Gta.dat: Difference between revisions

The '''gta*.dat''' file lists which files define the game map. It can be found in the game's <code>data</code> directory, and is known as <code>'''gta3.dat'''</code> in [[Grand Theft Auto III]], <code>'''gta_vc.dat'''</code> in [[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City]], and simply <code>'''gta.dat'''</code> in [[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]. The same file format is also used for the <code>'''default.dat'''</code> file in the same directory.

The files are in plain text format so they can be opened with any text editor (like [[wikipedia:Microsoft Notepad|Notepad]]). Line comments are indicated by the character <code>#</code> (number sign) and empty lines are allowed. They can be placed anywhere in the file. Since there are different types of files, a keyword is needed for each entry. Most entries use the following format, where the path is relative to the game's base directory:

|CDIMAGE ||{{Icon-square|3}} {{Icon-square|vc}} ||rowspan="2" |[[IMG Archive|IMG archive]]

|IMGLIST ||{{Icon-square|4}} ||[[Images.txt|Image list]]

|WATER ||{{Icon-square|4}} ||Water

|IDE ||{{Icon-square|t}} {{Icon-square|4}} ||[[IDE]] item definitions

|MAPZONE ||{{Icon-square|3}} ||rowspan="2" |Zone map areas and [[IPL]] item placements

|TEXDICTION ||{{Icon-square|t}} ||[[TXD|Texture dictionaries]]

|HIERFILE ||{{Icon-square|t}} ||

Since [[Grand Theft Auto IV]] has various subdirectories which need to be identified there are new identifiers at the start of the path. They identify the exact location relative to the executeable file. Those are:

=== IMG and CDIMAGE ===

''IMG: GTA SA only, CDIMAGE: GTA III and VC''

 

These entries define additionally used IMG archives (other than the hardcoded ones). In SA, you can only define a maximum of five entries. Any more will crash the game. <code>CDIMAGE</code> is supported in GTA III and VC, though unused in the default data files.

 

Example (GTA SA):

 

''GTA 4 only''

 

 

 

 

 

The WATER identifier can hold more than one parameter. It is unconfirmed either this also works for other identifiers.

  WATER common:/DATA/WATER.DAT common:/DATA/WATERLOW.DAT

These entries link to item definition files.

=== COLLISION ===

''GTA III, VC and SA''

With these entries collision files are defined. An additional parameter between keyword and path defines the map part they belong to. If this is 0, the col file is used by the whole map; a higher number (1 to 3) assigns it to one of the map zones.

  COLFILE 0 MODELS\COLL\GENERIC.COL

These keywords are used to link to [[IPL]]-style item placement and zone files. <code>MAPZONE</code> is only used in GTA3 and can only contain map zone data.

These link to external, mostly generic model files.

These define the splash screens that appear while loading the map. The argument for these is '''not''' a path, but just the name (without extension) of a texture dictionary in the <code>\models\txd</code> directory. Might be ignored, though.

=== EXIT ===

This command stops any further processing of the gta.dat file.