Civilization III BIC file format

[Gramphos]

Yes, Width and Height are common terms. Try to load Marla's map and check the sizes and the coordinates...

That's why I got confused.

[Tventano]

TILE Section

Although I have not yet produced a useful tool, I spent already some time exploring the bic format. Hereby some not yet piblished info.

TILE Section

for each tile:

    long   length of tile data (22 bytes)

00  short  river info

02  long   resource number, -1 = nothing

06  byte   image number

07  byte   in file: 0 = xtgc.pcx, 1 = xgpc.pcx, 2 = xdgc.pcx,

                    3 = xdpc.pcx, 4 = xdgp.pcx, 5 = xggc.pcx,

                    6 = wcso.pcx, 7 = wsss.pcx, 8 = wooo.pcx

08  short  0 (always?)

0a  byte   binary flags as indicated in overview

0b  nibble terrain: 0 = desert, 1 = plains, 2 = grassland,

                    3 = tundra, 4 = floodplain, 5 = hills,

                    6 = mountain, 7 = forest, 8 = jungle,

                    9 = coast, a = sea, b = ocean

    nibble basic terrain: only 0,1,2,3,9,a,b

0c  short  binary flags as indicated in overview

0e  short  ff ff (-1) = nothing

           4b 00 (75) = barbarian camp

10  long   -1 (always?)

14  short  continent number

CONT Section

for each continent:

    long   length of continent data (8 bytes)

00  long   1 = land, 0 = water

04  long   number of tiles

It seems always to start with the land and with the largest
first.

[Hastur]

VB Code to read the .BIC file

I found this thread on Sunday although I wish I'd found it earlier. Since Tuesday of last week, I've been working on my own editor for the .BIC files and that means that up until Sunday, I'd been decoding the .BIC format on my own.

Now, this does mean a few things that may be of help...

First, I've got a set of VB6 class files that can read the entire .BIC file and break it down into its component variables with the sole exception of the map areas. If this would be helpful to anyone please let me know and I'll be glad to send/post the source.

Second, I'm currently in progress (and hope to be done tomorrow) writing the additional code into the class files so they can write the information back into a complete and correctly formed .BIC file. So you may want to wait a day or two for that source code...

Third, there's the obvious question, why am I writing an editor when there's a perfectly good one supplied with the game? Simple... aside from the ability to add which the Civ3CopyTool does admirably, I'm adding to it the ability to maintain a library of Civ3 datatypes so you can store all those cool units, governments, tech advances and so on without having to keep them in your main civ3mod.bic file. I'm also adding the ability to export and import pieces of the .bic file so that if you come up with a cool new government, you can export just that part of your .bic file, post it on a site like this one, and someone else can import it into theirs without having to retype all the info or download a full .bic and manually transfer just that one government.

This does have some limitations currently. The initial release won't support the other data files that store things like the Civilopedia or graphics. This will make the app a little less useful but I'm hoping to add such functionality in subsequent releases. Any suggestions or requests for features out there, please feel free to make them.

Lastly, I did note that there were a couple errors in the format that's been compiled on this thread... I'll try to take some time today and compare the format listed against my source and come up with a decent list.

And finally... thank you. This thread has been an immense help and I look forward to being able to contribute usefully to it rather than just using the great information you guys have put together.

Adam (Hastur)

[Gramphos]

Hastur,
see this thread for the format I use when I export Units and Civs. I'll make some changes in it to hold icon graphics latert, but that will be version 2 of it.

[Hastur]

Excellent point there. I'd figured I'd use the .BIC format for the export file but to be honest, I hadn't thought ahead to the point of "cross-table" references as it were such as the unit table referencing the civs that can build that unit. I'm taking a look at your format for exports and will be glad to follow through on it and make suggestions where possible. Thank you for the info!

Adam (Hastur)

[Tventano]

WMAP section

WMAP is after the length indicator a list of longs

- nr of resources (normally 22)
- 22 times a number indicating the occurence of that resource
- nr of continents
- width of map
- distance betweens civs
- nr of players
- ? a number which also changes with the map size
- 0 (in all my tests)
- height of map
- -1
- seed value (?) per civ
- filler with a lot of -1
- seed value of map
- 5

When the random map option was used in Civ3Edit these values are correct. When editing values manually, often they are not or they get disturbed by something. So I doubt if they are really used by something.

[Gramphos]

Re: WMAP section

Originally posted by Tventano
WMAP is after the length indicator a list of longs
...
-CUT-
...
When the random map option was used in Civ3Edit these values are correct. When editing values manually, often they are not or they get disturbed by something. So I doubt if they are really used by something.

The last 5 can be 1 of the Polar Ice is turned off.
I guess that I might have to modify my map Export again. I got the Width and Height right as well as nr of players.

If I only could find the other values in the SAV.

[Gramphos]

The Last Byte of the WMAP section is a binary value.

The following two values are uses AFAIK

		00000000

Round World	.......1

Polar Ice	.....1..

[ajbera]

FYI

From CivFanatics:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showth...0&pagenumber=4 (very bottom)

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Dark Sheer

So, we are going to get an updated CivilizationIII.exe, Civ3Edit.exe and also a Civ3mod.bic not to mention Civilopedia.txt.

I wonder how this would affect the mods and editors that are currently available And can the hacked editor still be used if a new Civ3mod.bic is downloaded? If not then mod maker will no longer be able to add resources and such

All in all still a good patch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't forget civ3edit.hlp!

old BIC files should be compatible, however the BIC file format can and does change as we add things in to the editor, so there is a good chance the "hacked" editor won't play nice with new BIC files. As long as the "hacked" editor obeys the rules of the BIC format, though, BIC's created with it should still work. No guarantees, though.

Dan (Magaha)


Will this affect the file mapping you've done so far? I hope not.

Now, a question: given that you've decoded the file, would it be possible to write a program that randomizes civ attributes? A program that reallocates the attribute pairings (commercial/religious, etc.) to random civs? That would be awesome, as such a feature probably won't ever make it to the editor.

Good job guys.

[Hastur]

Just in for the patch...

As I said in an earlier post, I've been working on an editor using VB6. I've now gotten to the point that it's reading the .BIC file and parsing it fully into appropriate objects and properties. In addition, it's now able to write that information back into a .BIC file. I've found a couple small errors but hope to have them resolved early tomorrow. From there, I'll be adding in the editing interface.

As we all will, I'll be awaiting the patch with baited breath to see if it makes any major changes to the format (not to mention I really want to play too!). If there are changes, of course I'll be updating my source.

If the source can be of help to anyone out there, please let me know and I'll be glad to send it on to you...

Adam (Hastur)

[Gramphos]

I think that no sections will be added, but the length of some sections might change. I'm ready to find any changes in the format, and hope to be able to update C3CT as fast as possible.

[Gramphos]

The New DIFF section:

4	long	Length (changed to 108)

64	string	Name

4	long	Citizens born content

4	long	Max gov. transition time

4	long	Number of defensive land units AI start with

4	long	Number of offensive land units AI start with

4	long	Extra Start unit #1

4	long	Extra Start unit #2

4	long	Additional free support

4	long	Bonus for each city

4	long	Attack bouns against Barbarians

4	long	Cost factor

4	long	Percentage of optimal cities

More Sections to come

[Gramphos]

The value that was 5 in the header before is now 10

The BLDG -section is extended 4 bytes with a long representing "Number of armies required"

[Gramphos]

The Rulesection is extended with 20 bytes (5 longs) as follows

...

4	long	Border factor

4	long	Future Tech cost

4	long	Golden Aged Duration

4	long	Maximum research time

4	long	Minimum research time

[Gramphos]

I can't find any more changes in the BIC.