Final Fantasy Hacktics

Hello all, I have a few questions to ask.   I probably write really long, so I'm going to bold my main points.

Here's the story.
I want to try using EasyType1.3Complete, patched it but after playing a while I got the idea of wanting to change Ramza's sprite and job names.

I understand that for changing Ramza's sprite, there's a tutorial here. And for changing the job names it should be using FFTacText Editor.

However, I've encountered a few problems:
- FFTacText is only usable when using vanilla ISO. I am using EasyType1.3Complete as my base. So I can't use FFTacText. I resort to hex editing (some might consider this to be too much trouble for what its worth, but I really want to change Ramza's job name.). I followed this and this tutorials. I should edit 6 files. Fine, I've edited battle.bin, world.bin, and world.lzw with no problems. But when it comes to attack.out, card.out and require.out, I can't seem to find anything there that I should change so that I can change Squire to something else. I've tried finding the text "Squire" from the start of the file and case ignore, nothing happened. I have load the table given in the tutorial thread, and try to find using the hex search 1c34 blahblah and nothing comes up. Why is this? I have no such problems with the three other files I have edited.

- I managed to change the sprite using Shishi's sprite editor, but when changing unit screen (unit.bin and wldface.bin). I seem to follow the instructions properly... (I already save as 16 color bmp and resized the pallette to 16 in PalSuite3). But when I import using FFTEVGRP, the image/color seems to be out of whack. No matter what I tried to do (resaving, reload, I can't seem to make it proper). I'm using the Ramza's young noble sprite from the Custom Sprite Download section of FFHackticks. Here's a screenshot:

Attached is the bmp and pal files I created by following the tutorial. I hope it helps to help me solve what is wrong.

I really appreciate any help. Thank you. (I really apologize if my English isn't clear enough.)
Oh and I almost forgot, I am using the PSX version (playing through ePSXe).

Text problem is because you aren't reading the DTE text compression in those files.  TacText is usable on 1.3 Complete; you just need melonhead's latest version (which is not 457).  I managed to reverse engineer his latest version of TacText successfully from his online notes.  If you want, I can send you the edited files.

As for the images, I've never had those problems in my edit, so I don't exactly know what's wrong, but if you took a custom sprite, first check with ShiShi.  If you can't load it into ShiShi, you probably have a problem.  Also, I always tend to export my image files from ShiShi (to make sure I don't have any later problems).  You can try doing that.

I was planning on using TacText with complete, so I probably need your reverse engineered version of melonhead's latest version as well.  Could you send me those files as well.

Thank you for the replies!

Quote from: "formerdeathcorps"TacText is usable on 1.3 Complete; you just need melonhead's latest version (which is not 457).  I managed to reverse engineer his latest version of TacText successfully from his online notes.  If you want, I can send you the edited files.

Can you send me the FFTacText Editor which works with FFT 1.3 EasyType Complete?

QuoteIf you can't load it into ShiShi, you probably have a problem.  Also, I always tend to export my image files from ShiShi (to make sure I don't have any later problems).  You can try doing that.

The sprites work correctly when loaded using Shishi's. It even works well in game (in battle).  I exported to bmp using Shishi's also. But I need to crop just one sprite and only the potrait, then save as 16 color as according to the tutorial I've read. That's why I really confused as to what I did wrong that causes the problem. I have tried redoing the steps over and over again but the same problem persists,

Okay, I'm going to step in here for a moment.

For the Text problem, go here to make sure you have v0.457 and once you do that, go ahead and open your ISO. Go to SNPLMES.BIN and delete all the Japanese text (do note that the Germonik Scriptures are stores here as well). This should give you enough room that using Quick Edit won't give you any more errors.

As for the UNIT.BIN and WLDFACE.BIN issues, I had similar problems until I found a clever work-around. Bring up Shishi and pick the sprite you're working with (in this case, Ramza), then simply take a screenshot. What you do from here is paste it into an editing program. Then go ahead and select the forward-facing position (make sure your selection is 26x40) and paste it into a new file. Whatever program you're using, give it a palette (In GIMP, you do this by selecting Image->Indexed->16 color palette/colormap).

Save, insert. Done. (Make sure it's 16 colors though, no more - no less.)

Now do the same thing with the portrait, just make sure to rotate it 90 degrees so it's facing right-side up.

Quote from: "Lydyn"Okay, I'm going to step in here for a moment.

For the Text problem, go here to make sure you have v0.457 and once you do that, go ahead and open your ISO. Go to SNPLMES.BIN and delete all the Japanese text (do note that the Germonik Scriptures are stores here as well). This should give you enough room that using Quick Edit won't give you any more errors.

So, what about after FFT: Complete finishes translating those books?  I'd hate to be unable to make use of those translations.

Not sure there's much of a work-around short of HEX editing at that point.

Thank you for the suggestions. But both doesn't work.

Quote from: "Lydyn"For the Text problem, go here to make sure you have v0.457 and once you do that, go ahead and open your ISO. Go to SNPLMES.BIN and delete all the Japanese text (do note that the Germonik Scriptures are stores here as well). This should give you enough room that using Quick Edit won't give you any more errors.

I am already using v0.457. I've deleted every Japanese text in SNPLMES.BIN (except the Germonik Scriptures as it is not in Japanese). The same error still shows up. A screenshot:

QuoteBring up Shishi and pick the sprite you're working with (in this case, Ramza), then simply take a screenshot. What you do from here is paste it into an editing program. Then go ahead and select the forward-facing position (make sure your selection is 26x40) and paste it into a new file. Whatever program you're using, give it a palette (In GIMP, you do this by selecting Image->Indexed->16 color palette/colormap).

Save, insert. Done. (Make sure it's 16 colors though, no more - no less.)

Done it your way. Take a screenshot, Paste into GIMP, select the sprite, paste into a new file, and select 16 color palette. When I chose import BMP, the FFTEVGRP says it is "ERR: not a 16 bitmap"? When I read file properties, it it indexed only 14, but I have repeatedly try this step and put 16 into the Indexed box in GIMP. EDIT - managed to fix this by adding extra color to the image (14 means I add two extra colors) and save it as 16 color, then fix the color and resave.

OK, here are the 478 versions of orgASM and TacText.  I'll upload ShiShi and FFTPatcher when I can fully debug them.

Always copy this into the same folder you currently have TacText and orgASM in.  Otherwise, you'll have problems with .dll files.

Are these good enough to replace TacText and orgASM entirely or do I need to keep the older versions as well?

Oh, and you rock sir.

Quote from: "Jack of All Trades"Are these good enough to replace TacText and orgASM entirely or do I need to keep the older versions as well?

Oh, and you rock sir.

I haven't done too much testing, but I haven't found any problems with these two programs.

Quote from: "Ion"I am already using v0.457. I've deleted every Japanese text in SNPLMES.BIN (except the Germonik Scriptures as it is not in Japanese). The same error still shows up.

Hm. Try again with a clean ISO, and apply whatever patch you're working from. Extract the text changes from said ISO then save it as a .txt file (or whatever it saves as). Close, reopen and open up the recently saved text file - edit. It should work. I know I have problems when loading and changing directly from the ISO as well.
Though DLing the new FFTacText wouldn't be a bad idea.

Quote from: "Ion"Done it your way. Take a screenshot, Paste into GIMP, select the sprite, paste into a new file, and select 16 color palette. When I chose import BMP, the FFTEVGRP says it is "ERR: not a 16 bitmap"? When I read file properties, it it indexed only 14, but I have repeatedly try this step and put 16 into the Indexed box in GIMP. EDIT - managed to fix this by adding extra color to the image (14 means I add two extra colors) and save it as 16 color, then fix the color and resave.

Yeah, you just take one of the colors and add slide one of the options to the right/left by one and create a new color and insert the color into the sprite (you won't be able to tell the difference). Good job.

Quote from: "formerdeathcorps"OK, here are the 478 versions of orgASM and TacText.  I'll upload ShiShi and FFTPatcher when I can fully debug them.

Always copy this into the same folder you currently have TacText and orgASM in.  Otherwise, you'll have problems with .dll files.

Thank you. It doesn't work for me though.
Everytime I choose to import my PSX FFT.bin file, it shows this error:

Tried pressing continue but I think it hangs.
I already put the files in your zip file to the same folder as 457.
I have .NET Framework 4 installed, and I am running Windows Vista 32-bit.

Quote from: "Lydyn"Hm. Try again with a clean ISO, and apply whatever patch you're working from. Extract the text changes from said ISO then save it as a .txt file (or whatever it saves as). Close, reopen and open up the recently saved text file - edit. It should work. I know I have problems when loading and changing directly from the ISO as well.
Though DLing the new FFTacText wouldn't be a bad idea.

I am not sure if I fully understand what should I do. I'm going to try to put it into steps so I don't do anything wrong. Please correct me if I am mistaken somewhere.
1. Import a clean ISO to FFTacText Editor.
2. Quick edit - change the three Ramza's job name "Squire" to something else I want.
3. Save as *.ffttext
4. Close FFTacText Editor.
Now after this is where I get more confused.
5. Open FFTacText Editor again, and import the FFT 1.3 EasyType Complete ISO.
6. Open the saved ffttext file.
7. Edit ?? What should I edit? Should I just immediately repatch the FFT 1.3 EasyType Complete ISO ? Or is there something else I need to edit in FFTacText Editor?
Doing these steps, it seems like it will convert the texts in FFT 1.3 EasyType Complete to revert back to the original texts and not using the Complete texts... (At step 6, all the texts in the program become the vanilla texts except for my changed job names.)

I think you need .NET framework 4.5 to run it (because of the way I compiled this program), but let me check to see I don't get the same problem.

EDIT: Indeed that's the case.

Quote from: "formerdeathcorps"I think you need .NET framework 4.5 to run it (because of the way I compiled this program), but let me check to see I don't get the same problem.

EDIT: Indeed that's the case.

I have searched for 4.5 in Microsoft's website, but I can't seem to find it. I only found the link to 4 (which I already install). Searching Google only leads in questionable websites, wikipedia link to .NET Framework (wiki lists 4 as the newest though...), and Microsoft's link to Windows Installer 4.5. So, uh, can you give me the link to download 4.5 installer? ^^; (Sorry if this seems stupid)

• Open FFTacText
• Open FFT EasyType ISO
• File->Save .ffttext
• Close FFTacText
• Open FFTacText
• File->Open .ffttext
• Edit Text as you want
• Apply to ISO

Quote from: "Lydyn"• Open FFTacText
• Open FFT EasyType ISO
• File->Save .ffttext
• Close FFTacText
• Open FFTacText
• File->Open .ffttext
• Edit Text as you want
• Apply to ISO

Appy to a clean ISO? But won't the 1.3 EasyType mod disappear from that? The only mod retained would only be the texts. After that, to apply the PPF to the ISO again would undo the the job name changes anyway if the apply PPF will work to a non-clean ISO.   I'm a bit confused.

Apply to whatever ISO you want ... obviously, you just apply to 1.3 EasyType in this case.

Doesn't work. I've tried several times, still getting the "DTE for WLDHELP.LZW failed. The ISO has not been modified." error.

You can't do that.  If you extracted your TacText file from any ISO already modified by TacText, you cannot use that file to patch any other ISOs.

What you actually need to do is far more time consuming:
Open TacText
Open FFT EasyType ISO on one
Use Restore ISO on each file that gives you DTE errors by having it compare against a completely clean FFT ISO
Manually edit each one of those files
Save TacText File
Patch Clean ISO