Source code of DarkYoda's L3D Visualizer / L3D file format specification

Itzamna

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Jan 13, 2010
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5
Howdy disciples,

I am starting work on porting (writing from scratch, actually) Black & White to the GNU/Linux and BSD platforms, since my all time favourite game hardly runs in the Windows emulator WINE (textures are messed up, due to some legal dispute over DXT3 texture decompression patents).

I am building up documentation of the game's file formats and writing utilities to convert all models and textures to non-patent encumbered formats (MD3, SVG). While textures were no problem, I'm having a hard time reversing L3D files. Then I remembered DarkYoda made an L3D Visualizer in the distant past, and he released its source code. However - all links to DarkYoda's L3D Visualizer's source code are dead (to be expected, the game is closing in on its 10th birthday).

So, my question is this:

Does anyone have 1) L3D Visualizer's source code, 2) Documentation on the L3D file format or 3) A way to contact DarkYoda?

Your help would be a boon to both the free software community and the Black & White community.

Thanks in advance,

- Itzamna
 
Hi, it's nice to see people still interested in the game. :)

Unfortunately, I don't have the source code for the viewer. If it was anywhere, it would of been at the Temple of Inteligence. Which has been closed for namy years now.
 
Hello Kays,

Thanks for your response. Before I start reverse engineering the L3D format, I would like to try to get in touch with DarkYoda. Is he still around?

- Itzamna
 
Not that I know of. I suspect that you have tried the email address on the credits for the viewer.

One thing to try is to see if he's still registered on the Lionhead Studios board.
 
Hello Kays,

I can't seem to get in touch with Darkyoda, he's disappeared into thin air. It's a pity, but I do not have to buckle down for reverse engineering the L3D file format: I found several programs (Ultimate Unwrap, LithUnwrap) that can convert L3D files to the free, open source and well documented MD3 format. I'm a very happy penguin. Now I can begin work!
 
Thanks to Brad Bolthouse, author of Ultimate Unwrap 3D, who fortuitously enough had it lying around on a 10 year old machine, I got my hands on the source code of Darkyoda's L3D Visualizer. I uploaded it to the downloads section.

- Itzamna
 
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