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Guide to file formats in the remaster
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jonwil
Rocket Infantry


Joined: 24 Jul 2005

PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 11:21 am    Post subject:  Guide to file formats in the remaster Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Here is a guide to the file formats you will encounter in the remaster along with some details about them: (this only covers the new stuff, not all the formats that are from the original games)
MEG files are Petroglyph archive files. These can be opened by OS Big Editor. If you want information on the format of meg files, this code https://github.com/jonwil/remasteredit and this document https://modtools.petrolution.net/docs/MegFileFormat should give you what you need.

PGM files are MEG files with a different extension and are used to hold a map file and its related data.

BK2 files are the video clips from the game in BINK2 format. If you want to play back the BK2 files, the latest version of the RAD Video Tools can decode BK2 files. If you want to add new videos to the game, apparently you can do so by making a regular BINK format file (again using the rad video tools) and rename it to .BK2 and the game will play it back.

ALO files (i.e. the NULL_HARDPOINT_00.ALO file) are Petroglyph model files. Their format can be found at https://modtools.petrolution.net/docs/AloFileFormat

WAV files are used for audio and they are just standard wav files using standard formats (A few I checked are using Microsoft ADPCM codec but I haven't checked if all of them use that or what other codecs the engine will read)

TGA and DDS files are for all the textures. Fairly standard and well documented although I don't know exactly which texture formats the game uses and/or will accept.

XML files contain all the configuration data for the GlyphX side of things.

TTF files are fonts used by the game.

PGSO files are Petroglyph shader files. Format is unknown but they presumably contain compiled DirectX shader bytecode.

META files are standard JSON files containing certain data about texture files (purpose is unknown)

DAT and LOC files are Petroglyph string table files. Their format can be found here https://modtools.petrolution.net/docs/DatFileFormat

BUI files contain UI data. Format is unknown.

MTD files are used for the MegaTexture stuff. The format is at https://modtools.petrolution.net/docs/MtdFileFormat There will be a matching texture file. In the remasters, the MT_COMMANDBAR_COMMON.MTD and MT_COMMANDBAR_COMMON.TGA files contain all the sidebar icons (among other things)

BFD files, CFX files, CPD files, GPD files, GTL files, MTM files, SOB files and TED Files are unknown.


Key Words: #Tutorials #CommandAndConqueredRemastered #RedAlertRemastered #CnCRemasteredCollection 

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Lin Kuei Ominae
Seth


Joined: 16 Aug 2006
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 7:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

jonwil wrote:
META files are standard JSON files containing certain data about texture files (purpose is unknown)

Mig Eater wrote:
TGA files are cropped to make them as small as possible & then the .META file contains the coordinates to reposition it back to center. If you make all the TGA files the same size you dont need the .META file.
Wink

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Reinforcementshavearrived
Vehicle Driver


Joined: 09 Jun 2020

PostPosted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 9:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Lin Kuei Ominae wrote:
jonwil wrote:
META files are standard JSON files containing certain data about texture files (purpose is unknown)

Mig Eater wrote:
TGA files are cropped to make them as small as possible & then the .META file contains the coordinates to reposition it back to center. If you make all the TGA files the same size you dont need the .META file.
Wink

Last time I checked, the META files are not being read.

If you add a new unit, you need to make the TGA files 256x256 or bigger.
META files are probably being read inside the MEG files and are not looked for outside in a mod folder. There is no override.
These are examples of me trying to port the A10 to RA

https://imgur.com/a/AtpqgU4

The meta files are present in the mod folder, but are not being read at all. Therefore the engine will fill and stretch the graphics to a square.

https://imgur.com/a/bZyxJMC

This is after I made the sprites 500x500, it fixed the stretched graphics, I later on followed the data in the original META files and resized the TGAs as 256x256.

https://imgur.com/a/EA7cuzV

Correct sizing.

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Mig Eater
Defense Minister


Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Location: Eindhoven

PostPosted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 12:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I didn't do any specific testing, so I could be completely wrong but based on the code inside the META files matching how the associated TGA file is cropped, along with how TGA files that are all the same size dont have any corresponding META file, it seems like that is their main purpose IMO.

I'm curious to know what the ALO files are, AFAIK all the graphics in C&CR are 2D sprites, what would a 3D model be used for?

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Banshee
Supreme Banshee


Also Known As: banshee_revora (Steam)
Joined: 15 Aug 2002
Location: Brazil

PostPosted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 6:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

In previous Glyph interations, ALO were 3D models and TEDs were maps. But in C&C: Remastered, I don't have any clue on how both would be used, since maps use a different format.

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Lin Kuei Ominae
Seth


Joined: 16 Aug 2006
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 7:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Mig Eater wrote:
I'm curious to know what the ALO files are, AFAIK all the graphics in C&CR are 2D sprites, what would a 3D model be used for?

Maybe the engine is actually using a flat 3d plane object on which the unit frame is put as a texture.

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jonwil
Rocket Infantry


Joined: 24 Jul 2005

PostPosted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 10:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

There is only one alo file in the game named NULL_HARDPOINT_00.ALO and no I dont know what its for.

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JackYsback
Medic


Joined: 06 Jun 2020
Location: Jausiers, Alps, France

PostPosted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 7:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

jonwil wrote :
There is only one alo file in the game named NULL_HARDPOINT_00.ALO and no I dont know what its for.

I think it may be linked to Turret attachment point.

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jonwil
Rocket Infantry


Joined: 24 Jul 2005

PostPosted: Fri Jul 03, 2020 7:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I figured out that PGSO files are just plain old shader files (likely compiled with fxc.exe from Microsoft)

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