9.2 KiB
MAP chunk & objects (strats) – "Ein Königreich für ein Lama" (PC)
Source: groove.exe, MAP loader FUN_0042ac50, strat spawn FUN_0054cfc0 → FUN_0054bfc0,
strat VM FUN_0054d180, chunk dispatcher at 0x558960. Tools in ../tools/.
All 34 original MAPs are read completely by mapchunk.parse() (0 bytes left over) and
written back byte-identically by mapchunk.build().
Terms
- Tile = placed geometry model from TRAK (the level "construction kit", 1x1 grid).
- Strat = object/script instance (enemy, coin, door, player …). The strat code
(bytecode, u32 words) and the object models live in STPC; MAP only contains instances
with an offset into STPC. There is no type ID – the type is the code address.
Type names are in the code: opcode
0xd4, 0xea, s32 rel→ name = C string at (address after rel) + rel.strats.pyresolves this. - Coordinates: world y points up. Tiles store float x, y, z with z negative;
strats/fixed point (20.12, 4096 = 1.0) store z positive (= −tile.z).
Angles: 4096 = 360°. Floor tiles (flat model, vertex y = +0.25) → objects stand at
tile.y + 0.25(confirmed on player/checkpoints/coins).
MAP layout (all little endian) — confidence: high (from loader + roundtrip)
WFPC (u32 flags, global 0x6da330) controls optional blocks.
| # | Block | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Header | u32 nTiles, u32 W, u32 H (grid size in cells) |
| 2 | Tiles | nTiles × {f32 x, f32 y, f32 z, u32 rotY(0/1024/2048/3072), u32 model, u32 hasAlt} |
| 3 | Parameter pool | u32 n, n × u32 (strat parameters, referenced by strats via index) |
| 4 | Zones ("Environment") | u32 n, n × 90 bytes (see below) |
| 5 | Waypoints | u32 n, n × 34 bytes {u32 next(≠0: next entry belongs to the same chain, 0 = end of chain), u32, u16 rx, u16 ry, u16 rz, s32 x, y, z (fixed, z positive), u32, u32} |
| 6 | Region table | 32 × {u32 flags, u32 value} (→ 0x6da350) |
| 7 | Region grid | W×H × u32 region index (0..31) per cell, row = z cell |
| 8 | Tiles fixed | nTiles × 6 u32 {rx=0, rotY, rz=0, x·4096, y·4096, −z·4096} – exactly derivable from block 2 |
| 9 | Tile models | nTiles × u32 TRAK model index (= field 5 of block 2) |
| 10 | Alt models (WFPC&0x10000) | u32 n, n × 5 u32; n = number of tiles with hasAlt≠0, in tile order; field 4 = alternative TRAK model (e.g. door open/closed, stMapreplace) |
| 11 | Vertex colours | per tile: nv(TRAK model) × u32 RGBA (byte 3 = frame count F); if max F>1: (F−1)×nv more u32; then the same for the alt model, if present. Colour is ×2 (clamped to 255) |
| 12 | Strats | u32 nStrats, u32 poolExtra, nStrats × 58 bytes (see below) |
| 13 | Paths (WFPC&0x200000) | u32 n; each: u32 nsub; each sub: u16 cnt, u16 flags; cnt × {u32,u32,[u32 if WFPC&0x4000000],u16 type,u16} – not used in any original level |
| 14 | (WFPC&0x10) | u32 (default 200; size of a 0x48 buffer) |
| 15 | u16 (→ mapobj+0xc, meaning open) |
Cell assignment of a tile: col = int(x−0.5), row = −int(z+0.5), index col + row·W (linked
list per cell). Tiles outside 0..W−1 / 0..H−1 write into foreign memory.
Strat entry (58 bytes) — mapchunk.STRAT = '3H3iIIi4Iiih'+'H'
| Off | Type | Field | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | u16 ×3 | rotation x, y, z (4096=360°; x/z almost always 0) | high |
| 6 | s32 ×3 | position x, y, z fixed 20.12 (z positive) | high |
| 18 | u32 | code offset in STPC (= object type) | high |
| 22 | u32 | number of parameters n | high |
| 26 | s32 | index into parameter pool (−1 if n=0); parameters are pushed onto the strat stack | high |
| 30 | u32 | number of strat variables (from the compiler, constant per type) | high |
| 34 | u32 | number of 16-byte slots (collision/sub-objects; constant per type) | medium |
| 38 | u32 | type flags (0x8000/0x80000/0x40000 = collision/physics block; constant per type) | medium |
| 42 | u32 | extra memory (&0x3fffffff, mostly 0..3; constant per type) | medium |
| 46 | s32 | waypoint index (block 5) or −1 | high |
| 50 | u32 | always 0 | – |
| 54 | u16 | flags; bit 1 (2) = do not create at level start | high |
| 56 | u16 | always 0 | – |
poolExtra (second u32 in the strat header) = max. simultaneous strats − 30 (the engine allocates
poolExtra+30 slots of 0x154 bytes). Must be ≥ number of strats + dynamically spawned ones.
Zones (90 bytes, 0x5c in memory) — confidence medium
u32 cellX, cellY, cellZ, s32 x,y,z (fixed), u32 ?, u32 rot?, u32 flags(+0x20; bit 8 = start zone → DAT_00584644), u32, u32 ptr offset in STPC (0=none), u32, u32, u32, u16, u32 fog near/far (+0x3c/+0x40), u32 ×2 (+0x44/+0x48), u32 colour (e.g. 0x404040), u32 colour, u16, u16, u32 music ID (+0x58; FUN_00546b70). Camera/fog/music areas; not light sources (those are in LGHT).
Player, checkpoints, exit
- Player start = position/rotation of the strat instance
Llama(exactly 1× in every running level; type fields nvars 78, flags 0x248000). Special levels: river (t1l3*) =KuscoAndPachaTogetherOnATree, roller coaster (t1l7m001/3/5) =RollerCoaster, t1l2m003 =LlamaChase. - Checkpoints =
CheckPointPost(spawnsCheckPointHead), variantCheckPointBox. - Exit =
LevelDoor(1×/level), special casesVillageEndDoor,EndGameDoor. - Always present:
CheatTeleport,Wompy(function not checked),CutSceneTrigger.
Object types
Complete table type × level (instance counts): strat_types_table.md
(generated with tools/strat_table.py <wads>). Summary:
- in practically all levels: Coin, CutSceneTrigger, CutSceneCameraDirectional, LevelDoor, Secret, Llama, CheatTeleport, ChargeBooster, Wompy, CheckPointPost, Coin5, CameraSide, Health, HealthFull, SmashPot, RubyIdol, Grapes, HealthGenerator, RubyIdolDoor …
- ~300 types in total, ~200 more only spawned internally (splinters, ropes, effects).
- Every level has its own compiled strat code + models in STPC. A type can only be
placed in levels whose STPC contains it (
strats.py level.wad --alllists all named strats in the code, including ones never placed directly). The code contains absolute STPC offsets (e.g. spawn stubsb2 <abs> e0 …), so STPC cannot be moved without relocating. Taking types from other levels = merging STPC (+ TEXT indices) → laborious, not for now. - "Spawn stub" entries (e.g. SmashPot): MAP points to a small piece of code
push X; spawn(abs target, nvars, …); end→strats.pyreportsName(spawn).
Rules for writing a new MAP
- Keep tile blocks 2/8/9/11 in parallel (same count/order); derive block 8 from 2; block 9 = field 5 of 2; vertex colour length exactly = Σ nv(model)·frames (+alt).
- Alt block: count = tiles with hasAlt≠0, same order. Simply append new tiles
at the end (strats can replace tiles by index –
stMapadd/stMapreplace– so do not reorder existing indices). - All tiles within 0..W × 0..H (z negative!). Region grid has W·H entries.
- Strat: code offset must be a strat start in this STPC; copy nvars/slots/flags/extra from the original type; append parameters to the pool, set index/count; waypoint −1 or a valid index (some types need waypoints, otherwise "removing strat").
- Increase poolExtra if there are more strats.
- WFPC flags determine which optional blocks must be present – do not change them.
Tools
mapchunk.py– parse/build (identical roundtrip for all 34 MAPs),vcol_splitper tile.map_dump.py level.wad [--strats --tiles --lights]strats.py level.wad [--all]– types with instance counts, code offsets, type fields.strat_table.py wads_dir– type×level table.stpcwalk.py– roughly walks STPC (models → animsets → [WFPC&0x100 block] → strat code).make_testlevel.py src.wad dst.wad [--name …] [--spacing 3] [--floor-model N] [--keep-original]– finds a free grid area, lays a floor plate from copies of the most common flat floor tile (t1l1m001: TRAK model 12), places one instance per type (parameters from the original) on a 6-unit grid, the player at the edge, and a parkour (6 stepping plates +0.5 with gaps, coins) leading to a goal platform with a LevelDoor. Skipped: Camera*/CutScene*/ Force*/Trigger. Test (not checked in game): T1L9M001 → 1753 tiles, 36 strats, 27 types.
Other chunks (dispatcher 0x558960)
- WFPC: u32 feature flags (→ 0x6da330), e.g. 0x18410690.
- INFO/VERS: u32 1 each (ignored).
- NAME: u32 + level name.
- TRAK: tile models (u32 n, n×0x84 header, then data; header+0x6c u16 nVert, +0x6e nFace(0x1c), +0x78/7a/7c count of 0x20 primitives). Face+8 u16 = index into the TEXT texture list.
- STPC: u32 n models (each 0x8c header directly + data), u32 n animsets (0x20 header + data), [WFPC&0x100: extra models], then strat code up to the end of the chunk.
- LGHT: u32 n; per light u8 type, u8 r, u8 g, u8 b (×2), type 1/2/…: more u32 (direction/position, z negated). FUN_0042c180.
- LNFO: 2 u32 (→ 0x5ff070, 0x5ff060), e.g. 55, 2.
- LGPC: u32 n(+1), u32 m, u32; then (n+1)·m × u32 sizes, followed by the blobs. FUN_00558db0.
- FONT: 256 × 4 u16 (glyph rectangles). SPRT: u32 (list if WFPC&0x100000).
- SMPC / AMPC / SRPC: sound banks ("cvg" samples / "ambi" ambient / references), FUN_00545350.
- 'GRIM' (not seen in level WADs): FUN_00437b40.