Saves (GTA VC)

This article deals with the format of a save game file for the PC version of GTA Vice City.

Location

By default, the game places its save game files into the folder "GTA Vice City User Files" which is located in the current user's Documents folder. The location of this folder varies depending upon the version of Windows installed.

The save files themselves are named in the format GTAVCsfX.b where X represents the in-game slot number. There are 8 slots available in the game (1-8).

Format Details

The save file is in binary format consisting of 23 blocks of data. Each block starts with the size of the current block. To reach the next block, read the size of the currently selected block, add that value to the block's start address, and add four. Initial offset listed here starts four bytes after the start of the block.

Block 0: Miscellaneous and Script

Offset	Type	Description
0x30	word	Year
0x32	word	Month
0x34	word	Day of week
0x36	word	Day
0x38	word	Hour
0x3A	word	Minutes
0x3C	word	Seconds
0x3E	word	Milliseconds
0x48	float[3]	camera coordinates (x,y,z)
0x54	dword	length (ms) of in-game minute (1000=normal)
0x5C	dword	game hour
0x60	dword	game minute
0x6C	float	game speed (015D)
0x90	dword	current weather
0x98	dword	current weather table offset (between 0 and 63)
0x9C	float	current vehicle camera view (between 0.0 and 5.0)
0xA0	float	current on foot camera view (classic controls only)
0xA4	dword	current interior (04BB)
0xA8	dword	taxi boost jump (0572)
0xB0	dword	sky color (04F9)
0xB4	dword	sky atmosphere (0=normal,1=interior)
0xB8	float	sky atmosphere blue overlay (between 0.0 and 1.0)
0xE4	dword	size of script block
0xE8	-	start of script block, see below

Script and subblock A:

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	string	SCR
0x04	dword	size of script block again
0x08	dword	size of subblock A
0x0C	-	start of subblock A: global variables - each variable is 4 bytes long

Subblock B:

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	size of subblock B
0x238	-	start of another set of offset below

Offset	Type	Description
0x01	byte	kaufman cabs radio (0551)
0x04	dword	size of main
0x08	dword	size of largest mission
0x0C	dword	number of missions

Block 1: Ped Pool

Ped structure:

Offset	Type	Description
0x0A	-	ped structure, see below
0x6E2	dword	max wanted level
0x6E6	dword	max criminal points, in tandem with max wanted level

Ped structure:

Offset	Type	Description
0x34	float[3]	x,y,z coordinates
0xB8	float	weight
0x354	float	health
0x358	float	armor

Block 2: Garages

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	size of subblock (4 bytes less than block header, constant 0x1EC4)
0x04	-	start of another set of offset below

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	number of garages (0219)
0x04	dword	free bombs (0=not,1=yes)
0x08	dword	free respray (0335)
0x18	dword	garage type 8 status, see below
0x1C	dword	garage type 9 status
0x20	dword	garage type 10 status
0x24	dword	garage type 22 status
0x2C	[48]	40 bytes each, garage car structures (see below)
0x7AC	[32]	168 bytes each, garage structures (see below)

Export garage status (binary format):

• 0b000001=car 1 collected
• 0b000010=car 2 collected
• 0b000100=car 3 collected
• 0b001000=car 4 collected
• 0b010000=car 5 collected
• 0b100000=car 6 collected

Add them up to set the garage as car already collected:

0b000011, cars 1 and 2 collected
0b100011, cars 1, 2, and 6 are collected

Garage car structure:

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	model ID
0x04	float[3]	x,y,z position
0x10	float[3]	x,y,z vector rotation
0x1C	dword	immunities
0x20	byte	primary color
0x21	byte	secondary color
0x22	byte	current radio station
0x23	byte	variation 1
0x24	byte	variation 2
0x25	byte	bomb type

Garage structure:

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	byte	type
0x01	byte	door status (0=closed,1=opened,2=closing,3=opening)
0x02	byte	max number of cars to store (4=default)
0x19	byte	swing door (03BB)
0x1A	byte	camera follow player (03DA)
0x1C	float[3]	entrance bottom left x,y,z coordinates
0x28	float[4]	rx,ry,rz,rw quaternion rotation
0x38	float	ceiling z coordinate

Block 3: Game Logic

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	size of subblock (4 bytes less than block header, constant 0x104)
0x04	-	start of another set of offset below

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	number of restart taxis (058D)
0x04	[16]	16 bytes each, restart taxi structures (see below)

Restart taxi structure:

Offset	Type	Description
0x0	float[3]	x,y,z coordinates
0xC	float	z angle rotation

Block 5: Object Pool

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	size of subblock (4 bytes less than block header)
0x04	-	start of another set of offset below

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	number of objects
0x04	-	88 bytes each, object structures (see below)

Object structure:

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	word	object IDE number
0x06	float[3]	x,y,z coordinates

Block 7: Cranes

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	size of subblock (4 bytes less than block header)
0x04	-	start of another set of offset below

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	number of cranes
0x08	[8]	124 bytes each, crane structures (see below)

Crane structure:

Offset	Type	Description
0x40	float	current z rotation

Block 8: Pickups

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	size of subblock (4 bytes less than block header, constant 0x4494)
0x04	[336]	52 bytes each, pickup structures (see below)

Pickup structure

Offset	Type	Description
0x0	float[3]	x,y,z coordinates
0x18	dword	ammo or asset revenue
0x2E	byte	type
0x2F	byte	has been picked up

Block 9: Phone Info

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	size of subblock (4 bytes less than block header, constant 0xA30)
0x04	-	start of another set of offset below

Offset	Type	Description
0x04	dword	number of phones
0x08	[50]	52 bytes each, phone structures (see below)

Phone structure:

Offset	Type	Description
0x0	float[3]	x,y,z coordinates
0x2C	dword	phone status (3=idle,9=ringing,others=leftover GTA III stuff)

Block 10: Restart Points Buffer

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	size of subblock (4 bytes less than block header, constant 0x124)
0x04	-	start of another set of offset below

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	string	RST
0x8	float[3]	hospital x,y,z coordinates (016C)
0x14	float	hospital z angle
Each point is 0x8 in size
0x88	float[3]	police x,y,z coordinates (016D)
0x94	float	police z angle
Each point is 0x8 in size
0x110	float[3]	override x,y,z coordinates (016E)
0x11C	float	override z angle

Block 11: Radar Blips Buffer

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	size of subblock (4 bytes less than block header, constant 0xE18)
0x04	-	start of another set of offset below

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	string	RDR
0x08	[75]	48 bytes each, blip structures (see below)

Blip structure:

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	color
0x10	float[2]	x,y coordinates
0x18	float[3]	x,y,z coordinates
0x26	byte	brightness (0166)
0x2A	word	size (0168)
0x2C	word	show (018B)
0x2E	word	type

Block 12: All Zones Buffer

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	size of subblock (4 bytes less than block header, constant 0x8BE0)
0x04	-	start of another set of offset below

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	string	ZNS
0x10	-	56 bytes each, zone structures (see below)

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	string	name
0x08	float[3]	x1,y1,z1 coordinates
0x14	float[3]	x2,y2,z2 coordinates
0x20	dword	type
0x24	dword	island number

Block 13: All Gang Data

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	string	GNG
0x04	[9]	24 bytes each, gang structures (see below)

Gang structure:

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	car model (0236)
0x04	dword	ped model 1
0x08	dword	ped model 2
0x10	dword	weapon number 1 (0237)
0x14	dword	weapon number 2

Block 14: All Car Generators

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	string	CGN
0x1C	[185]	44 bytes each, car generator structures (see below)

Car generator structure:

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	model ID
0x04	float[3]	x,y,z coordinates
0x10	float	z angle rotation
0x14	word	primary color
0x16	word	secondary color
0x18	byte	force spawn
0x19	byte	alarm
0x1A	byte	lock
0x28	word	014C
0x2A	byte	has recently been stolen

Block 16: All Audio Script Objects

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	string	AUD
0x12	-	24 bytes each, audio structures (see below)

Audio structure:

Offset	Type	Description
0x04	word	ID number
0x08	float[3]	x,y,z coordinates

Block 17: Script Paths

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	total number of paths
0x0C	float	speed (049E)
0x10	float	distance along path (049F)
0x14	float	some sort of offset
0x1C	-	object handle, up to 6 supported

Block 18: Player Info

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	current money
0x0F	dword	currently displayed money
0x13	dword	number of packages picked up
0x17	dword	total number of packages (02ED)
0x1B	byte	infinite run (0330)
0x1C	byte	fast reload (0331)
0x1D	byte	fireproof (055D)
0x1E	byte	max health
0x1F	byte	max armor
0x20	byte	free busted once
0x21	byte	free wasted once (0414)
0x22	byte	driveby enabled (0501)

Block 20: Set Pieces

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	number of trigger zones (04F8)
0x04	[96]	56 bytes each, trigger zone structures (see below)

Trigger zone structure:

Offset	Type	Description
0x00	dword	type
0x08	float	trigger area x1
0x0C	float	trigger area y2
0x10	float	trigger area x2
0x14	float	trigger area y1
0x18	float[2]	policeA spawn x,y
0x20	float[2]	policeB spawn x,y
0x28	float[2]	policeA heading x,y
0x30	float[2]	policeB heading x,y

Checksum

The last four bytes of the save file is the checksum value. It is the sum of all preceding bytes in the file. If the checksum does not match that sum, the game will consider the save file to be "corrupted" and refuse to load it. For any change in the save file, make sure the checksum value is updated.

See also

• GTA San Andreas save files format

External links

• Very old development topic – retrieved from archive.org
•  GTAForums: Current development topic
•  GTAForums: Savefile Editor – by voodoo48