The characters in Shenmue 1 as 2 are in files called HUMANS.AFS as their names
indicates they are simple containers AFS.
In HUMANS.AFS there are two types of files that are always in pairs:
PKF-files
PKS-files
The PKF contain textures of characters
The PKS contains the 3D model + subtitles, the game (in part).
So in fact each character as 1 Shenmue 2 has a respective PKS and PKF (model + texture)
In Shenmue 1 the characters are identified by what is called their CHARACTER ID, it is roughly four
Letters defining the person for example it defines AKIR for Ryo (Shenmue at the base was to be called
Virtua Fighter RPG where AKIRA (Akira), but I suppose you know, it was also, for example
HRSK for HARASAKI or NOZOMI HARAZAKI for Nozomi.
I've extracted all textures contained in HUMANS.AFS of like Shenmue 1 Shenmue 2 with
CHARACTER their respective ID, the best thing that you throw a glance, you'll see the files CHARACTER ID with their respective textures textures
contained in the PKF because I do not know what characters you want to edit.
I converted all the textures in PNG because normally they are formatted PVR in Dreamcast.
So you can open them from any computer.
Small precision for Shenmue 2 on CARACTER ID boils down to three letters Ryo Ryo Wong = = = SYE WON Xiuying etc ...
Same principle as Shenmue 1 rigourosly.
Faces characters + character id Shenmue 1: http://www.megaupload.com/fr/?d=D2SXJ96H
Faces characters + caracter id for Shenmue 2 Disc 1: http://www.megaupload.com/fr/?d=6E346HKA
To Shenmue 2 Disk 3: http://www.megaupload.com/fr/?d=DV0VY6CG
To Disk 4: http://www.megaupload.com/fr/?d=WWJXHK2X
Once you have located the person you want to edit it enters the core of the matter.
How to change or reverse the characters rather to use that you want for a particular scene.
You need two things.
AFS utils v2 and a hex editor.
We'll begin by taking HUMANS.AFS of Shenmue 1 that I'll put here the trees for different disks:
Disk 1 for the HUMANS.AFS is in / SCENE/01/STREAM
for the hard-2/SCENE/02/STREAM
-disk 3 / SCENE/03/STREAM
And the trees of HUMANS.AFS for Shenmue 2:
Disc 1: / SCENE/01/NPC
Disc 2: / SCENE/02/NPC
Disk 3: / SCENE/03/NPC
Disc 4: / SCENE/04/NPC
You have to put HUMANS.AFS in a folder and extract its contents (PKS / PKF) with Afs utils v2.
To make you open Afs utils, you click on Open Files, you tips on HUMANS.AFS (it should be drunk in the dropdown)
then you go into the TOOLS tab and EXTRACT ALL FILES, and you point to the folder of your choice.
To reverse a figure he'll have to change two things
The HUMANS.AFS
And his HUMANS.IDX (its index if you prefer)
Once all the files extracted HUMANS.AFS we meet well with PKF PKS and the various characters.
I prefer to give an example with the disc 4 of Shenmue 2.
I will replace Shenhua with Xiuying.
I extracted the files Humans.Afs disc 4 and I know that Caracter Id Shenhua is SIN and that of
Xiuying is SYE.
The trick will be to fake the Dreamcast by modifying pointers:
You take your hex editor (PSPad free and excellent at home) you héxedites files and PKF PKS Xiuying
namely SYE.PKF and SYE.PKS opening them (each turn) and then you replace all pointers Xiuying namely its
Character Id SYE by that of Shenhua INS and must replace them all without exception (CTLR + F for not forgetting) see example 1
Namely it must do that for PKF PKS and the character both.
Once this fact is of course backup and it does exactly the opposite for Shenhua (Character Id replace the INS by SYE etc. .....)
This second step is not mandatory, but to avoid bugs in particular in the other discs Shenmue 1
or Shenmue 2, it is better to do.
Once it is rebuilt on the HUMANS.AFS with AFS utils by doing this
CREATOR TOOLS then AFS FILE and then IMPORT XML tips list you the list of files created automatically during the extraction software and you do FILE and SAVE AFS.
Once done the HUMANS.AFS is ready so we still need to change the HUMANS.IDX
Nothing too complicated it will open with hex editor and it will reverse the Character Id Shenhua and Xiuying
see example HEXA ORIGIN OF HUMANS IDX (which corresponds to the file in its "normal" state as in the game (if you see id caracter with letters and more as in the example SYEB the small B corresponds to the character as a model for the child including flashback Xiuying Ziming with his brother in the desert when he left to join the Chi You Men, therefore, paid no attention should always use the Character Id three letters for Shenmue 2 in all cases unless you want to use the children of course.
The second example HEXA HUMANS.IDX AMENDED corresponding to file properly amended.
It ended Xiuying appear in Disk 4 of Shenmue 2 instead of Shenhua (there may be bugs of course)
but according to my tests there is none, I have to give this example because it is as valid as Shenmue 1 Shenmue 2
and the Xbox version of Shenmue 2 as well.
In the ripping compendium thread you will find a batch of SiZiOUS for Shenmue 2 which can easily recreate an iso autoboot of Shenmue 2
why we must save the game data in the DATA folder and then click on BUILT and that's all.
I hope this tutorial thee enjoyed it and you will understand easily.
Credits go to David for the guide and Sizious for the tools. Translation from french by google, i just corrected some really annoying stuff, so sorry for some odd expressions. Thanks for sharing!