Call of Duty 4: FastFile Format

*** Article and investigation in early progress ***

Header

• Byte 0-3: decompressed fastfile size minus 44 (0x2C)
• Byte 4-7: about the total size of referenced data, e.g. the required memory for IWI textures if material files are in the ff
• Byte 8-11: unknown, might be a flag
• Byte 12-43: unknown
• Byte 44-47: equal to number of entries in "1st index" and amount of (model tag/joint/notetrack) strings (times 4 for index length)
• Byte 48-51: separator? (FF FF FF FF)
• Byte 52-55: number of records* ("2nd index", times 8 for index length)
• Byte 56-63: separator? (FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF)
• Byte 64-x: string list (xmodelsurfs?) --> not always, depends on the content (required offsets are in the FF header)*

* under re-investigation

Example: mp_backlot_load.ff

Contains:

• 2x shaders
• 3x materials
• (1x fastfile name)

Materials:

1. $victorybackdrop - mile_high_victory_screen.iwi (699,092 bytes)
2. $defeatbackdrop - (none)
3. $levelbriefing - loadscreen_mp_backlot.iwi (524,316 bytes)

-----------  [start of header]

71 03 00 00  decompressed filesize - 44 (hex: 371 + 2C = 39D; dec: 881 + 44 = 925)

B8 AA 12 00  size of both IWIs the materials in FF point to - 56 (2x28, 28 bytes = IWI header)
             0x12AAB8          = 1,223,352
             699,092 + 524,316 = 1,223,408
             difference:                56

A4 00 00 00  might be a flag

00 00 00 00  ... empty?
E5 00 00 00  unknown
00 00 00 00  ... empty?

-----------  [end of header] (44 bytes), [start of index]

00 00 00 00  ... empty?

06 00 00 00  number of records in index (6)
FF FF FF FF  separator

05 00 00 00  FF FF FF FF  1st: shader
05 00 00 00  FF FF FF FF  2nd: shader
04 00 00 00  FF FF FF FF  3rd: material
04 00 00 00  FF FF FF FF  4th: material
04 00 00 00  FF FF FF FF  5th: material
1F 00 00 00  FF FF FF FF  6th: ff name
FF FF FF FF  00 00 00 00  separator / termination

-----------  [end of index]

Index

4 byte identifier (fastfile entry type), 4 byte offset (FF FF FF FF = -1, meaning right after the previous block?)

Separator (FF FF FF FF) after last 4-byte couple + 00 00 00 00 ?

Types

• 01 00 00 00 - physpreset
• 02 00 00 00 - xanim
• 03 00 00 00 - xmodel
• 04 00 00 00 - material
• 05 00 00 00 - shader / techset
• 06 00 00 00 - image?
• 0B 00 00 00 - map_ents (d3dbsp)
• 0C 00 00 00 - related to col_map_mp (d3dbsp)
• 0E 00 00 00 - related to game_map_mp (d3dbsp)
• 10 00 00 00 - related to col_map_mp / gfx_map (d3dbsp)
• 13 00 00 00 - font
• 14 00 00 00 - menu
• 16 00 00 00 - localized string asset
• 17 00 00 00 - physpreset??
• 19 00 00 00 - fx
• 1F 00 00 00 - string / raw file / fastfile name
• 20 00 00 00 - stringtable (comma separated list)

Content

00 00 00 04

FF FF FF FF  [start separation]

00 2B 01 01  First 4 bytes seem to be 4 (unsigned) char's.
             First byte is so far always 0x00 (perhaps it's a short together with the second byte).
             Second byte so far either 0x2B or 0x00, I think this is a length.
             Third byte so far 0x01, when 0x00 (all 4) the content is only a number of 0x00's, then the filename (0x00 termination)
             Fourth byte either 0x00 or 0x01. Can be a length or a bool.

             Then 0x10 bytes of more header.

FF FF FF FF  Separator

00           When fourth byte is 01, there's a 0x00 following?
             
             Then there's garbage (0xFF) and some shorts it looks of length in the second byte.

             Then more information...

FF FF FF FF  [end separation]

00 00 00 05

FF FF FF FF  [start separation]

00 00 00 00  0x90 times 0x00

             Then filename (0x00 termination)             

FF FF FF FF [end separation]

00 00 00 1F

Often at the end of the FF file.

FF FF FF FF  [start separation]

00 00 00 00
FF FF FF FF

             Then filename (0x00 termination)    

00           Another termination, of the FF file? Or padding?

             [end of file]

--CoDEmanX 01:28, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

--Daevius 23:59, 1 November 2009 (UTC)