The Sims™ Technical Aspects

Resource Formats

These are the resource formats that have been decoded and documented:
rsmp resource map (table of contents for the IFF file)
BCON behavorial constants (for tuning)
CARR table of career track information
CTSS Catalog Tree String Set (structured string format)
DGRP draw group, combines multiple sprites into an image
FAMs CTSS-format family name
FWAV reference to a vox (audio) file
GLOB identify semi-global file
OBJf object function array
PALT palette information
SPR# older sprite image
SPR2 sprite image
STR# CTSS-format strings for various uses
TTAB interaction tree table; hooked to TTAs
TTAs CTSS-format strings for pie menus; menu display controlled by associated TTAB
These resource formats are pretty much understood, but lack documentation (or a reference to the standard, if any). If an entry has a link, it is to some preliminary documentation (that is, the format has been decoded, but the documentation is still in progress).
OBJD object definition
BMP_ 2D bitmap; here is a reverse-engineered description
FCNS global tuning values
TPRP labels for parameters and local variables
TRCN labels for behavorial constants
XXXX filler psuedo-resource
BHAV behavior subroutines

These resource formats have not been decoded. In some cases, it's possible to guess at the use, but little is known beyond that. If an entry has a link, it is to current research results (that is, even though the format has not been completely decoded, some things are known about it). Help decoding these formats would be appreciated.

The number after "unknown" is the number of occurrences in a typical installation. Decoding a resource with a larger number would probably be more useful.
Arry unknown 1536 (array of items on lot)
CATS Only in Fire.iff; contains strings
FAMI unknown 38 (families in neighborhood?)
FAMh unknown 15 (families in neighborhood?)
FLRm unknown 133 (floors in house?)
HOUS unknown 196 (house)
NBRS unknown 8 (neighbors in neighborhood)
NGBH unknown 8 (neighborhood)
ObjM unknown 98 (in house)
objt unknown 98 (in house)
pers unknown 2
SIMI unknown 98 (in house)
SLOT unknown 507 (routing slot to reach object?)
TATT unknown 8 (in neighborhood)
THMB unknown 126 (in house)
TMPL unknown 4 (template? If so, for what?)
WALm unknown 125 (walls in house?)
These resource formats have not been decoded and probably never will be. It is not necessary to understand these resources to build compatible tools, so there is no motivation to work on them.
Optn game options
POSI
TREE
The POSI and TREE resources are apparently used when programming BHAV resources with Edith. They can be removed from a file without affecting gameplay, so they probably contain comments (or other annotations), positions for the flowchart boxes, how to draw the arrows between boxes, and the like.

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This page was last modified Thursday, 12-Feb-2004 01:20:44 UTC.
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