ROM Hack [Tutorial] Edit the HomeMenu

[Ichigo1000]

So if you want to remove your Homemenu changes you either copy back the GodMode9 title backup (if you made one) or simply install a clean CIA (downloaded from 3DNUS or similar) or restore a NAND backup.

If you are not happy with your edits or messed up a color or whatever and your Homemenu is still running (not bricked) simply fix your mistake in your CIA and build it.
Now it depends how you built the CIA.
If you built it with Part2.bin from the main post you will have to install a clean CIA, then reboot and then install your newly changed CIA.
But if you are using this tool you can simply install the new cia over an already modded one.

In case you bricked your NAND with a messed up change or similar you either restore a NAND backup or copy back the GodMode9 Title backup (if you made one).

I have a few more questions. These are not console unique right? By clean cia, you mean the one I just downloaded and decrypted right? What tools do i use to edit with? Also, the link to the tools is broken :/

Edit: Just ran part1, got a system app, is that the file I will edit?

 

[Zan']

I have a few more questions. These are not console unique right? By clean cia, you mean the one I just downloaded and decrypted right? What tools do i use to edit with? Also, the link to the tools is broken :/

I fixed the link
Homemenu is not console unique. I am pretty sure none of the system titles are. And before installing a CIA you have to encrypt it (Decrypt9 (ncch)).
If you downloaded from 3DNUS it comes encrypted and you can install it directly.
For editing it depends what you want to do.
For color and position changing you have to use a hex editor. For text changes you either use a hex editor or the text tool (forgot the name).

 

[Ichigo1000]

I fixed the link
Homemenu is not console unique. I am pretty sure none of the system titles are. And before installing a CIA you have to encrypt it (Decrypt9 (ncch)).
If you downloaded from 3DNUS it comes encrypted and you can install it directly.
For editing it depends what you want to do.
For color and position changing you have to use a hex editor. For text changes you either use a hex editor or the text tool (forgot the name).

Thanks. I have last few questions:
1. I just ran Part1, and got a systemapp file. Is that what I need to edit?
2. Is the decompressing and compressing necessary?
3. How do I edit the points below "1"?

 

[Zan']

Thanks. I have last few questions:

1. I just ran Part1, and got a systemapp file. Is that what I need to edit?

2. Is the decompressing and compressing necessary?

3. How do I edit the points below "1"?

All of this has been explained multiple times.
Just read through the first few and last few pages of this thread.

There is a discord channel to help out:
https://discord.gg/0z7IGZ5Sv3D0mEN0
@MasterLel you should join it as well

But here a short guide

1. Get 3DNUS
2. Download your Home Menu CIA using 3DNUS
   • JPN: 0004003000008202 v27648
     
   • EUR: 0004003000009802 v24576
     
   • USA: 0004003000008F02 v25600
3. Download this tool
4. Put your downloaded CIA file into the D9Game folder of your 3DS SD
5. Launch Decrypt9 and choose
   • Game Decryptor Options -> CIA Decryptor (deep)
6. Copy the decrypted CIA into the folder of the Tool you downloaded.
   • Rename the CIA to "HomeMenu.cia"
   • Or drag your CIA file onto the tool.
7. Start the Tool and choose 7
8. When the tool opens the ExtractedRomFS folder you are ready to do your edits.
   • You can do the Edits using a Hex Editor
9. After you are done press any Key in the Tool. It will rebuild your CIA
   • The tool will ask you for the Letter of your SD Card and autocopy it into the D9Game folder.
10. Launch Decrypt9 again and choose
    • Game Decryptor Options -> CIA Encryptor (NCCH)
11. Install your edited CIA using a CIA installer (HomeMenu_edited.cia)
    
12. Reboot and check your changes.

The sleep screen is in sleep_LZ.bin
The Texts are in message\[Region_[Language]\menu_msbt_LZ.bin
The menu hud is in hud_LZ.bin

Some more info can be found here

 

[Mr.ButtButt]

So Glitched xD

what's that sm64ds icon you have on there?

 

[Ewin]

When I do this, it creates one file called SystemApp.0000.00000083
Whats wrong?

Read this page with my way:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-edit-the-homemenu.424449/page-29

 

[Asia81]

what's that sm64ds icon you have on there?

https://gbatemp.net/threads/ds-i-mode-hacking-progress-thread.413015/page-69#post-6319369

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I made some changes and improved some things and made a package that can batch unpack system CIAs (maybe games too, who knows) and batch rebuild them so you can edit basically anything with ease as long as tools exist for doing the actual editing. Takes a couple of minutes to unpack the entire 1.7.0 update folder (which was decrypted beforehand with Decrypt9)
It was made for my own use but maybe someone else will have some use out of it too.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8225581/3DS_System_Modding_Package.rar

Edit: Made some changes, it couldn't repack certain CIAs (CFA-only and titles missing a Logo.bcma.LZ) before. Now it repacks every title except TWL titles because they require a RSF file for some reason.
30 seconds to unpack the full 10.7 update pack (111 CIAs), 30 seconds to repack all of them except the 3 TWL titles. Pretty nice.

Edit: TWL titles can now be repacked. The DS flashcart whitelist still fails. It doesn't seem to be a CFA or a SRL. Looks like it could be some custom binary format. Not sure if a tool exists that can repack it.

 

[Zan']

I made some changes and improved some things and made a package that can batch unpack system CIAs (maybe games too, who knows) and batch rebuild them so you can edit basically anything with ease as long as tools exist for doing the actual editing. Takes a couple of minutes to unpack the entire 1.7.0 update folder (which was decrypted beforehand with Decrypt9)
It was made for my own use but maybe someone else will have some use out of it too.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8225581/3DS_System_Modding_Package.rar

Edit: Made some changes, it couldn't repack certain CIAs (CFA-only and titles missing a Logo.bcma.LZ) before. Now it repacks every title except TWL titles because they require a RSF file for some reason.
30 seconds to unpack the full 10.7 update pack (111 CIAs), 30 seconds to repack all of them except the 3 TWL titles. Pretty nice.

How far does it extract the CIAs?
CIA -> content -> bins -> lz etc?
If so, does it decompress the lz files and code etc?

 

[The Real Jdbye]

How far does it extract the CIAs?
CIA -> content -> bins -> lz etc?
If so, does it decompress the lz files and code etc?

It extracts everything inside content.0000 and ExeFS and RomFS, like the script in the OP.

 

[Zan']

It extracts everything inside content.0000 and ExeFS and RomFS, like the script in the OP.

So it takes 0.24 seconds for one CIA or is it multithreading?
How does it work for batches. It would seperate folders for each. I mean I don't see how batch extracting is useful, since you usually work on one thing, but being able to extract/rebuild all System titles is nice.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

So it takes 0.24 seconds for one CIA or is it multithreading?
How does it work for batches. It would seperate folders for each. I mean I don't see how batch extracting is useful, since you usually work on one thing, but being able to extract/rebuild all System titles is nice.

No multithreading, it's just really fast.

It makes separate folders for each CIA. You may want to only edit one CIA at a time but sometimes you may want to edit several, the toolkit can do both of course.
The main benefit is that it can unpack and rebuild virtually any CIA (as long as you decrypt them first), automatically, without any user input (not tested with games, but it should work, if it doesn't let me know and paste the console output and I'll fix it)
All you need to do is place whatever you want to unpack in the Unmodded folder and run ExtractAll.bat, then when you're done editing run RebuildAll.bat. All the information needed for rebuilding a CIA is kept in the individual folders, so no user input is needed.

I made it for my own use because I wanted to replace the "Nintendo 3DS" loading screen with a custom one and that required replacing it in every title. You can find instructions for doing that in the package as well. So maybe batch extraction/rebuilding of multiple titles won't be useful in many situations but there are situations where it's useful. I figured I'd post it since someone may want to edit something that isn't the home menu. I might make a separate thread for it though instead of hijacking this one, I just don't know if there's enough interest to make it worth it.

 

[Asia81]

I extracted SystemSettings.cia. But even without any changes, the cia rebuild is 14kb larger than the original cia. Clean is 7859kb, and Edited is 7873kb
And if anyway I want install it, all cia installor give me "Invalid CIA"

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I extracted SystemSettings.cia. But even without any changes, the cia rebuild is 14kb larger than the original cia. Clean is 7859kb, and Edited is 7873kb
And if anyway I want install it, all cia installor give me "Invalid CIA"

Did you remember to encrypt the CIA with Decrypt9 before installing? I'm sure my toolkit works as I used it to replace the Nintendo 3DS loading screen in all the system titles. They would fail to install without being re-encrypted though.

 

[Noroxus]

Did you use Decrypt9 to decrypt your CIA? (deep).
Follow this guide it might be easier to understand.



Mostly it crashes after you try to install and you have to reboot anyway.
But in case you get an "already exists" error or something along those lines and you know for sure it messed up, then simply install the default home menu and restart.
Alternatively you can use GodMode9 to back up the HomeMenu from the NAND (simply copy it on a folder on your SD. tmd, content and the cmd file).
And if you brick you launch GodMode9 and copy these files back.
You can also use this tool to simply rebuild one Home Menu without any changes and then install that if you get errors using a default menu.
(The tool is awesome. Use it )


Since I haven't really shared anything yet (and people may think I don't know what I am talking about)
Here is something I have done:
View attachment 48306

That looks really nice
Too bad I am too lazy to trial and error my way with HxD to get some modifications working D

I wish Homemenu.co had more stuff for lazy guys like me lol

 

[Zan']

That looks really nice
Too bad I am too lazy to trial and error my way with HxD to get some modifications working D

I wish Homemenu.co had more stuff for lazy guys like me lol

I feel like Homemenu.co is dead.
No updates to the Documentation in a while (I guess @Traiver and @TheDeKay stopped?)
And no new uploads for themes either.

 

[Boured]

This is cool and all, but I prefer to have my 2DS as close to not hacked as possible besides A9LH and CIA's. Though thier might be people who would like this.

 

[Noroxus]

This is cool and all, but I prefer to have my 2DS as close to not hacked as possible besides A9LH and CIA's. Though thier might be people who would like this.

uh.... why do you comment here then? lol

 

[Asia81]

uh.... why do you comment here then? lol

I'm asking the same question...

 

[Boured]

uh.... why do you comment here then? lol

I'm asking the same question...

I'm just saying good job on giving people the option :3