mngrp.bin File Format

This file is an archive which contains 118 files, that will be called section in this wiki.

It is important to note that the independent files like tkmnmes, m00x.bin or m00x.msg are not used by the game even tho they exist (they are loaded in memory by MenuReadFiles but never read). Only the data in mngrp is taken into account. The standalone tkmnmes2.bin is even a stale copy: its text differs from the mngrp copy the game displays.

Some sections are pure data that are irrelevant for ShumiTranslator, they are just mention for archive purpose.

This section list is for the english version. Others language should have the same sections but not the same size or offset.

The definition of this file with the different offset and size is determine by Mngrphd.bin.

The Pos column below is the position among valid sections (the order tools like ShumiTranslator use). The Header entry column is the raw mngrphd.bin entry index, which is what the engine uses to load a section (see Mngrphd.bin). For example the refine menu asks for entries 188-192 (m00X.bin) and 196-200 (m00X.msg), the SeeD written test for entry 96 + test number, and the Card Album pages for entry 48 + page.

If the file is modified, all sections keep a size multiple of 0x800 (2048, the PSX CD sector size) in the retail file, padded with 0. The engine itself only trusts the offset/size pairs of mngrphd.bin; the practical limit is the fixed capacity of the destination buffer each section is loaded into, so avoid growing a section beyond its original 0x800-multiple size.

Duplicated files: which copy is authoritative

Some menu files exist both as standalone files in the menu archive and as sections inside mngrp.bin. In every case the mngrp.bin copy is the one the game uses:

tkmnmes1/2/3.bin: the standalone files are never opened by the engine; menu text is read exclusively from mngrp raw entries 0-2.
m000-m004.bin / .msg: the standalone files are loaded into buffers at menu startup, but those buffers are dead (their only references are the loader and the free routine); the refine menus read the copies at raw entries 188-192 / 196-200.

The other standalone menu files (mmag.bin, mmag2.bin, mtmag.bin, mitem.bin, mwepon.bin, mmagic.bin, mag_sort.bin, shop.bin, price.bin, pet_exp.bin, mthomas.bin, cyocobo.bin, areames.dc1/dc2, icon.sp1, face.sp2, cardanm.sp2…) have no copy inside mngrp.bin — they are loaded by name from ff8/data/eng/menu/.

Mapped Data

Pos	Header entry	Seek	Size	Filename	Content of the section	Present in ShumiTranslator
0	0	0x0	0x800	tkmnmes1.bin	Menu text	Yes
1	1	0x800	0x1800	tkmnmes2.bin	Menu text	Yes
2	2	0x2000	0x2000	tkmnmes3.bin	Menu text	Yes
3	3	0x4000	0xE000		Chocobo World PocketStation image: a complete 7-block PS1 save file (“SC” magic, MCX app marker, SJIS title “ＦＦ８／Ｃｈｏｃｏｂｏ　Ｗｏｒｌｄ”) installed on the emulated memory card by the save screen	No
4	7	0x12000	0x1000		Magazine picture sprites in the SP2 quad-list format: 79 declared sprite ids, 39 used. Referenced by the picture overlay slots of mmag.bin entries	No
5	9	0x13000	0x6800	face1.bin	Character portraits (main menu UI texture, reloaded on every sub-screen exit)	No
6	10	0x19800	0x6800	face2.bin	GF portraits (main menu UI texture, reloaded on every sub-screen exit)	No
7	12	0x20000	0x800	magita.tim	Tutorial/magazine background texture	No
8	16	0x20800	0xE000	start00_and_start01.tim	Title screen logo	No
9	20	0x2E800	0xC800		Combat King 001-005 pictures (magazine viewer category 1)	No
10	24	0x3B000	0xC800	mag07.tim	Pet Pals Vol.1-6 pictures (magazine viewer category 2)	No
11	28	0x47800	0xC800	mag00.tim	Weapons Monthly, 1st Issue	No
12	29	0x54000	0xC800	mag01.tim	Weapons Monthly, March Issue	No
13	30	0x60800	0xC800	mag02.tim	Weapons Monthly, April Issue	No
14	31	0x6D000	0xC800	mag03.tim	Weapons Monthly, May Issue	No
15	32	0x79800	0xC800	mag04.tim	Weapons Monthly, June Issue	No
16	33	0x86000	0xC800	mag05.tim	Weapons Monthly, July Issue	No
17	34	0x92800	0xC800	mag06.tim	Weapons Monthly, August Issue	No
18	44	0x9F000	0xC800	mag08.tim	Occult Fan I & II	No
19	45	0xAB800	0xC800	mag09.tim	Occult Fan III & IV	No
20	48	0xB8000	0xC800	mc00.tim	Card textures for menus (Card Album page N loads header entry 48 + N)	No
21	49	0xC4800	0xC800	mc01.tim	Card textures for menus	No
22	50	0xD1000	0xC800	mc02.tim	Card textures for menus	No
23	51	0xDD800	0xC800	mc03.tim	Card textures for menus	No
24	52	0xEA000	0xC800	mc04.tim	Card textures for menus	No
25	53	0xF6800	0xC800	mc05.tim	Card textures for menus	No
26	54	0x103000	0xC800	mc06.tim	Card textures for menus	No
27	55	0x10F800	0xC800	mc07.tim	Card textures for menus	No
28	56	0x11C000	0xC800	mc08.tim	Card textures for menus	No
29	57	0x128800	0xC800	mc09.tim	Card textures for menus	No
30	63	0x135000	0x11800	PSX_Controller00.tim	Field controls tutorial image	No
31	64	0x146800	0x11800	PSX_Controller01.tim	World map controls tutorial image	No
32	65	0x158000	0x11800	PSX_Controller02.tim	Battle controls tutorial image	No
33	71	0x169800	0xC800	mag10.tim	Triple Triad tutorial	No
34	72	0x176000	0xC800	mag11.tim	Triple Triad tutorial	No
35	73	0x182800	0xC800	mag12.tim	Triple Triad tutorial	No
36	74	0x18F000	0xC800	mag13.tim	Battle tutorial	No
37	75	0x19B800	0xC800	mag14.tim	Battle tutorial	No
38	87	0x1A8000	0x3000	Mngrp_string_section00	Book text	Yes
39	88	0x1AB000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section01	Battle tutorial	Yes
40	89	0x1AB800	0x1000	Mngrp_string_section02	Card rules + Icon	Yes
41	90	0x1AC800	0x1000	Mngrp_string_section03	Chocobo World screen text: story slides (0-4) + Solo RPG manual pages (5-14), referenced by mmag2.bin	Yes
42	95	0x1AD800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section04	Test seed generic text (congrats, fail,…)	Yes
43	96	0x1AE000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section05	Test seed 1	Yes
44	97	0x1AE800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section06	Test seed 2	Yes
45	98	0x1AF000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section07	Test seed 3	Yes
46	99	0x1AF800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section08	Test seed 4	Yes
47	100	0x1B0000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section09	Test seed 5	Yes
48	101	0x1B0800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section10	Test seed 6	Yes
49	102	0x1B1000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section11	Test seed 7	Yes
50	103	0x1B1800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section12	Test seed 8	Yes
51	104	0x1B2000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section13	Test seed 9	Yes
52	105	0x1B2800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section14	Test seed 10	Yes
53	106	0x1B3000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section15	Test seed 11	Yes
54	107	0x1B3800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section16	Test seed 12	Yes
55	108	0x1B4000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section17	Test seed 13	Yes
56	109	0x1B4800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section18	Test seed 14	Yes
57	110	0x1B5000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section19	Test seed 15	Yes
58	111	0x1B5800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section20	Test seed 16	Yes
59	112	0x1B6000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section21	Test seed 17	Yes
60	113	0x1B6800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section22	Test seed 18	Yes
61	114	0x1B7000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section23	Test seed 19	Yes
62	115	0x1B7800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section24	Test seed 20	Yes
63	116	0x1B8000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section25	Test seed 21	Yes
64	117	0x1B8800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section26	Test seed 22	Yes
65	118	0x1B9000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section27	Test seed 23	Yes
66	119	0x1B9800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section28	Test seed 24	Yes
67	120	0x1BA000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section29	Test seed 25	Yes
68	121	0x1BA800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section30	Test seed 26	Yes
69	122	0x1BB000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section31	Test seed 27	Yes
70	123	0x1BB800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section32	Test seed 28	Yes
71	124	0x1BC000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section33	Test seed 29	Yes
72	125	0x1BC800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section34	Test seed 30	Yes
73	126	0x1BD000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section35	Test seed 31: unused (the engine caps the test number at 30) and a byte-exact duplicate of Test seed 30	Yes
74	127	0x1BD800	0x800	Mngrp_TextBox_map	Information browser page directory (per page id: {offset, TextBox section 0-5})	Yes
75	128	0x1BE000	0x4800	Mngrp_TextBox_section00	TextBox	Yes
76	129	0x1C2800	0x4000	Mngrp_TextBox_section01	TextBox	Yes
77	130	0x1C6800	0x4800	Mngrp_TextBox_section02	TextBox	Yes
78	131	0x1CB000	0x4000	Mngrp_TextBox_section03	TextBox	Yes
79	132	0x1CF000	0x2800	Mngrp_TextBox_section04	TextBox	Yes
80	133	0x1D1800	0x4800	Mngrp_TextBox_section05	TextBox	Yes
81	160	0x1D6000	0x1000	Mngrp_string_section36	Junction tutorial	Yes
82	161	0x1D7000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section37	Magic junction tutorial	Yes
83	162	0x1D7800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section38	Elemental junction tutorial	Yes
84	163	0x1D8000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section39	Status junction tutorial	Yes
85	164	0x1D8800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section40	GF tutorial	Yes
86	165	0x1D9000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section41	Squall limit break tutorial	Yes
87	166	0x1D9800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section42	Zell limit break tutorial	Yes
88	167	0x1DA000	0x800	Mngrp_string_section43	Rinoa limit break tutorial	Yes
89	168	0x1DA800	0x800		Tutorial demo script: Junction demo	No
90	169	0x1DB000	0x800		Tutorial demo script: Magic junction demo	No
91	170	0x1DB800	0x800		Tutorial demo script: Elemental junction demo	No
92	171	0x1DC000	0x800		Tutorial demo script: Status junction demo	No
93	172	0x1DC800	0x800		Tutorial demo script: GF demo	No
94	173	0x1DD000	0x800		Tutorial demo script: Squall limit break demo	No
95	174	0x1DD800	0x800		Tutorial demo script: Zell limit break demo	No
96	175	0x1DE000	0x800		Tutorial demo script: Rinoa limit break demo	No
97	176	0x1DE800	0x800		Tutorial demo mock characters A (8 × 152-byte savemap character records)	No
98	177	0x1DF000	0x800		Tutorial demo mock GF records A (16 × 68-byte savemap GF records; names misspelled, e.g. “Quetcoatl”, replaced by the real save’s names in game)	No
99	178	0x1DF800	0x800		Tutorial demo mock characters B (variant used by elemental/status junction and character switch demos)	No
100	179	0x1E0000	0x800		Tutorial demo mock GF records B. Very similar to 0x1DF000	No
101	180	0x1E0800	0xC800	mag15.tim	Chocobo World story pictures (mmag2.bin category 6, page 0)	No
102	181	0x1ED000	0xC800	mag16.tim	Chocobo World Solo RPG manual pictures (mmag2.bin category 6, page 1)	No
103	182	0x1F9800	0xC800	mag17.tim	Card icon explanation pictures (magazine viewer category 6)	No
104	183	0x206000	0xC800	mag18.tim	Chocobo world sketch cartoon. Apparently unused: no mmag.bin/mmag2.bin entry selects category 6 page 3	No
105	184	0x212800	0xC800	mag19.tim	Chocobo world sketch cartoon, duplicate of 0x206000. Apparently unused (category 6 page 4)	No
106	188	0x21F000	0x800	m000.bin	Locations for msg file and Refine values.	Yes
107	189	0x21F800	0x800	m001.bin	Locations for msg file and Refine values.	Yes
108	190	0x220000	0x800	m002.bin	Locations for msg file and Refine values.	Yes
109	191	0x220800	0x800	m003.bin	Locations for msg file and Refine values.	Yes
110	192	0x221000	0x800	m004.bin	Locations for msg file and Refine values.	Yes
111	196	0x221800	0x1800	m000.msg		Yes
112	197	0x223000	0x2000	m001.msg		Yes
113	198	0x225000	0x800	m002.msg		Yes
114	199	0x225800	0x800	m003.msg		Yes
115	200	0x226000	0x1800	m004.msg		Yes
116	204	0x227800	0x800	Mngrp_string_section44	Character switch tutorial	Yes
117	205	0x228000	0x800		Tutorial demo script: Character switch demo	No

The SeeD test sections (Pos 42-73)

Raw file 95 holds the shared exam UI strings, raw files 96-125 the 30 tests (10 questions each, string N = question N+1; raw 126 is an unused duplicate “test 31” — the engine caps the test number at 30).

These are normal string sections with one twist: every string starts with one extra byte before the FF8 text — the expected answer, as a 0-based cursor index (questions: 0 = YES, 1 = NO). The question text then contains 0x0B n cursor stop codes (n = 0x20 + choice index) marking each selectable position; the engine counts the stops dynamically, so a question can offer more than two choices simply by adding more cursor stops — the answer byte just has to match the index of the correct one. On confirm the selected index is compared to the answer byte; a perfect 10/10 raises the SeeD test level and the rank.

In the retail files each string (answer byte, FF8 text, 0x00 terminator) is zero-padded to a multiple of 4 bytes, so the string offsets keep a constant alignment inside the section.

How the choices are drawn

The choice labels are not laid out by the engine — they are simply part of the question text. A 0x0B n code emits nothing visible: as Menu_SeedTest_ParseCursorStops renders the string, each stop records the current pen position (x, y) and the choice index into Menu_SeedTest_CursorStops (8-byte entries {x, y, …}), returning the count in Menu_SeedTest_ChoiceCount. The selection cursor sprite is then drawn at CursorStops[selected], and navigation wraps within [0, ChoiceCount). So the on-screen position of each choice is decided by where its 0x0B stop sits in the text (the surrounding spaces and \n line breaks); to add a 3rd choice you write its label into the text with its own cursor stop before it. Menu_SeedTest_CursorStops (0x1D7EB40) runs up to Menu_SeedTest_ExpectedAnswer (0x1D7EC40), i.e. a fixed 32-entry buffer, the practical ceiling on choices per question.

Address	Name	Description
0x4D4D30	Menu_SeedTest_Update	Exam state machine (program 23)
0x4D4A80	Menu_SeedTest_ParseCursorStops	Collects the 0x0B stops of a string
0x1D7EC40	Menu_SeedTest_ExpectedAnswer	Answer byte of the displayed string
0x1D7EAB8	Menu_SeedTest_ChoiceCount	Number of cursor stops found

The SP2 quad-list sprite format (Pos 4)

Pos 4 uses the same sprite format as the standalone .sp2 files (cardanm.sp2, face.sp2 — see Menu sprite tables for the full .sp1/.sp2 reference), all rendered by the same function:

Offset	Size	Description
0x00	4	UInt32 sprite count (79 in Pos 4)
0x04	4×N	UInt32 offsets from the start of the file, one per sprite id (0 = unused id)
…	-	Sprite records

Each sprite record is a UInt32 quad count followed by 12 bytes per quad:

Offset	Size	Description
0x00	1	Texture U
0x01	1	Texture V
0x02	2	CLUT id
0x04	2	Width
0x06	2	Height
0x08	1	Signed X offset from the sprite draw position
0x09	1	Signed Y offset from the sprite draw position
0x0A	2	Texture page (PS1 GPU E1 bits, masked with 0x9FF)

In Pos 4 every used sprite is a single quad selecting a 128×96 or 128×104 region of the magazine page picture texture currently loaded (chosen by the category/page fields of the mmag.bin entry). The magazine text overlays use a different path: a string section (raw 87 + the entry’s text file index) loaded into a dedicated buffer, not the menu VRAM arena.

The Chocobo World PocketStation image (Pos 3)

Section 3 is a complete PlayStation memory-card save file holding the Chocobo World PocketStation application:

Offset	Size	Description
0x00	2	“SC” title-frame magic
0x02	1	Icon display flag 0x11 (one icon frame)
0x03	1	Block count: 7 (7 × 8192 = 0xE000, the exact section size)
0x04	64	Shift-JIS title “ＦＦ８／Ｃｈｏｃｏｂｏ　Ｗｏｒｌｄ”
0x50	16	PocketStation fields, including the “MCX0” application marker at 0x52
0x60	32	Icon CLUT (16 colors)
0x80	128	Icon frame (16×16, 4bpp)
0x100	-	PocketStation application code and data (438 of 448 128-byte frames are used)

The save screen’s Chocobo World feature installs this image on the emulated memory card. Prepending a 128-byte memory-card directory frame turns it into a standard .mcs save usable in PS1/PocketStation emulators (the PC executable embeds no product-code filename, so any name can be used in the directory frame).