2d Effect (RW Section)

This article handles the binary format of the particle effect placement information inside an DFF Model. For detailed information about particle see Particle (SA).

2d Effect
RenderWare Stream Section
Vendor	Rockstar Games
Module	Plug-In
Module ID	0x0253F2
Identifier	0xF8
Chunk ID	0x0253F2F8
Versions	3.6.0.3 (and higher)
Hierarchy
Parents: Geometry (Extension)
Children: None
Extensions: None
File Format

2d Effect, formerly 2dfx, is one of Rockstar's custom sections. In GTA San Andreas it is used to store 2D effects, which were located in ide files in previous versions. There can be multiple effects per section, their types are defined by an ID.

Header

A 2d Effect section starts with a 4 byte DWORD which is the number of 2d Effect entries that follow.

Entries

There is a common 20 byte header for each 2d Effect entry:

12 byte - FLOAT[3] - Position vector in object space
 4 byte - DWORD    - Entry Type
 4 byte - DWORD    - Data Size

Entry Type defines the type of the 2d Effect entry, and Data Size the number of bytes that follow the first 20, until the next entry starts.

Entry Type 0 - Light

This type defines lights and has a size of 76 or 80 bytes.

• With size of 76 bytes

0x00 | RwRGBA color                   
0x04 | float  coronaFarClip           
0x08 | float  pointlightRange         
0x0C | float  coronaSize              
0x10 | float  shadowSize              
0x14 | BYTE   coronaShowMode          
0x15 | BYTE   coronaEnableReflection  
0x16 | BYTE   coronaFlareType         
0x17 | BYTE   shadowColorMultiplier   
0x18 | BYTE   flags1                  
0x19 | char   coronaTexName[24]       
0x31 | char   shadowTexName[24]       
0x49 | BYTE   shadowZDistance         
0x4A | BYTE   flags2                  
0x4B | BYTE   padding

• With size of 80 bytes

0x00 | RwRGBA color                   
0x04 | float  coronaFarClip           
0x08 | float  pointlightRange         
0x0C | float  coronaSize              
0x10 | float  shadowSize              
0x14 | BYTE   coronaShowMode          
0x15 | BYTE   coronaEnableReflection  
0x16 | BYTE   coronaFlareType         
0x17 | BYTE   shadowColorMultiplier   
0x18 | BYTE   flags1                  
0x19 | char   coronaTexName[24]       
0x31 | char   shadowTexName[24]       
0x49 | BYTE   shadowZDistance         
0x4A | BYTE   flags2                  
0x4B | BYTE   lookDirection_x         
0x4C | BYTE   lookDirection_y         
0x4D | BYTE   lookDirection_z         
0x4E | BYTE   padding[2]

Flags 1 (flags1)

  1 CORONA_CHECK_OBSTACLES            
  2 FOG_TYPE                          
  4 FOG_TYPE                          
  8 WITHOUT_CORONA                    
 16 CORONA_ONLY_AT_LONG_DISTANCE      
 32 AT_DAY                            
 64 AT_NIGHT                          
128 BLINKING1                         

Flags 2 (flags2)

 1 CORONA_ONLY_FROM_BELOW             
 2 BLINKING2                          
 4 UDPDATE_HEIGHT_ABOVE_GROUND        
 8 CHECK_DIRECTION                    
16 BLINKING3

Special corona type (coronaShowMode)

 0 DEFAULT
 1 RANDOM_FLASHING
 2 RANDOM_FLASHIN_ALWAYS_AT_WET_WEATHER
 3 LIGHTS_ANIM_SPEED_4X               // Used on model 10 green bottles. Lights alternately switched on-off.
 4 LIGHTS_ANIM_SPEED_2X               // Used on skyscrapers in San Fierro
 5 LIGHTS_ANIM_SPEED_1X
 6 WARNLIGHT                          // Used on model nt_roadblockci
 7 TRAFFICLIGHT
 8 TRAINCROSSLIGHT
 9                                    // Doesn't work (light is always disabled)
10 AT_RAIN_ONLY                       // Enables only in rainy weather
11                                    // 5s - on, 5s - off
12                                    // 6s - on, 4s - off
13                                    // 6s - on, 4s - off

Entry Type 1 - Particle effect

This type defines particle effects and has a size of 24 bytes.

24b - CHAR[24] - particle effect name

The particle effect name is an entry in effects.fxp.

Entry Type 3 - Ped attractor

This section consists of 56 bytes data. It`s used for spawning peds (Like on ticketbooth, Windows of shops, Blackjack-tables,...) It includes information about the External Script ped is going to use when spawned, it`s facing angle and it`s behaviour.

 4b  - INT32      - Type (see below)
 12b - float[3]   - QueueDir
 12b - float[3]   - UseDir 
 12b - float[3]   - ForwardDir
 8b  - CHAR[8]    - External script name
 4b  - INT32      - Ped-Existing-Probability 
 1b  - BYTE       - Unknown
 1b  - BYTE       - Not used
 1b  - BYTE       - Unknown
 1b  - BYTE       - Not used

External script name field has to contain a name defined by 0884 opcode like PEDSLOT or TICKET. If the PED just stands/sits/lays, this field is set to 'none'.

Ped attractor types

0 PED_ATM_ATTRACTOR            Ped uses ATM (at day time only)
1 PED_SEAT_ATTRACTOR           Ped sits (at day time only)
2 PED_STOP_ATTRACTOR           Ped stands (at day time only)
3 PED_PIZZA_ATTRACTOR          Ped stands for few seconds
4 PED_SHELTER_ATTRACTOR        Ped goes away after spawning, but stands if weather is rainy
5 PED_TRIGGER_SCRIPT_ATTRACTOR Launches an external script
6 PED_LOOK_AT_ATTRACTOR        Ped looks at object, then goes away
7 PED_SCRIPTED_ATTRACTOR       This type is not valid
8 PED_PARK_ATTRACTOR           Ped lays (at day time only, ped goes away after 6 PM)
9 PED_STEP_ATTRACTOR           Ped sits on steps

Entry Type 4 - Sun glare

This type of section uses only header data (i.e. position/type).

Entry Type 6 - Enter-Exit

Creates entry-exit markers similar to ipl version. Type may call game crash!

4b - FLOAT - Rotation angle enter-marker (relative to the object) (ignored?)
4b - FLOAT - The radius of the approximation to the marker X
4b - FLOAT - The radius of the approximation to the marker Y
12b - FLOAT[3]- The position of exit-marker (offset relative to Enter position)
4b - FLOAT    - angle of rotation exit-marker (relative to the object)
2b - INT16    - Number of interior
2b - INT16    - Flags?
8b - CHAR[8]  - The name of the interior
1b - CHAR    - Time on
1b - CHAR    - Time off 
1b - CHAR    - Sky Color?
1b - CHAR    - unk

Entry Type 7 - Street sign

This type defines the texts that appear on street signs and has a size of 88 bytes.

0x00 | RwV2d  size
0x08 | RwV3d  rotation
0x14 | WORD   flags
0x16 | RwChar text[4][16]

Flags (flags)

Bits 0-1 - Number of used lines

0 - 4 lines
1 - 1 lines
2 - 2 lines
3 - 3 lines

Bits 2-3 - Max number of symbols in one line

0 - 16 symbols
1 - 2 symbols
2 - 4 symbols
3 - 8 symbols

Bits 4-5 - Text color

0 - 0xFFFFFFFF (white)
1 - 0xFF000000 (black)
2 - 0xFF808080 (grey)
3 - 0xFF0000FF (red)

The lines can start with arrows, such as <, ^ and >; also _ is used instead of a whitespace.

Entry Type 8 - Trigger point

Used to determine additional coordinates that can be used in scripts. A purpose of these coordinates depends on the model.

4b - Int32 - Point id

GET_LEVEL_DESIGN_COORDS_FOR_OBJECT command is used to retrieve an information (coordinates) about these points for a specific object.

Slotmachine

Trigger points for kb_bandit_u model (left), kb_bandit_u model with wheel objects (right)

Every wheel in the slotmachine (kb_bandit_u.dff) has an index, increments by 1 and starrting with 1. The position of the index is the position of the wheel in the Slotmachine.

Id	Usage
1	coordinates for creating 'cj_wheel_1' object
2	coordinates for creating 'cj_wheel_02' object
3	coordinates for creating 'cj_wheel_03' object

Basketball hoop

Trigger points for bskball_lax model

Basketball hoop (bskball_lax.dff) model is used in the "BBALL" script.

Id	Usage
0	hoop position
1	ball spawning coords
2	basketball court bounding box: min coord
3	basketball court bounding box: max coord

K.A.C.C. gates

Trigger points for gate_autoR model

Moving gates at K.A.C.C. Military Fuels (gate_autoL.dff and gate_autoR.dff) use additional coordinates to define where player should be located to start door opening.

Id	Usage
0	end point for door sliding (door moves from its origin position to this point)
1	angled area point 1 - inner side
2	angled area point 2 - inner side
3	angled area point 3 - inner side (used to calculate a distance parameter for IS_CHAR_IN_ANGLED_AREA_3D command)
5	angled area point 1 - outer side
6	angled area point 2 - outer side
7	angled area point 3 - outer side (used to calculate a distance parameter for IS_CHAR_IN_ANGLED_AREA_3D command)

Entry Type 9 - Cover point

Size is 12 bytes, used quite often and in large ammounts per file.

4b - FLOAT - x direction
4b - FLOAT - y direction
4b - DWORD - cover type

This section defines a place where peds can cover during firefights.

Entry Type 10 - Escalator

This type defines escalators and has a size of 40 bytes.

12b - FLOAT[3] - bottom of escalator (xyz)
12b - FLOAT[3] - top of escalator (xyz)
12b - FLOAT[3] - escalator end (Z pos, matches top Z if escalator goes up, bottom Z if it goes down)
 4b - DWORD    - direction 0/1 (down/up)

An Escalator in 3ds Max. The dummies stand for the position-info in the Section/Header.

The normal position info of the header gets the same function of th estart-position in opposite to the end-position. Positions seem to be roundet to *.5 or *.0 by the game, so it doesnt make many sense to create escalators with the value of *.3 or *.7. This got the effect that a Escalator looks like in the picture (Example: vgseesc01.dff). Legend to the picture:

• Escalator_Standart_Position - Positioninfo from the header
  
• Escalator_Bottom - Bottominfo from the section
  
• Escalator_Top - Topinfo from the section
  
• Escalator_End - Endinfo from the section
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

External Link

• ^  GTAForums: Encryption of light information

Tools and Scripts

•  GTAForums: DexX Tools by DexX – 2d Effect export from 3DSMax (MaxScript)
•  GTAForums: 2dfx Editor by Aschratt – 2d Effect editing
• RW Analyze by steve-m (no 2d Effect support yet, but needed by above script)
•  GTAForums: 2dfx Tool by DK22Pac – 2d Effect editing