brandson

Iconswap for FFXI Icon DAT Updating

2008-11-02T05:57:29Z

IMPORTANT NOTE: For the latest UI DAT updates for Final Fantasy XI, please see Emiko's FFXIStyle.

Back when I was still playing FFXI and updating the UI DAT files, I wrote myself a little program called iconswap to make it easier for me to update the icon dat files every patch. It is a textmode program. To run it, either make a batch file or run it from the command prompt in Windows. Here is the batch file I used for the last UI update I did last year:

iconswap 57.DAT ROM\119\57.DAT.NOV28 ROM\119\57.DAT
iconswap 57-SE-utsusemi.DAT ROM\119\57.DAT.NOV28 ROM\119\57-se-utsusemi.DAT
iconswap 57.DAT ROM\0\12.DAT.NOV28 ROM\0\12.DAT
iconswap 57-SE-utsusemi.DAT ROM\0\12.DAT.NOV28 ROM\0\12-se-utsusemi.DAT
iconswap 57.DAT ROM\176\107.DAT.NOV28 ROM\176\107.DAT
iconswap 57-SE-utsusemi.DAT ROM\176\107.DAT.NOV28 ROM\176\107-se-utsusemi.DAT
iconswap 57.DAT ROM\178\46.DAT.NOV28 ROM\178\46.DAT
iconswap 57-SE-utsusemi.DAT ROM\178\46.DAT.NOV28 ROM\178\46-se-utsusemi.DAT

The first file in the command, "57.DAT", should contain all your latest custom icon graphics. The next file, "ROM\119\57.DAT.NOV28" should be the latest UI dat file from SE. The last file "ROM\119\57.DAT" is the file that will be created by running iconswap. I have a command for each language UI file and also for versions using the alternate utsusemi graphic. So I ran iconswap in a directory with my source 57.DAT file in it, and then subdirectories for ROM\119, ROM\0, ROM\176, and ROM\178.

Note, you may need to have Cygwin installed in order to run my program. I only wrote it for my own use and I may have deleted my source code. I never expected to be giving it to anyone, so there is a high likelihood that it won't work at all, or won't work for you. Also, if SE changed the icon dat file format since I last played, then iconswap may not work properly anymore. If SE is still using the same file formats, then the only work you still have to do is to get all of the icon graphics you want in the right locations into your source "57.DAT" file. That requires some understanding of hex editing and the icon formats, which I don't plan on explaining. If you know where the icon graphics should be, you just have to copy any new icon graphics from a new SE dat file into your pre-patch 57.DAT file, then rebuild. The whole thing usually took me 5-10 minutes after a new patch was released.

I haven't played FFXI in a while and won't be returning so this program will be unsupported forever.

Download iconswap here: iconswap.zip.

Original DAT Files Needed

2008-03-11T02:50:28Z

I hear FFXI was patched today. I cancelled my account a few months ago so I have no access to source DAT files anymore. If someone wants to carry on keeping the UI mods working that would be awesome. If not, I could get to it at some point this week but I'll need someone to send me the following original (unmodified) DAT files from today's patch:

ROM\0\12.DAT status icons (JP)
ROM\91\15.DAT user interface (JP)
ROM\119\51.DAT user interface (NA)
ROM\119\57.DAT status icons (NA)
ROM\176\75.DAT user interface (German)
ROM\176\107.DAT status icons (German)
ROM\178\14.DAT user interface (French)
ROM\178\46.DAT status icons (French)

Zip up those files and upload them somewhere for me to grab then post the download link for me to get them. If someone can do that for me, then I'll see about getting the DATs updated on Thursday (the next day when I'll have a few free hours at night). Thanks.

Cool Plasma Design from CES

2008-01-12T19:42:13Z

Panasonic just took over as the king of tv design with the TH-PZ800 series announced at CES. See here for pics: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12709470#post12709470 or http://panasonic.co.jp/pavc/global/viera/design_concept/.

Who knows if it's any good but it sure looks nice. Sony's new designs from CES are all boring and cheap looking, nothing like the current XBRs.

FFXI UI 0.13

2007-12-02T19:38:49Z

I updated my UI to work with the November 28th patch. All language UI dats are updated.

I fixed a few missing status icons from 0.12 and created icons for what I think are the light and dark arts status icons. I just colour-swapped the haste icon to make white and black versions. It's not my best work but hopefully it at least works. Note all dats are mostly untested. Let me know if there are problems.

You can download the DATs from filefront.com, or savefile.com.

To install the files, make sure you are fully logged out of FFXI and PlayOnline, then simply unzip the zip file to your PlayOnline\SquareEnix\Final Fantasy XI directory. Read the included readme file for instructions on how to install any of the new window tiles.

Note that I have included versions of the icon dat file that use SE's utsusemi icon and the different utsusemi icon. The default status icon dat file uses a different icon for the copy image status effect. If you prefer to use SE's icon, rename ROM\119\57-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\119\57.DAT for the NA client, ROM\0\12-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\0\12.DAT for the JP client, ROM\176\107-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\176\107.DAT for the German client, or ROM\178\46-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\178\46.DAT for the French client.

If you use the JP or EU client and prefer English language descriptions for the status icons then copy ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\0\12.DAT for the JP client, ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\176\107.DAT for the German client, or ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\178\46.DAT for the French client.

DO NOT INSTALL WHILE LOGGED INTO FFXI or POL or the game may crash or behave strangely.

Read the included readme file for instructions on installing the window tiles.

If you want to see what the UI looks like, see this older lj entry for a screenshot: FFXI UI 0.10 (September 23, 2006)

I also updated my zip file containing the original versions of these dats from the November 28th patch. If you accidentally delete the original dat files and you want to have them back, you can get them from Filefront here: ffxi-ui-original-nov28-2007.zip.

UI News

2007-11-29T01:59:52Z

I saw the comments some of you posted about SE updating the UI DAT files again today. Thanks for letting me know it changed.

Unfortunately, my FFXI wants to filecheck 20000 files again and I work 12 hour days during the week so I probably won't be able to do anything about this until the weekend. I will try to fix it when I can. In the meantime, you can try using the UI DAT files I have posted but I don't know if they will work properly. Let me know if SE patches again.

FFXI Maps 1.4

2007-11-21T03:33:51Z

It's been a while, but while waiting for FFXI to patch today, I decided to update some map dats. I added dats for Alzadaal Ruins and all the Remnants, as well as added some more directions to sky maps, and a few other small things. The maps are largely based on maps in Sean's map pack and ffxiclopedia, so if the info is wrong, it's not my fault.

If any of these maps crash the game, please let me know and I'll try to fix the problem. I don't play FFXI anymore so it's hard for me to throughly test this.

You can download the DATs from filefront.com, or savefile.com.

To install the files, make sure you are fully logged out of FFXI and PlayOnline, then simply unzip the zip file to your PlayOnline\SquareEnix\Final Fantasy XI directory.

DO NOT INSTALL WHILE LOGGED INTO FFXI or POL or the game may crash or behave strangely.

FFXI UI 0.12

2007-11-21T03:27:44Z

I updated my UI to work with the November 19th patch. All language UI dats are updated.

Status icons for the new jobs were added, as were some other conquest-ish icons. There were a few other minor changes as well. Note all dats are mostly untested. Let me know if there are problems.

You can download the DATs from filefront.com, or savefile.com.

To install the files, make sure you are fully logged out of FFXI and PlayOnline, then simply unzip the zip file to your PlayOnline\SquareEnix\Final Fantasy XI directory. Read the included readme file for instructions on how to install any of the new window tiles.

Note that I have included versions of the icon dat file that use SE's utsusemi icon and the different utsusemi icon. The default status icon dat file uses a different icon for the copy image status effect. If you prefer to use SE's icon, rename ROM\119\57-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\119\57.DAT for the NA client, ROM\0\12-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\0\12.DAT for the JP client, ROM\176\107-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\176\107.DAT for the German client, or ROM\178\46-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\178\46.DAT for the French client.

If you use the JP or EU client and prefer English language descriptions for the status icons then copy ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\0\12.DAT for the JP client, ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\176\107.DAT for the German client, or ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\178\46.DAT for the French client.

DO NOT INSTALL WHILE LOGGED INTO FFXI or POL or the game may crash or behave strangely.

If you want to see what the UI looks like, see this older lj entry for a screenshot: FFXI UI 0.10 (September 23, 2006)

I also updated my zip file containing the original versions of these dats from the November 19th patch. If you accidentally delete the original dat files and you want to have them back, you can get them from Filefront here: ffxi-ui-original-nov19-2007.zip.

trying to patch

2007-11-20T02:53:25Z

I'm trying to download the latest FFXI patch now but it likes to timeout right after the file check, forcing me to file check again. If I ever get the new content downloaded, I'll update my dats. Until then, just use whatever SE gives you as my 0.11b UI is not going to work properly.

Update #1: The servers are finally letting me patch now (1pm est Tuesday). It says 2h30m to go. We'll see.

Update #2: Finished updating all the dats, but I have to test them first and I need to wait until my other pc finishes patching before I can do that. If all goes well, I'll upload everything later tonight.

skate is my game of the year

2007-10-10T05:03:15Z

Just got skate for PS3. This game is so much fun. If you have a PS3 or 360 you have to get this game. It really is the Gran Turismo of skateboarding games. There's an online video-posting site too and I posted my first video just now. The trick took me about 50 tries to land. The recording I made is the one and only time I managed to clear the fence. Thought I'd quit while I was ahead.

You can view my video here: http://skate.share.ea.com/profiles/2101/posts/360454.aspx

FFXI UI 0.11b

2007-08-27T23:39:30Z

I updated my UI to work with the August 27th patch. All language UI dats are updated.

As far as I can tell, some status icon descriptions may have been updated. In addition, the menu icons for some spells and abilities may also have been changed. Note all dats are untested. Let me know if there are problems.

You can download the DATs from filefront.com, or savefile.com.

To install the files, make sure you are fully logged out of FFXI and PlayOnline, then simply unzip the zip file to your PlayOnline\SquareEnix\Final Fantasy XI directory. Read the included readme file for instructions on how to install any of the new window tiles.

Note that this time I have included versions of the icon dat file that use SE's utsusemi icon and the different utsusemi icon. The default status icon dat file uses a different icon for the copy image status effect. If you prefer to use SE's icon, rename ROM\119\57-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\119\57.DAT for the NA client, ROM\0\12-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\0\12.DAT for the JP client, ROM\176\107-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\176\107.DAT for the German client, or ROM\178\46-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\178\46.DAT for the French client.

If you use the JP or EU client and prefer English language descriptions for the status icons then copy ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\0\12.DAT for the JP client, ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\176\107.DAT for the German client, or ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\178\46.DAT for the French client.

DO NOT INSTALL WHILE LOGGED INTO FFXI or POL or the game may crash or behave strangely.

If you want to see what the UI looks like, see this older lj entry for a screenshot: FFXI UI 0.10 (September 23, 2006)

I also updated my zip file containing the original versions of these dats from the August 27th patch. If you accidentally delete the original dat files and you want to have them back, you can get them from Filefront here: ffxi-ui-original-aug27-2007.zip.

Tiger Woods 2007 PS3 for sale

2007-08-21T23:21:15Z

I'm selling a used copy of Tiger Woods 2007 for the PS3 for $20 plus shipping. Paypal only (or cash if you're in Toronto and want to pick it up). If you're interested, send me an email at brandson@gmronline.com.

E3

2007-07-11T20:53:58Z

One perk of owning a PS3 today is that they have HD trailers of everything at Sony's press conference up on the store already. 260MB MGS4 trailer downloading now!

So far, all the press conferences were a little underwhelming though. The Call of Duty 4 demo at Microsoft's show last night was really cool, and some videos Sony showed today were nice, but there was nothing really shocking or mindblowing shown. The $599 PS3 and $199 PSP bundles were kind of lame.

The funniest moment of E3 so far was during Microsoft's press conference last night when Peter Moore said the Xbox marketplace was getting great movies "from Atlantis to Waterboy!" I don't know if I would be bragging about that. All the movies he announced were kind of shovelware. It's good they're finally bringing at least some of the marketplace content to Canada though (it's mostly US-only at this point). The Halo themed 360 looked hideous.

Nintendo ignored lots of nice games at their press conference for some reason. Apparently Golden Sun DS and Advance Wars DS 2 are coming, but Reggie didn't even mention them. Aside from Mario Galaxy, there's nothing else on Wii for me. I run and workout on my own, so Wii Fit does nothing for me, and I never got into Smash Bros. or Mario Kart.

The slimmer/lighter/faster PSP with a 4 or 8GB memory stick might make for a nice portable media player. I'm curious to see how well the remote play features work, but PSP still seems a little too big for a take-everywhere-you-go portable device. If they keep a similar form factor in the next PSP, they should ditch UMD, use a touchscreen, include 8 or 16GB of internal flash memory, and add a good 3+ megapixel camera. Otherwise, it's hard to justify carrying around something that large.

Overall, I think Sony's showing was the best, which is why I bought a PS3 in the first place. If you're bored at home or work and reading my blog, what do you think of E3 so far?

1080p > 720p; if you can't tell the difference you're doing it wrong

2007-07-10T02:21:51Z

I've entered the next generation of gaming and it's a lot of fun. PS3 is actually much cooler than I expected. My LCD monitor accepts 1080p over DVI and scales it down to the monitor's native resolution of 1680x1050 which makes the PS3 HDMI output look stunning. Way better than 720p. So, if anyone has a PS3 or Wii and wants to be my friend, here's my info:

PS3: Brandson
Wii: 8588-8486-4992-0383

Victoly!

2007-06-07T23:51:22Z

The bar has been pushed down, or something, while my brains are turned to mush! Hopefully I never have to write that again. And I was planning on writing the California and NY bars next year too... All that FUN crammed into one year is gonna be hawt.

Taru Odin!

2007-06-05T23:47:58Z

Took a 5min break from studying to bring you taru odin! Fierce!

FFXI UI 0.11a

2007-06-05T21:18:04Z

I updated my UI to work with the June 5 patch. All language UI dats are updated. Even though I'm busy studying, I decided to update this now so I don't have to worry about it. It didn't take long anyway. Note all dats are untested. Let me know if there are problems.

You can download the DATs from filefront.com, or savefile.com.

To install the files, make sure you are fully logged out of FFXI and PlayOnline, then simply unzip the zip file to your PlayOnline\SquareEnix\Final Fantasy XI directory. Read the included readme file for instructions on how to install any of the new window tiles.

Note that this time I have included versions of the icon dat file that use SE's utsusemi icon and the different utsusemi icon. The default status icon dat file uses a different icon for the copy image status effect. If you prefer to use SE's icon, rename ROM\119\57-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\119\57.DAT for the NA client, ROM\0\12-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\0\12.DAT for the JP client, ROM\176\107-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\176\107.DAT for the German client, or ROM\178\46-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\178\46.DAT for the French client.

If you use the JP or EU client and prefer English language descriptions for the status icons then copy ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\0\12.DAT for the JP client, ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\176\107.DAT for the German client, or ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\178\46.DAT for the French client.

DO NOT INSTALL WHILE LOGGED INTO FFXI or POL or the game may crash or behave strangely.

If you want to see what the UI looks like, see this older lj entry for a screenshot: FFXI UI 0.10 (September 23, 2006)

I also updated my zip file containing the original versions of these dats from the June 5th patch. If you accidentally delete the original dat files and you want to have them back, you can get them from Filefront here: ffxi-ui-original-jun5-2007.zip.

UI for June 5 Patch

2007-06-05T03:24:01Z

I write part 2 of the bar exam on Thursday (part 1 was last week) and I am essentially spending all day every day preparing for it. If SE breaks my UI tomorrow, I don't know if I'll have time to make an update right away this time, but I will fix it sooner or later (Thursday night at the latest).

Battlestar Galacticsimpsons

2007-05-16T18:21:22Z

The exams, they never end! Bar exam this time. Meanwhile, here's something to keep you entertained: Battlestar Galacticsimpsons.

No more school ever!

2007-04-26T16:48:44Z

Mark this day, cause Brandson is done law school!!! I feel like my real life can now finally begin.

Brandson Predicts the Future?

2007-04-25T20:11:06Z

On April 11th, I posted a comment on a discussion on Engadget about how cellphone makers aren't trying hard enough to innovate. In that post I mentioned how too many buttons is a problem on phones that can do more than make calls. In particular I said:

"I don't need tons of buttons, sliders, flips, etc. on my phone. Just use the touchscreen for everything except maybe add some volume or mute/pause buttons on the side."

Then just 2 days ago, Meizu revealed an updated version of its M8 phone:

Notice they modified the button layout in exactly the way I described in my Engadget post. The old design did not have a mute/pause button.

Unless having a dual-purpose mute/pause button is a common thing, Meizu now borrows ideas from Apple AND Brandson! Note to Meizu: I will happily accept a free M8 as payment for more brilliant (and not-so-brilliant) product ideas.

Music Break!

2007-04-11T06:49:04Z

Taking a break from studying for a corporate tax exam to bring you a link to my favourite music performance ever: Mediterranean Sundance from the album Friday Night In San Francisco.

Too bad it cuts out about halfway through the song, but still great to watch. You can probably find the CD for like $5 now too. So awesome.

Almost 300

2007-03-23T06:01:16Z

But that one chain lasted for 2.5 hours. Yes we messed up on #300. Can't complain though when I merit once a week and get 7 merits.

FFXI UI 0.11

2007-03-11T05:05:24Z

I updated my UI again to add support for other languages. The status icons should display in Japanese on the Japanese client, German on the German client, and French on the French client. The rest of the UI should also work just fine on all clients now.

I also cleaned up my font with respect to some German and French characters and restored the correct XP Dedication status icon (I missed it in 0.10c). If you don't care about any of that, then you can continue to use 0.10c just fine. If you use a version older than 0.10c then the game will likely crash as soon as you gain a status effect. Please let me know if you notice any problems with the update.

You can download the DATs from filefront.com, or savefile.com.

To install the files, make sure you are fully logged out of FFXI and PlayOnline, then simply unzip the zip file to your PlayOnline\SquareEnix\Final Fantasy XI directory. Read the included readme file for instructions on how to install any of the new window tiles.

Note that this time I have included versions of the icon dat file that use SE's utsusemi icon and the different utsusemi icon. The default status icon dat file uses a different icon for the copy image status effect. If you prefer to use SE's icon, rename ROM\119\57-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\119\57.DAT for the NA client, ROM\0\12-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\0\12.DAT for the JP client, ROM\176\107-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\176\107.DAT for the German client, or ROM\178\46-SE-utsusemi.DAT to ROM\178\46.DAT for the French client.

If you use the JP or EU client and prefer English language descriptions for the status icons then copy ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\0\12.DAT for the JP client, ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\176\107.DAT for the German client, or ROM\119\57.DAT to ROM\178\46.DAT for the French client.

DO NOT INSTALL WHILE LOGGED INTO FFXI or POL or the game may crash or behave strangely.

If you want to see what the UI looks like, see this older lj entry for a screenshot: FFXI UI 0.10 (September 23, 2006)

I also updated my zip file containing the original versions of these dats from the March 7th patch. If you accidentally delete the original dat files and you want to have them back, you can get them from Filefront here: ffxi-ui-original-mar7-2007.zip.

how awesome is Crysis?

2007-03-09T06:08:39Z

So awesome...

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=145533

I can't wait to see some top developers make something other than a fps with that engine.

Edit: and some more pics! http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=145846

That snow jungle looks unbelievable.

1000 Downloads!!

2007-03-08T18:37:22Z

Some fun stats... Since posting version 0.10c of my UI last night, it's already been downloaded over 1000 times using up nearly 3GB of Filefront and Savefile's bandwidth. I think that's pretty cool. :)

It has been brought to my attention that Square-Enix is now using different dat files for the French and German clients. I am working on support for my UI for those languages and expect to having something done by next week. I may need one person who uses either the French or German clients to help me test it before release though. More on this as I get some work done on it.