formats

File Format Reference

This section contains detailed documentation for all World of Warcraft file formats supported by warcraft-rs.

Categories

Archives

Archive formats for storing and compressing game assets.

• MPQ - Blizzard's main archive format

🌍 World Data

Formats for terrain, maps, and world geometry.

• ADT - Terrain tiles with height, textures, and objects
• WDL - Low-resolution terrain for distant views
• WDT - World definition tables

🎨 Graphics & Models

3D models, textures, and visual assets.

• BLP - Texture format with DXT compression
• M2 - Animated 3D models (characters, creatures, props)
• WMO - Large static world objects (buildings, dungeons)

📊 Database

Client-side data storage.

• DBC - Database files with game data tables

Format Overview

Format	Type	Description	Typical Size
MPQ	Archive	Compressed archive containing other files	10MB - 4GB
ADT	Terrain	Map tile with terrain mesh and textures	1-5MB
WDL	Terrain	Low-detail world map	100-500KB
WDT	Map Info	Map configuration and ADT references	10-50KB
BLP	Texture	2D images with compression and mipmaps	10KB - 2MB
M2	Model	3D models with animations	50KB - 10MB
WMO	Model	Large world objects	100KB - 50MB
DBC	Database	Tabular data storage	1KB - 10MB

Version Compatibility

Different WoW versions use different format versions:

• Classic (1.12.x): Original formats
• TBC (2.4.3): Some format updates, new DBC columns
• WotLK (3.3.5): Major M2 updates, new terrain features
• Cataclysm (4.3.4): Terrain streaming, updated formats
• MoP (5.4.8): Latest supported version

Quick Reference

Reading Files

// Most formats follow this pattern
let file = FileFormat::open("path/to/file.ext")?;

// Access data
for item in file.items() {
    // Process item
}

Common Traits

All formats implement these traits where applicable:

trait FileFormat {
    fn open(path: &str) -> Result<Self, Error>;
    fn version(&self) -> u32;
    fn validate(&self) -> Result<(), Error>;
}

Tools & Utilities

warcraft-rs provides command-line tools for each format:

# Extract MPQ archive
warcraft-mpq extract archive.mpq output/

# Convert BLP to PNG
warcraft-blp convert texture.blp texture.png

# Export DBC as CSV
warcraft-rs dbc export Spell.dbc --format csv