINKER_VERSION="0x10000" LINK_DATE="05/20/2013 14:45:26" UPTO_LINK_DATE="05/20/2013 14:45:26" />
</EXE>
<EXE NAME="msvcrt.dll" FILTER="GRABMI_FILTER_THISFILEONLY">
    <MATCHING_FILE NAME="msvcrt.dll" SIZE="343040" CHECKSUM="0x62160733" BIN_FILE_VERSION="7.0.2600.5512" BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION="6.1.8638.5512" PRODUCT_VERSION="7.0.2600.5512" FILE_DESCRIPTION="Windows NT CRT DLL" COMPANY_NAME="Microsoft Corporation" PRODUCT_NAME="Microsoft® Windows® Operating System" FILE_VERSION="7.0.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-2111)" ORIGINAL_FILENAME="msvcrt.dll" INTERNAL_NAME="msvcrt.dll" LEGAL_COPYRIGHT="© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved." VERFILEDATEHI="0x0" VERFILEDATELO="0x0" VERFILEOS="0x40004" VERFILETYPE="0x1" MODULE_TYPE="WIN32" PE_CHECKSUM="0x57341" LINKER_VERSION="0x50001" UPTO_BIN_FILE_VERSION="7.0.2600.5512" UPTO_BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION="6.1.8638.5512" LINK_DATE="04/14/2008 00:12:56" UPTO_LINK_DATE="04/14/2008 00:12:56" VER_LANGUAGE="English (United States) [0x409]" />
</EXE>
<EXE NAME="kernel32.dll" FILTER="GRABMI_FILTER_THISFILEONLY">
    <MATCHING_FILE NAME="kernel32.dll" SIZE="990208" CHECKSUM="0xCC2C4544" BIN_FILE_VERSION="5.1.2600.6293" BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION="5.1.2600.6293" PRODUCT_VERSION="5.1.2600.6293" FILE_DESCRIPTION="Windows NT BASE API Client DLL" COMPANY_NAME="Microsoft Corporation" PRODUCT_NAME="Microsoft® Windows® Operating System" FILE_VERSION="5.1.2600.6293 (xpsp_sp3_gdr.121001-1622)" ORIGINAL_FILENAME="kernel32" INTERNAL_NAME="kernel32" LEGAL_COPYRIGHT="© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved." VERFILEDATEHI="0x0" VERFILEDATELO="0x0" VERFILEOS="0x40004" VERFILETYPE="0x2" MODULE_TYPE="WIN32" PE_CHECKSUM="0xFBCBC" LINKER_VERSION="0x50001" UPTO_BIN_FILE_VERSION="5.1.2600.6293" UPTO_BIN_PRODUCT_VERSION="5.1.2600.6293" LINK_DATE="10/03/2012 04:58:13" UPTO_LINK_DATE="10/03/2012 04:58:13" VER_LANGUAGE="English (United States) [0x409]" />
</EXE>
</DATABASE>

The img extractor .exe simply closes immediately after I open it - no error message.

I'm running on XP and downloaded the archive on my gf's Windows 7 PC and received the same problems. Any ideas on what the problem is?

[Tirlititi]

First, the executables are command-line programs. You need to execute them from a command window.
To open a command, go to your start menu -> execute -> enter "cmd" and validate.
Then you must go to the folder where your programs are (by navigating inside the command window) ; use the command "cd" for that. For instance, if the program is in your "C:\Users\YourName\Programs\" directory, write the following line (press tab to complete the folders' name) :

cd "C:\Users\YourName\Programs\"

And finally, you can execute the program by entering its name followed by its arguments :
FF9_img_extractor.exe <full path to ff9.img> <path to out dir>
"out dir" is where the files will be extracted.

Second, if it says "you miss dlls", just download those dlls (google it) and put them either in your program's directory or in the directory "C:\Windows\system32\".

[Kompass63]

If you have a 64bit system, you should copy the dll's in addition to "C:\Windows\SysWOW64" .
In addition, registering the dll's needed.
Open a command window and write

regsvr32 C:\Windows\system32\snxhk.dll

(as example).

[enemjay]

Still having trouble-
Using the command window, I first direct to the folder with the converter.exe and the ffix_img_extr.exe programs. This is my case -

"cd C:\Documents and Settings\EndUser\Desktop\ff9"

Now that it's set try to go about executing the program (the first set of brackets contain the path to the img file and the second a path to the extraction folder) -

ffix_img_extr.exe <C:\Documents and Settings\EndUser\Desktop> <C:\Documents and Settings\EndUser\Desktop\imgoutput>

Hitting enter then gives me the following response "<was unexpected at this time."

I haven't gone about collecting those dlls mentioned before. If those are missing could that contribute to the "<was unexpected at this time." message?

[Kompass63]

Commands not within quotation marks.
Paths (with spaces) already!

cd "C:\Documents and Settings\EndUser\Desktop\ff9"

Please do not use < or > that have special meaning in a command window.

ffix_img_extr.exe "C:\Documents and Settings\EndUser\Desktop\ff9.img" "C:\Documents and Settings\EndUser\Desktop\imgoutput\"

[enemjay]

excellent, got it to extract and can now view the fields. thx for your help. I knew quotation marks shouldn't be included in a command line but I wasn't sure about these ><.