Survivalcraft .PAK ripping

[SniperDude2745]

I just got interested in Survivalcraft and it really cool! I thought I should try ripping models/sounds/etc from the game. So I got the windows version and I needed to get access to the WindowsApps folder inside program files. I did and I found the Survivalcraft folder, inside was mostly just .dll files and .xml files and there was one file that seemed like it might hold the sounds and models and stuff "content.pak" but this wasn't a normal video game .pak file because programs like QuArK and pak explorer wouldn't open it! I haven't tried any other programs yet but this must be a different type of .pak file it must have a different format. I opened it up with a hex editor and the first line on the top right read PAK.N3. The hex of this file was strange because it was made up of actual words. Here is a segment of it 
.Shaders/Opaque.Engine
.Graphics.Shader....Ñ....
Shaders/AlphaTested.
Engine.Graphics.ShaderÙ...Þ....
Shaders/Transparent.
Engine.Graphics.
Shader»...¢....Models
/Human.Engine.
Graphics.Modela"..ê(...


can anyone make me a quickBMS script for it?
I really need help! I'll do anything

[puggsoy]

While that segment helps a bit (it definitely looks doable), we need the actual file to make and test a script.

[SniperDude2745]

oh, ok here you go http://www.mediafire.com/file/9cd4nogjgb...ontent.pak If you want all of the game's content including the .exe file. And also this .pak file is included in the phone version of survivalcraft as well. And here is the .pak file for Survivalcraft 2 http://www.mediafire.com/file/6hz0eajamo...282%29.pak it is like 5 megabytes bigger because it has lots of new stuff. PS sorry to keep you waiting puggsoy nobody really responds to my posts! Just make sure to sample both. But moderators like you are like VG resource superheroes! very very experienced! I have found some other .pak file inside the phone version of fancy pants adventure but i'm not sure if its the same kind of .pak file. I'll take a look at it to see if it has the same format

[puggsoy]

Code:

# Survivalcraft .PAK format
#
# Written by puggsoy
# script for QuickBMS http://quickbms.aluigi.org

idstring PAK\x0

get FSIZE long
get BASE_OFF long
get FNUM long

for i = 0 < FNUM
    get LEN byte
    getdstring PATH LEN
    get LEN byte
    getdstring NAME LEN
    
    string PATH += "."
    string PATH += NAME
    get OFFSET long
    get SIZE long
    
    math OFFSET += BASE_OFF
    math OFFSET += 2
    
    math SIZE -= 2
    
    log PATH OFFSET SIZE
next i

This should extract it all. I'll take a look at Survivalcraft 2 tomorrow.

If you need help with any of the extracted files, post in the appropriate sections for them to get experienced help (e.g. for help with models, post in Ripping Help of TMR).

[SniperDude2745]

Ok, I extracted them, Thank you soooo much for the script!! you are a hero! I have some files with some pretty long extensions now such as .soundbuffer and .model and I have a feeling that these are not extensions mainly because the file has 5 dots in it like and maybe the script didn't extract the file's extensions. But it probably did. Does QuickBMS just extract files or can it convert unknown 3D model, Sound, etc. formats? That would be useful because I have some unknown 3D model formats I want to convert and open up with maya. It's the Luigi's Mansion .mdl format and i've tried everything to convert it to a format like .obj along with it's textures. My question just is can QuickBMS convert 3D model, sound, etc. formats. And if you could find a way to extract the Luigi's Mansion .mdl file with it's textures. I tried mdl2obj but it was in .py format and I couldn't convert with it. Anyways thank you soooo much! Here are the posts to the sound, 3D model, textures etc. inside the Survivalcraft folder.

https://www.vg-resource.com/thread-31937.html
https://www.vg-resource.com/thread-31938.html
https://www.vg-resource.com/thread-31939.html
https://www.vg-resource.com/thread-31940.html

PS where did you learn how to make these well-working QuickBMS scripts??

[puggsoy]

The file didn't contain the file extensions unfortunately, it best I could find were the file types which I simply decided to use as extensions. QuickBMS can only really handle extracting archives (for the most part) though so other methods will be needed for the other formats.

I learnt writing QuickBMS scripts basically by experience. Looking through files in hex editors, existing QuickBMS scripts for those formats, and then practising making my own over time. I also have a background in programming which helps. There exist tutorials but those are just introductions, you can't expect to just want to do it once and be really good.

[SniperDude2745]

Well how do I open other unknown file types besides archives?? How can I get to the point of fully understanding file encoding and formats? How would companies make a program that could open a file with an unknown format? What are all the known ways of opening files with unknown formats/encoding? Do you have to dissect the file format in a hex editor and observe it's properties. Just what are all the ways of opening a unknown format properly?? Would you have to write down the files properties in the source code of an app? This is where I get stuck and confused and don't know where to find the answers to. I know files are made up of hex or ACSII format but I don't know how to understand unknown file formats. Or how to make ways to open these unknown formats. Please show me all the sources and guides possible to help me know and understand these things. PS your quote "Failing to succeed does not mean failing to progress" is very inspiring! I just want to gain all the knowledge and understanding of file formats encoding and how to make apps to open/convert unknown formats. Sorry for the boatload of questions!