How can I extract game data from Nitemare 3D files?

Question

I am trying to reverse engineer an old Wolf3D style Dos game named "Nitemare 3D". I can get a raycasting engine with directional sprites running pretty easily using SDL2, but I have no experience with opening file archives. There is an old game file extractor that sadly does not have any available source code. Does anyone know how I can read these files with c or c++?

file extractor and game files

You know SE has also reverseengineering.stackexchange.com site... What exactly you want to extract? sprites/textures , maps, sound ? Do you have some screen shots of the game and or more info about it (like screen size etc ... that might narrow down thesearch properties) ... — Spektre, Aug 11 at 6:59
btw for locating and determinig encoding of images inside program files I used PV back in the MS-DOS days... it was superior any other tool I saw back then... — Spektre, Aug 11 at 8:41
I have updated my answer with new findings in the file-format and I also finished the decoder now its matching the game screenshots completely... — Spektre, Aug 12 at 11:31

Aybe · Accepted Answer · 2019-08-14 19:30:48Z

Read and extract `SND.DAT`

Code is C# but is easy enough to understand and port to another language.

Basically there are 6 bytes entries that tells where is what in the file, some of them are dummy.

I have already identified for you the different types of files in it:

IBK
MID
VOC

Winamp will play MIDI files out of the box.

VLC will play VOC files properly unlike Winamp.

For IBK files check these links:

http://www.shikadi.net/moddingwiki/IBK_Format

https://github.com/Wohlstand/OPL3BankEditor

Code:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using JetBrains.Annotations;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting;

namespace UnitTestProject1
{
    [TestClass]
    public class UnitTest1
    {
        [TestMethod]
        public void TestMethod1()
        {
            const string directory = @"C:\Temp\nite3d20";

            var path = Path.Combine(directory, "SND.DAT");

            using (var stream = File.OpenRead(path))
            using (var reader = new BinaryReader(stream))
            {
                stream.Position = 0;

                var samples = new List<Sample>();

                while (true)
                {
                    var sample = new Sample(reader);

                    if (sample.Position == stream.Length)
                        break;

                    samples.Add(sample);
                }

                var index = 0;

                foreach (var sample in samples)
                {
                    string extension;

                    switch (index)
                    {
                        case 0:
                            extension = "IBK";
                            break;
                        case int n when n >= 1 && n <= 15:
                            extension = "MID";
                            break;
                        case int n when n >= 34 && n <= 110:
                            extension = "VOC";
                            break;
                        default:
                            extension = ".BIN";
                            break;
                    }

                    var name = $"{path}.{index++:D3}.{extension}";

                    if (sample.Length == 0)
                        continue;

                    stream.Position = sample.Position;

                    var bytes = reader.ReadBytes(sample.Length);

                    File.WriteAllBytes(name, bytes);
                }
            }
        }
    }

    public struct Sample
    {
        public readonly short Length;
        public readonly int Position;

        public Sample([NotNull] BinaryReader reader)
        {
            if (reader == null)
                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(reader));

            Length = reader.ReadInt16();
            Position = reader.ReadInt32();
        }

        public override string ToString()
        {
            return $"{nameof(Position)}: {Position}, {nameof(Length)}: {Length}";
        }
    }
}

You will end up with the following files:

 Directory of C:\Temp\nite3d20\New Folder With Items

[.]               [..]              SND.DAT.000.IBK   SND.DAT.001.MID   SND.DAT.002.MID   SND.DAT.003.MID
SND.DAT.004.MID   SND.DAT.005.MID   SND.DAT.006.MID   SND.DAT.007.MID   SND.DAT.008.MID   SND.DAT.009.MID
SND.DAT.010.MID   SND.DAT.011.MID   SND.DAT.012.MID   SND.DAT.013.MID   SND.DAT.014.MID   SND.DAT.015.MID
SND.DAT.034.VOC   SND.DAT.035.VOC   SND.DAT.036.VOC   SND.DAT.037.VOC   SND.DAT.038.VOC   SND.DAT.039.VOC
SND.DAT.040.VOC   SND.DAT.041.VOC   SND.DAT.042.VOC   SND.DAT.043.VOC   SND.DAT.044.VOC   SND.DAT.045.VOC
SND.DAT.046.VOC   SND.DAT.047.VOC   SND.DAT.048.VOC   SND.DAT.049.VOC   SND.DAT.050.VOC   SND.DAT.051.VOC
SND.DAT.052.VOC   SND.DAT.053.VOC   SND.DAT.054.VOC   SND.DAT.055.VOC   SND.DAT.056.VOC   SND.DAT.057.VOC
SND.DAT.058.VOC   SND.DAT.059.VOC   SND.DAT.060.VOC   SND.DAT.061.VOC   SND.DAT.063.VOC   SND.DAT.064.VOC
SND.DAT.065.VOC   SND.DAT.066.VOC   SND.DAT.067.VOC   SND.DAT.068.VOC   SND.DAT.069.VOC   SND.DAT.070.VOC
SND.DAT.071.VOC   SND.DAT.073.VOC   SND.DAT.074.VOC   SND.DAT.078.VOC   SND.DAT.079.VOC   SND.DAT.080.VOC
SND.DAT.081.VOC   SND.DAT.082.VOC   SND.DAT.083.VOC   SND.DAT.084.VOC   SND.DAT.085.VOC   SND.DAT.086.VOC
SND.DAT.087.VOC   SND.DAT.088.VOC   SND.DAT.089.VOC   SND.DAT.090.VOC   SND.DAT.091.VOC   SND.DAT.092.VOC
SND.DAT.093.VOC   SND.DAT.094.VOC   SND.DAT.095.VOC   SND.DAT.096.VOC   SND.DAT.097.VOC   SND.DAT.098.VOC
SND.DAT.099.VOC   SND.DAT.100.VOC   SND.DAT.101.VOC   SND.DAT.102.VOC   SND.DAT.103.VOC   SND.DAT.104.VOC
SND.DAT.105.VOC   SND.DAT.106.VOC   SND.DAT.107.VOC   SND.DAT.108.VOC   SND.DAT.109.VOC   SND.DAT.110.VOC
              88 File(s)        560,142 bytes

Note that I increment index before potentially skipping it, you then end up with the intended index for it, i.e. you might find relevant info on other files and they should point at correct index, else adjust.

Better DAT reading algorithm

In fact, DAT files share the same structs describing where is what:

UINT16LE Length

UINT32LE Position

This will read and extract DATs into subdirectories:

What changes from previous code is members in struct and the logic to infer last entry in that FAT.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Text;
using JetBrains.Annotations;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting;

namespace UnitTestProject1
{
    [TestClass]
    public class UnitTest1
    {
        [NotNull]
        private static Entry[] GetEntries([NotNull] Stream stream)
        {
            if (stream == null)
                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(stream));

            using (var reader = new BinaryReader(stream, Encoding.Default, true))
            {
                var entries = new List<Entry>();

                while (true)
                {
                    var entry = new Entry(reader);

                    if (entry.Position + entry.Length == stream.Length)
                        break;

                    entries.Add(entry);
                }

                return entries.ToArray();
            }
        }

        [NotNull]
        private static string GetPath([NotNull] string fileName)
        {
            if (fileName == null)
                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(fileName));

            const string directory = @"C:\Temp\nite3d20";

            var path = Path.Combine(directory, fileName);

            return path;
        }

        [TestMethod]
        public void Extract_UIF_DAT()
        {
            Extract("UIF.DAT");
        }

        [TestMethod]
        public void Extract_SND_DAT()
        {
            Extract("SND.DAT");
        }

        private static void Extract([NotNull] string fileName)
        {
            if (fileName == null)
                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(fileName));

            var path = GetPath(fileName);

            using (var stream = File.OpenRead(path))
            using (var reader = new BinaryReader(stream))
            {
                var entries = GetEntries(stream);

                var directory = Directory.CreateDirectory($"{path} content");

                var index = 0;

                foreach (var entry in entries)
                {
                    stream.Position = entry.Position;

                    var entryPath = Path.Combine(directory.FullName, $"{index++:D3}.BIN");
                    var entryData = reader.ReadBytes(entry.Length);

                    File.WriteAllBytes(entryPath, entryData);
                }
            }
        }
    }

    public struct Entry
    {
        public readonly ushort Length;
        public readonly uint Position;

        public Entry([NotNull] BinaryReader reader)
        {
            if (reader == null)
                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(reader));

            Length = reader.ReadUInt16();
            Position = reader.ReadUInt32();
        }

        public override string ToString()
        {
            return $"{nameof(Position)}: {Position}, {nameof(Length)}: {Length}";
        }
    }
}

Unpacking the executable

Use the following to unpack it:

https://github.com/joncampbell123/dosbox-x

http://unp.bencastricum.nl/

Note that the game won't run when you extract it, complaining that the EXE is corrupt.

And I guess that with the free version of IDA decompiler, you will be able to see many interesting strings in it.

UIF.DAT images

Each of the files in it are images as some strings in EXE tells, they probably use some form of RLE encoding.

Looking at their header, I think the following could be valid:

Then the palette is 768 bytes after image data highlighted in yellow.

Good luck for your game!

Dude, Awesome! I can create a c++ version as soon as I get home, my only question(sorry, new to reading files), what does "case int n when n >= 1 && n <= 15" do? I know it identifies the file type but what does it actually mean? — BBQGiraffe, Aug 14 at 14:58
It is a shortcut syntax to check 'index' value inside the switch block! — Aybe, Aug 14 at 16:00

Spektre · Accepted Answer · 2019-08-12 12:17:53Z

The IMG.* files contains all textures and sprites in uncompressed/unencrypted state so its very easy to render, but there is no VGA palette there (nor in other files you posted). I found this:

Nightmare3D DOS Archive

and inside the game zip I found GAME.PAL file containing the palette ... Its 1924 Bytes long and its look like the palette for IMG.* sprites is at offset 1156 dec till end of file.

The IMG.* file format is as follows:

0000: DWORD 00000000 magic ID?
// directory
0004: DWORD 0000BC00 1st image start 
0008: DWORD          2nd image start 
000C: DWORD          3th image start 
      ...
// 1st image
BC00: BYTE xs
BC01: BYTE ys 
BC02: BYTE unknown[8]
BC0A: BYTE pixels[xs*ys]
// 2nd image
      ...

However the directory has some hacks in it I did not yet recognize so its safer to scan for image by incrementing start address of image by 10+xs*ys to move to next image (until end of file reached). I decoded all the images starts and create own linear directory to speed up the rendering and usage instead (see the code).

The pixels are stored 8bpp 256 color pixels in column major order !!! Most likely to speed-up/simplify the ray-casting engine Scanlines. This is my test code in C++/VCL to render it:

//$$---- Form CPP ----
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
#include <vcl.h>
#pragma hdrstop

#include "Unit1.h"
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
#pragma package(smart_init)
#pragma resource "*.dfm"
TForm1 *Form1;
Graphics::TBitmap *bmp;
int xs,ys;
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
class Nightmare3D_img
    {
public:
    // palette
    DWORD pal[256];
    // file
    BYTE *dat;          // file
    DWORD *dir;
    int siz,num;        // filesize, images
    // decoded/rendered image
    Graphics::TBitmap *bmp;

    Nightmare3D_img()
        {
        dat=NULL; siz=0; num=0; dir=NULL;
        bmp=new Graphics::TBitmap;
        bmp->HandleType=bmDIB;
        bmp->PixelFormat=pf32bit;
        }
    Nightmare3D_img(Nightmare3D_img& a) { *this=a; }
    ~Nightmare3D_img()  { _free(); }
    Nightmare3D_img* operator = (const Nightmare3D_img *a) { *this=*a; return this; }
    //Nightmare3D_img* operator = (const Nightmare3D_img &a) { ...copy... return this; }

    void _free(){ if (dat) delete[] dat; siz=0; num=0; dir=NULL; }

    void load_pal(AnsiString filename)  // load palette to memory
        {
        int hnd,adr,i0,i,j;
        BYTE a[1924],*p;
        hnd=FileOpen(filename,fmOpenRead); if (hnd<0) return;   // open file
        FileRead(hnd,a,1924);                                   // load it to memory
        FileClose(hnd);                                         // close file
        // extract palette
        p=(BYTE*)pal;
        i0=1156;
        for (i=0,j=0;i<3*256;i+=3,j+=4)
            {
            p[j+0]=a[i0+i+2];
            p[j+1]=a[i0+i+1];
            p[j+2]=a[i0+i+0];
            p[j+3]=0;
            }
        }
    void load(AnsiString filename)  // copy file to memory
        {
        _free();
        int hnd,adr,xs,ys;
        hnd=FileOpen(filename,fmOpenRead); if (hnd<0) return;   // open file
        siz=FileSeek(hnd,0,2);                                  // get its size
            FileSeek(hnd,0,0);                                  // point to its start
        dat=new BYTE[siz];
        if (dat) FileRead(hnd,dat,siz); else siz=0;             // load it to memory
        FileClose(hnd);                                         // close file
        // recreate linear directory
        dir=(DWORD*)(dat+4);
        for (adr=0xBC00,num=0;(adr<siz)&&(num<12030);)
            {
            dir[num]=adr; num++;
            xs=dat[adr+0];
            ys=dat[adr+1];
            adr+=10+(xs*ys);
            }
        }
    void draw(int ix)
        {
        if (!siz) return;
        DWORD **pyx,c;
        int x,y,xs,ys,adr;
        // find image start
        if ((ix<0)||(ix>=num)) return;                      // image index out of range
        adr=dir[ix];
        if ((adr<0)||(adr+2>siz)) return;                   // end of file check
        xs=dat[adr+0];
        ys=dat[adr+1];
        bmp->SetSize(xs,ys);
        pyx=new DWORD*[ys];
        for (y=0;y<ys;y++) pyx[y]=(DWORD*)bmp->ScanLine[y];
        adr+=10;
        x=0; y=0;
        for (;adr<siz;)
            {
            pyx[y][x]=pal[dat[adr]]; adr++;
            y++; if (y>=ys){ y=0; x++; if (x>=xs) break; }
            }
        delete[] pyx;
        }
    } img;
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
void draw()
    {
    bmp->Canvas->FillRect(TRect(0,0,xs,ys));

    int ix,x=0,y=0,dx,dy,q,w=4;

    for (dx=0,dy=0,ix=Form1->sb_img->Position;ix<img.num;ix++)
        {
        img.draw(ix);
        bmp->Canvas->Draw(x,y,img.bmp); x+=w+img.bmp->Width;
        q=img.bmp->Width;  if (dx<q) dx=q;
        q=img.bmp->Height; if (dy<q) dy=q;
        if (x>=xs-dx-w){ x=0; y+=w+dy; if (y>=ys-64) break; dx=0; dy=0; }
        }
    Form1->Caption=AnsiString().sprintf("image: %i-%i/%i ",Form1->sb_img->Position,ix,img.num);
//  bmp->SaveToFile("out.bmp");

    Form1->Canvas->Draw(0,0,bmp);
    }
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
__fastcall TForm1::TForm1(TComponent* Owner):TForm(Owner)
    {
    bmp=new Graphics::TBitmap;
    bmp->HandleType=bmDIB;
    bmp->PixelFormat=pf32bit;
    FileListBox1->Directory="..\\Files";
    FileListBox1->Mask="IMG.*";
    FileListBox1->Update();

    img.load_pal("..\\Files\\GAME.PAL");
    img.load    ("..\\Files\\IMG.1");
    }
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
void __fastcall TForm1::FormPaint(TObject *Sender)
    {
    draw();
    }
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
void __fastcall TForm1::FormResize(TObject *Sender)
    {
    xs=sb_img->Left;
    ys=ClientHeight;
    bmp->Width=xs;
    bmp->Height=ys;
    draw();
    }
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
void __fastcall TForm1::FormActivate(TObject *Sender)
    {
    draw();
    }
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
void __fastcall TForm1::FileListBox1Change(TObject *Sender)
    {
    if (FileListBox1->FileName!="")
        {
        img.load(FileListBox1->FileName);
        draw();
        }
    }
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
void __fastcall TForm1::FormDestroy(TObject *Sender)
    {
    delete bmp;
    }
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
void __fastcall TForm1::sb_imgChange(TObject *Sender)
    {
    draw();
    }
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can ignore the VCL stuff the only important thing is the class ... the img.load just loads entire IMG.* file into memory and draw(ix) render ixth sprite into img.bmp bitmap.

I have a scroll bar sb_img that selects which image is rendered first and file list to select which IMG.* file to load for testing.

Here some previews from IMG.1 file:

If you need help with porting the VCL graphics code see bullets #3,#4 in here:

Graphics rendering

For the ray-casting see this:

Ray Casting with different height size

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How can I extract game data from Nitemare 3D files?

2 Answers 2

Read and extract `SND.DAT`

Better DAT reading algorithm

Unpacking the executable

UIF.DAT images

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How can I extract game data from Nitemare 3D files?

2 Answers 2

Read and extract SND.DAT

Better DAT reading algorithm

Unpacking the executable

UIF.DAT images

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Read and extract `SND.DAT`