TD6 File Format

Last updated Jul 7, 2003


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The TD6 file stores RCT2 track design information. The file is in compressed format from a Run-Length-Encoding algorithm. The last four bytes are a checksum. The decoded files can be either 19,235 or 24,735 bytes long.
The decoded format is as follows:

00 Track typeNote: "Ride" type is determined by vehicle type

01: ?

The next four bytes flag "special" track pieces. These pieces are not always available to the user as they may not have been researched. These items correspond to the Ride Features table used within the game.
02 : bit 7 = vertical loop
03 : no bits are "researchable"
04 : bit 1=inline twist, bit 2=half loop, bit 3=corkscrew
05 : bit 3=water splash, bit 5=barrel roll, bit 6=launched lift hill, bit 7=large loop

06 Operating mode
07 Vehicle color scheme (scheme in bits 1 & 0; bit 2 is set for AA/CF, LL files; bit 3 is set for RCT2 files)
08..47: 32 sets of two byte color specifiers for vehicles: first byte=body color, second byte=trim color

48: ?

49: Entrance style: 0=plain,1=Wooden, 2=Canvas, 3=Castle grey, 4=Castle brown, 5=Jungle, 6=Log cabin, 7=Classical, 8=Abstract, 9=Snow, A=Pagoda, B=Space

4A: Air Time (multiply by four for the number of seconds)

4B: departure control flags
4C number of trains
4D number of cars per train
4E: minimum wait time in seconds
4F: maximum wait time in seconds
50: speed (powered launch/chairlift/whoa belly) [1 bit = 3.616 km/hr = 2.25 mph] -or- number of laps for go-karts -or- maximum number of people (eg. maze)
51: maximum speed of ride [1 bit = 3.616 km/hr = 2.25 mph]
52: average speed of ride [1 bit = 3.616 km/hr = 2.25 mph]
53,54: ride length [meters]
55: positive G-force [1 bit = 0.32g]
56: negative G-force [1 bit = 0.32g]
57: lateral G-force [1 bit = 0.32g]
58: number of inversions [max = 31]
59: number of drops (max = 63)
5A: highest drop [1 bit = 3/4 meter]
5B: excitement [divide this by 10]
5C: intensity [divide this by 10]
5D: nausea [divide this by 10]

5E: ?
5F: ?

60:track main (spine) color (main color scheme)
61:track main (spine) color (1st alt color scheme)
62:track main (spine) color (2nd alt color scheme)
63:track main (spine) color (3rd alt color scheme)
64: track additional (rail) color (main color scheme)
65: track additional (rail) color (1st alt color scheme)
66: track additional (rail) color (2nd alt color scheme)
67: track additional (rail) color (3rd alt color scheme)
68: track support color (main color scheme)
69: track support color (1st alt color scheme)
6A: track support color (2nd alt color scheme)
6B: track support color (3rd alt color scheme)

6C: ?: 02 = reverser track present in log flume

6D: ?
6E: ?

6F: "Six Flags" design (if MSB set)

Note: 70 through 7F is a DAT file header

70..73: DAT file flags
74..7B: vehicle (alphanumeric - 8 characters with trailing spaces):
7C..7F: DAT file checksum

80,81: map space required (X and Y)
82..A1: 32 one-byte color specifiers for vehicles "additional" color
A2: low 5 bits = lift chain speed (1.6 kmph bit bit); upper 3 bits = number of circuits

A3: beginning of track data


TRACK DATA

There are two formats: one for mazes and one for everything else (coasters, trains, cars etc.) The "coaster" format is as follows:

Each track element has two bytes. The first byte indicates the type of track segment while the second byte is a qualifier. The track data concludes when a value of "FF" is encountered for the track segment.


SCENERY ITEMS

The track data is followed by three-word structures to specify entrances/exits. The first word is flags with bit 7 being set for exits. Bits 0 and 1 specify the direction the item points. The next word is the X offset (from the beginning of the track), with each tile being 32 units. This is followed by a similar value for the Y offset. A value of FF for the first byte indicates the end of these structures.

Mazes do not have the station information described above - they simply have a double word of zero between the track data and the scenery items described next.

Scenery items follow the entrance/exit structures. Scenery items are described in a twentytwo byte structure. The end of scenery items is flagged by a FF for the first byte.

00: Flag: upper nibble indicates the version of the scenery item (0=custom, 8=original RCT2, 1=WW, 2=TT). the lower nibble indicates the type of scenery object. 1 for single tile item, 2 for multiple tile item, 3 for wall, 5 for path/queue, etc

01: ?

02: ?

03: ?

04..0B : text name of corresponding objdat file (ie the name of the scenery item)

0C..0F: checksum of DAT file

10: X location (in tiles)
11: Y location (in tiles)
12: Z location
13: bits 0,1: direction; bits 2,3: quadrant - or part of third color
14: first color
15: second color