How to Install and Run Untranslated Visual Novel Text Hooking Tools

[OriginalRen]

Hello friends!

Chances are that if you are reading this thread, then you know all there is to know about the many visual novel translation tools out there in the big world of Japanese eroge and are interested in mastering the art of reading your porn PC games by taking it to the next level. In this thread, I will provide a step by step guide covering the installation and use of the following visual novel translation materials:

• Translator Aggregator (TA for short)
• Interactive Text Hooker (ITH for short)
• Mecab
• Edict2

 

Now before I continue writing, let me be clear that this will not be a thread teaching you about the benefits of using programs such as the ones listed above. That being said, it will also not go into detail regarding the function of each program. If you are interested in knowing about the best way to start learning Japanese and reading visual novels, I recommend asking some of the awesome members of the community who have an extensive knowledge about how these programs work and ask them about which ones (if not others) they recommend and why.

With that, I don't want to waste too much of your time, so let's get the ball rolling! If you are just starting out and have no idea what to do or what to get, simply follow this guide from start to finish after this point on and you will have everything you need in order to read visual novels with the programs listed above. If you have some of these programs and only want a few, simply jump to the appropriate section of each guide and everything will make sense from there.

Here we go!
 

 

Getting Started:

Before you begin installing the following programs which I just mentioned, make sure you have the following items present and accounted for on your PC:

• An internet connection (like, seriously)
• A program that allows you to unzip computer files (such as WinRAR or another program of the same sort)
• A visual novel installed in Japanese for testing the programs (AKA: the game does not have any sort of English patch or partial patch which changes the language)
• A web browser (IE, Firefox, Chrome) that you understand how to use well

 

STOP HERE!
Did you get all the required items listed above? If you can't read this message, chances are you screwed up somewhere with the 1st one, making the rest pointless. Once you have all the items listed above, feel free to move on.
 

---

 

Task 1 - Installing Translator Aggregator (TA):

1. Begin the installation by clicking on the highlighted link next to this text: http://www.hongfire.com/forum/showthread.php/94395-Translation-Aggregator?p=3648894#post3648894<--- This one right here.

2. On this newly opened window in your browser, click the big link at the top of the 1st post on the page. Don't see it? Here it is:

3. Save the file onto your PC anywhere you want to. I normally save everything I download from the internet to my desktop, but this is completely up to you.

4. Once you have saved the file, open it with your already installed zip program (i.e. = WinRAR). Once you open the zipped folder, extract the content to a location on your PC.

HOLD IT RIGHT THERE PARTNER!
When extracting the content of the zipped folder to your PC, feel free to put it anywhere that you can easily access it. It does not matter where it is located, so keeping it somewhere you can easily remember is best.

5. Once the folder is extracted, it should look something like this:

As stated in the photo, open TA by clicking on the application.

6. After opening the program, a list of windows will be displayed. Since I am only covering how to install the programs listed at the beginning of this post, simply close the ones you won't be using by clicking on the tiny little "x" in the top right corner of each program. Here are 2 images to show you what I mean:

Upon opening TA:

Upon removing the unneeded programs:

Good job! Feel free to adjust the size of the window as you see fit because you will want to have this open when reading your visual novels.

7. Rejoice! You have successfully installed and learned how to operate TA. Whenever you want to open this program, simply locate the application's shortcut and double click it. Easy as pie!

End Task 1 Here
 

---

 

Task 2 - Installing the Edict2 Dictionary:

After successfully installing TA, you are probably nervous that it's only going to get harder, right? Nope! Let's install Edict2 next because it's as easy as pie:

Easy: Click this link: http://ftp.monash.edu.au/pub/nihongo/edict2.gz. Wait for the page to finish loading. After it finishes, save the page by hitting Ctrl+S. Save it anywhere on your computer:

As: Extract the file (if it is in a zipped folder) by using your zip program (i.e. = WinRAR). Once it is extracted, simply move the new file into your dictionary folder located in your original TA folder:

Pie: Easy no? That's all there is to it. Good job!

End Task 2 Here
 

---

 

Task 3 - Installing Mecab

1. Another easy task for the least internet savvy people around, begin by clicking on this link: https://code.google.com/p/mecab/downloads/detail?name=mecab-0.996.exe&can=2&q=.

2. After clicking the link, download the file at the top of the page. It does not matter where you choose to save it (the desktop is generally a nice place):

3. After downloading the file, run the program and install it like any other normal installation. Simply hit the next button over and over again until you get to this screen:

HOLY COW THIS TEXT MEANS THE NEXT PART IS IMPORTANT!
Make sure the UTF-8 dictionary is highlighted before hitting the next button.

4. After this point, simply agree to the ToS and continue following the instructions until Mecab installs itself. Pretty easy stuff!

5. Finally, open Translator Aggregator and open the configuration settings for JParser. Make sure Mecab hinting is enabled:

End Task 3 Here
 

---

 

Task 4 - Installing ITH

You're doing so well, so keep it up! This next task is a little more of a challenge, so simply follow these steps to make sure you don't miss any or make a mistake:

Step 1: Begin by clicking this link: http://www.hongfire.com/forum/showthread.php/208860-Interactive-Text-Hooker-new-text-extraction-tool. On this page, you will notice a lot of other links and random text. All you need to worry about are the following downloads:

If it wasn't already obvious, download these files. Remember that they will be zipped and will look like this:

Step 2: Open the spoiler tag posted below and follow the on-screen instructions!

Remember that you can change the name of the new folder to anything you'd like.

Step 3: Here is what your new folder will look like inside:

Now, it's time to ask yourself if you are the proud owner of Windows 10!

 

GOODNESS GRAVY! THIS NEXT PART IS IMPORTANT!

Do you own Windows 10? If yes, read on, otherwise, proceed to Step 4.

 

1. Click this link: http://www.mediafire.com/download/qai2bden95yol6l/ith3-w10fix_v1.7z.

 

2. Download the file located in the link:

 

 

3. Extract the file using your zip program and move it into the folder you created as shown in the 1st spoiler tag of Step 3:

 

 

4. After replacing the program in the folder you created, proceed to Step 4.

Step 4: Once you open ITH, click on the option tab at the top as shown below and make sure the "auto copy to clipboard" feature is highlighted. After doing this, simply close the program.

Step 5: Almost done. Next, select the ITH updater as shown in your newly created folder above. When you open the folder, it will look something like this:

Update ITH and update the profile by clicking on their respective buttons. You will know it is complete when the hash check has passed. After it is finished, simply hit the end button.

Step 6: For the final step in this long process, let's test it out shall we? Start by opening the following programs:

• An untranslated Japanese visual novel
• The ITH program (always run it as an administrator by right clicking the program before you open it and selecting said option)
• Translator Aggregator

 

With everything running, it should look something like this:

After opening all of the programs, do the following as shown in the spoiler tag below:

Next, click through a few lines to register them in the text hook process. I usually click about 3-5 lines to make sure it is working properly:

 

End Task 4 Here

 

---

 

Finally, the moment of truth!

 

Does it look like this?

If so, congratulations you've done it! All you need to do is follow step 6 in this process for every other game you want to play and it will hook the text for you. Have fun!
 

---

 

And with that, the tasks are complete. Congratulations my friend, I have nothing left to teach you. Still, should you have any questions, feel free to ask them in this thread.

On a side note, you may have noticed that I did not include instructions for installing ATLAS in this guide. If you would like to do that, simply buy the program located on the website and follow the instructions there. Sorry, but it isn't my place to provide guides for pirating content; if you'd like that, look elsewhere.

That being said, thanks for reading, and enjoy.

 

A very special thanks to Bolverk for providing all of the links in the Japanese resource thread located here, binaryfail for providing the ITH fixes for Windows 10 users, and to Down for doing what he does.

[Down]

No 40 minutes video to explain I'm lost 0/10

 

 

Jokes aside, this title is misleading, it makes it seem like you're providing tools to do fan translation, or tools to do machine translation, which is not really the case. Maybe "Japanese reading tools"?

[OriginalRen]

No 40 minutes video to explain I'm lost 0/10

 

 

Jokes aside, this title is misleading, it makes it seem like you're providing tools to do fan translation, or tools to do machine translation, which is not really the case. Maybe "Japanese reading tools"?

 

Better?

[Down]

Better?

Eh, I guess. What was bugging me was the "TL" nuance, those tools are not really translating the text.

 

and for Down doing what he does.

What does that even mean?

[CCM]

So... is this programs translate from Japanese to English or what?

[Down]

So... is this programs translate from Japanese to English or what?

Thanks for making my point

 

No, this is a set of programs that will allow you, while you're playing a VN in japanese, to extract the text from the game automatically (ITH), grab it and copy it (Translation Aggregator) through a parser that will add furigana above the words (Mecab and JParser) and display a dictionary entry (Edict2) when you hover your mouse above the word.

It's meant to help you read text in japanese when you're not yet good enough.

You can also add machine translation tools to TA, such as Atlas, that will attempt (and fail) to translate the text directly into english, but as we all know it's not a great idea. The setup of Atlas is not included in this tutorial anyway.

[CCM]

Thanks for making my point

 

No, this is a set of programs that will allow you, while you're playing a VN in japanese, to extract the text from the game automatically (ITH), grab it and copy it (Translation Aggregator) through a parser that will add furigana above the words (Mecab and JParser) and display a dictionary entry (Edict2) when you hover your mouse above the word.

It's meant to help you read text in japanese when you're not yet good enough.

You can also add machine translation tools to TA, such as Atlas, that will attempt (and fail) to translate the text directly into english, but as we all know it's not a great idea. The setup of Atlas is not included in this tutorial anyway.

 

Awww.... that a bump. I thought it will translate to English.

 

Is Atlas is bad as google translate?

[Chewy]

Thanks for making my point

No, this is a set of programs that will allow you, while you're playing a VN in japanese, to extract the text from the game automatically (ITH), grab it and copy it (Translation Aggregator) through a parser that will add furigana above the words (Mecab and JParser) and display a dictionary entry (Edict2) when you hover your mouse above the word.

It's meant to help you read text in japanese when you're not yet good enough.

You can also add machine translation tools to TA, such as Atlas, that will attempt (and fail) to translate the text directly into english, but as we all know it's not a great idea. The setup of Atlas is not included in this tutorial anyway.

So is there anything that does not quite fail like Atlas(personal experience) ( am I asking in the wrong place?)

Awww.... that a bump. I thought it will translate to English.

 

Is Atlas is bad as google translate?

It is worse...

[Down]

So is there anything that does not quite fail like Atlas(personal experience) ( am I asking in the wrong place?)

Not yet. Honestly, don't expect decent (and I say decent because 'good' machine TL would be utopian) machine translation to happen before several years or decades. Current statistical learning algorithms and such are just not efficient enough yet.

[Chewy]

Not yet. Honestly, don't expect decent (and I say decent because 'good' machine TL would be utopian) machine translation to happen before several years or decades. Current statistical learning algorithms and such are just not efficient enough yet.

Looks like I will have to learn jap after all... At least I have decent understanding of kanji ( I'm chinese) and learnt hiragana at school.

[CCM]

Now I wish I was born as Japanese. :C

 

Too bad I cannot copy people knowledge. It will be heaven if I can copy people knowledge & paste it to myself.

[Chewy]

Now I wish I was born as Japanese. :C

 

Too bad I cannot copy people knowledge. It will be heaven if I can copy people knowledge & paste it to myself.

Tell myself that every night.

[Zalor]

I just did all this last week, I knew I should have waited. Nice guide though, since I had to use multiple sources to figure out how to get everything working, and this guide organizes everything all in one thread. 

[Kendjin]

Wow, finally a Ren guide I can follow, because its actually written out.

 

10/10

[Chewy]

Wow, finally a Ren guide I can follow, because its actually written out.

 

10/10

B-but there isn't a long as hell video that will give you a headache and give up halfway accompanied...

[Clephas]

Don't forget to set the ITH and TA properties to 'start as admin' so that they work properly.  ITH requires this to work properly and TA needs it to read from ITH.

[Nosebleed]

A quick note for some recent VNs (and I guess ancient stuff too):

 

If ITH successfully hooks to a VN but there's no text being displayed in it, this means that ITH doesn't have the hook code necessary to find the text.

 

Unless you know programming language all you can really do is go to ITH's page at hongfire and hope someone finds out a hook code for the VN you're playing.

[OriginalRen]

Don't forget to set the ITH and TA properties to 'start as admin' so that they work properly.  ITH requires this to work properly and TA needs it to read from ITH.

 

You only need to run ITH as an admin as I stated in the guide; I never had to run TA in administrator mode and it worked fine.

[kyrt]

Excellent I might actually begin trying to learn Japanese now...took it in college and failed but that was due to lack of intent and laziness might actually be worth attempting to learn now. Now to just find my college books. Thanks for this Ren.

[melo4496]

For those who only have netbook, this might be difficult at first (because of small screen), but it's still possible.

[sorakmony]

the link for edict2.gz is not working. Is there any other links for that one?

[levi]

Thanks for the tutorial. Reading the text in Translation Aggregator is a bit tedious but I could definitely get used to it if it means being able to read yet-to-be translated games.

[Naoe Riki]

It works! thanks for this tutorial ....

[sanahtlig]

Interactive Text Hooker is no longer maintained.  I've encountered at least one title where it didn't hook the text, and I had to use Visual Novel Reader instead (which is maintained).  I expect this will be an increasing issue going forward.  The good news is that VNR can be configured to work similarly to ITH and is compatible with Translation Aggregator.  The bad news is that VNR has quite the loading time and needs to be specially configured to do this; it also conflicts with TA occasionally, requiring TA to be restarted.

[Kelebek1]

Interactive Text Hooker is no longer maintained.  I've encountered at least one title where it didn't hook the text, and I had to use Visual Novel Reader instead (which is maintained).  I expect this will be an increasing issue going forward.  The good news is that VNR can be configured to work similarly to ITH and is compatible with Translation Aggregator.  The bad news is that VNR has quite the loading time and needs to be specially configured to do this; it also conflicts with TA occasionally, requiring TA to be restarted.

 

You can put your own hooks into ITH, so you can search the net for a hook that someone's already made if ITH doesn't support it by default. There's a huge thread on HongFire just for requesting hooks for games, so you can try that as well.

 

You can try making your own hooks too, it's really not that difficult at all. I'm wondering if Ren is going to add that to his guide.