XeNTaX

The Definitive Guide To Exploring File Formats

The authors of the popular modding tools MultiEx Commander (Mr.Mouse) and Game Extractor (WATTO) have teamed up to write the final word in tutorials that explain how-to uncover (game) archive formats. In this valuable document the process of demystification of archive structures, encryption and compression is presented from the very basic to advanced strategies in computing. A good read for anyone who is authorized to mod a game, but hasn't got a clue how to get to the resources in the game's archives. Completely in English.

The tutorial is available as a PDF file at http://www.xentax.com or http://www.watto.org.

You can also find it at the Game File Format Central http://wiki.xentax.com/index.php/DGTEFF

A direct link for the impatient has also been made available at

http://www.xentax.com/downloads/multiex ... 04.pdf.zip.

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It didn't make it.

But please submit the formats at the forum (Game Requests)!

That'll be great!

Hi, I'm first time here. My knowledge in this area is too small, comparing to you guys, but I'm happy that I found this site and forum, and I hope this tutorial will help me understand more about files and formats, especially for games, since I was always interested in game developing.

Thanks!

Hi, I wanted to give a huge giant thanks to Mr.Mouse and Watto for this guide! Wow, 60 some pages too. It's a book! Thank you both (and whoever else helped contribute) so much for taking your time and energy to compile so much information into one source, that's also nicely organized. I really appreciate it!

Thanks !

What a good read.
However some parts I skipped because I didn't understand but nonetheless quite informative.
Thanks.

Thanks. Which parts were that, though?

after study of this book, i post you a errata:
1. in page 38, the first example:
cLHLCB.P[\XIM.m,)
The length is 17.
but in hexadecimals:
63 4C 48 4C 43 42 1C 50 5B 5C 58 49 4D 2E 6D 2C 29 20
The length is 18.
is there a letter or something lost in the first sample?

2. in page 47, the last line.
Figure 2B should be Figure 3B
3. in page 50, right above Figure 3F.
Figure 2F should be Figure 3F.

this book is written in a very pellucid way, even a ultra-noob like me can understand it without many difficult.
thank you for made it

And 6 1/2 years later, someone finds some errors.

he he, i got it last week, if there is more example, it should be great!
now i just look for more examples in this forum. wish i one day would become a veteran.