GXT
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A GTA Text (GXT) file contains almost all texts that are displayed on the screen of GTA2 and above. The location of those files may differ between the various game versions, but they are usualy located in a text\ folder inside the games installation directory. There is one GXT file for each language, but the number of gxt files does not define the number of supported languages by the game. An entire list of all GXT text entry name hashes between GTA3 and VCS is available with Sanny Builder.
File Format
Each GXT file can contain certain tables with subtables and entries. The entries are stored in ASCII standard. Just some special characters got some different bitsets.
GTA San Andreas / GTA IV Format
Header
The header contains data about the tables and their subtables.
INT32 - 4b - Version? (Always 0x080004) CHAR[4] - 4b - TABL
Table Block
The Table Block contains data about the subtables and their offsets.
INT32 - 4b - Blocksize //Array of [Blocksize / 12 Entries] CHAR[8] - 8b - Subtablename INT32 - 4b - Offset
The Offset of the subtable points to an 8-byte Char Array with the subtable's name, followed by TKEY. For the MAIN Table this points directly to TKEY!
TKEY and TDAT
TKEY
The TKEY Block of an subtable contains the CRC32-values of the entrytitles. The game calculates the CRC32-value out of a given string and checks if they exist in the GXT.
CHAR[4] - 4b - TKEY INT32 - 4b - Blocksize //Array of [Blocksize / 8] INT32 - 4b - Entryoffset INT32 - 4b - CRC32 (Entryname)
The TKEY block is directly followed by the TDAT Block which contains the contents of the entries. The Entryoffset is relative to the TDAT + 4 offset.
TDAT
CHAR[4] - 4b - TDAT INT32 - 4b - Blocksize
From here the entryoffset of each entry points to the content. The content can have different sizes. However it always ends in '\0'! For Example "Hello!" needs to be transformed to "Hello!\0" here and this gives a size of 6 bytes (To tell it in a short form content is a null-terminated string). If this is the 1st content in TDAT the next got an offset of 0x06!
Special Characters
Here is a list of special characters for german language sets and their UINT8 Values:
| Character | Value |
|---|---|
| Ä | 131 |
| ä | 154 |
| Ö | 145 |
| ö | 168 |
| Ü | 149 |
| ü | 172 |
| ß | 150 |
GTA III / GTA Vice City Format
Vice City and GTA III GXTs are very similar to the SA GXTs. In this article all those additional infos are not listed.
Header
The header contains data about the tables and their subtables.
CHAR[4] - 4b - TABL
Table Block
INT32 - 4b - Blocksize //Array of [Blocksize / 12 Entries] CHAR[8] - 8b - Subtablename INT32 - 4b - Offset
TKEY and TDAT
TKEY
CHAR[4] - 4b - TKEY INT32 - 4b - Blocksize //Array of [Blocksize / 12] INT32 - 4b - Entryoffset CHAR[8] - 8b - Entryname
Unlike San Andreas entrynames are stored directly in 8b chararrays here. This means to calculate the entries in the table you have to divide the blocksize through 12. The Entryoffsets are relative to the end of the "TDAT Header". This means you have to add the entryoffset to the stream position after the TDAT size. (TDAT_Offset + 8 + Entryoffset), to get to the entry.
TDAT
CHAR[4] - 4b - TDAT INT32 - 4b - Blocksize
The TDAT-Block contains the strings which are displayed by the game. But here are some differences towards San Andreas. The strings are encoded in unicode, which means that each character takes the space of 2 characters (which means 2 bytes per character). Mostly the last byte is 0x00.
GTA2 Format
Except for additional header at beginning GTA2 GXT files are identical to GTA3 format.
The first 4 bytes can be one of following, and identify the language for the file: GBLE - english GBLF - french GBLG - german GBLI - italian GBLS - spanish GBLJ - japanese
A uint16 file version follows which is always 100 (decimal)
Text is stored with some specialities, characters are 16 bit while only one of these bytes is actual character the other may store special data such as gang message icon id, etc.. the text is zero-terminated.
The rest of file is same as gta3 with familiar tkey & tdat sections.
GXT Editing
Symbols & Colorcodes (Control Character)
| Symbol | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| GTA III | Vice City | San Andreas | |
| ~1~ | number within a text | ||
| ~a~ | text within a text | ||
| ~b~ | blue text | blue text | |
| ~d~ | ▼-icon | ||
| ~g~ | hot pink text | green text | |
| ~h~ | white text | highlight | |
| ~j~ | ? | ||
| ~k~ | key (followed by Keypresses) | ||
| ~l~ | forces text to default color and ignores set colors | black text | |
| ~n~ | newline | ||
| ~m~ | ? | ||
| ~o~ | pink text | ? | |
| ~p~ | purple text | purple text | |
| ~q~ | plum pink text | ||
| ~r~ | hot pink text | red text | |
| ~s~ | reset color to standard | ||
| ~t~ | green text | ||
| ~u~ | ▲-icon | ||
| ~v~ | ? | ||
| ~w~ | gray text | white text | |
| ~x~ | light blue text | ? | |
| ~y~ | yellow text | yellow text | |
| ~z~ | subtitle (doesn't shown when the Subtitles option is off) | ||
| ~<~ | ◄-icon | ||
| ~>~ | ►-icon | ||
| Special symbols | |||
| < | armor icon | ||
| > | wanted level (star) icon | ||
| { | heart icon | ||
| } | dollar sign icon (not "$") | ||
| _ | |||
| @ | |||
| ^ | |||
Note that using "~" by itself will crash the game when the game attempts to display it.
Keypresses
You can use opcode 00E1 to check if these keys are being pressed.
Foot Controls
| Key | Entry |
|---|---|
| Fire | ~PED_FIREWEAPON~ |
| Next Weapon / Target | ~PED_CYCLE_WEAPON_RIGHT~ |
| Previous Weapon / Target | ~PED_CYCLE_WEAPON_LEFT~ |
| Group Ctrl Foward (SA) | ~GROUP_CONTROL_FWD~ |
| Group Ctrl Back (SA) | ~GROUP_CONTROL_BWD~ |
| Conversation - No (SA) | ~CONVERSATION_NO~ |
| Conversation - Yes (SA) | ~CONVERSATION_YES~ |
| Foward | ~GO_FORWARD~ |
| Backwards | ~GO_BACK~ |
| Left | ~GO_LEFT~ |
| Right | ~GO_RIGHT~ |
| Zoom In | ~PED_SNIPER_ZOOM_IN~ |
| Zoom Out | ~PED_SNIPER_ZOOM_OUT~ |
| Enter+Exit | ~VEHICLE_ENTER_EXIT~ |
| Change Camera | ~CAMERA_CHANGE_VIEW_ALL_SITUATIONS~ |
| Jump | ~PED_JUMPING~ |
| Sprint | ~PED_SPRINT~ |
| Aim Weapon | ~PED_LOCK_TARGET~ |
| Crouch (VC, SA) | ~PED_DUCK~ |
| Action (VC, SA) | ~PED_ANSWER_PHONE~ |
| Walk (SA) | ~SNEAK_ABOUT~ |
| Look Behind | ~PED_LOOKBEHIND~ |
| First Person Look Left (III, VC) | ~PED_1RST_PERSON_LOOK_LEFT~ |
| First Person Look Right (III, VC) | ~PED_1RST_PERSON_LOOK_RIGHT~ |
| First Person Look Up (III, VC) | ~PED_1RST_PERSON_LOOK_UP~ |
| First Person Look Down (III, VC) | ~PED_1RST_PERSON_LOOK_DOWN~ |
| (III, VC) | ~PED_CYCLE_TARGET_LEFT~ |
| (III, VC) | ~PED_CYCLE_TARGET_RIGHT~ |
| (III, VC) | ~PED_CENTER_CAMERA_BEHIND_PLAYER~ |
Vehicle Controls
| Key | Entry |
|---|---|
| Fire | ~VEHICLE_FIREWEAPON~ |
| Secondary Fire | ~VEHICLE_FIREWEAPON_ALT~ |
| Accelerate | ~VEHICLE_ACCELERATE~ |
| Brake / Reverse | ~VEHICLE_BRAKE~ |
| Left | ~VEHICLE_STEERLEFT~ |
| Right | ~VEHICLE_STEERRIGHT~ |
| Steer Foward / Down | ~VEHICLE_STEERDOWN~ |
| Steer Back / Up | ~VEHICLE_STEERUP~ |
| Enter+Exit | ~VEHICLE_ENTER_EXIT~ |
| Trip Skip | ~CONVERSATION_YES~ |
| Next Radio Station | ~VEHICLE_RADIO_STATION_UP~ |
| Previous Radio Station | ~VEHICLE_RADIO_STATION_DOWN~ |
| User Track Skip (SA) | none |
| Horn | ~VEHICLE_HORN~ |
| Sub-mission | ~TOGGLE_SUBMISSIONS~ |
| Change Camera | ~CAMERA_CHANGE_VIEW_ALL_SITUATIONS~ |
| Handbrake | ~VEHICLE_HANDBRAKE~ |
| Look Behind | none |
| Mouse Look (SA) | ~VEHICLE_MOUSELOOK~ |
| Look Left | ~VEHICLE_LOOKLEFT~ |
| Look Right | ~VEHICLE_LOOKRIGHT~ |
| Special Ctrl Left | ~VEHICLE_TURRETLEFT~ |
| Special Ctrl Right | ~VEHICLE_TURRETRIGHT~ |
| Special Ctrl Up | ~VEHICLE_TURRETUP~ |
| Special Ctrl Down | ~VEHICLE_TURRETDOWN~ |
| (III, VC) | ~VEHICLE_LOOKBEHIND~ |
Unused
Here are some keypress codes only used during development stage. They were removed or replaced later but probably they are still working. Maybe this is useful for further research. Some are only used in PS2 Version.
| ~TAKE_SCREEN_SHOT~ |
| ~SWITCH_DEBUG_CAM_ON~ |
| ~TOGGLE_DPAD~ |
| ~NETWORK_TALK~ |
Tools
- GXT Editor for GTA 3 - by JernejL
- GXT Editor for Vice City - by CyQ
- GXT Editor for San Andreas - by JernejL
External links
 Grand Theft Auto IV | |
|---|---|
| File Formats | .dat • .gxt • .ide • .img • .ipl • .nod • .sco • .rpf • .rrr • .wad • .wbd/.wbn • .wdd • .wdr • .wft • .whm • .wpl • .wtd |
| Documentation | Audio • Bink Video • Cryptography • Cutscenes • GXT Text • Image listing • Keycodes • Map Listing • Native functions • Paths • Radar Blips • Radio Stations • Saves • Scenarios • VTable • Weapons |
| Tools | ASI Loader • ENBSeries • G-Texture • GIMS IV • Ingame WPL Editor • IV Needle • OpenIV • SparkIV • XLiveLess • WPL Manager • X Mod Installer Alice • C++ Script Hook • .NET Script Hook • Scocl |
| Tutorials | Importing Textures with OpenIV • Importing Textures with SparkIV |
| Modifications | GTA Connected • Gostown IV • Four Multiplayer • IV Multiplayer • CitizenMP:IV Reloaded |
| Useful links | Community portal • Discussion forums • Modding forums • Mods on GTAGarage.com |
