Planet Coaster modding... Is it possible?
- Thread starter gregorburns
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Thanks for the information! I haven't looked too closely on how things are actually loaded so I assumed everything needed to start from the Casino:AssetPackageRes:assetpkg data. I have a ways to go before I need to worry about that though.
Yes, models are in the .ovl files and textures are in both the .ovl and .ovs files depending on their usage. I haven't started looking at the model formats yet but the "loader" is named FGDK:Model2:mdl2.
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AndyC1
A
You are correct - Asset Packages are the system we use to map specific data (an ovl / (optional) ovs file) to a unique name. We then have a prefab system which specifies which asset packages are needed to load an object. These prefabs and asset packages are loaded by the game at startup, so will need to be in the main or init overlays. I think when we encrypted the init overlays any asset packages or prefabs should have been moved in to the equivalent main overlays.
Cheers
Andy
Its a proprietary format. Seems to store buffers using some form of block compression, but I haven't got too far with working that out yet.
Did you already take a look at the DDS file format? IIRC during the alpha they we're still using an DDS like format with custom headers. I don't remember exactly how, but I managed to manually extract some simple icon files from these file during the alpha. Only couldn't get the colors right (guess I used the wrong color format?) and it contained some weird vertical lines (could be some extra pixel data, maybe some kind of extension to allow bumpmaps within the same texture or something? Just a brainfart though). Not sure if it's still the same, but I guess they didn't change their format after the alpha. It might also be usefull to take a look at RCT3 tools.
Does that mean that, unlike at Elite Dangerous where all files recently appear to have been encrypted, Planet Coaster will only be partly encrypted to still allow modding? So the encryption is only used for things like anti-"free DLC hacks" and not to prevent modding? If so, that sounds amazing!
Edit: Maybe like mentioned earlier, we should set up some Discord group or whatever to create a collaborative file format solving group instead of just posting random bits about the format in this topic?
For any other interested people, you can find some info here (not by me):
https://github.com/fesh0r/010editor/blob/master/010 Templates/OVL.bt
https://github.com/fesh0r/010editor/blob/master/010 Templates/OVLT.bt
(The OVLT is about the compressed part)
And some outdated research by myself (2 years old, don't know what's still used in current OVL versions):
https://github.com/joeywp/cobra-overlay-format-blueprint/blob/master/ovltemplate.bt
And some research by Rick (also from the RCT3 scene) about the audiobanks:
https://github.com/rickvg/Wwise-audiobanks-wem-format-blueprints
This, if used properly, can be used to extract all audio from the game. Unless also outdated because we did the research quite a while ago now already
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The textures are DDS files with the headers removed but not all use the BCx compression. I'm able to load most of them now mainly by throwing a file at one of the 7 BC types and seeing what comes out I've seen most of the info you posted before, definitely helped get things moving.
I'm fine with discussing all this stuff at another location if someone wants to set things up.
AndyC - Almost forgot about this, it looks like only the GameMain/Main.ovl file has the asset package info in it, and it's only for loading 3 things related to the main menu. If we can add to that or add that package info to other main.ovl files then I think we will be good to go.
I've seen most of the info you posted before, definitely helped get things moving. I'm fine with discussing all this stuff at another location if someone wants to set things up.
AndyC - Almost forgot about this, it looks like only the GameMain/Main.ovl file has the asset package info in it, and it's only for loading 3 things related to the main menu. If we can add to that or add that package info to other main.ovl files then I think we will be good to go.
Yes the textures are fairly simple, they are all in the standard buffer formats you would find in a DDS file, a list of which can be found here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb173059(v=vs.85).aspx
Each texture stores a flag value alongside its size/LOD info, which tells you which one of those formats it is. I used some DirectX scraping software (RenderDoc) to try track what each of the flags corresponds to.
Edit: ninja'd
Each texture stores a flag value alongside its size/LOD info, which tells you which one of those formats it is. I used some DirectX scraping software (RenderDoc) to try track what each of the flags corresponds to.
Edit: ninja'd
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By the way folks, the Schematics-Team Podcast is up with THE GregorBurns Toiletry Maestro and Modding Pioneer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHPxvK-HGEI&feature=youtu.be
Enjoy
Toiletry Maestro and Modding Pioneer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHPxvK-HGEI&feature=youtu.be
Enjoy
Ah, nice podcast. [wink]By the way folks, the Schematics-Team Podcast is up with THE GregorBurns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHPxvK-HGEI&feature=youtu.be
Enjoy
AndyC1
A
Yeah, that's certainly my intention - we are only encrypting the minimum necessary to prevent, as you put it, "free DLC hacks". There is no intention to encrypt the rest of the content, or prevent people modding in any other way!
Cheers
Andy
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In theory, could people begin releasing scenery pieces that are all a single unified model? i.e. a fully detailed building in one "object?" And if so, what might the performance ramifications of that be? Currently performance starts nosediving once the number of objects in a park approaches a certain limit, could similarly detailed buildings that are a single 3D model and only one "object" where the game is concerned delay that limit?
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Yes this should be theoretically possible.
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