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FFXIVClientStructs provides a comprehensive set of reverse engineering tools to analyze and document the FFXIV game client. This section covers the tools, scripts, and workflows used by contributors to map out game internals.

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Supported Tools

The project supports three major reverse engineering platforms:
  • IDA Pro - Industry-standard disassembler (Python 2 or 3)
  • Ghidra - Free and open-source reverse engineering suite (Jython)
  • Binary Ninja - Modern binary analysis platform

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Core Components

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data.yml Database

The central data.yml file contains all reverse-engineered knowledge:
  • globals - Global variables and constants
  • functions - Standalone function addresses and names
  • classes - Class definitions including:
    • Virtual tables (vtbls)
    • Virtual functions (vfuncs)
    • Regular member functions (funcs)
    • Global instances
Example structure: 
version: 2026.02.20.0000.0000

globals:
  0x142049D58: g_FloatHalf # 0.5f
  0x142049DB8: g_FloatOne # 1f

functions:
  0x14005DB70: WinMain
  0x1400DF310: Client::UI::GetUIConst

classes:
  Client::System::Framework::Framework:
    instances:
      - ea: 0x1420A83B8
      - ea: 0x1420A9F58
        name: InstancePointer2
    vtbls:
      - ea: 0x1418E0698
    vfuncs:
      0: dtor
      1: Setup
      2: Destroy
      3: Free
      4: Tick
    funcs:
      0x1400901D0: ctor

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ffxiv_idarename.py

The main renaming script that works across IDA Pro, Ghidra, and Binary Ninja:
  • Ingests data.yml and applies names to the disassembly
  • Renames functions, vtables, globals, and instances
  • Handles class inheritance hierarchies
  • Supports rebased executables
  • Can be re-run safely to update names
See IDA Scripts and Ghidra Scripts for platform-specific usage.

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classinformer.csv

Historical RTTI (Run-Time Type Information) database extracted from an old FFXIV build that shipped with debug symbols:
  • Contains class names and virtual table hierarchies
  • Useful baseline for understanding inheritance relationships
  • Several years old but still valuable for core structures
  • Extracted using the ClassInformer IDA Pro plugin
Format: 
Vftable,Methods,Flags,Type,Hierarchy
40CFDA44,8,,DropTarget,"DropTarget: ComBase<IDropTarget,..."

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Workflow Overview

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Initial Setup

  1. Install your chosen reverse engineering tool (IDA Pro, Ghidra, or Binary Ninja)
  2. Install Python dependencies for ffxiv_idarename.py
  3. Import ffxiv_dx11.exe into your tool
  4. Run initial analysis
  5. Execute ffxiv_idarename.py to apply existing knowledge

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Research Cycle

  1. Explore - Navigate through the disassembly to find structures of interest
  2. Document - Add findings to data.yml using the proper schema
  3. Verify - Re-run scripts to ensure proper naming and hierarchy
  4. Signature - Generate signatures for important functions
  5. Contribute - Submit findings via pull request

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After Game Patches

Each patch requires:
  • Re-importing the updated ffxiv_dx11.exe
  • Re-running analysis
  • Re-running ffxiv_idarename.py
  • Updating addresses in data.yml that have changed
  • Regenerating signatures for relocated functions
Some tools like Ghidra support version tracking to help identify changes between versions.

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Address Format

All addresses in FFXIVClientStructs use the standard Windows 64-bit image base:
  • Base Address: 0x140000000
  • Format: 14 followed by 7 hex digits (14#######)
  • Example: Function at offset 0x901D0 = 0x1400901D0
When you see an address like 7FF6DDEAD480 ffxiv_dx11.exe+1A0D480 in Dalamud:
  • The offset is +1A0D480
  • In your disassembler, navigate to 141A0D480

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Best Practices

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Naming Conventions

  • Use full namespace paths: Client::System::Framework::Framework
  • Virtual functions: Use descriptive names when known, vfX when unknown
  • Member functions: Common names include ctor, dtor, Initialize, Finalize
  • Instances: Prefixed with g_ for globals
  • Parameters: Use descriptive names based on type/purpose

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Documentation Standards

  • Add comments to explain non-obvious structures
  • Document function signatures when possible
  • Note related game features or behaviors
  • Reference related classes in the hierarchy
  • Mark uncertain findings with TODO or comments

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Version Control

  • Always update the version field in data.yml
  • Test scripts after making changes
  • Document breaking changes
  • Keep related changes together in commits

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Additional Resources

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External Tools

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Signature Generation

Most contributors use caraxi’s sigmaker-x64 for IDA Pro signature generation. The included ffxiv_sigmaker.py is no longer actively maintained.
  • Dalamud - Plugin framework that consumes FFXIVClientStructs data
  • Lumina - Excel sheet parser for game data files
  • SaintCoinach - Alternative game data extraction tool

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