Dumping Games for pkNX ROM Editing/Randomization

[sora10pls]

INTRODUCTION:
This guide will go over the basics on how to dump your game and load it into pkNX for the purposes of ROM editing and randomization.

SUPPORTED GAMES:
• Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! / Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!
• Pokémon Sword / Pokémon Shield
• Pokémon Legends: Arceus

IMPORTANT NOTES:
• For Sword and Shield, pkNX operates under the assumption that your dumped ROM includes the latest available update data.
• pkNX does not support Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl, and there are no plans for it to. Other randomizers exist, however.
• This guide will be updated to include details regarding Scarlet / Violet ROM editing in the future. Please be patient until then.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
• A Nintendo Switch running Custom Firmware (preferably Atmosphère)
• The latest release of NXDumpTool
• The latest build of pkNX (steps on how to get the latest build can be found on its forum post)
• Your console keys/title keys (you can obtain these files using Lockpick_RCM; send the RCM payload to your console, dump keys from your specified NAND, and boot into CFW)
• A microSD Card with enough free space to dump your game (~5GB for LGPE, ~13GB for SWSH, ~6.1GB for LA)
• Means of transferring files between your microSD Card and computer
• A computer running any recent Windows OS (x64) in order to run pkNX
• Oodle DLL (Legends: Arceus only, required to use some editors)

STEPS:
1. Get into The Homebrew Menu as per your Custom Firmware
2. Run NXDumpTool
3. Select Dump gamecard content if you have a physical copy of the game, and make sure your Game Card is inserted
4. Select Dump installed SD card / eMMC content if you have a digital copy of the game, and navigate to your game of choice
5. Select ExeFS options
6. Navigate to Use update and press Right on your D-Pad to change it from No to the latest patch
    The latest patch will read as follows, depending on your game:
    (Ver. 1.0.2) Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! - 010003F003A34000 v131072 (0.0.2.0) (UPD)
    (Ver. 1.0.2) Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! - 0100187003A36000 v131072 (0.0.2.0) (UPD)
    (Ver. 1.3.2) Pokémon Sword - 0100ABF008968000 v458752 (0.0.7.0) (UPD)
    (Ver. 1.3.2) Pokémon Shield - 01008DB008C2C000 v458752 (0.0.7.0) (UPD)
    (Ver. 1.1.1) Pokémon Legends: Arceus - 01001F5010DFA000 v262144 (0.0.4.0) (UPD)
7. Navigate back to the top of the list and select ExeFS section data dump
8. Once this has completed, press B to go back to the main dumping menu, and select RomFS options
9. Navigate to Use update/DLC and press Right on your D-Pad to change it from No to the latest patch (use the same list from above)
10. Navigate back to the top of the list and select RomFS section data dump
    This process will take some time; be patient, let it properly dump all of the contents and don't power off your console!
11. Once the dumping process has completed, exit out of NXDumpTool and access your SD Card (either via ftpd, nxmtp, or by ejecting the SD Card from your console and putting it in your computer)
12. On your computer, in any desired location, create a folder and name it after your game
13. On your SD Card, navigate to sd:/switch/nxdumptool/
14. Inside the RomFS folder, you should be greeted to the RomFS dump from your game; rename this folder to romfs
15. Move this romfs folder into the folder named after your game that you created in your desired location
16. Go back to sd:/switch/nxdumptool/
17. Inside the ExeFS folder, you should be greeted to the ExeFS dump from your game; rename this folder to exefs
18. Move this exefs folder into the folder named after your game that you created in your desired location
19. Your folder named after your game should now contain 2 folders: romfs and exefs
20. Run pkNX, and navigate to File > Load, find your folder named after the game you dumped, or simply drag/drop it onto pkNX

You have successfully dumped your game and can now edit/randomize the data using pkNX!

Once your changes have been made, a patch folder for use with LayeredFS will be generated in your ROM dump folder. Move this folder to sd:/atmosphere/contents/ (or whichever other location if you choose to not use Atmosphère) in order for your changes to be reflected in-game.

View full tutorial

[CanuckAB]

I have tried to move the Folder "0100ABF008968000" into my Asmosphere/Content folder also tried to make a titles folder in my Atmosphere and neither of them are randomizing my game. Do you know why this is?

[Alpha64]

I don't have the option "01008DB008C2C000 v327680 (0.0.5.0) (UPD)" but only the option "0100ABF008968800 v393216 (0.0.6.0) (UPD) (eMMC)".

when i dump it and try to opne it pkNX gives me an error saying that the folder was invalid and it couldn't recognise game data. what can i do to fix it?

[theSLAYER]

6 minutes ago, Alpha64 said:

I don't have the option "01008DB008C2C000 v327680 (0.0.5.0) (UPD)"

This option is for Pokemon Shield
 

Quote

but only the option "0100ABF008968800 v393216 (0.0.6.0) (UPD) (eMMC)".

And this is for Pokemon Sword.

7 minutes ago, Alpha64 said:

opne it pkNX gives me an error saying that the folder was invalid and it couldn't recognise game data.

did you combine the files (obtained from Update dump) with the base game dump?
(as in use the base game dump as the main folder, then paste in the content from the update, and replace if the prompt appears)

[Alpha64]

1 minute ago, theSLAYER said:

did you combine the files (obtained from Update dump) with the base game dump?

no i didn't. do i have to?

[theSLAYER]

2 minutes ago, Alpha64 said:

no i didn't. do i have to?

I would think so. The update doesn't contain the full game, does it?

[Alpha64]

Just now, theSLAYER said:

I would think so. The update doesn't contain the full game, does it?

NXDumpTool says that it dumped both the base game and the update though

[theSLAYER]

Just now, Alpha64 said:

NXDumpTool says that it dumped both the base game and the update though

It's been a while since I used the tool, so I can't remember for sure.
One way you can confirm it, is to check the folder size of the base game, versus the folder size of the folder you have.

Another thing to consider, is to make sure you have the latest version of pkNX.

If you have the right folder, and it's not working, then I got no clue. Maybe gotta wait for a new version?

[Alpha64]

3 minutes ago, theSLAYER said:

check the folder size of the base game, versus the folder size of the folder you have.

the base folder is around 9GB if i remember correctly wwhile the folder i use is more than 12GB

3 minutes ago, theSLAYER said:

make sure you have the latest version of pkNX

i should but i'm not 100% sure about it. where can i find it?

Edited February 11, 2021 by Alpha64
removed "the" before it

[theSLAYER]

1 minute ago, Alpha64 said:

the base folder is around 9GB if i remember correctly wwhile the folder i use is more than 12GB

i should but i'm not 100% sure about it. where can i find it?

yeah that seems like the right size.
 

Check the first post for download link, as well as a mini pictorial to download it

[Alpha64]

7 minutes ago, theSLAYER said:

Check the first post for download link, as well as a mini pictorial to download it

it worked! thank you so much!

[Tricksta]

Ive tried doing this multiple times with different ways of nxdump and no matter what i do i keep getting this error message

 

[Trelior]

This is likely due to not having an updated dump. PKNX assumes you have 1.3.0, so if the ROMfs you're feeding it doesn't have it, it's gonna break.

Took me a while to figure that out.

[theSLAYER]

18 minutes ago, Trelior said:

This is likely due to not having an updated dump. PKNX assumes you have 1.3.0, so if the ROMfs you're feeding it doesn't have it, it's gonna break.

Took me a while to figure that out.

I don't think that's the issue.

I have 2 dumps. Look at my gift IDs.

First dump's list ends at 26, second dump's list ends at 30.

If I'm not mistaken, first dump is only at IoA (1.2.0), and second dump is definitely 1.3.1
I can also open common on both just fine.

So the issue *probably* isn't due to patch versions. Probably.
@Trelior which update version of the game did you supposedly dump?

[Trelior]

@theSLAYER I had a 1.2.0 dump that refused to open the Pokemon Tab. It would throw an error similar to @Tricksta, and just die. I have since deleted it, since I have no reason to keep it.

I just dumped 1.3.1 with a bit of jank due to disk space problems on my SD card, but that's an entirely different thing that I solved on my own. Everything opens as expected now, I can set the randomization to work on everything except Trainers. and I'm getting this error when hitting the Randomize button.

Everything else opens and randomizes as expected.

EDIT: Changed my attachment to show the full exceptions dialogue, sorry for the clutter.

Edited March 2, 2021 by Trelior

[F0rest19]

i cant use pknx

 

Is it because my game is updated to ver 1.3.1?

[theSLAYER]

38 minutes ago, F0rest19 said:

i cant use pknx

 

Is it because my game is updated to ver 1.3.1?

No. I can load my v1.3.1 just fine. Consider dumping the files from a Switch, as the tutorial shows.

[GreenLion]

Hello,

 

Followed guide and dumped the following directory called "Pok__mon Sword v458752 (0100ABF008968800) (UPD)" which seems to be a newer version than those listed in the guide.  When I try to open with PKNX I'm given an error saying "invalid folder loaded"  

I've tried dumping twice and both folders were identical at 12.1GB.

Any guidance would be appreciated!

Thanks

 

Deleted update and then updated to 1.3.1 and I still get this same issue.  I was hoping the May2021 update wasn't supported because the tool is older than that, but that doesn't seem to be the issue.

Any help would be appreciated

[edwarbad23]

I followed the tutorial and Dumped my pokemon shield v1.3.0, and the folder called "Pok__mon Shield v327680 (01008DB008C2C800) (UPD), when I tried to open with PKnx have this error "invalid folder loaded" , Dumped 3 Times and always have the error!!  Have the lastest version of PKnx!

Plz help!! 

Edit: sorry but the tutorial  says the update must be "(Ver. 1.3.0) Pokémon Shield - 01008DB008C2C000 v327680 (0.0.5.0) (UPD)" but the least 4 digits of the title id must be "c800" so idk it's the tutorial error or PKnx Code error

Edit 2: Proved with Pokémon sword. V1.3..0... Same error

 

 

Edited June 16, 2021 by edwarbad23
New information

[Moonakasoulieheart]

I dumped everything but when I try to copy it over to my computer it said couldn't copy it all over when there was enough space. Is there anyway to fix that?, also do I need to dump both the base game and the update?

Edited August 21, 2021 by Moonakasoulieheart
missed some stuff

[Moonakasoulieheart]

On 6/14/2021 at 5:31 PM, GreenLion said:

Hello,

 

Followed guide and dumped the following directory called "Pok__mon Sword v458752 (0100ABF008968800) (UPD)" which seems to be a newer version than those listed in the guide.  When I try to open with PKNX I'm given an error saying "invalid folder loaded"  

I've tried dumping twice and both folders were identical at 12.1GB.

Any guidance would be appreciated!

Thanks

 

Deleted update and then updated to 1.3.1 and I still get this same issue.  I was hoping the May2021 update wasn't supported because the tool is older than that, but that doesn't seem to be the issue.

Any help would be appreciated

i figured out the problem as i had the same issue. What I did was make a romfs folder and put everything you got from the romfs section of the game you dumped into that folder and it should work

[edwarbad23]

On 8/21/2021 at 6:41 PM, Moonakasoulieheart said:

i figured out the problem as i had the same issue. What I did was make a romfs folder and put everything you got from the romfs section of the game you dumped into that folder and it should work

Nope, I tried but the same error

[megaonion]

so either im stupid or im missing something, followed every step of the tutorial. Still i get "invalid folder loaded unable to recognize game data". However my dump is "Pok__mon Shield v327680 (01008DB008C2C800) (UPD)"

and the id isnt the same as you listed, i tried 1.3.0 and 1.3.1 to no avail. the size of the dump is 12,1(13 on disk)gb.

Any ideas ?

[Trigpoke]

So my shield is version 1.3.2 and when I randomize and put the file into my atmosphere/contents/ I start the game nothing has changed can you help 

[LavenderTownsGhost]

I'm trying to dump the encounters from Pokemon Scarlet, and I'm assuming pkNX recognized it since the top of the windows says 'SV'. When I go to Master Dump I can dump everything fine, but the encounters goes right under Dump/encounters, not Dump\raw\world\data\encounters like I've red it's supposed to go. The only files in Dump/encounters are several text files that have some encounter information (but nothing for Area Zero) and two .pkl files that I can't open. if these .pkl files are the encounters I'm looking for does anyone know how to open them? or if they aren't the encounter files what buttons do i click to get them?