Transcribing New Vegas' Dialogue Files

Post by **FiftyTifty** » Sun Jun 12, 2016 8:22 pm

In light of FNVEdit not correctly transcribing New Vegas' dialogue (missed dialog entries, incorrect dialogue text), I figured I'd have a stab at gatherin' information, for the inevitable script writin'. For an example of the end goal, here's what I accomplished for [url=http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/69124/?]Skyrim[/url].

So here's what I've found:

Most dialogue files are named like so:

QuestName_TopicName_FormIDofInfoRecord_Response#.mp3

10chars_15chars_8chars_1char.mp3

The first two entries (QuestName & TopicName) have a shared limit of 25 characters. If the quest name is smaller than 10 characters, the topic name will be longer. However, if the topic name is smaller, the quest name will be longer.

To demonstrate:

VMSRSGloba_VMSRSGlobalComm_0014F387_1.mp3

NVDLC02FollowersQuest_Flee_0000DE28_1.mp3

Now, the initial assumption is to search info topics for their respective file names. However, since we have the actual Info record's formID in the file itself, we just have to match the file up with the record, instead of matching the record with the file.

This will be done by creating a list of all the dialogue files, getting the end of the file name, and moving back by 14 chars, which places us at the beginning of the formID. Then we just have to:

Create a text list

Get dialogue filename including the extension

Chuck it in the list

Get the record by formID

Get the proper response element in the INFO record @ "Responses\Response# - 1\"

Yank the response text from "Responses\Response# - 1\NAM1 - Response Text"

Place a "|" character after the formID in the list

Suffix the list entry with the response text

Repeat for all dialogue files

Save the list to a text file

Et voila!

I'll start work on the script in a wee bit. See if I can get this to work.

Post by **Mystical Panda** » Sun Jun 12, 2016 9:17 pm

Good luck on your project!

Post by **FiftyTifty** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 3:38 am

Here we go lads. I think I got this down. Here's the xEdit script, the list of voice files, and the rename pair list for Bulk Rename Tool.

Only generated a list for New Vegas' voice files, but should be super duper easy to generate lists for the DLC + Fallout 3's stuff.

Post by **RoyBatty** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 7:25 am

So you could modify this script to rename dialogue files in bulk when mods have been merged together or during the merging process? (Merging UP not DOWN).

Post by **FiftyTifty** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 9:20 am

Not too sure how you would do that. If you mean changing quest IDs and names, as well as changing the info record IDs, anyhow. That's a Zilav question.

Post by **FiftyTifty** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:03 pm

Did Old World Blues have a missing dialog file? I noticed that my new incarnation of the script threw a hiccup on the file "nvdlc03dialogue8_hello_00012167_1 .ogg". There shouldn't be a space after that 1. Probably some really abstract bug there.

Edit: Never mind, seems to be a resource of some sort, that the devs forgot to delete.

Post by **FiftyTifty** » Mon Jun 13, 2016 8:36 pm

Alright, new dilemma.

I've got the rename pairs for New Vegas & the DLC. Trouble is, some of the lines are too long due to the meta text in the dialogue. Things like this:

(snapping into berserk mode)

(Fearful)

(gramma)

(BONE veev-ONT, light French 'n' for Bon)

And I need to be able to search the whole text file, line by line, and replace the text including the brackets with nothing.

...Now that I think about it, I could probably just add some more code to the script. Eugh, it's getting big. Almost 450 lines inc white space.

Post by **FiftyTifty** » Tue Jun 14, 2016 8:24 pm

Still workin' on the script. Now at 539 lines inc white space. Keep havin' ta rewrite bits 'cause of missed bits o' text 'n' overzealous character purgin'. Here's what I've got so far: http://pastebin.com/pueeCX29

Post by **FiftyTifty** » Fri Jul 15, 2016 12:44 am

Righty, I don't think I'm cut out for these huge goliath scripty things. Decided to see if the GECK would punt out a proper dialog text file in a timely fashion, and it took a few hours, but it did.

'Eres the rename pair for Bulk Rename Utility, fer New Vegas' audio files. I'll have to load up Fallout 3 an' do the same fer it's dialogue. For TTW, someone with a faster processor than me 965 BE would have to try the export. Thing didn't finish exporting before I had ta turn off me computer.

Post by **FiftyTifty** » Sat Jul 16, 2016 7:26 pm

Wrote a wee program in Lazarus to add in the lines fer the .lip files. Since that would put the rename pair at around 120k lines, I split it up into two text files. 'Ere is the whole shebang, source code included.

To use the program, drop the .txt file onto the window and edit the text fields. 'Tis intuitive, don't ya worry. What it then does, it works from the end of the text file to the beginning, duplicating each line and changing a substring in them. By default, it changes .ogg to .lip in the duplicated lines.

On a wee different note, the bloody Geck for F3 is taking aaaaaages to export the dialogue file. If someone could export the TTW dialogue file in the meantime, I'd owe ya one. Just load up the GECK, load up the TTW master files, then click the "Character" tab -> Export Dialogue...

Once it's done spitting out the dialogueexport.txt file, send it on o'er to me, so I can work some wizardry on it.

Edit: FO3's geck finally finished. Attached the rename pairs fer it.