1. Purpose 2. How to begin? 3. Current status 3.1. Version history 4. Program list 4.1. ctdump 4.2. ctinsert 4.3. other 4.3.1. makeips 4.3.2. unmakeips 4.3.3. xray 4.3.4. viewer 4.3.5. spacefind 4.3.6. sramdump |
4.3.7. base62 5. Useful features 5.1. Name conjugation 5.2. Font/dictionary skew 5.3. Automatic paragraph wrapping 5.4. Variable width 8pix font 5.5. Very configurable 6. Summary of extra features 7. Requirements 8. Copying 8.1. If you only are interested in some features/parts 9. Documentation 9.1. Undocumented things 10. See also 11. Downloading |
Meant to be useful for anyone who wants to become a translator for Chrono Trigger and translate the game to their own language.
These programs do quite much more than just some little editing:
ct16fn.tga
and ct8fn.tga
,
and update the configuration to match the new character set
in your font and script files.
Subject | Percentage | |
---|---|---|
Dialog handling | 120% | everything works, extra features |
Dialog font handling | 120% | everything works, extra features |
Status font handling | 100% | everything works |
Character set issues | 100% | everything works |
Compression algorithms | 100% | everything works |
Item/tech/monster font handling | 90% | tech/monster code is useless |
Graphics handling | 95% | minor details left |
Signature feature | 100% | everything works |
Error recovery | 40% | not all error situations are handled |
Documentation | 40% | it isn't good or complete, but it exists |
# VERSION 1.0.0 first archived version. dumper works. # VERSION 1.0.1 working with recompressor, added tools. # VERSION 1.0.2 updates to patcher # VERSION 1.0.3 bugfixes to patcher - first working version! # VERSION 1.0.4 handled fixed strings too # VERSION 1.0.5 found item descriptions # VERSION 1.0.6 compressed better # VERSION 1.0.7 compressed more carefully # VERSION 1.0.8 documented the script # VERSION 1.0.9 fixed "..." handling and located the font # VERSION 1.0.10 had knowledge of character sets # VERSION 1.0.11 had a working font insertor # VERSION 1.0.12 had better knowledge of special codes # VERSION 1.0.13 used 62-base numbers # VERSION 1.0.14 added taipus.cc # VERSION 1.0.15 updated FIN/README and ct_fin.txt, but neither are archived # VERSION 1.0.16 added taipus.rb, fixed homepage urls and fixed mmap error checking. # VERSION 1.0.17 working again; uses space better; little modularized # VERSION 1.0.18 more of above # VERSION 1.0.19 code organising... improved 'i' in 8x8 font. # VERSION 1.0.20 binpacker changes, some translation done too # VERSION 1.0.21 more translation, some documentation, font palette changes. # VERSION 1.0.22 more translation, autowrapping support, conjugation detection code # VERSION 1.1.0 did some assembly hacking, support for code patching # VERSION 1.1.1 conjugating conjugating conjugating... work goes on # VERSION 1.1.2 and so on # VERSION 1.1.3 and so on... almost working! "case" still doesn't work. # VERSION 1.1.4 conjugating finally works! # VERSION 1.1.5 some bugfixes # VERSION 1.1.6 fixed an allocation bug and optimized the code generator a bit # VERSION 1.1.7 some translation, more asm changes # VERSION 1.1.8 syntax changes in the compiler, optimizations # VERSION 1.1.9 support for font/dictionary size skew # VERSION 1.1.10 new configuration system. Time to squash bugs. # VERSION 1.1.11 configuration works, font-enhancement works. # VERSION 1.2.0 variable-width 8pix font has stepped in, but has many many bugs. # VERSION 1.2.1 more vwf stuff, backup before doing big changes # VERSION 1.2.2 vwf stability++, also techniques now vwf. Scrolling bugs. # VERSION 1.2.3 lots of more translation # VERSION 1.2.4 8pix system deciphered, more bugs introduced # VERSION 1.2.5 characterset enlarged by 512, only vwf8 bugs still # VERSION 1.2.6 using nonstandard hash_map for greatly improved performance # VERSION 1.2.7 creating another compiler # VERSION 1.2.8 improved dictionary compression # VERSION 1.2.9 compiler progress, first windows binaries are working # VERSION 1.2.10 cursive font support # VERSION 1.2.11 some translation, compression optimizations # VERSION 1.3.0 new compression options, font reorganizer, generic typeface engine # VERSION 1.4.0 image patching support, more font reorganizing support # VERSION 1.4.1 lots of more translation (I'm archiving it here for my convenience) # VERSION 1.5.0 end of the compiler project; using assembler (xa65) now. # VERSION 1.5.1 vwf8 optimizations, assembly experiments # VERSION 1.5.2 compressed graphics support: decompressor and compressor # VERSION 1.5.3 better graphics compressor # VERSION 1.5.4 another archive-only version # VERSION 1.6.0 signature support (custom compressed image on startup screen) # VERSION 1.6.1 some remodularizing of code # VERSION 1.6.2 fixed the vwf8 scrolling problems and some other bugs # VERSION 1.6.3 battle item lister fixed - no vwf8 problems there now # VERSION 1.6.4 battle tech lister almost done; dumper: partial jap ROM support # VERSION 1.6.5 is working on an assembler # VERSION 1.6.6 has an almost working assembler # VERSION 1.6.7 has a complete assembler, doesn't require xa65 anymore # VERSION 1.6.8 patch version # VERSION 1.6.9 conjugater now partially asm; its compiler is a separate program # VERSION 1.7.0 some error checking; windows build of the assembler # VERSION 1.8.0 is GPL # VERSION 1.8.1 requires separate snescom (not bundled anymore) # VERSION 1.9.0 unified some configuration parts; added crononick-code support # VERSION 1.9.1 improved the signature feature; added checksum and ROM name feature # VERSION 1.9.2 has only documentation updates # VERSION 1.9.3 includes the forgotten snescode and dictionary modules. # VERSION 1.10.0 implemented various assembly optimization techniques # VERSION 1.10.1 updated the docs and the conj.code generator # VERSION 1.10.2 creates more useful information when dumping # VERSION 1.10.3 has technological updates but broken VWF8 # VERSION 1.11.0 has technological updates and new item list code with VWF8 # VERSION 1.11.1 adds the documentation core # VERSION 1.11.2 is a backup before anything catastrophic happens # VERSION 1.11.3 is another backup # VERSION 1.11.4 is another backup again # VERSION 1.11.5 another... big structural changes # VERSION 1.11.6 backup copy... this version has bugs # VERSION 1.11.7 unwraps the script when dumping, if configured so # VERSION 1.11.8 has much more documentation than beforeUsers of previous versions are advised to do the following:
etc/ct.cfg
with the new one to see what changes
are required to update their configuration files.ctdump
and
see if their script file needs any converting.
(It's not required, but it's tidier now.)
Dumps the script and fonts from a given ROM. Requires chrono-dumpee.smc .Produces the script file, the font files and a couple of other image files. Sample of produced script: ;1000ad (Lucca's home) *z;106 pointerstrings (12pix font) $F1IO: [nl] You got 1 [item]! $F1IQ: LARA: Oh, hi Crono.[nl] Lucca's off at Leene Square with[nl] her father, Taban, unveiling her new[nl] invention. $F1IS: LARA: Lucca and Taban only care[nl] about their silly toys!(Dumped from the English ROM)
The windows version of this program is
downloadable on this page. |
|
ct.cfg
(usually ct.txt
, ct8fn.tga
and ct16fn.tga
,
elemental images and optional extra fonts and code files).ctpatch-hdr.ips
and ctpatch-nohdr.ips
.In normal Chrono Trigger, the character set is as follows:
In Chronotools,
There are drawbacks though.
Note: The Japanese version of the game is almost exactly the same as the English version. Both have the same engine with only minor changes. If you are going to translate to Chinese or something else that uses thousands of different symbols, you are either going to have to manage with ~700 symbols or have to request some changes to the insertor.
Expanding the character set is a complicated thing because of its configurability. Maybe less options would be better, but then it wouldn't always work.
The compression, btw, generally shrinks the raw script
(which is about 2/3 of the size of ct.txt
)
by a factor of 30...40%.
For a 370 kB script file this means about 30 kB of
free ROM space or 74 kB of free dialog text space.
The image on the right shows this script piece:
Tämä on Leenen Aukio. Sanotaan, että jos joskus kuulee Leenen Kellon soivan, elää mielenkiintoisen ja onnellisen elämän!And is equal to if I had wrote this:
Tämä on Leenen Aukio. Sanotaan, että[nl] jos joskus kuulee Leenen Kellon soivan,[nl] elää mielenkiintoisen ja onnellisen[nl] elämän!
For this reason Chronotools creates a vwf8 engine that allows
the game to draw the names in thinner font that fits on the screen.
A POSIX compatible system (like Linux or FreeBSD) with GNU tools (GNU make, GCC etc) is required.For binaries (if you're an unfortunate user stuck with some "Windows"):
These programs are archived as C++ source code.
I don't have a microsoft-operating system here on my hand, but I have mingw32, which appears to produce working commandline billware binaries. They should work in Windows 2000, Windows 98 and possibly most other Windows systems as well.
If the "download" section doesn't have a recent win32 version, you can download the source and install mingw32 and try to compile the source yourself.
I don't offer binaries for any other platforms.
If you fear the text mode and command line, you better change your attitude and start learning :)
The VWF8 code,
the [crononick]
code (something that was removed
in the English release of CT) and the conjugator require an assembler,
snescom.
Snescom is a GPL'd xa65-compatible 65816 assembler program,
and it can be downloaded at
http://bisqwit.iki.fi/source/snescom.html .
If you have questions or just want to talk about Chrono Trigger hacking, throw me email.
My email address: | Joel Y | lilu | oma < | bisq | wit@ | iki. | fi> |
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