Item Definition

Item Definition

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

Item definition files, usually identified by the file extension .ide, are used to declare many different aspects for the map system or to specify special behaviour rules for one of the aspects.

Overview

The files are in plain text format so it can be opened with any text editor (like Notepad). The files are split up into several sections. There is no order on how you arrange the sections and sections do not need to appear in the file. Line comments are indicated by the character # (number sign) and empty lines are allowed. They can be placed anywhere in the file. The game reads up to a maximum of 256 characters for each line and ignores the rest if the line is longer. Each section starts with a section identifier (usually four characters long, e.g. objs, tobj, etc.) indicating how the content of the section gets interpreted by the game. The identifier is followed by the definition entries. Each entry takes up one line and follows a specific format which are described in the articles handling the sections in detail below. The end of any section is indicated by the terminating string end. Both the section identifier and terminating string are case sensitive. Lines within sections are always formatted in the same way differing only in the number of parameters describing the semantical content of the line. Data in each entry are usually separated by the character , (comma) but can be separated by  (space). Extra tabs and spaces anywhere in the beginning of the line, between data, or after the data are omitted by the game and can be used to improve readability for human eyes. The games' parser uses an invariant culture to parse numerical values and strings, which means strings are ASCII encrypted and the decimal separator is . (period).

Example

# line comment
objs
# default style in objs section
200, ind_land101, pjs, 1, 127, 0
# valid style
	    200 ind_land101 pjs 1 127 0 # unread data
end

Format

The following table contains all known sections in the item definition. The supported games column lists games that support the sections but it doesn't necessarily means they're functional in the games.

Sections	Supported games	Description
objs		Defines simple objects. They can be placed into the world through the inst section of the item placement files.
tobj		Defines time objects. The section functions similarly to objs but has two additional parameters defining the in-game time range the object can get rendered. These objects can be placed into the world through the inst section of the item placement files.
hier		Defines clump objects for use in cutscenes.
cars		Defines vehicle objects.
peds		Defines pedestrian objects (random NPC's).
path		Adds path nodes to defined objects. This section is unstable in Vice City.
2dfx		Adds particle effects and simple ped behaviors to defined objects.
weap		Defines weapon objects.
anim		Defines animated objects. The section functions similarly to objs but has one additional parameter indicating an IFP or WAD animation file to assign an animation to the object. These objects can be placed into the world through the inst section of the item placement files.
txdp		Used to virtually extend texture dictionaries.
tanm		Used to combine tobj and anim sections. Those objects get placed inside the inst section of the WPL.
tree		This section is not functional.
vnod		–
link		–
mlo		Used to create interiors. This section does also contain information about portals (previous enex connections) and dimensions of the interior which influences certain aspects, like the weather, for example. All objects are placed relative to an offset placed using mlo+ inside the IPL or WPL file.
amat		This is Audio Materials. Possible Used to make a sound effect at the model. Usually used for dynamic objects.
lodm		This section is not functional.
agrps		–
hand	VC Xbox/Mobile	–

IDE Flags

Flags are used in order to specify the behaviour of objects. They are interpreted as signed 32-bit integer values where each bit describes a boolean value of a different aspect. The following table shows the standard flags used for objects defined in objs, tobj and anim section.

Flags are used to specify the behaviour of objects. They are signed 32-bit integer values where each bit describes a boolean value of an special aspect.

Flag	Supported games	Binary	Description
-1	–	1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111	Enables all flags.[a] Never used by default.
1		0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0001	Wet effect (objects appear darker).
2		0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0010	Do not fade the object when it is being loaded into or out of view.
4		0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0100	Allow transparencies of other objects to be visible through this object.
8		0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 1000	Alpha transparency 2
16		0000 0000 0000 0000 0001 0000	Opposite to flag 2
32		0000 0000 0000 0000 0010 0000	Indicates an object to be used inside an interior.
64		0000 0000 0000 0000 0100 0000	Disables the shadow mesh to project a shadow; allow transparencies of other objects, shadows, and lights to be visible through this object.
128		0000 0000 0000 0000 1000 0000	Object surface will not be culled.
256		0000 0000 0000 0001 0000 0000	Disables draw distance (Only used for LOD objects with an LOD value greater than 299).
512		0000 0000 0000 0010 0000 0000	Object is breakable (like glass – additional parameters defined inside the object.dat file, otherwise there is no effect).
1024		0000 0000 0000 0100 0000 0000	Similar to flag 512: object first cracks on a strong collision, then it breaks (does also require object.dat registration).
2048		0000 0000 0000 1000 0000 0000	Indicates an object as an garage door (for more information see GRGE – requires object.dat registration).
4096		0000 0000 0001 0000 0000 0000	Indicates a multi mesh object (Object switches from mesh 2 to mesh 1 after collision – requires object.dat registration).
16384		0000 0000 0100 0000 0000 0000	Indicates a vegetation object (Object moves in wind).
32768		0000 0000 1000 0000 0000 0000	Uses object brightness from the current weather definition (See timecyc.dat – PoleShd).
65536		0000 0001 0000 0000 0000 0000	Object explodes after getting hit (requires object.dat registration).
131072		0000 0010 0000 0000 0000 0000	Unknown – apparently some flag for the Script.
262144		0000 0100 0000 0000 0000 0000	Unknown – only used 1 time in San Andreas.
1048576		0000 1000 0000 0000 0000 0000	Object will switch from mesh 2 to mesh 1 after getting sprayed by the player (graffity flag).
2097152		0001 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000	Disables backface culling – as an result the texture will be drawed on both sides of the model (Always enabled for GTA III and Vice City)
4194304		0010 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000	Unknown – apparently related into physics.
edit

• ^ Two's complement

GTA III

Bits	Dec	Hex	Name	Description	Examples
0	1	0x01	-	Cull model if player doesn't look at it? Read, but ignored.	Fences
1	2[1]	0x02	DO_NOT_FADE	Do not fade the object when it is being loaded into or out of view.	Some lampposts
2	4[1]	0x04	DRAW_LAST	Model is transparent. Render this object after all opaque objects, allowing transparencies of other objects to be visible through this object.	Trees
3	8	0x08	ADDITIVE	Render with additive blending. Previous flag must be enabled too.
4	16[1]	0x10	IS_SUBWAY	Model is a tunnel, i.e. set the object as invisible unless the player enters cull zone flag 128. This flag works only with static models.	Tunnels, some dynamic objects
5	32	0x20	IGNORE_LIGHTING	Don't use static lighting, we want dynamic if it's possible.	Some lampposts and trafficlights
6	64[1]	0x40	NO_ZBUFFER_WRITE	Model is a shadow. Disable writing to z-buffer when rendering it, allowing transparencies of other objects, shadows, and lights to be visible through this object. Not implemented in the PS2 version.	Shadow

GTA Vice City

Bits	Dec	Hex	Name	Description	Examples
0	1	0x01	IS_ROAD	Identifies objects to draw "wet reflections" on them.	Roads
1	2	0x02	DO_NOT_FADE	Do not fade the object when it is being loaded into or out of view.	Some night objects, North Point Mall
2	4	0x04	DRAW_LAST	Model is transparent. Render this object after all opaque objects, allowing transparencies of other objects to be visible through this object.	Fencse, trees
3	8	0x08	ADDITIVE	Render with additive blending. Previous flag will be enabled automatically.	Night windows
4	16	0x10	-	Read, but not used.	_dy, _dt objects
5	32	0x20	IGNORE_LIGHTING	Don't use static lighting, we want dynamic if it's possible.	Interior objects
6	64	0x40	NO_ZBUFFER_WRITE	Model is a shadow. Disable writing to z-buffer when rendering it, allowing transparencies of other objects, shadows, and lights to be visible through this object.	Tree shadows
7	128	0x80	DONT_RECEIVE_SHADOWS	Do not draw shadows on this object.	Small objects, pickups, lamps, trees
8	256	0x100	IGNORE_DRAW_DISTANCE	Ignore draw distance for this object (sets its "level" (island id) to 0).	LOD models, North Bridge
9	512	0x200	IS_GLASS_TYPE_1	Breakable glass type 1: glass object changes its textures when breaking.	Small windows
10	1024	0x400	IS_GLASS_TYPE_2	Breakable glass type 2: glass object doesn't change its textures when breaking.	Large windows

Reference table

Bits	Dec	Hex	Name	Model info flag	Ref address	Ref description
0	1	0x01	IS_ROAD	0x04	0x4CA1D7	CRenderer::RenderRoads() if (CModelInfo::GetModelInfo(entity->m_nModelIndex)->m_nFlags & IS_ROAD) entity->Render();
1	2	0x02	DO_NOT_FADE	0x20	0x4C7E03	CRenderer::ShouldModelBeStreamed(CEntity *,CVector const&) if (model->m_nFlags & DO_NOT_FADE) { if (distance >= model->GetLargestLodDistance() + 30.0f) return true; } else if ( distance >= model->GetLargestLodDistance() + 50.0f) return true;
2	4	0x04	DRAW_LAST	0x40	0x56F4F3	CSimpleModelInfo::SetupBigBuilding(int,int) if (model->m_nFlags & DRAW_LAST) { model->m_nFlags &= ~DRAW_LAST; dbgprint("%s was draw last\n", model->m_szName); }
3	8	0x08	ADDITIVE	0x80	0x582590	CVisibilityPlugins::RenderFadingAtomic(RpAtomic *,float) if (model->m_nFlags & ADDITIVE) RwRenderStateSet(rwRENDERSTATEDESTBLEND, rwBLENDONE);
4	16	0x10	-	0x100	-	-
5	32	0x20	IGNORE_LIGHTING	0x200	0x56F7C4	CSimpleModelInfo::SetAtomic(int,RpAtomic *) if (model->m_nFlags & IGNORE_LIGHTING) atomic->geometry->flags &= ~rpGEOMETRYLIGHT;
6	64	0x40	NO_ZBUFFER_WRITE	0x400	0x581390	CVisibilityPlugins::RenderFadingEntities(CLinkList<CVisibilityPlugins::AlphaObjectInfo> &) if (model->m_nType == MODEL_INFO_SIMPLE && model->m_nFlags & NO_ZBUFFER_WRITE) RwRenderStateSet(rwRENDERSTATEZWRITEENABLE, FALSE);
7	128	0x80	DONT_RECEIVE_SHADOWS	0x800	0x48AF21	CFileLoader::LoadObjectInstance(char const*) if (model->m_nFlags & DONT_RECEIVE_SHADOWS) entity->m_nFlags.bDontCastShadowsOn = true;
8	256	0x100	IGNORE_DRAW_DISTANCE	0x1000	0x487CDE	CEntity::SetupBigBuilding() if (model->m_afLodDistances[0] > 2500.0f || model->m_nFlags & IGNORE_DRAW_DISTANCE) entity->m_nLevel = 0;
9	512	0x200	IS_GLASS_TYPE_1	0x2000	0x488CCD	CEntity::PreRender(), probably in-lined CModelInfo::IsGlassModel(int) @0x488CAA bool CModelInfo::IsGlassModel(int modelId) { CBaseModelInfo *model = CModelInfo::GetModelInfo(modelId); if (model->m_nType == MODEL_INFO_SIMPLE || model->m_nType == MODEL_INFO_TIME) { CSimpleModelInfo *simpleModel = reinterpret_cast<CSimpleModelInfo *>(model); return simpleModel->m_nFlags & IS_GLASS_TYPE_1 || simpleModel->m_nFlags & IS_GLASS_TYPE_2; } return false; }
10	1024	0x400	IS_GLASS_TYPE_2	0x4000	0x488CE7	CEntity::PreRender() if (CModelInfo::IsGlassModel(modelId)) { if (!(CModelInfo::GetModelInfo(modelId)->m_nFlags & IS_GLASS_TYPE_2) ) { CGlass::AskForObjectToBeRenderedInGlass(entity); entity->m_nFlags.bIsVisible = false; } }

Difference between GTA III and GTA IV engines

GTA IV not only uses different formats to the previous games, it also does not use IDs to identify objects anymore. While GTA III era games use an ID as an index inside an array of definitions, GTA IV uses the hashes of the model name as a key inside a hash table. For more information about this see Map System.

Tools

• KEd – By JernejL
• MEd – By Tonywob
•  GTAGarage: IDEditor – By Xmen
•  GTAForums: IDE-IV in GTA-IV script centre – by Gforce
• FlagValue Calculator – By Aschratt - Calculates all flagvalues (even those unknown).

See also

• Item placement
• Map System
• Dynamic Object

References

• ^  GTAForums: Screenshots of flags in GTA III

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
• ID Flagvalue Decoding Project - project to decode all missing flag values