User:Pixloen/FPANModding

Credits

Thanks to DamienIsPoggers for adding info on .pat file formats, as well as writing up the Audio page & Character select sections!

If you're interested in helping with this resource, or if you want to report errors / ask for information, notify pixloen#5367 on Discord or DM @pixloen on twitter.

Introduction

This guide is a general how-to and reference page for modding UNICLR & MBTL. There are no official reference documents so everything here is determined by reverse-engineering / trial-and-error.

Assumed Knowledge

• Basic understanding of navigating File Explorer
• Basic understanding of batch files
• Basic understanding of programming

Note that French Bread uses Squirrel for most functions, but such code can be easily understood if you have JS, LUA, C and etc. experience.

Tools & Other Guides

Basic Tools

• Hantei-chan, a HA6 editor
• Hantei-chan with jonbin (DamienIsPoggers, can convert to BlazBlue files, optional)
• CGlib, .cg extractor by u4ick
• CGTool, .cg compiler by u4ick
• A basic text editor such as Notepad++. Regular Notepad is fine but may be harder to use.

• A hex editor. HxD is used commonly.
• .pat editor / visualizer. None are public, but you can use HA6 + hex editor as a close enough replacement.

• DDS decomp/compression tool. Found in the .pat cut-ins guide.

Game Specific Injectors / Extractors

MBTL

• MBTL Tools, injector
• MBTL BIN Tool, file extractor
• Current Cache for the MBTL BIN Tool as of 01/03/2023 courtesy of u4ick

UNICLR

• _English patch file, injector sort of
• Music patch file, use for ___English language
• UNIST Unpacker, file extractor

Written Guides & Documentation

• .pat Image Editing Guide by AyanamiRei0
• Detailed .pat documentation by DamienIsPoggers
• MBTL Music Modding Guide by Sera, Yvette & AyanamiRei0
• MBTL Unpacker Guide by koenji

• UNICLR Music Modding Guide by Sera
• UNICLR Old Palette Modding Guide by Sera

READ BEFORE YOU FOLLOW THE BELOW GUIDE

If you aren't tech-literate, it's recommended NOT to use Symlinks.bat as it creates Symlinks which can only be removed through command-line. Preferably, using Copying.bat or copy the files yourself by following these steps:

• Find _English/data/csel and grab your character's palette (e.g. Aka.pal)
• Copy and paste/replace over the same file found in _English/data/Character_0 (Aka_0 in this example)

UNICLR Color Modding Guide by Sera, AyanamiRei0

Setting Up The Modding Environment

Game files are located in a place like ...SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/UNDER NIGHT In-Birth Exe Late[st], or ...SteamLibrary/steamapps/common/MELTY BLOOD TYPE LUMINA This is commonly referred to as the game's directory or root folder. (REMEMBER THIS!)

Follow this guide for extracting MBTL files.

For UNICLR, simply download UNIST Unpacker, head to the /d folder in the game's directory, place UNIST unpacker there, and drag every file onto the unpacker.exe.Once you're done extracting, the unpacked / out folder's contents can be dragged to the root folder. Install the injector / _English patch file and now the game's code will read files from the unpacked folders instead of the archives. Editing the new folders will create changes in the game respectively.