The Crew fat/dat archives

[TheCrewMapLover]

Thanks i already have the beta of the game for converting also the map. I will try the steps that you told me. I have some questions for you. How can i export multiple areas from the map. I can only export all sectors but not all areas is there a method or do i have to live with it. The next is, ive sucessfully managed to convert the files but in blender i can only export one ascii file at the time. But because ive exported 500 ascii files it would be really big pain to convert all them manually. Do you have maybe a software where you convert multiple ascii files at once to fbx. The last is do i have to put the textures on the models manually or can it be done automatic. Wouldnt matter ive i would have to do them manually. Just wanna know: Hope again for a nicely helpful answer from you

[mono24]

...How can i export multiple areas from the map...

Same way, except you add them to a batch one line after another, and it will be exported one area after another, make sure you have at least a free 10TB HDD though, as the game is insanely large since it exports in the ASCII which is basically a text format, that means NO compression what so ever, hence large ASCIIs.

...but in blender i can only export one ascii file at the time. But because ive exported 500 ascii files it would be really big pain to convert all them manually...

Assuming you meant importing one at a time, then yes, there's no other way to bring them inside a 3D editor, such as blender in a batch that i am aware of.

...Do you have maybe a software where you convert multiple ascii files at once to fbx...

Unfortunately myself, same as you, we are all stuck using this workflow, there is simply no other way, again, that i am currently aware of.
You could try Noesis, it has a batch mode, see how that works for you, although it will be problematic, as everything must go through Blender no matter what, other wise you will screw up the proper scale of the assets and terrain, otherwise nothing will match, and trust me you don't want that on this scale of the map.

...The last is do i have to put the textures on the models manually or can it be done automatic...

Sadly yes, which it will take you probably two years to do textures alone, or maybe a whole year if you work on it constantly, so good luck on that one.

[TheCrewMapLover]

Hey thank you very much for answering all questions, they were very helpful. Yeah i already have a 50tb ssd so that wouldnt be a problem. WIth the multiple areas i meant, all at the time so that i dont have to type like 0 0 8 8, 0 1 8 8 , 0 2 8 8, 1 0 8 8 etc. So that i can tell the exe will try export all of them together without typing every command of every area to convert. So with the ascii thats bad news so i need to be very patient. With the textures, i have people that i pay for doing that work, so they could apply all textures manually, so it would take about 1 month for the whole map. Because the project is for a sim game i have about 1000 supporters for this project,it will be like a pack with sounds of the crew as mods for the game, and of course the map included as a mod. Theres another problem, with importing ascii files into blender. I was able to export them as fbx, but i cannot see them in blender, even tho i have increased the render distance, i cannot see the models, do you have a solution for that problem, my supporters and workers also have the same problem. And another question: after exporting them as fbx, is it possible to place the textures also in 3ds max, because im struggling with Blender since i started modelling. And the last: when importing the ascii files, are they already placed where they sould be so that after importing all ascii files, so that they are all placed where they are like in the game, so it looks like a city where the trees, houses etc. are placed where they are. Is the terrain also automatically positioned so that the ascii files fit perfectly onto the terrain. So other than the textures the map itself would be game ready?

Sorry for my english im in a hurry, so i cant really pay attention on how to write it correctly

You are very important to me and im really thankful, because i have to give the instructions you tell me to the people that i pay, so that everything works fine, and work can be perfectly done. And some end result would be in the end. Im really sorry for disturbing you, but i have no other person where i can get support of this specif topic.

[mono24]

Your last message changes everything, due to your project, long story short...

Been trying to stitch this map together, due to being tiled by sectors, its like a puzzle, but for main parts, not small assets where instancing is required, all alone for a very long time, few years back, after a while i had given up on it of course, it was insane, then i had found out terrain was not just plain geometry, it was a height map data that needed to be reversed to actual geometry, among other things.
Later on i asked the reverser/dev ID-Daemon (daemon1) if he would support the first game, as initially second game wasn't known about, then second game was released, tool he posted is for second game only, not first, currently the tool is in an unfinished state, its more like a test tool at this point, all blend maps for the terrain aren't even exported, terrain has issues here and there, needs a bit further reversing for accuracy, etc. and if i am not mistaken, as i do not remember anymore, not everything is supported from the games assets/types, but i could be wrong, its been too long.

At same time instancing is NOT supported, as every single assets once converted to ASCII is turned in to each individual assets, that's why there's such a huge amount of hundreds of GB up on export, if you decide to ignore it, you WILL have to think of a way to turn everything back to instancing in your preferred 3D editor, with current state of the tool, and that is NO easy task, it gets complicated, more and more.
You would then have to export everything as each sector then, NOT area, think about it, any game engine out there, based on games progression it loads map assets/terrain incrementally based on player progression, otherwise its impossible to load such large map, instancing is the key here, among other optimizations and such. And The Crew series use sectors to load things as you drive around, in different levels of LODs based on how far/close you are.

As for Blender, i never encountered your issue, increasing the draw distance solves the viewing of the assets, as everything is exported as in-game with global coordinates not local, everything gets placed accordingly where they belong and where intended by the game devs, if increasing draw distance didn't solve your issues, you guys did something wrong and need to start all over.
You can import your assets in ANY 3D editor of your choosing, is irrelevant where you want to apply textures, you can use even a game engine, its same procedure.
For this massive thing your doing, I'd suggest to put it on hold, otherwise you'll waste your money, and since your involving money here for content you do NOT own copyrights, I'm not sure is a good idea.

I have never done modding, and its a very gray area for me, legally not sure what is OK or NOT OK to do, again, once money are involved with content you do NOT own copyrights/permission.

I per say am not a technical guy or know how to explain everything accordingly and/or accurately, so i did my best to explain what i have been dealing with thus far.

Too bad i didn't know about this large scale project way back, the progression would have been that much quicker, as i too was interested in the map to be exported, now i doubt the initial dev of the tool will ever continue the research to support fully both games, i have been wishing this for far too long, and it is what it is at this stage.

[Tosyk]

@Ekey, can you tell me the algorithm for converting string to CRC64 hash for TC1/TC2?
I'm making a tool to collect materials/textures

[Ekey]

https://github.com/PeterScott/rdbparser ... er/crc64.c

[CryptoCat]

Is there a more recent filelist than TC_Projects_u4?

[SanJose]

I think nope. You must manually check for every file. Thanks to Ubisoft logic...

[daemon1]

I think nope. You must manually check for every file. Thanks to Ubisoft logic...

no you dont have to manually check anything
i recently made a tool that sorts everything out