4DS

Introduction

The .4ds format in version 41 is the basic format for 3D objects in Hidden & Dangerous 2. 4ds was also used for Mafia and Chameleon but in different versions.

Structure

For having a better and easier understanding, we split the file into three parts: header, images and objects.

Header

Each .4ds file has following values at its beginning.

highlighted: file version (41)

Map.4ds	meaning	example
first 4 bytes	file format	4ds.
16-bit INT	file version	2900 (41)
8 bytes	timestamp	002E 9F89 5048 C301

Images

Here all images listed which are used. Allowed are Bitmaps(.bmp) and Targa Image Files (.tga)
First we have the attribute for the total amount of pictures. If you added a picture in your map.4ds file, don't forget to update this value.

It's a 16-bit INT e.g. 0700, 7 images.

File:Map4ds-images-count.png

highlighted: amount of images

After the amount, each image is listed after the following structure:

File:Map4ds-part-image.png

image structure, highlighted: amount of images

Image
4x 8-bit INT	unknown, activates Alpha channel (transparency)	0 128 63 15 (1 128 21 32)
4x 32-bit FLOAT	Ambient color	0.5 0.5 0.5 0
4x 32-bit FLOAT	Diffuse color	0.5 0.5 0.5 0
4x 32-bit FLOAT	Specular color	0.045 0.045 0.045 0
4x 32-bit FLOAT	Self illumination color	0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
32-bit FLOAT	shininess/glossiness	25
8-bit INT	unknown	0
32-bit FLOAT	opacity	0(0%) to 1 (100%)
8-bit INT	amount of characters (of label)	14
differs	label	MAPA_AF3_2.BMP

Objects

The last image is followed by a 16-bit INT, which represents the number of objects e.g. 0A00 (10 objects).
Each object has a header, which is described below. After the header comes the actual object data. A list of all object types can be found here: object types

Object header

The visual object type and flags are only present if the object type is a visual object.

File:Map4ds-part-id1.png

Example: Visual object (ID-1)

	Description	Example
8-bit INT	object type	object types
8-bit INT	visual object type	visual types
16-bit INT	flags	static collision? receive shadows? cast shadows?
16-bit INT	father index (0: none)	2
3x 32-bit FLOAT	position: x, y, z	-0.192 -0.132 -0.273 (position relavitly to father object)
4x 32-bit FLOAT	rotation: x, y, z, w (quaternions)	0.5 0.5 -0.5 0.5
3x 32-bit FLOAT	scale: x, y, z	1 1 1
32-bit FLOAT	unknown	always 0
8-bit INT	unknown	always 9 for non sector objects
8-bit INT	number of letters	10
Label	unique object name	"objective1"
8-bit INT	number of letters	7
Label	custom user properties	"VOLB,36"

Visual

MeshObject

	Description	Example
16-bit INT	instance ID
8-bit INT	number of LODs (Level of Detail)
	for each LOD
32-bit FLOAT	LOD draw distance
32-bit INT	extra data (length)
16-bit INT	number of vertices
	for each vertex
3x 32-bit FLOATs	vertex position: x, y, z
3x 32-bit FLOATs	vertex normal: nx, ny, nz
2x 32-bit FLOATs	texture vertex: u, v
	end for each vertex
8-bit INT	number of face groups
	for each face group
16-bit INT	number of faces
Nx (3x 16-bit INT)	face vertex indices: a, b, c
16-bit INT	bitmap id

SingleMesh

Inherits MeshObject data.

	Description	Example
8-bit INT	number of joints
4x 32-bit FLOAT	minimum position? x, y, z, 0
4x 32-bit FLOAT	maximum position? x, y, z, 0
N x 8-bit INT	parent index of N-th joint
	for each joint
16x 32-bit FLOAT	joint transform matrix
4x 32-bit FLOAT	minimum position? x, y, z, 0
4x 32-bit FLOAT	maximum position? x, y, z, 0
	end for each joint
	for each LOD (from Object)
32-bit INT	number of weighted vertices
	for each weighted vertex
8-bit INT	joint index
8-bit INT	vertex weight?

SingleMorph

Inherits SingleMesh and Morph data.

Billboard

Inherits MeshObject data.

	Description	Example
32-bit INT	axis?
8-bit INT	unknown

Morph

Inherits MeshObject data.

	Description	Example
8-bit INT	number of morph targets
8-bit INT	number of morphed parts (hand, eye, etc)
8-bit INT	unknown
	for each morphed parts
16-bit INT	number of morphed vertices
	for each morphed vertex
	for each morph target
3x 32-bit FLOAT	morphed vertex position: x, y, z
3x 32-bit FLOAT	morphed vertex normal: nx, ny, nz
	end for each morph target
	end for each morphed vertex
Nx 16-bit INT	mapping from N-th morphed vertex to origial vertex
	end for each morphed parts
12x 32-bit FLOAT/INT	unknown

Lens

	Description	Example
8-bit INT	number of glows
	for each glow
32-bit FLOAT	unknown
32-bit FLOAT	unknown
16-bit INT	material ID

Mirror

	Description	Example
33x 32-bit FLOAT/INT	unknown
32-bit INT	number of vertices
32-bit INT	number of faces
Nx (4x 32-bit FLOAT)	vertex positions: x, y, z, 0
Nx (3x 16-bit INT)	face vertex indices: a, b, c

Sector

	Description	Example
32-bit INT	unknown
32-bit INT	unknown
32-bit INT	number of vertices
32-bit INT	number of faces
4x 32-bit FLOAT	minimum vertex position: x, y, z, 0
4x 32-bit FLOAT	maxmimum vertex position: x, y, z, 0
N x (4x 32-bit FLOAT)	vertex positions: x, y, z, 0
N x (3x 16-bit INT)	face vertex indices: a, b, c
8-bit INT	number of portals
	for each portal
8-bit INT	number of portal vertices
3x 32-bit FLOAT	portal plane normal
32-bit FLOAT	portal plane distance
32-bit INT	portal flags?
32-bit FLOAT	portal near range?
32-bit FLOAT	portal far range?
32-bit FLOAT/INT	unknown
Nx (4x 32-bit FLOAT)	portal vertex positions: x, y, z, 0

Dummy

Dummies are cuboids, mostly cubes. The 2 extents are two points in space which form the diagonal of a cuboid/box.

	Description	Example
3x 32-bit FLOAT	minimum extent of dummy box
32-bit INT	unknown
3x 32-bit FLOAT	maximum extent of dummy box
32-bit INT	unknown

Target

	Description	Example
16-bit INT	unknown
8-bit INT	unknown : N
Nx (16-bit INT)	target ID?

Joint

	Description	Example
32-bit INT	unique joint ID

Occluder

	Description	Example
32-bit INT	number of vertices
32-bit INT	number of faces
Nx (4x 32-bit FLOAT)	vertex positions: x, y, z, 0
Nx (3x 16-bit INT)	face vertex indices: a, b, c

Animation

Finally, at the end of each .4ds file comes a 8-bit INT value, which is always 0 unless an corresponding .5ds animation file exists.