[FF7] Text editor - Loveless (v2.5)

[Dracofern]

Cool! I've always had a problem with the other stuff that edits text, i actually want to change the dialogue, i dont understand how to re compress things lol. EDIT: It keeps saying there was an error trying to save, trying to find a way around it...

[LeeHiOoO]

OS? Check read-only attribute of file and If windows vista/seven check UAC and/or file permissions.

[chocofeather]

Squall, as you know, I and others are making a retranslation of VII.  We have noticed some things which are not covered by loveless:

a.  In battle text
b.  World map text (such as Cid saying they will break the highwind)

I know this dialogue is not found in the same file, but is there any hope a program can be made which will allow this data to be altered?  I hope so   Thanks again, especially for this amazing tool.  Without it, there wouldn't even be a retranslation project.

[Kudistos Megistos]

Battle text is in the AI script for the monsters you're fighting; Proud Clod can change it.

However, I don't know how to change the dialogue on the world map. In fact, I don't think anyone knows how to do it...

[LeeHiOoO]

I know how to edit world map dialogues... by hex editing a file(can't recall it's name) within world_us.lgp
the format is following if i remember:

pointers table > dialogs (may be wrong... its been a while since i was messing around with it)

using ff7 text format, also i don't remember if the file is lzs'ed or not, its been a while since i was messing around with it.
the only issue i had at time was to resize the dialogs window, because was fixed and i didn't searched where the values for it were.

[Kudistos Megistos]

I know how to edit world map dialogues... by hex editing a file(can't recall it's name) within world_us.lgp

Found it!

It's called "mes" (no file extension)

It would also be nice if someone who knew a bit more about scripting could take a look at atn.tbl, field.tbl and enc_w.bin (the name of the last one is especially interesting; it might be short for "encounter"). Perhaps some interesting things will be found there...

[chocofeather]

Battle text is in the AI script for the monsters you're fighting; Proud Clod can change it.

However, I don't know how to change the dialogue on the world map. In fact, I don't think anyone knows how to do it...

I didn't think this did it.  Thanks.

[Kudistos Megistos]

And as we can see, the world map dialogue can be edited as well

[chocofeather]

how do I hex edit?  With a basic hex editor?  Or has someone made a tool?

[LeeHiOoO]

You'll probably need an hex editor with .tbl support, as ff7 text don't use ANSI enconding. I recommend Transhextion. But you'll need a table for it. And I don't have one ready here. If someone could kindly post a ff7 tbl file would be nice. If nobody post it I'll try to search somewhere within my hd's for you. I still don't remember if it uses pointers table but if does, understanding of pointers is a MUST as you will need to edit the pointers table too.

[chocofeather]

No chance

[LeeHiOoO]

I would make a tool for it... if I wasn't so lazy and haven't so many issues at hand now... maybe someday near..

[nfitc1]

It would also be nice if someone who knew a bit more about scripting could take a look at atn.tbl, field.tbl and enc_w.bin (the name of the last one is especially interesting; it might be short for "encounter"). Perhaps some interesting things will be found there...

Initial appraisal of enc_w.bin:

Total size: 2,208 bytes
0x000 : header (160 bytes)
40 entries of 4 bytes split in to 2 WORDS.
First WORD looks like an index to something 0-255 (might be field location). Default is 9,999
Second WORD is something else. Default is 1.

0x0A0 : data (2,048 bytes)
64 entries of 16 WORDs each
1st word is sort of an activator. If (First_Word AND 1) <> 0 then block is "active".
Possible values:
0000h (Default/Not Active)
0C01h
1401h
2001h
4001h
6001h
Position of the following 15 words seems significant.
They appear to be grouped like this: 4/2/2/1/1/4(sometimes 2/2)/NULL
ex:
Entry 5 reads like this:

Code: [Select]

2001 3430 3431 3432 3433 3034 0000 0835 0836 0000 1037 6038 6039 603C 603D 0000
ATVR [       -4-       ] [  -2-  ] [  -2-  ] [ 1] [ 1] [  -2-  ] [  -2-  ] NULLThey are not necessarily unique (entries 57 and 61 are identical)


Initial appraisal of atn.tbl:

512 WORDS. Counting upward starting from 0 and ending at 721. Skips numbers and sometimes repeats other numbers. No idea what this is. What comes in groups of 512 that relates to the world map?


Initial appraisal of field.tbl:

64 entries of 24 bytes each. (maybe 128 entries of 12 bytes)
grouped as DWORDs, but treated as bytes(?).
Might be coordinates of things.
Every third DWORD is repetitive (ex 78787878h, 80808080h, etc).

That's all I got. Sorry it's not much.

[Colonel Ramsay]

Is this project finished?  There are a few bugs still here, the biggest I have found is that sometimes when replacing a word throughout the text the program stops half way through updating.  For example it will get to 72% of replacing text and just stay there...

It happens around 1 in 15 replacing operations (i.e  it happens 1 in 15 times).

It also seems to hang completely sometimes when simply searching for a string.

[Squall78]

Hi. It's been a while. I was very busy with my studies so... sorry for the silence.
I'm working back on Loveless. I've considered all the suggestions and will try to apply them.

I'll post a message when the new version will be ready

[DLPB_]

Excellent!

[ultima espio]

Great There's a slight problem with the latest version though, it cant load newly compiled LGP files. I've created new ones with lgptools, Highwind and with Aali's program, but Loveless cant open any of them

Oh and, this might have been mentioned, but would it be possible to open the extracted and uncompressed level files, and be able to add new text?

[Squall78]

Great There's a slight problem with the latest version though, it cant load newly compiled LGP files. I've created new ones with lgptools, Highwind and with Aali's program, but Loveless cant open any of them

What do you mean by "newly compiled LGP files" ? What do you perform on these files ?

Oh and, this might have been mentioned, but would it be possible to open the extracted and uncompressed level files, and be able to add new text?

Yes, I've already planned to open/import level files
But I don't think I will permit to add new texts.

[DLPB_]

Did I also mention some option to hide text that isn't actually used in game?

[Squall78]

Did I also mention some option to hide text that isn't actually used in game?

Yep. Planned to implement it.

[DLPB_]

I am Looking forward to it.  

[ultima espio]

I mean, when you extract all the files from the lgp, then create a brand new one using those tools.

[Squall78]

I mean, when you extract all the files from the lgp, then create a brand new one using those tools.

Hummm ok. Can you describe the exact procedure you follow (ex. "Open the X program", "Extract all fils", "Open Y program", "Import files", ...) ?
In order I do the same and encounter the problem to fix.

[ultima espio]

Ok, well what you do is:

Open the lgp with lgp tools

extract all the files

then when recompiling, click create new in lgptools and select the folder with the files in. It then packs those files into a new lgp.

I've done the same thing using Highwind and Aali's packers, it just says "invalid file" when you try to open the new one.

It might just be a little difference in the file headers or something?

[obesebear]

You might want to let Aali know about this.  His LGP program is only at .5, so I doubt it has been tested to work perfectly with all the .lgps