Total Annihilation: The Nuts and Bolts
Last updated: 11/07/98 00:14
The first step in understanding how Total Annihilation is put together is to understand
where CaveDog put all their files, and what all the different files do. In Total
Annihilation, everything begins with the HPI, UFO, and CCX files.
CaveDog compresses all of their information into an HPI file. For all practical
purposes, you can think of the HPI file like their own home-grown ZIP file, containing its
own directory structure and groups of files. Since the addition of the expansion
packs (The Core Contingency and Battle Tactics), as well as the addition of new units
through their internet web page, fiiles with extensions of UFO and CCX were added.
These other file extension, however, are formatted and compressed in the same way HPI
files are compressed.
| File and/or File Extension |
Description |
| HPI |
Nearly all of the original Total Annihilation data is stored
in HPI files.
 | totala1.hpi - This is the "main" HPI file that is placed in your Total
Annihilation install directory (such as C:\CAVEDOG\TOTALA). |
| totala2.hpi - Found on the original TA Disc 1 (The Skirmish CD). Contains maps and
other miscellaneous bitmaps use for multiplayer games. |
| totala3.hpi - Found on the original TA Disc 1 (The Skirmish CD). Contains
information used during the installation of the Total Annihilation game from the original
CD's. |
| totala4.hpi - Found on the original TA Disc 2 (The Missions CD). Contains all the
campaigns, maps, |
|
| UFO |
Typically used for the release of new units, UFO files almost
always contain the data needed for a single unit, map, or a small group of units.
Think of it as a "tiny HPI". |
| CCX |
Additional information specific to TA:CC (Total Annihilation:
The Core Contingency)
| ccdata.ccx - Additional data used by the TA:CC expansion pack, such as new units,
terrain features, etc. |
| ccmaps.ccx - Map information for the TA:CC expansion pack. |
| ccmiss.ccx - Mission information for the TA:CC expansion pack. |
|
| ?? |
Additional information specific to TA:BT (Total
Annihilation: Battle Tactics) |
Keeping in mind that the contents of an HPI, UFO, or CCX file is simply a compressed
directory structure, you could just as easily create directories with the same names under
your C:\CAVEDOG\TOTALA directory, and put the desired files in the appropriate places.
Total Annihilation sees the contents of the compressed files exactly as it does the
actual file system directory structure.
The best tools to use to view the contents of a compressed Total Annihilation file, and
to pack and unpack the contents of such a file are:
| Subdirectory |
File Extensions |
Description |
| anim3d |
|
Additional
animations - left on the Total Annihiation CD's. |
| ai |
|
Artificial
Intelligence (AI) factors for computer-controlled players. |
| anims |
|
Pictures,
textures, and animations; typically for map features, such as trees, etc. |
| bitmaps |
|
Bitmaps
used for TA screens and menus. Additional directories may also exist, such as
"bitmaps-French" and "bitmaps-German" for foreign language versions of
TA. |
| \ |
glamour |
|
Bitmaps
used for the full-screen "glamour" shots. These are the pictures that are
briefly displayed after completing a mission. |
| camps |
|
Map
groupings for campaigns |
| \ |
briefs |
|
Text
briefings for campaigns. Additional directories may also exist, such as
"briefs-French" and "briefs-German" for foreign language versions of
TA. |
| \ |
useonly |
|
For
campaign missions, describes what units can and cannot be used in a particular mission. |
| docs |
|
Typically,
a downloaded map or unit will have an accompanying "readme" file that comes with
it. The file will typically have the same name as the unit, and a simple TXT
extension |
| download |
|
Information
to assign a unit to a location on a given build menu. |
| features |
|
Contains
information about miscellaneous features, such as corpses, trees, scars, etc., that may or
may not be specific to particular maps or map types. |
| \ |
corpses |
|
Information
about wreckage left behind when a unit dies. |
| \ |
allworlds |
|
Information
about features (such as trees, scars, etc.) for specific world maps.Other subdirectories
may exist alongside "allworlds", such as "acid", "crystal",
"green", etc. |
| fonts |
|
Fonts |
| gamedata |
|
General
information, such as sound assignments, can-build information, and other such data. |
| guis |
|
|
| Install |
<miscellaneous> |
Only
found on TA installation Disc 1. Contains information used during the installation
of Total Annihilation. |
| InstallRes |
<miscellaneous> |
Only
found on the two TA Discs. Contains information that is used during the CD's
autorun. |
| objects3d |
|
3D
object definitions for units, unit corpses. |
| maps |
|
Schema,
starting points, and other information pertaining to a particular map. |
|
|
Map
layout, heights, and features information. |
| palettes |
|
Color
palettes. |
| scripts |
|
Text
description/subroutines that describe how a unit moves, animates, etc. |
|
|
A
compiled version of the .BOS file. |
| sections |
|
Map
tile sections. |
| sounds |
|
Sounds. |
| textures |
|
Bitmap
textures used on units (buildings, kbots, vehicles, etc.) |
| unitpics |
|
"Large"
(96x96) color pictures of units. |
| units |
|
General
properties of units. |
| weapons |
|
Contains
the definiteion and properties of particular weapons that are used throughout the game. |