POF data structure - Revision history

Asteroth: let's make some things clear in this spec

2022-05-10T05:31:10Z

let's make some things clear in this spec

Asteroth at 00:31, 19 October 2021

2021-10-19T00:31:46Z

Goober5000: updated POF version info

2021-10-01T05:52:01Z

updated POF version info

Asteroth at 01:37, 1 October 2021

2021-10-01T01:37:19Z

Asteroth: the space is after 'EYE'

2021-09-26T03:07:44Z

the space is *after* 'EYE'

ShivanSpS: /* Chunk specs */

2019-12-17T01:10:56Z

‎Chunk specs

ShivanSpS: /* Basic file structure */

2019-12-17T01:07:54Z

‎Basic file structure

ShivanSpS: /* Chunk specs */

2019-12-08T02:53:20Z

‎Chunk specs

ShivanSpS: /* Chunk specs */

2019-12-07T13:35:19Z

‎Chunk specs

ShivanSpS: /* Chunk specs */

2019-12-06T01:25:22Z

‎Chunk specs

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
    (vector) == 3 floats, 12 bytes total
    (string) == an int specifying length of string and char[length] for the string itself
-   (note: it is NOT null-terminated)
+   (note: must be null-terminated and 4 byte aligned, but PCS2-created .pofs do not adhere to this)
 </pre>

@@ Line 194: / Line 194: @@
   int num_guns[s]
   for each gun, g {
-   vector point[g,s]
+  vector point[g,s]
-   vector norm[g,s]
+  vector norm[g,s]
     float offset[g,s]
+  }
+}

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 Notes:
-*PSPO stood for Parallax Software Polygon Object at one time. Conflict, Descent: FreeSpace shipped at POF version 20.14, so version would be equal to 2014 in most POF files (not all). FreeSpace 2 shipped at POF version 21.17, some files are 21.16. POF version 2118 was added on December 2019, this version ensures data alignment and SLC2 chunk presence.
+*PSPO stood for Parallax Software Polygon Object at one time. Conflict, Descent: FreeSpace shipped at POF version 20.14, so version would be equal to 2014 in most POF files (not all). FreeSpace 2 shipped at POF version 21.17, some files are 21.16. POF version 22 was added in June 2021; this version ensures data alignment and SLC2 chunk presence.  Versions 21.18 and 22.01 add support for gun submodel offset angles.
@@ Line 190: / Line 190: @@
 <pre>
-int num_bank
+int num_banks
 for each bank, s {
   int num_guns[s]
@@ Line 196: / Line 196: @@
     vector point[g,s]
     vector norm[g,s]
+  }
+}
@@ Line 203: / Line 204: @@
 A "bank" is what you see in the loadout screen. Primaries have a max of 2 and secondaries of 3 for player-flyable ships.
-"Guns" are the actual number of barrels and hence projectiles you'll get when you press the trigger. There is likely no practical max.
+"Guns" are the actual number of gunpoints and hence projectiles you'll get when you press the trigger. There is likely no practical max.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-The following information is copied from the Descent Developer's Network [http://web.archive.org/web/20010619182804/descent-freespace.com/ddn/specs/pof/ pof specs page].
+The following information was originally from the Descent Developer's Network [http://web.archive.org/web/20010619182804/descent-freespace.com/ddn/specs/pof/ pof specs page] with additional clarity edits and fixes.
 ==Introduction==
@@ Line 93: / Line 93: @@
 #endif
 #ifdef version2007orhigher
   int num_lights             // number of precalculated muzzle flash lights
@@ Line 136: / Line 137: @@
     vector pos[p,v]
     float radius[p,v]
-    int num_turrets[p,v]
+    int num_turrets[p,v]     // the following data is unused by the engine
     for each turret, t {
      int sobj_number[p,v,t]  // subobject number
@@ Line 189: / Line 190: @@
 <pre>
-int num_slots
+int num_bank
-for each slot, s {
+for each bank, s {
   int num_guns[s]
   for each gun, g {
@@ Line 201: / Line 202: @@
 ** Notes:
-A "slot" is what you see in the loadout screen. Primaries have a max of 2 and secondaries of 3 for player-flyable ships.
+A "bank" is what you see in the loadout screen. Primaries have a max of 2 and secondaries of 3 for player-flyable ships.
 "Guns" are the actual number of barrels and hence projectiles you'll get when you press the trigger. There is likely no practical max.
@@ Line 208: / Line 209: @@
 <pre>
-int num_banks
+int num_turrets
-for each bank, b {
+for each turret, t {
-  int sobj_parent[b]       // parent subobject (the subobject with which this turret is associated) (*)
+  int sobj_base[t]       // the base subobject of this turret (*)
-  int sobj_par_phys[b]     // physical parent subobject (the subobject to which the turret rotates) (*)
+  int sobj_gun[t]        // the gun subobject, or barrels of this turret(*)
-  vector turret_normal[b]
+  vector turret_normal[t]
-  int num_firing_points[b]
+  int num_firing_points[t]
   for each firing_point {
-   vector position[b,f]
+   vector position[t,f]
+  }
+}
@@ Line 224: / Line 225: @@
 ** Notes:
-For multipart turrets, sobj_parent is the "barrel" of a turret, and the firing points will be in this sobj's axial frame. sobj_par_phys is the "base" of a turret, which the barrel will rotate with.
+For multipart turrets, sobj_gun is the "barrel" of a turret, and the firing points will be in this sobj's axial frame. sobj_base is the "base" of a turret, which the barrel will rotate with.
-For single-part turrets, sobj_parent == sobj_parent_phys.
+For single-part turrets, sobj_base == sobj_gun.
@@ Line 236: / Line 237: @@
   int properties_length
   string properties[d]     // see notes below
-  int num_spline_paths[d]
+  int num_spline_paths[d]  // although multiple paths can be associated to the docking point, only the first will be used by the engine
   for each spline_path, p {
    int path_number[d,p]
@@ Line 255: / Line 256: @@
 <pre>
-int num_thrusters
+int num_thruster_banks
-for each thruster,t {
+for each thruster_bank,t {
-  int num glows[t]
+  int num_glows[t]
   #ifdef version2117orhigher // FreeSpace 2 change
@@ Line 349: / Line 350: @@
   int obj_parent // parent subobject number
   int LOD // Should be 0
-  int type // Should also be 0
+  int type
   int num_glowpoints // Number of glowpoints in this bank
   int properties_length

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:07, 26 September 2021
Line 175:		Line 175:


−	*' EYE' - Data for eye points (Where pilot looks in 1st person views). Note the space ~~in front of~~ EYE.	+	*'EYE ' - Data for eye points (Where pilot looks in 1st person views). Note the space after EYE.

	<pre>		<pre>

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:10, 17 December 2019
Line 388:		Line 388:
	** The first byte of each node is a size 1 char, this makes all the following data to be in unaligned memory access positions, thus making the SLDC system, as it is, incompatible with ARM arch.		** The first byte of each node is a size 1 char, this makes all the following data to be in unaligned memory access positions, thus making the SLDC system, as it is, incompatible with ARM arch.

		+	*'SLC2' - Revised version of Shield mesh collision tree info (FS2_Open and POF version 2118 only)
		+
		+	<pre>
		+	uint tree_size
		+	for each node, n {
		+	int type // 0 = SPLIT, 1 = LEAF/polylist
		+	uint size
		+	if !type { // SPLIT
		+	vector bound_min
		+	vector bound_max
		+	uint front_offset
		+	uint back_offset
		+	}
		+	else { // LEAF
		+	vector bound_min
		+	vector bound_max
		+	uint num_polygons
		+	for each polygon, p {
		+	uint polygon_addr // indexed into shield mesh face list?
		+	}
		+	}
		+	}
		+	</pre>
		+
		+	** The shield mesh collision tree speeds up collision calculation by adding bounding boxes around each polygon in the shield mesh. It works basically like a [[bsp_data_structure\|BSP tree]].
		+	** Revised version of SLDC chunk, now with a int for type to ensure data alignment.

	[[Category:File Types]]		[[Category:File Types]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:07, 17 December 2019
Line 37:		Line 37:
	Notes:		Notes:

−	*PSPO stood for Parallax Software Polygon Object at one time. Conflict, Descent: FreeSpace shipped at POF version 20.14, so version would be equal to 2014 in most POF files (not all). FreeSpace 2 shipped at POF version 21.17, some files are 21.16.	+	*PSPO stood for Parallax Software Polygon Object at one time. Conflict, Descent: FreeSpace shipped at POF version 20.14, so version would be equal to 2014 in most POF files (not all). FreeSpace 2 shipped at POF version 21.17, some files are 21.16. POF version 2118 was added on December 2019, this version ensures data alignment and SLC2 chunk presence.

@@ Line 351: / Line 351: @@
   int type // Should also be 0
   int num_glowpoints // Number of glowpoints in this bank
   string properties // Texture name, no file path or extension, like: "$glow_texture=..."
   for each glowpoint, p {

@@ Line 128: / Line 128: @@
 int num_paths
 for each path, p {
   string name[p]             // name
   string parent[p]           // parent's name
   int num_verts[p]
@@ Line 232: / Line 234: @@
 for each dock, d {
   string properties[d]     // see notes below
   int num_spline_paths[d]
@@ Line 257: / Line 260: @@
   #ifdef version2117orhigher // FreeSpace 2 change
    string properties
   #endif

@@ Line 289: / Line 289: @@
 vector bounding_box_max_point
 string submodel_name
 string properites
 int movement_type

POF data structure - Revision history

Asteroth: let's make some things clear in this spec

Asteroth at 00:31, 19 October 2021

Goober5000: updated POF version info

Asteroth at 01:37, 1 October 2021

Asteroth: the space is *after* 'EYE'

ShivanSpS: /* Chunk specs */

ShivanSpS: /* Basic file structure */

ShivanSpS: /* Chunk specs */

ShivanSpS: /* Chunk specs */

ShivanSpS: /* Chunk specs */

Asteroth: the space is after 'EYE'