.mdl Header Data
Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:26 pm
Hello! This is my first time doing this sort of thing, so if I do/say anything stupid, I apologise!
Short version: I've extracted and decompressed a model from FFXIV:ARR, it's evidently a .mdl file, however the header data is custom, and cannot be read by standard programs (to my knowledge). I'm looking for help in dissecting the header data and hopefully turning it into a standard .mdl file.
So using the threads here and here, I've managed to extract, decompress, and convert textures from FFXIV:ARR, and now I'm moving onto models.
As I mentioned, I've extracted and decompressed a model. The hex data suggests it's a .mdl file, however the header data is slightly different.
I've looked up how to read .mdl files here, here and a few other topics on this forum, but I'm still pretty clueless on how to fix/change it.
I've also tried the hex2obj to extract the data straight from the file, however I clearly have no idea what I'm doing, the best I've managed was to read the face indices. Couldn't find the UV or Vertex data.
I took a screenshot of the header data and bookmarked most of the numbers in there;
There's a chunk of data (visible in screenshot) that starts at 0x160 and ends at 0x470. There's also a small difference in the last 0x40 chunk.
The data is then NULL padded until 0x4B0, which has a pattern up until 0xF770, then a new chunk seems to start, where most of the data seems mangled, almost compressed.
Face indices start at 0x43580 and end at 0x4A767, which is the end of the file.
Also, is it okay if I upload the file that I've extracted? Obviously it belongs to Square Enix, so I don't know if it's okay to upload it.
Again, I'm new to this, I've tried to post what I think might be useful, if I'm wrong, I'm sorry. Any hints/tips where I should start looking next? I basically want to turn this into a viewable file/format! Please and thank you.
Short version: I've extracted and decompressed a model from FFXIV:ARR, it's evidently a .mdl file, however the header data is custom, and cannot be read by standard programs (to my knowledge). I'm looking for help in dissecting the header data and hopefully turning it into a standard .mdl file.
So using the threads here and here, I've managed to extract, decompress, and convert textures from FFXIV:ARR, and now I'm moving onto models.
As I mentioned, I've extracted and decompressed a model. The hex data suggests it's a .mdl file, however the header data is slightly different.
I've looked up how to read .mdl files here, here and a few other topics on this forum, but I'm still pretty clueless on how to fix/change it.
I've also tried the hex2obj to extract the data straight from the file, however I clearly have no idea what I'm doing, the best I've managed was to read the face indices. Couldn't find the UV or Vertex data.
I took a screenshot of the header data and bookmarked most of the numbers in there;
There's a chunk of data (visible in screenshot) that starts at 0x160 and ends at 0x470. There's also a small difference in the last 0x40 chunk.
The data is then NULL padded until 0x4B0, which has a pattern up until 0xF770, then a new chunk seems to start, where most of the data seems mangled, almost compressed.
Face indices start at 0x43580 and end at 0x4A767, which is the end of the file.
Also, is it okay if I upload the file that I've extracted? Obviously it belongs to Square Enix, so I don't know if it's okay to upload it.
Again, I'm new to this, I've tried to post what I think might be useful, if I'm wrong, I'm sorry. Any hints/tips where I should start looking next? I basically want to turn this into a viewable file/format! Please and thank you.