AGTH - text extraction tool for games translation

**Setx** · 11-06-2005, 09:49 AM

Current AGTH version: 2011.5.9

Before asking something make sure you've read this first post, guides and searched in this thread.

Related links

AGTH home site: http://sites.google.com/site/agthook/

Guide by mastress: http://blgames.proboards25.com/index...ead=1141106731

Screenshot guide by fhc: http://www.hongfire.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59189

Advanced AGTH Video Tutorials by Freaka: http://www.hongfire.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80401

Itadaki (external toolset for adding furigana (reading) to kanji): http://www.hongfire.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75958

Translation Aggregator (tool for querying many translation engines): http://www.hongfire.com/forum/showthread.php?t=94395

AGTH general information

AGTH is a tool for capturing text from running programs. Main purpose - extracting text from japanese games for translation.

AGTH requires Windows 2000 or newer NT-based system, x64 and server variants are also supported. Recommended operation system - Windows 2003 and newer (yes, some features won't work on XP). With Vista/Win7 you would likely want to run AGTH with elevated rights or disable UAC.

Running program under AGTH

AGTH consists of hook module agth.dll and loader agth.exe.
To load application - pass its name to agth.exe as command line argument.

Example for running from shortcut:
1) Create shortcut for game.
2) Open properties of created shortcut. In "Target" field will be something like

Code:

"C:\Games\Maou no Musume-tachi\twins.exe"

3) Append to the start of "Target" field full path to where you extracted AGTH, so it will be like

Code:

"C:\AGTH\agth.exe" "C:\Games\Maou no Musume-tachi\twins.exe"

4) Make sure that "Start in" filed hasn't changed after you changed the "Target" and there is space between AGTH and game exe paths.
5) Run game from this shortcut.

Before name of game exe you can specify some options for AGTH. Each option must be separated by spaces from both sides.

Example of running the same game but also automaticaly copy captured text to clipboard:

Code:

"C:\AGTH\agth.exe" /C "C:\Games\Maou no Musume-tachi\twins.exe"

Working with loaded AGTH

After load AGTH will create its window, where it will show captured text.

AGTH separetes text into several 'text threads' based on 'context' (to avoid mess from mixing text of game, menu, title...).
Displayed text thread could be chosen by drop-down list in the upper part of AGTH window. As game runs, new text threads could be found and added to list.

If you close AGTH window it will not detach it's hook from the running applications, so if AGTH is started again it will continue to hook the text, hook options will be unchaged too.

Additional features

AGTH can try to correct locale of programs - useful for running japanese games with system locale set to non-japanese.

/R option tries to correct locale the AGTH-way - minor visual glitches are possible, but overall program should run like started on system with specified locale.
/L option works exactly as running program under AppLocale (also this option requires installed AppLocale).

Both options can be used together.

AGTH can be used just for fixing locale without any text hooking.
Example of starting QuickATLAS with locale overriden to japanese (useful in case when you see only '?????' in it instead of characters):

Code:

C:\AGTH\agth.exe /L /NH "C:\Program Files\Atlas\QuickATLAS.exe"

If you can't find useful text - try options /X3 and/or /V with loading by /P

Recent changes

2011.5.9

Added new type of user hook: Code.
Hardware hooks now also work on 32-bit XP SP3.
Improved /R override, now it should be able to run InnoSetup installers.
Added symbol '◇' to default filtering.
Removed user hook type: Hex.

2011.4.21

Added support for LiveMaker engine.
Added support for IronGameSystem engine.
Updated KiriKiri support.
Updated RealLive support.

2011.4.18

ASLR support, can be disabled with ':' at the end of user hook.
Improved /R override, just /R performs more aggressive process 'japanization' than /R411
Updated RealLive support.

2011.4.16

Locale override support for Win7 (/R option).
Internal threading optimizations.

**SorryAngel** · 01-07-2006, 04:32 PM

Thanks it looks fine .... it is so bad nobody saw you before ;-)

Is there others options like /V /X or are you planning new developpements ?

Discussion about text hooker seems to be there now

**Nii** · 01-08-2006, 12:09 AM

Woah.... Does it work better than OTH? Has support for Atlas?

**Azstraph** · 01-08-2006, 12:33 AM

Originally Posted by Nii

Woah.... Does it work better than OTH? Has support for Atlas?

Yes and yes to both your questions. I use Atlas v11 and works.

Official site: http://forum.anime-reactor.net/viewt...=16656&start=0 (note: You need to register to view thread)

This thread here also contains info on this program, http://www.hongfire.com/forum/showth...0&page=9&pp=10

**Setx** · 01-08-2006, 04:19 AM

If someone IS interested in AGTH - I can discuss it here as well.

Maybe it'll be useful to make list of compatible games.

SorryAngel
With both /X and /V you get everything that can be captured now.
I'll extend set of hooked functions if I find other useful ones.

**DarkSchneider7819** · 01-08-2006, 09:18 AM

I tried the instructions from the first post, but when I amend the target line, I get this message box: "The name 'C:\AGTH\agth.exe' specified in the Target box is not valid. Make sure the path and filename are correct." What am I doing wrong?

**Setx** · 01-08-2006, 11:24 AM

DarkSchneider7819
'C:\AGTH\' is just an example! If you extracted AGTH to different folder you must specify its name.

**flaq** · 01-08-2006, 12:22 PM

Great work Setx.

Request:
Wider explantion of /KF option. With some examples if you can.

Any chance for open source? I know some people can contribute to that aplication, and it's hard for you to dl every single game with problems.

**DarkSchneider7819** · 01-08-2006, 12:27 PM

Ok, actually I figured it out, but I have a new problem. I tried this with To Heart X-Rated, and I seem to have some problems with startup. 3 messages each pop up one after another with files listed (I assume the files used for startup), and after theyre displayed, I have a blackscreen. Any idea how to fix this? I tried putting the pieces together before resorting to asking, but I came up with zip. I even tried the same thing when I changed to Japanese Unicode. Any ideas?

**Setx** · 01-08-2006, 02:00 PM

flaq
I not planning to open sources now.
At first I also thought that it isn't very hard to improve something like text hooker for other programmers. But look at the OTH! It has open sources but nothing useful appeared. The best was word filtering that has nothing to do with real problems. (AGTH not based on OTH in any way.)

First parameter of /KF is minimal length of text buffer where AGTH tries to search for repetitions. Second is 'length multiplier' - if no repetitions found in base length buffer it will grow up to 'first parameter'*'second parameter'. The rest is my heuristic algorithm of finding repetitions. I think this works quite well now.

DarkSchneider7819
DO NOT ASK THE SAME THINGS IN TWO FORUMS.