FFXI log file format?

[ripper]

I'm trying to create my own damage parser from scratch. I know there are good one's out there, but I'm a "Do it yourself" kind of guy. Anyway, I know other parsers use the log files created directly from FFXI to get their data. Of course when I view these files, I see nothing that makes much since to me. Can anyone explain the file layout for these files? Or at least point me in the right direction? At this time I would rather not use a third party function to get the data for me, I want to figure out how to read it myself.

Thanks in advance. New to the boards, but there is some awesome info here. Keep up the good work!

[poromaru]

In my C:\Program Files\PlayOnline\SquareEnix\FINAL FANTASY XI\TEMP folder, I have several numbered .log files. When I open them in Notepad I see:

the junk on the left, eh, I could do without it. but the stuff on the right (if your browser window is big enough) looks a lot like FFXI chat log stuff to me.


09,00,00,80808080,000003cd,0000041a,0011,00,01,01,00,
Saberfang : haha 79,03,00,80c0c050,000003ce,0000041b,0032,00,01,02,00,
Search result: 9 people found in all known areas. 0d,00,00,8020c0a0,000003cf,0000041c,0019,00,01,01,00,
(Mattlock) up to you all 0d,00,00,8020c0a0,000003d0,0000041d,0024,00,01,01,00,
(Aizenmyou) well, 2 x WAR/NIN works 79,03,00,80c0c050,000003d1,0000041e,0032,00,01,02,00,
Search result: 5 people found in all known areas. 0a,00,00,80a07060,000003d2,0000041f,0025,00,01,01,00,
Ojoh : —•‚³‚ñor¢‚³‚ñ1–¼•åW‚µ‚Ü‚·OO tell‘Ò‚Á‚Ä‚Ü‚·ô cc,03,00,4000c000,000003d3,00000420,0023,00,01,00,00,
David (Lv51 Ninja / Lv25 Warrior): cc,03,00,4000c000,000003d4,00000421,0020,00,01,00,01,
ï'keyï(ï'promiseï( ï'I have plans.ï( 0d,00,00,8020c0a0,000003d7,00000422,0021,00,01,01,00,
(Aizenmyou) but we cant fit tweo 05,00,00,8020c0a0,000003d8,00000423,001e,00,01,01,00,
(Poromaru) I could kick Ophe? 09,00,00,80808080,000003d9,00000424,004d,00,01,01,00,
Drakenjr : a vicouis and brutal war waged for years on end in bloody battle  09,00,00,80808080,000003d9,00000425,0022,00,01,01,01,
leaving devistation in it's wake 0d,00,00,8020c0a0,000003da,00000426,000e,00,01,01,00,
(Ophelie) ; ; 05,00,00,8020c0a0,000003db,00000427,0041,00,01,01,00,
(Poromaru) oh wait she's my RL girlfriend o.o damn relationships 09,00,00,80808080,000003dc,00000428,003f,00,01,01,00,
Drakenjr : the ham sandwitches were almost completly wiped out 0a,00,00,80a07060,000003dd,00000429,0021,00,01,01,00,
Klein : š ‚±‚ê‚©‚çAƒoƒXM‚X|‚PE‚Q‚ðs‚¤—\’è‚Å‚·[I 0a,00,00,80a07060,000003de,0000042a,0027,00,01,01,00,
Klein : š Lv‚V‚OˆÈã‚Ì‚P‚o‚s‚ŃTƒN‚Á‚ƍs‚«‚Ü‚¹‚ñ‚©H (LÍ`) 09,00,00,80808080,000003df,0000042b,0029,00,01,01,00,
Drakenjr : when suddenly out of nowhere! 0a,00,00,80a07060,000003e0,0000042c,0048,00,01,01,00,
Ryokey : BCNM 40 ï'Do you need it?ï( ï'Rangerï( x2 ï'Can I have it?ï( ï'/tellï( 09,00,00,80808080,000003e1,0000042d,0029,00,01,01,00,
Drakenjr : honey ham came into existance 09,00,00,80808080,000003e2,0000042e,0015,00,01,01,00,
Agamemnon : wth? lol 0d,00,00,8020c0a0,000003e3,0000042f,0012,00,01,01,00,
(Aizenmyou) lmfao 0d,00,00,8020c0a0,000003e4,00000430,001a,00,01,01,00,
(Mattlock) want me to go? 09,00,00,80808080,000003e5,00000431,0050,00,01,01,00,
Drakenjr : witht his the ham sandwitches gained a foot hold and drove back the  09,00,00,80808080,000003e5,00000432,0013,00,01,01,01,
handburger forces 0d,00,00,8020c0a0,000003e6,00000433,000f,00,01,01,00,
(Aizenmyou) no 09,00,00,80808080,000003e7,00000434,0028,00,01,01,00,
Agamemnon : both GK's give same Attack  0d,00,00,8020c0a0,000003e8,00000435,001c,00,01,01,00,
(Ophelie) might have a tank 0d,00,00,8020c0a0,000003e9,00000436,0022,00,01,01,00,
(Aizenmyou) gonna have to disband 09,00,00,80808080,000003ea,00000437,000f,00,01,01,00,
Agamemnon : =( 09,00,00,80808080,000003eb,00000438,003b,00,01,01,00,
Drakenjr : and peace was once again restored to the land.. 0a,00,00,80a07060,000003ec,00000439,0048,00,01,01,00,
Ryokey : BCNM 40 ï'Do you need it?ï( ï'Rangerï( x2 ï'Can I have it?ï( ï'/tellï( 79,03,00,80c0c050,000003ed,0000043a,0032,00,01,02,00,
Search result: 3 people found in all known areas. 09,00,00,80808080,000003ee,0000043b,000f,00,01,01,00,
Drakenjr : ... 09,00,00,80808080,000003ef,0000043c,0017,00,01,01,00,
Saberfang : which two? 09,00,00,80808080,000003f0,0000043d,001c,00,01,01,00,
Agamemnon : ï'Wooden Katanaï( 05,00,00,8020c0a0,000003f1,0000043e,002b,00,01,01,00,
(Poromaru) Ophe is talking to Drakko Nin52 09,00,00,80808080,000003f2,0000043f,0014,00,01,01,00,
Agamemnon : ï'Hagunï( 05,00,00,8020c0a0,000003f3,00000440,002c,00,01,01,00,
(Poromaru) everybody cross fingers and toes 0a,00,00,80a07060,000003f4,00000441,004a,00,01,01,00,
Rante : ï'Goblinï( ï'Head Gearï( 1M ï'Do you need it?ï( ï'/tellï( Rante (ï'Yagudoï(  0a,00,00,80a07060,000003f4,00000442,0014,00,01,01,01,
ï'Orcï( ï'Quadavï(: ~) 09,00,00,80808080,000003f5,00000443,003c,00,01,01,00,
Agamemnon : wh


When I google "ffxi parser" and read some of the updates and problems other parsers have had, I noticed 640x480 resolutions are different to parse than the rest, so keep that in mind when you gather parser logs.

The weird characters were when people used the autotranslator, and I'm not sure what all the numbers are... possibly message type and color information? I was thinking about doing this too, but then I found Lunar's chat functions and I'm in love!

Either way, good luck!

[sdphantom]

Ya, Lunar has it's own chat log internally that can be accessed by the chat functions in the FFXI library. It's also immediate, the log files in the FFXI temp folder are aged over some time.

[bubbagump]

File format:
-100 bytes: padding? more than likely means something, but to me is unknown jargon.
-Chat Line format:
---52 byte Header:
-----2 bytes: Chat type
-----2 bytes: unknown1  *
-----2 bytes: unknown2  *
-----8 bytes: unknown3  *
-----8 bytes: counter1  **
-----8 bytes: counter2  **
-----4 bytes: chat msg length ("x" = length)
-----2 bytes: unknown4
-----2 bytes: unknown5 ***
-----2 bytes: unknown6 ***
-----2 bytes: unknown7
---2 bytes: squares/unusual chars, unknown purpose..
---x bytes: Chat msg

---------------------
* - All seem to be related to chat type, or color related..
** - Not really sure what "exactly" they are, but they're a way to note unique messages;
 a counter of sorts.
*** - Not sure, but I think it has to do with the message filter types, ie: enemy actions, etc..

I hope that helps a bit, sorry if any of it is misinformation but it's just old notes I took.

[TinyTerror]

there are 6 or 8 color bytes in there too. THey are in plain text hex.