msbt

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Revision as of 05:45, 4 October 2018 by imported>Zephenryus (Added msbt File Specification)
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msbt files are message standard binary files. These files define how text is displayed and interacted with by the player.


msbt File Layout

msbt files are made up of four sections that are aligned to 16-bytes.

  • Header
  • Labels
  • Attributes
  • Texts

msbt Header

Header Structure

Offset (h) Size Data Type Description
0x00 8 String msbt file signature (magic) 4D 73 67 53 74 64 42 6E or "MsgStdBn"
0x08 2 Unsigned Short Byte-Order Marker
0x0a 2 Unknown (padding?)
0x0c 2 Unsigned Short Version? 1.3?
0x0e 2 Unsigned Short Section Count?
0x10 2 Padding?
0x12 4 Unsigned Int File Size
0x16 10 Padding?

Labels Section

The labels section has a header followed by an offset table and finally a string table with meta data regarding the later text section.

Labels Section Header

The section header includes a signature, table size and padding making the header 16 bytes. Table size is relative to the end of the section header.

Offset (h) Size Data Type Description
0x00 4 Unsigned Int Signature (magic) 4C 42 4C 31 or "LBL1"
0x04 4 Unsigned Int Table size
0x08 8 Padding

Labels Section Offset Table

Offsets in the offset table are relative to the end of the Labels Section Header (byte `0x10`). The offset table length is defined in the first four bytes of the table.

Offset (h) Size Data Type Description
0x00 4 Unsigned Int Offset count

Each entry in the offset table is 8 bytes. 4 bytes indicating the number of null-terminated strings at the offset and an offset relative to the beginning of the offset table.

Offset (h) Size Data Type Description
0x00 4 Unsigned Int String count
0x04 4 Unsigned Int String offset

Labels Section String Table

The labels can be determined by iterating through the offset table and reading the number of null-terminated strings from the address. The first byte at the offset indicates the size of the label. One label can contain *zero* or more null-terminated strings but will not exceed the indicated total length.

After each null-terminated string, there are 4 bytes indicating which index in the texts table this label corresponds to. See the text table section for more information.

Offset (h) Size Data Type Description
0x00 1 Unsigned Byte String length
0x01 *n* char[*n*] String count number of null-terminated strings[1]
0xnn 4 Unsigned Int String Table Index

Attributes Section

Attributes are not fully understood at this time. The attribute seem to indicate which actor should be attributed with the dialog (A good example is in 100enemy.msbt where NPC_GodVoice is referenced).

The attributes seem to correspond to an entry in the text table with the same table index, since the attribute and text tables are usually the same size[2].

Attributes Section Header

The section header includes a signature, table size and padding making the header 16 bytes. Table size is relative to the end of the section header.

Offset (h) Size Data Type Description
0x00 4 Unsigned Int Signature (magic) 41 54 52 31 or "ATR1"
0x04 4 Unsigned Int Table size
0x08 8 Padding

Attributes Section Offset Table

Offsets in the offset table are relative to the end of the Attributes Section Header (byte 0x10). The first 4 bytes of the table are the number of offsets and the second 4 bytes indicate the size of each offset (or table entry) in bytes.

Offset (h) Size Data Type Description
0x00 4 Unsigned Int Offset count
0x04 4 Unsigned Int Attribute data size

Each entry in the offset table is a 4-byte relative offset from the beginning of the table.

Offset (h) Size Data Type Description
0x00 4 Unsigned Int Attribute offset

Attributes Section String Table

The attributes can be determined by iterating through the offset table and a null-terminated string from the address. Strings in this table are UTF-16 (Wii U files are UTF-16-BE encoded) encoded and take up 2 bytes for each character. Strings are terminated with a UTF-16 null character 00 00 or \u0000.

Offset (h) Size Data Type Description
0x00 *n* char[2] Unicode character

Texts Section

The text section contains a table of strings.

Texts Section Header

The section header includes a signature, table size and padding making the header 16 bytes. Table size is relative to the end of the section header.

Offset (h) Size Data Type Description
0x00 4 Unsigned Int Signature (magic) 54 58 54 32 or "TXT2"
0x04 4 Unsigned Int Table size
0x08 8 Padding

Texts Section Offset Table

Offsets in the offset table are relative to the end of the Texts Section Header (byte `0x10`). The offset table length is defined in the first four bytes of the table.

Offset (h) Size Data Type Description
0x00 4 Unsigned Int Offset count

Each entry in the offset table is a 4-byte relative offset from the beginning of the table.

Offset (h) Size Data Type Description
0x00 4 Unsigned Int String offset

Texts Section String Table

The attributes can be determined by iterating through the offset table. Strings in this table are UTF-16 (Wii U files are UTF-16-BE encoded) encoded and take up 2 bytes for each character.

String length is determined by reading until the next offset in the table and not exceeding the end of the file. Strings cannot be read as null-terminated strings since many strings will have multiple null characters in them.

Offset (h) Size Data Type Description
0x00 *n* char[2] Unicode character

Text Commands

Some string include interpolation operators or commands within the strings. These commands tell the game to behave in a certain way while displaying the string. Commands include choices, selling items, buying items and interacting with objects.

Commands are indicated in the strings with 00 0e or \u000e.

Offset (h) Size Data Type Description
0x00 2 Unsigned Short Indicator 00 0e
0x02 2 Unsigned Short Command type

For example, in 100enemy.msbt the following data appears: 


   | 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0A 0B 0C 0D 0E 0F |                   
---|-------------------------------------------------|------------------|
00 | 00 57 00 68 00 69 00 63 00 68 00 20 00 70 00 61 | .W.h.i.c.h. .p.a |
10 | 00 72 00 74 00 20 00 6F 00 66 00 20 00 74 00 68 | .r.t. .o.f. .t.h |
20 | 00 65 00 20 00 54 00 72 00 69 00 61 00 6C 00 20 | .e. .T.r.i.a.l.  |
30 | 00 77 00 6F 00 75 00 6C 00 64 00 20 00 79 00 6F | .w.o.u.l.d. .y.o |
40 | 00 75 00 0A 00 6C 00 69 00 6B 00 65 00 20 00 74 | .u...l.i.k.e. .t |
50 | 00 6F 00 20 00 63 00 68 00 61 00 6C 00 6C 00 65 | .o. .c.h.a.l.l.e |
60 | 00 6E 00 67 00 65 00 3F 00 0E 00 01 00 06 00 0A | .n.g.e.?........ |
70 | 00 02 00 03 00 04 00 05 02 03 00 00             | ............     |

At byte 0x68 is the command indicator followed by the type of 1. Command types of 1 seem to be variable length. The type (in this instance) is followed by the number of additional Unsigned Shorts 6 and 6 shorts.

[00 0A] [00 02] [00 03] [00 04] [00 05] [02 03]

The commands are not fully understood at this time, but below is a list of the known command identifiers and variable counts.

Type Additional Bytes Notes
0 3
1 *n* Variable length. Length is the unsigned short following the type.
2 2
3 3
4 3 Often end with XX CD
5 2 Seem to always end with a line-feed character 00 0A

Compiling the Sections

The sections are held together by the indexes in the labels table. The indexes correspond to the attributes table and the texts table. The data can be compiled using the index.

By default the indexes in the labels table are not in order, but the text table is (and possibly the attributes table). Below is the labels table in 100enemy.msbt.

String Count Offset Label Index
1 188 talk20 3
0 188
0 188
0 188
0 188
0 188
0 188
0 188
0 188
0 188
0 188
1 199 0002 8
1 208 0003 9
1 217 0004 10
1 226 0005 11
1 235 talk13 4
0 235
1 246 talk14 5
1 257 talk15 6
1 268 talk16 7
1 279 talk17 0
1 290 talk18 1
1 301 talk19 2

And the texts table.

Index Text
0 Which part of the Trial would you like to challenge?
1 Which part of the Trial would you like to challenge?
2 Which part of the Trial would you like to challenge?
3 You cannot participate in the Trial when the Master Sword is out of energy.
4 That sword you have reunited with... the Master Sword...it has yet to realize its true splendor. The trial that will awaken its true power... If you wish to rise to the challenge, place the Master Sword in its pedestal.
5 The Master Sword you wield is now more powerful than before. If you desire still more power and wish to retry the blade's test... once again place the Master Sword in its pedestal
6 Now your body, mind, and soul are ready to wield the Master Sword at its full potential. But do not let your guard down. Just as before, if you use your sword to excess, it will run out of energy and become unusable until it recovers. It would be reckless to rely only on your blade when facing Ganon. Prepare for the worst, and consider freeing the Divine Beasts before confronting your fate. Her smile... The princess's sweet smile... How I would love to see it once more..
7 Now your body, mind, and soul are ready to wield the Master Sword at its full potential. But do not let your guard down. Just as before, if you use your sword to excess, it will run out of energy and become unusable until it recovers. That blade is more than a tool. It is your partner across time, your ally from 100 years past... Wield it with care. Her smile... The princess's sweet smile...How I would love to see it once more...
8 Beginning Trials
9 Middle Trials
10 Final Trials
11 Cancel

Using the indexes to match the labels to the attributes and texts tables, the following table can be compiled.

The empty labels are not fully understood.

Label Index Attribute Text
talk17 0 NPC_GodVoice Which part of the Trial would you like to challenge?
talk18 1 NPC_GodVoice Which part of the Trial would you like to challenge?
talk19 2 NPC_GodVoice Which part of the Trial would you like to challenge?
talk20 3 NPC_GodVoice You cannot participate in the Trial when the Master Sword is out of energy.
talk13 4 TwnObj_Village_Korok_DekuTree_A_01 That sword you have reunited with... the Master Sword...it has yet to realize its true splendor. The trial that will awaken its true power... If you wish to rise to the challenge, place the Master Sword in its pedestal.
talk14 5 TwnObj_Village_Korok_DekuTree_A_01 The Master Sword you wield is now more powerful than before. If you desire still more power and wish to retry the blade's test... once again place the Master Sword in its pedestal
talk15 6 TwnObj_Village_Korok_DekuTree_A_01 Now your body, mind, and soul are ready to wield the Master Sword at its full potential. But do not let your guard down. Just as before, if you use your sword to excess, it will run out of energy and become unusable until it recovers. It would be reckless to rely only on your blade when facing Ganon. Prepare for the worst, and consider freeing the Divine Beasts before confronting your fate. Her smile... The princess's sweet smile... How I would love to see it once more...
talk16 7 TwnObj_Village_Korok_DekuTree_A_01 Now your body, mind, and soul are ready to wield the Master Sword at its full potential. But do not let your guard down. Just as before, if you use your sword to excess, it will run out of energy and become unusable until it recovers. That blade is more than a tool. It is your partner across time, your ally from 100 years past... Wield it with care. Her smile... The princess's sweet smile...How I would love to see it once more...
0002 8 Beginning Trials
0003 9 Middle Trials
0004 10 Final Trials
0005 11 Cancel

The attribute table is still not fully understood. In this example, there are 8 attribute entries in the table, but they correctly map to the 8 blocks of dialog.

  1. ↑ A label can contain *zero* or more null-terminated strings
  2. ↑ Needs validation with more research
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