Glossary

Tools and packages

CrystalWorkshop

The modding editor (crystalworkshop, ALPHA). It reads the game, edits it in a pending change set, and exports shards or loose files.

crystalw

CrystalWorkshop’s command-line tool. crystalw --mcp serves MCP headless (Enabling MCP).

PulseDepot

The mod manager (BETA). It lists, orders, reviews and installs mods, and installs Crux.

Crux

The mod host loaded by the game. It serves the Crux image’s files to the game and loads mods’ native units. It comes in two builds:

• Crux.dll, a NovaFix addon in addons/;
• version.dll, standalone beside the game executable.

It logs to Crux.jsonl and reads Crux.ini.

Crux image (active.crximg)

One file that PulseDepot merges from every enabled mod, written to Crux’s mod folder (mod_data).

Shard (.cws, CrystalWorkshop Shard)

A portable mod. It holds:

• the changes, as patches against the player’s own original files;
• scripts, as Java patches;
• metadata, a changelog and an image;
• optional native units;
• the author’s editable project, encrypted to the author key.

Older shards use .bin.

Unit (native code)

A DLL inside a shard that Crux loads into the game process. PulseDepot marks it DLL / NATIVE CODE.

Author key

Your key, in ~/.config/ff13-studio/author/ on Linux (the matching app-data folder on Windows). It lets you, and only you, reopen your shards as editable projects.

Nova Chrysalia package (.ncmp)

An older mod package made for the Nova Chrysalia mod manager: a ZIP with modconfig.ini and Data/, EN-Data/, JP-Data/ or Code/ folders. PulseDepot imports it.

NovaFix

A third-party DXVK/d3d9 fix for the games. When it is installed, Crux runs as its addon. The d3d9.dll in the game folder belongs to NovaFix; PulseDepot never ships or changes it.

DXVK / D3D9

D3D9 is the Direct3D 9 graphics interface the games draw with. DXVK runs D3D9 on top of Vulkan. CrystalWorkshop uses DXVK to draw model, VFX and scene previews with the game’s own shaders. It needs a GPU driver with Vulkan 1.3 support. The Windows package includes DXVK (dxvk\d3d9.dll); on Linux you install DXVK-native (libdxvk_d3d9.so) (Installing).

JDK

Java Development Kit: java plus the javac compiler (a Java runtime alone has no javac). Script work needs version 17 or newer. It is not bundled (Installing).

Vineflower

The Java decompiler that turns CLB scripts into Java source. It is included in the packages (support/ff13-studio/tools/).

Experimental

A feature that is partial or not yet verified for a game. It may change or fail.

Loose files / mod_data

Changed files written straight into the game folder’s mod_data, which Crux serves in place of archive files. This is an alternative to a shard for your own testing.

Pending change

An edit that CrystalWorkshop holds in memory and in its workspace until you export. The Changes page lists them.

MCP

Model Context Protocol, the way AI clients call CrystalWorkshop.

Game files

WDB

A database sheet, such as db/resident/item.wdb. In XIII-2 and LR, many sheets are records inside wdbpack.bin record packs.

ZTR

A compressed text file, one per locale, grouped as txtres/<area>/<name>/txtres. It carries {Tag} control codes.

LYB

A zone layout (scene), such as scene/lay/sceneNNNNN/bin/*.win32.lyb. It places background chips, characters, triggers, lights, sounds, VFX and markers. In XIII-2 and LR, layouts are members of an .xwp pack (for example s00010a).

Placement

One placed object in an LYB. It has a transform, fields and often a template (a shared shape or definition).

Map set

The set of background blocks a zone loads.

ScreenEnv / DrawEnv

The screen and lighting environment records of a layout. LR’s time of day comes from ScreenEnvs keyed by hour.

TRB / IMGB

A model or resource container (.trb) and its paired image data (.imgb).

CLB

A compiled game script class, decompiled to Java by Vineflower and recompiled by javac.

ACB / MCB

Action schedules (tracks, clips, effects) and motion commands of a motion pack.

XWP

The XIII-2 / LR pack that holds a zone’s layouts (LYB members such as s00010a).

SCR

The XIII script archive that holds CLB classes.

PRAM

A model material’s shader parameters (the Materials panel).

glTF (.glb)

An open 3D model format that Blender and other tools read and write. CrystalWorkshop exports models to glTF for editing and imports them back.

Tier A / Tier B

How a model import is rated. Tier A changes patch the existing model and can be applied. Tier B changes (new vertices, triangles, materials or bones) are reported but not applied yet.

SQL

The query language of the Query panel. Sheets appear as tables you can read and change with SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT and DELETE.

LUT

A colour look-up table: the colour grading of a scene.

SCD

An audio stream. Banks live in sound/pack/*.wpd.

WPD

A pack of named sub-files (for example sound banks, or record packs).

XGR

A graphics pack, such as the Crystarium’s crystal.win32.xgr.

VFX terms

VFX

Visual effects: spells, hits, auras and other effects, stored in effect packages.

VFX package (.xfv)

An effect package, vfx/.../veffs.<locale>.win32.xfv.

veff

One effect in a package, with its models, textures and units.

Unit

A timed part of an effect: lifetime, loop, colour, controls and an emitter. This is not the same as a native code unit.

Control

What a unit draws: a model, a texture item or a particle item. This is where reference swaps happen.

Emitter

The particle source of a unit: capacity, life, size, spin, fades, form.

vlea / leaf

An attachment point that places an effect, with its translation, rotation and scale.

vmdl

The models of a package.

Ticks

Effect time units, 300000 per second.

Partial play

Effect parts the player cannot draw yet. The Partial: N of M parts banner lists them.

Related

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