Version 2.1 (2012-05-29)

How to use this Translation Pack ?

Location: How To

This tutorial is here to explain you the basis of the Shenmue translation and the use of this tools pack.

Well done, so you want to start a new Shenmue translation? Great! Please contact us, we will add a new link to your project homepage in our links page!

Here is the summary table of this document:

How to use this Translation Pack ?
Translating a Shenmue One game
Translating a Shenmue Two game

Please note that the project of translating a such game can take a very long time, so you must be patient and have a team or such thing like this in order to finish your work. For example, the translation of the Shenmue II game in the French language was started in 2007 and it isn't already over...

You have been warned! :-)

Date	Version	Comments
2012-05-25	2.1	Including the Highslide JS library for better screenshot display.
2012-05-24	2.0	Complete modification. Shenmue I modification guide by IlDucci added.
2010-03-05	1.1	Adding the Loading screen modification procedure for Shenmue II.
2009-11-28	1.0	First publication of the document.
2009-11-18	0.9	Adding the Shenmue II translation part.
2009-11-16	0.8	First part of this document done.

Click here to know the document history revision...

Prerequists

Before starting, please check if you have the following prerequists, depending of your system:


The Shenmue Translation Pack The full dump of the game you want to translate (don't ask us for this) A working Dreamcast with the boot on CD-R feature Dreamcast emulator (nullDC is highly recommanded) Optional: Blank CD-Rs	The Shenmue Translation Pack The full dump of the game you want to translate (don't ask us for this) A modded or exploited Xbox A network connection between your Xbox and your computer Optional: Blank DVD medias

The most important prerequist is to have a full dump of the game you want to translate. A dump is an exact GD-ROM (Dreamcast) and/or DVD-ROM (Xbox) backup copy of the game. To get it you must rip it yourself from your hardware. If you don't know how to do that, you can stop reading now.

WE WON'T HELP YOU TO GET AND/OR TO DUMP THE GAME YOU WANT TO TRANSLATE, SO PLEASE DON'T ASK US FOR THIS POINT, THANKS.

The major difference between the Dreamcast hardware and Xbox hardware is that on the Xbox, you can test every modification made directly by sending the modified file over the network. For example, you can use the UnleashX dashboard to do that. On the Dreamcast, it's more complicated. You can test the modification by burning the modified files on a blank CD-R (don't forget to leave the session opened because it allow you to burn again if you want to do more tests) and try the burned disc on your Dreamcast (every standard main unit can read natively CD-R), but it's really a expensive solution (if you like wasting CD-R, it's great for you!). I suggest to use the excellent Dreamcast Emulator nullDC by drk||Raziel instead. Associating this solution with the Dreamcast Test Environment, you'll have a excellent test solution for the Dreamcast. You have more interest to do so since all the episodes were first released on Dreamcast.

Things to know before starting

Here you can find some things to know before starting your (crazy) project:

There are two kind of subtitles: Cinematics and Free Quest mode. Cinematics are pre-programmed sequences on the game (like the Shenhua intro), instead of Free Quest which is subtitles shown when you talk to NPC character. Depending of your game version and subtitles type, you'll need to use the correct editor to work.
Two group of game exists: The Shenmue One (including What's Shenmue, US Shenmue and Shenmue, all on Dreamcast), and the Shenmue Two (every Shenmue II version). You can read more here.
For the Dreamcast version, Shenmue II is splitted in 4 GD-ROMs. For the Xbox, all the data files are on the same DVD-ROM.
This project started with the Shenmue II Xbox version, so we wrote this tutorial by detailing the Shenmue II translation process.
WE DON'T SUPPORT PIRACY AND DISTRIBUTION OF TRANSLATED IMAGES.
You'll need a lot of courage to finish this!

Setting Dreamcast Test Environment

For your convenience, we made a ready-to-use Dreamcast Test Environment based on the Selfboot Data Pack by FamilyGuy. This tutorial will use this pack but if you know how to selfboot Dreamcast games, you don't need it.

To set up the environment, read below:

Download the Dreamcast Test Environment pack if not already done.
Unzip the pack in a folder, for example C:\SHENTEST.
Copy your game data in the data folder of this pack. If you have only the GDI dump, copy the dump on the pack root folder and double-click on the gdi2data batch file to extract the game data files.
Copy the IP.BIN bootstrap file on the pack root folder.

You are now ready to generate working Dreamcast Shenmue images. Just double-click on the makedisc batch file in order to launch the generation process.

Setting Xbox Test Environment

For the Xbox version you'll need only a softmodded/hardmodded console. You only need to store the game on the Xbox's hard-drive and transfer modified files by the FTP. You can use for example the UnleashX dashboard to do this.

Choosing the right engine version

Now, you need to know there is two version of the engine used in this game, the Shenmue One engine and the Shenmue Two engine. In the array below you'll find the correct engine version of the game you want to translate. This has an impact in the translation process, so please select the right engine version.

Game	Region	Engine
What's Shenmue		Shenmue One
Shenmue		Shenmue One
US Shenmue		Shenmue One
Shenmue II		Shenmue Two
Shenmue 2X (Demo)	?	Shenmue Two
Shenmue 2X		Shenmue Two

After choosing your engine version, you are ready to start the work!