iiAscend

C# library supporting the modification of files relating to Descent, the 1995 FPS game developed by Parallax Software.

Name	Read	Write	Comment
256	✔	✔
BBM	✔	✔	BBM/IFF
BNK	✔	✔
DEM	✔	✔
DIG	✗	✗
FNT	✔	✔
HAM	✔	✔
HMP	✗	✗
HMQ	✗	✗
HOG	✔	✔
INI	✗	✗	Plain text
MID	✔	✗
MN2	✔	✔
MSN	✔	✔	Plain text
MVL	✔	✔
PCX	✔	✗
PIG	✔	✗	D1, D2
POF	✔	✔
RAW	✔	✗
RDL	✔	✔
RL2	✗	✗
S11	✔	✔
S22	✔	✔
SNG	✔	✔	Plain text
TXB	✔	✔

Usage

Install the nuget package e.g.

dotnet add package ii.Ascend

To edit a file you should instantiate the relevant class and call the Read method passing the filename. This will return an object model, which you can amend, before calling the Write method.

var hogProcessor = new HogProcessor();
var files = hogProcessor.Read(@"D:\Games\Descent2\DESCENT2.HOG");

foreach (var (filename, bytes) in files)
{
    var outputPath = Path.Combine(@"D:\data\descent", filename);
    Directory.CreateDirectory(Path.GetDirectoryName(outputPath)!);
    await File.WriteAllBytesAsync(outputPath, bytes);
    Console.WriteLine($"Extracted {filename} ({bytes.Length} bytes)");
}

var txbProcessor = new TxbProcessor();
var text = txbProcessor.Read(@"D:\data\descent\credits.txb");

// Reading a Descent 1 demo: extract game data from the PIG file first
var pigProcessor = new Descent1PigProcessor();
var (_, _, _, gameData) = pigProcessor.ReadDetailed(@"D:\Games\Descent\DESCENT.PIG");

var robotModelNums = gameData.Robots.Select(r => r.ModelNum).ToArray();
var robotIsBoss = gameData.Robots.Select(r => r.BossFlag != 0).ToArray();
var polyModelNumSubmodels = gameData.PolygonModels.Select(p => p.NumModels).ToArray();

var demProcessor = new DemProcessor();
var demo = demProcessor.Read(@"D:\data\descent\demo1.dem", robotModelNums, robotIsBoss, polyModelNumSubmodels);
Console.WriteLine($"Demo version: {demo.Version}, Game type: {demo.GameType}");
Console.WriteLine($"Total events: {demo.Events.Count}");

Compiling

To clone and run this repository you'll need Git and .NET installed on your computer. From your command line:

# Clone this repository
$ git clone https://github.com/btigi/iiAscend

# Go into the repository
$ cd src

# Build  the app
$ dotnet build

Licencing

iiAscend is licenced under the MIT License. Full licence details are available in licence.md