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ImHex Patterns for Van Buren (Jefferson Engine)

This repository contains ImHex pattern files for the proprietary file formats used in Fallout: Van Buren (also known as Project Jefferson), the cancelled Fallout 3 by Black Isle Studios.

Overview

Van Buren uses a set of custom binary formats for 3D models, maps, creatures, items, GUI screens, archives, and more. These patterns document the structure of those files based on reverse-engineering work.

Pattern Inventory

Archive / Resource Layer

Pattern File Description Status
chunk.pat — Reusable chunk header (tag[4] + version + size) and string helpers New
grp.pat .grp Group archive (header + lump table + raw data) Updated
rht.pat resource.rht Resource hash table (catalog linking names → .grp lumps) Updated
stf.pat .stf String table (localized text) Updated

Text / Config

Pattern File Description Status
psf.pat .psf Sound configuration text (UTF-8) New
gsf.pat .gsf Text file (UTF-8) New
gls.pat .gls Group list text (UTF-8) New
sco.pat .sco Sound text file (UTF-8) New
pce.pat .pce Sound text file 2 (UTF-8) New

3D Models

Pattern File Description Status
b3d.pat .b3d B3D 1.1 tagged model format Updated (TVertex44/64, surface, skinning)
gr2.pat .gr2 Granny 2 format header Stub (full parse needs Granny runtime)

Map / World

Pattern File Description Status
tre.pat .8 / .tre 8TRE octree map geometry Updated (HEAD, LGTD, MATD, VTXD, TREE chunks)
Map.pat .map Aggregate of map chunks Updated

GUI / Interface

Pattern File Description Status
int.pat .int GUI screen layout (recursive objects, fragments, fonts) Updated (label blocks, fragments, version branches)

Visual Effects

Pattern File Description Status
rle.pat .rle RLE-encoded grayscale image New
veg.pat .veg VFX/shader file Updated (VFX blocks, property union)

Entity / Item Files

Pattern File Description Status
CRT.pat .crt Creature/character Updated (EEN2→GENT→GCRE→GCHR)
ITM.pat .itm Generic item Updated (EEN2→GENT→GITM)
ARM.pat .arm Armor Updated (EEN2→GENT→GITM→GIAR)
WEA.pat .wea Weapon Updated (EEN2→GENT→GITM→GIWP)
AMO.pat .amo Ammo Updated (EEN2→GENT→GITM→GIAM)
USE.pat .use Usable object Updated (EEN2→GENT→GOBJ)
DOR.pat .dor Door New (EEN2→GENT→GOBJ + GDOR trailer)
CON.pat .con Container New (EEN2→GENT→GOBJ + GCON trailer)

Component Chunks (used by Map/Entity files)

Pattern Description Status
EEN2c.pat Entity visual/inventory strings + EEOV Fixed
EEOVc.pat Inventory/overlay strings (s1..s5 + inv list) Fixed (removed template, added bounds)
EMAPc.pat Map metadata (3 strings, color, flags) Updated
EME2c.pat Map entity placement (name, Vector4, EEOV) Fixed (added vector4 import)
EMEFc.pat Map effect (string, Vector4, string, byte) Updated
EMEPc.pat Map entry point (index, position, rotation) Updated
EMFGc.pat Fog volume (heights, speeds, density) Updated
EMNOc.pat Map note/node (Vector2, texture, sr) Updated
EMNPc.pat Map navpoint chunks Fixed (added count)
EMSDc.pat Map sound (string, Vector3, string) Fixed (import error)
EMTRc.pat Trigger geometry (count + Vector3 array) Fixed (added count)
EPTHc.pat Path (name + Vector4 array) Fixed (added count)
ExTRc.pat Trigger action (type + string) Updated
ECAMc.pat Camera (Vector4) Updated
_2MWTc.pat Water/2MWT chunks Fixed (added counts)
GENTc.pat Generic entity stats (string refs, health, gap) Updated (added Gap28to35)
GCREc.pat Creature record (SPECIAL, skills, sockets, GWAM) Updated (bounded arrays)
GCHRc.pat Character name string Updated
GITMc.pat Item equip/sockets/flags Updated
GIARc.pat Armor resistances (6 values) Updated
GIAMc.pat Ammo stats (versioned: caliber, damage, etc.) Updated (added version gating)
GIWPc.pat Weapon data (versioned: class, calibers, attack modes) Updated (added version gating)
GWAMc.pat Weapon attack mode (versioned: anim, damage, range, AP) Updated (added version gating)
GOBJc.pat Object type (USE/DOR/CON) Fixed (u8→u32)
socket.pat Model/texture socket pair Updated
skill.pat Skill id/value pair Fixed (u8+u8→u32+u32)
trigger.pat EMTR + ExTR composite Updated

Math Helpers

Pattern Description
vector2.pat 2D float vector
vector3.pat 3D float vector
vector4.pat 4D float vector

Chunk Framing

Most Van Buren data files use a common chunk system:

char[4] tag       // "EMAP", "EME2", "GCRE", etc.
u32     version   // format version
u32     size      // total bytes including this 12-byte header
u8[]    payload   // size - 12 bytes

Import je.chunk for the ChunkHeader struct and helper functions.

Known Issues / TODO

  1. GR2 pattern is header-only; full parsing requires the Granny runtime
  2. RLZ (type 900) and RTD (type 1000) — format unknown, deferred for future reverse-engineering
  3. Most chunk component patterns model payload-only; they must be used inside a chunk wrapper (tag + version + size) for correct offsets
  4. Signedness: many patterns use u32 where the original source uses signed int; binary layout is identical but displayed values differ for negative numbers

File Extensions Used by Van Buren

From resource.rht type mapping:

Ext Type Description
.b3d 100 3D model (or .g3d if not "B3D " magic)
.tga 200 Texture (or .bmp if magic "BM")
.8 400 Octree map geometry (magic "8TRE")
.rlz 900 Unknown — no parser or text handling found
.rtd 1000 Unknown — no parser or text handling found
.map 1300 Map file
.crt 1400 Creature/character
.veg 1500 Visual effect
.int 1600 GUI screen
.rle 1700 RLE image
.itm 1800 Item
.psf 1900 Sound configuration text file (UTF-8)
.gsf 2000 Text file (UTF-8)
.gls 2100 Group list text file (UTF-8)
.sco 2200 Sound text file (UTF-8)
.pce 2300 Sound text file 2 (UTF-8)
.wea 2400 Weapon
.arm 2500 Armor
.dor 2600 Door
.use 2700 Usable object
.amo 3500 Ammo
.con 3600 Container
.txt 3700 Text file

References

  • ImHex — The hex editor these patterns are built for