[Guide]RYL File Formats - Folder Understanding

[FFA]

RYL/RYL2/ROW’s main game core was developed in Directx8 in C++ in the early 2000’s, they created a lot of their own file types based on coding which was common at the time as general pipeline engines such as Unity and UE4, and more universal file types had not been mainstreamed yet, so games made and developed their own usually to fit their own code and specific uses.

I know most of this forum is aware of RYL’s folders and file types, but I am just making a general reference for anyone new that may be interested in developing in RYL to know their way around what they are looking at.

I'll be updating this list with breakdowns/pictures as I have more time but for now just it’s general outline based on the classic client of the game that anyone can add to, thanks and good luck developing!

-Helpful Terms-
LOD- Calculates Distance from and object and reduces polygon count in increments for improved performance/rendering.

CHARACTER
*CLIENT/CHARACTER/ChrEvent.EDS & EventSoundFile.EDS
Used to link character files to animation and sounds events for proper timing.

*CLIENT*/Character/DATA/AMESH-
.z3am - Fixed animation mesh for character files to a selected bone of the skeletal rig. - Weapons,Shields,(Capes/Wings/Other possible things) –

*CLIENT*/Character/DATA/MESH-
.Z3M- Character piece, Monster, NPC, and Siege/Tower Mesh Files. These are animatable but require a skeleton attachment through the RYL Data Exporter in 3DS 8 - 2012 or Alpha's rModel program.

*CLIENT*/CHARACTER/DATA - .GCMDS
All Character script information combined to create use in game. Other threads with plenty of information.

*CLIENT*/CHARACTER/DATA - .skey
Skeletal information for GCMDS Characters.

*CLIENT*/CHARACTER/DATA- .Skel
Old Skeleton information for development? - Replaced by .skey files at some point.

MAP
*CLIENT*/.r3s- Map Files
Zone(*Number*).r3s -Assigned Map Files containing Zone information.

*CLIENT*/Object/FieldObject
Rocks,Plants,Boxes,random stuff, some with collision octree and some without.

*CLIENT*/Object/House
Building files containing multiple meshes/materials for form one building or solid structure for easier implementation.

*CLIENT*/Object/NatureObject
(Animated Trees) As well as associated Zones. There are 50 total trees with 50 LOD trees. Each Zone can only contain 30 variations based on the original source.

*CLIENT*/Octee/.OCT- Octree Collision
Adds Collision Data for the r3s models so characters will not phase/fall through.

*CLIENT*/.Z3C – Zalla Object Container
Construction assets(Grouped houses and object based on Zones and their theme when they were created for the World Creator Application.

*CLIENT*/CHARACTER/DATA/ANI/.APACK
Animation Loops for each character, Monster, NPC, Motion object’s movement

EFFECTS
*CLIENT*/Effect
.ESF
Effect Script File- Contains linking information to .EFF File as well as parameters to alter effects in some ways and associated sound files to said skills.
.EFF
Links Effect .GEM and Texture .DDS together? - Assuming these functions based on reading files.*
.GEM
3D Rendering of Skill/Animation? – Assuming these functions based on reading files.*

*CLIENT*/SOUND -.OGG & .WAV & .MND
Sound File Folders for BGM(BackGroundMusic), Ambience, Effects, Interface interactions, Item interactions.

TEXTURE
.DDS
*CLIENT*/CHARACTER/TEXTURE
-Textures associated with Character pieces/Monsters/NPCs/Siege and Race Towers.

*CLIENT*/TEXTURE/EFFECT
Textures for skill/map/player/monster effects for the game.

*CLIENT*/TEXTURE/INTERFACE
Textures for all of RYL’s interface and menu’s, interface maps, interface item textures.

*CLIENT*/TEXTURE/LIGHTMAP
Lights reflective value based on generated white(reflective) and black(Absorb) or light color diffuse added to apply said light effect.(Purple around Portal for example.)
*Note*- Some meshes do have a light map associated with them meaning the have specific defined reflections to RYL’s Light source mean they will come out a specific way. (Example KR Castle on Map8.)

Here you can see the lightmap being applied to said model.

When renamed you can see it no longer recieves the lightmap data and defaults to in game lighting.


*CLIENT*/TEXTURE/NATUREOBJECT
Zone Files= Map associated with its number.
-Each zone has its own distinct set of environmental textures to create its world/Zone, such as the sun/clouds/ moon/ Lightsource/Grasses. – Toward the end of the folder is a large amount of water textures which is when put in a row create and water animation you see ingame.
*CLIENT*/TEXTURE/OBJECT
All house/fieldobject/tree texture files for each Zones.

*CLIENT*/TEXTURE/TERRAIN
Terrain detail texture for close range tiling?

*CLIENT*/TEXTURE/WIDETEXTURE
ZoneFolder- Contains Zone Map tiles based on X - Width and Y – Height Coordinates of the Map
Examples-
2_3_0_Land.dds - First number 2 = X Tile, 3 = Y tile , 0 = ??, Land = Overall Land diffuse.
2_3.dds – Minimap interface texture. – Sometimes in separate folder labeled *MiniMap*
2_3_Rock, 2_3_Sand, 2_3_grass.dds , Grasstable2_3.dds – Masking maps to change which detail texture is used for close proximity render? And maybe also adds the animated grass for the maps? Haven’t 100% looked into these to determine their exact functions yet.
White = Grass, Grey/dark/black- No grass? For Grasstable2_3.DDS.
Landdetail.dds, normaldetail.dds, rockdetail.dds, sanddetail.dds- The detail maps for close proximity render as guessed above.

*CLIENT*/LOWTEXTURE* -Obsolete on some servers that have removed low detail option.
Lower Resolution of all textures listed above for performance back in the early 2000’s. -

*CLIENT*/GUILDBMP
Guild Logo’s for in game, must be same size and format as black square template to be visible in game.

.MCF and .GSF Files
Script files for game functionality, plenty of threads on their uses and these make up the general structure format of how your game will be whether, RYL1, RYL2, or ROW, RYL4, RYL1337, etc.

*CLIENT*/ScreenShots
Stores screenshots of in-game by pressing F12(or whatever it was haven’t used it in years.) xD

*CLIENT*/WeatherColorTable(*Number*).dat
Color table that determines how everything responses to light and allows for customization of your world through color several color parameters. They are generated, edited and saved by the world creator.

Thats all I got, more to come!

 

[KaitoDaumoto]

Well documentate .. deserved +rep