Item Definition

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Item Definition (IDE section)

IDE Sections: 2DFX • AMAT • ANIM • CARS • HIER • HAND • MLO • OBJS PATH • PEDS • TANM • TOBJ • TREE • TXDP • WEAP

Item definition files, known by the extension .ide, are usually used to assign a model and texture file to a unique object ID, along with many parameters depending on the section. These files are in human readable text format, and allow the # character to comment lines out. IDE files can easily be opened and edited using any text-editing program like Notepad.

Structure

The .ide files are split up into many sections. How many of them you use in your file is optional, they can even be empty. Each section starts with a section identifier and ends with the keyword "end", both in a single line.

Example:

objs
...
end

OBJS

Used to define standard static map objects.

GTA III, VC and SA format

ID, ModelName, TextureName, ObjectCount, DrawDist, [DrawDist2, ...], Flags

Identifier	Description
ID	unique object ID (integer)
ModelName	name of the .dff model file, without extension (string)
TextureName	name of the .txd texture dictionary, without extension (string)
ObjectCount	amount of sub objects, e.g. damaged parts, usually 1 (integer) - optional for SA, default 1
DrawDist	draw distance in units, one for each sub object (float)
Flags	object flags, defining special behavior, default 0 (integer)

GTA IV format

ModelName, TextureName, DrawDistance, Flag1, Flag2, (Bounds min)X,Y,Z, (Bounds max)X,Y,Z, (Bounds Sphere)X, Y, Z, Radius, WDD

Note that GTA IV does not use any unique object ID numbers

Identifier	Description
ModelName	name of the .wdr model file, without extension (string)
TextureName	name of the .wtd texture dictionary, without extension (string)
DrawDistance	draw distance in units, one for each sub object (float)
Flag1	object flag, defining special behavior
Flag2	object flag, defining special behavior, default 0 (integer)
Bounds Min	Lower Left vertex local position of a model bounding box
Bounds Max	Upper Right vertex local position of a model bounding box
Radius	Radius dimensions of the bounding Sphere
WDD	the model dictionary file that contains the LOD model for the defined Modelname

TOBJ

Used to define timed map objects. All but the last two columns are the same as the OBJS section.

GTA III, VC and SA format:

ID, ModelName, TextureName, ObjectCount, DrawDist, [DrawDist2, ...], Flags, TimeOn, TimeOff

Identifier	Description
ID	unique object ID (integer)
ModelName	name of the .dff model file, without extension (string)
TextureName	name of the .txd texture dictionary, without extension (string)
ObjectCount	amount of sub objects, e.g. damaged parts, usually 1 (integer) - optional for SA, default 1
DrawDist	draw distance in units, one for each sub object (float)
Flags	object flags, defining special behavior, default 0 (integer)
TimeOn	activation time in game hours (integer)
TimeOff	deactivation time in game hours (integer)

GTA IV format

ModelName, TextureName, DrawDist, Flag1, Flag2, (Bounds min)X,Y,Z, (Bounds max)X,Y,Z, (Bounds Sphere)X,Y,Z, Radius, WDD, NightFlag

Note that GTA IV does not use any unique object ID numbers.

Identifier	Description
ModelName	name of the .wdr model file, without extension (string)
TextureName	name of the .wtd texture dictionary, without extension (string)
DrawDistance	draw distance in units, one for each sub object (float)
Flag1	object flag, defining special behavior
Flag2	object flag, defining special behavior, default 0 (integer)
Bounds Min	Lower Left vertex local position of a model bounding box
Bounds Max	Upper Right vertex local position of a model bounding box
Radius	Radius dimensions of the bounding Sphere
WDD	the model dictionary file that contains the LOD model for the defined Modelname
NightFlag	assumed to be hardcoded time flags

ANIM

Animated Map Objects, used to define objects whose sub objects are animated. Note: There must be animation frames for each sub object, also the collision model remains static - no solid animations.

GTA SA only:

ID, ModelName, TextureName, AnimName, DrawDist, Flags

ID, ModelName, TextureName, DrawDist, Flags

same as for the OBJS section

AnimName

name of the animation archive, without extension (string)

GTA IV format

ModelName, TextureName, Wad, DrawDist, Flag1, Flag2, (Bounds min)X,Y,Z, (Bounds max)X,Y,Z, (Bounds Sphere)X,Y,Z, Radius, WDD

ModelName, TextureName, DrawDistance, Flags, Bounds min, Bounds max, Bounds Rotation, WDD

same as for the OBJS section

Wad

name of the (.wad) animation archive, without extension (string)

PEDS

GTA III and VC format:

ID, ModelName, TextureName, Threat, Behavior, AnimationType, ?, StartAnimation?, ?, ?

Threat

running over and shooting other peds

Behavior

angry/hateful/thrilled

AnimationType

being drunk like walk

WEAP

GTA III and VC format:

ID, ModelName, TextureName, Animation, ?, DrawDistance, ?

Animation

From ped.ifp, animation used to wield and shoot the weapon

CARS

GTA III and VC format:

ID, ModelName, TxdName, Type, HandlingID, GameName, Anims, Class, Frequency, Level, Comprules, WheelID, WheelScale

Identifier	Description
ID	Unique model ID
ModelName	Name of the .dff model file, without extension
TxdName	Name of the .txd texture dictionary, without extension
Type	Type of vehicle, which includes car, boat, plane, and, for Vice City only, bike and heli. Heli and plane are used only for NPC aircrafts.
HandlingID	Name corresponding to its handling data in the handling.cfg file.
GameName	Name corresponding to its GXT entry, must be seven characters or less
Anims	Appropriate animation file mainly used on bikes
Class	Class of the vehicle
Frequency
Level
Comprules
WheelID	Wheel model ID, not available for type "boat" and special for bikes
WheelScale	not available for type "boat"

SA Format comming soon

HIER

SA Format only

This is (e.g.) used in default.ide in the 'data\'-folder Normal structure is like this:

 ID, model, texture, null, float (normally 2000.00)

The meaning of these lines isn't known yet, but it seems to be a kind of bodyparts for the player.

TXDP

Texture Archive Parent

SA and GTA 4 format

TextureName, TextureParentName

Both parameters are names of texture archives (.txd). The second archive (the "parent") virtually extends the first one. Practically, the game looks up a texture in the primary archive, and if it's not there and a parent txd has been assigned, it checks for the texture in the parent archive. This way shared archives can be created, which contain often used textures, without the need to create duplicates or split up a model just for that purpose.

2DFX

Particle and Environment Effects

GTA III and VC format

ID, X, Y, Z, R, G, B, U, Type, ...

ID

ID of the object it's assigned to (integer)

X, Y, Z

position of the effect, relative to the object (3 floats)

R, G, B

color of the effect, if available (3 integers, 0 - 255)

U

unknown color component, always 200 (integer)

Type

specifies the type of effect

Effect #0: Light

Coming soon.

Effect #1: ...

Coming soon.

Please note that the 2dfx Section is moved to the DFF Files by using R*'s custom section IDs in SA!

PATH

Ped and Car Paths, defines paths relative to the objects. Only used in GTA III, quite complicated format and hardly usable without a editing program (such as Ked).

TREE

GTA4 only

TANM

GTA4 only

MLO

GTA4 only

AMAT

GTA4 only

Modelname, Flag1, Flag2

procobj.ide

OBJS

GTA IV format

ModelName, TextureName, DrawDistance, Flag1, Flag2, (Bounds min)X, Y, Z, (Bounds max)X, Y, Z, (Bounds Sphere)X,Y,Z, Radius, WDD

ModelName

name of the .wdr model file, without extension (string)

TextureName

set to 'null' by default in procobj.ide

DrawDistance

draw distance in units, one for each sub object (float)

Flag1

object flag, defining special behavior

Flag2

object flag, defining special behavior, default 0 (integer)

Bounds Min

Lower Left vertex of a model bounding box

Bounds Max

Upper Right vertex of a model bounding box

Bounds Rotation

Rotation of the bounding box in Quarternion values

WDD

set to 'null' by default in procobj.ide

Tools

•  GTAGarage: IDEditor - By Xmen
•  GTAForums: (IV) IDE-IO in GTA-IV script centre - by Gforce
• FlagValue Calculator - By Aschratt - Calculates all Flagvalues (even those unknown)

External Links

•  GTAForums: GTAVC IDE Definitions - topic by ODIE covering specific details of IDE files in GTA VC
•  GTAForums: GTA3/VC Map File Documentation and Troubleshooting - topic by Opius covering general features of IDE files in GTA3 and GTA VC
•  GTAForums: Paths Documentation for SA, VC and GTA3 - topic by REspawn detailing GTA3's paths
• ID Flagvalue Decoding Project - project to decode all missing flag values