PAK (File Format)/RetroStudios: Difference between revisions

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(Created page with "'''PAK''' is an archive file format used in games such as Donkey Kong Country Returns created by RetroStudios. = File Format = == Header == The file starts with the following header: {|class="wikitable" ! Offset !! Type !! Description |- | 0x00 || UInt32 || {{Unknown-left|'''Unknown'''. Always 2, possibly a version number.}} |- | 0x04 || UInt32 || '''Header size'''. Always 0x40. |- | 0x08 || Byte[0x10] || '''MD5 hash''' of the file data following the header. |- |...")
 
m (Document compressed block containing decompressed data)
 
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|}
|}


Afterwards the section data is layout in the same order as they are specified above.
At 0x80 the section data for each section starts. They are laid out in the same order as they are specified above.


== STRG ==
== STRG ==
The '''STRG''' data starts with the following structure:
The '''STRG''' section specifies files which are named, in other words identified by a string. It starts with the following structure:


{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
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| '''N''' + 1 || Char[4] || '''Resource magic'''. File magic of the resource specifying file type.
| '''N''' + 1 || Char[4] || '''Resource magic'''. File magic of the resource specifying file type.
|-
|-
| '''N''' + 5 || UInt64 || '''Resource ID'''.
| '''N''' + 5 || UInt64 || '''Resource ID'''. There is always an entry in the [[#RSHD|RSHD section]] with the same ''Resource ID''.
|}
|}


== RSHD ==
== RSHD ==
The '''RSHD ''' data starts with the following structure:
The '''RSHD ''' section specifies all files, where the files are identified by a 64-bit integer. All files in [[#STRG|STRG]] are also stores in the RSHD section. It starts with the following structure:


{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
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! Offset !! Type !! Description
! Offset !! Type !! Description
|-
|-
| 0x00 || UInt32 || '''Compression flag'''. Either 0 (uncompressed) or 1 (compressed).
| 0x00 || UInt32 || '''Compression flag'''. Either 0 (uncompressed) or 1 (compressed). See [[#Compressed Data|here]] for more details.
|-
|-
| 0x04 || Char[4] || '''Resource magic'''. File magic of the resource specifying file type.
| 0x04 || Char[4] || '''Resource magic'''. File magic of the resource specifying file type.
Line 86: Line 86:
| 0x08 || UInt64 || '''Resource ID'''.
| 0x08 || UInt64 || '''Resource ID'''.
|-
|-
| 0x10 || UInt32 || '''File data size''' in bytes.
| 0x10 || UInt32 || '''File data size''' in bytes. Files are always padded with 0x40, which is reflected in the file data size.
|-
|-
| 0x14 || UInt32 || '''File data offset''', relative to the start of the [[#DATA|DATA]] section.
| 0x14 || UInt32 || '''File data offset''', relative to the start of the [[#DATA|DATA]] section.
Line 92: Line 92:


== DATA ==
== DATA ==
All file data is stored in the '''DATA''' section and references by each [[#Resource|resource]].
All file data is stored in the '''DATA''' section and references by each [[#Resource|resource]]. File data is always padded to nearest 0x40 with 0xFF.
 
=== Compressed Data ===
File data may be compressed. In Donkey Kong Country Returns, files may be compressed using ZLib. Compressed data starts with the following header:
 
{|class="wikitable"
! Offset !! Type !! Description
|-
| 0x00 || Char[4] || '''Data magic'''. Always ''CMPD'' in ASCII.
|-
| 0x04 || UInt32 || '''Block count''' ('''N'''). Specifies the number of compressed blocks the data has been divided into.
|}
 
Following the header '''N''' block entries follows:
 
{|class="wikitable"
! Offset !! Type !! Description
|-
| 0x00 || Byte || '''Flag'''.
|-
| 0x01 || UInt24 || '''Compressed size''' in bytes.
|-
| 0x04 || UInt32 || '''Decompressed size''' in bytes. If the compressed size is identical to the decompressed size, it means the block data is not compressed and the data should be copied directly rather than decompressing.
|}
 
Afterwards the compressed file data is stored. Like with decompressed data, the compressed data is padded with 0xFF to nearest 0x40.


= Tools =
= Tools =

Latest revision as of 20:22, 11 July 2025

PAK is an archive file format used in games such as Donkey Kong Country Returns created by RetroStudios.

File Format

Header

The file starts with the following header:

Offset Type Description
0x00 UInt32 Unknown. Always 2, possibly a version number.
0x04 UInt32 Header size. Always 0x40.
0x08 Byte[0x10] MD5 hash of the file data following the header.
0x18 Byte[0x18] Padding.

Table Of Content

After the header, a table of content structure specify what sections are stored in the file. It has the following structure:

Offset Type Description
0x00 UInt32 Section count (N). In practice this will always be 3 with order STRG, RSHD, DATA.

N entries of the following structure follows.

Offset Type Description
0x00 Char[4] Section magic.
0x04 UInt32 Section size in bytes.

At 0x80 the section data for each section starts. They are laid out in the same order as they are specified above.

STRG

The STRG section specifies files which are named, in other words identified by a string. It starts with the following structure:

Offset Type Description
0x00 UInt32 Number of named resources (N).

Immediately afterwards N named resources follows.

Named Resource

Each resource has the following structure:

Offset Type Description
0x00 Char[N + 1] Resource name stored as a null-terminated string of length N.
N + 1 Char[4] Resource magic. File magic of the resource specifying file type.
N + 5 UInt64 Resource ID. There is always an entry in the RSHD section with the same Resource ID.

RSHD

The RSHD section specifies all files, where the files are identified by a 64-bit integer. All files in STRG are also stores in the RSHD section. It starts with the following structure:

Offset Type Description
0x00 UInt32 Number of resources (N).

Immediately afterwards N resources follows.

Resource

Each resource has the following structure:

Offset Type Description
0x00 UInt32 Compression flag. Either 0 (uncompressed) or 1 (compressed). See here for more details.
0x04 Char[4] Resource magic. File magic of the resource specifying file type.
0x08 UInt64 Resource ID.
0x10 UInt32 File data size in bytes. Files are always padded with 0x40, which is reflected in the file data size.
0x14 UInt32 File data offset, relative to the start of the DATA section.

DATA

All file data is stored in the DATA section and references by each resource. File data is always padded to nearest 0x40 with 0xFF.

Compressed Data

File data may be compressed. In Donkey Kong Country Returns, files may be compressed using ZLib. Compressed data starts with the following header:

Offset Type Description
0x00 Char[4] Data magic. Always CMPD in ASCII.
0x04 UInt32 Block count (N). Specifies the number of compressed blocks the data has been divided into.

Following the header N block entries follows:

Offset Type Description
0x00 Byte Flag.
0x01 UInt24 Compressed size in bytes.
0x04 UInt32 Decompressed size in bytes. If the compressed size is identical to the decompressed size, it means the block data is not compressed and the data should be copied directly rather than decompressing.

Afterwards the compressed file data is stored. Like with decompressed data, the compressed data is padded with 0xFF to nearest 0x40.

Tools

The following tools can handle PAK files:

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