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Introduction

Pew are Visitor's project files. Visitor is BI's tool for creating Islands.

Visitor is a Gui tool interface that interacts with Bulldozer, an inbuilt 'world' viewer inside any Armed Assault engine.

The contents of the project file, pew, are not directly related to the ultimate output, a wrp file. However, that data, of course, contains all similar elements, such as road networks, elevations, cell matrices, models and textures.

Exporting a pew file into wrp format, involves the use of Bulldozer, since it is Bulldozer that decides how it wants that data presented, rather than anything visitor might like to decide. It is Bulldozer that determines the format and version of the resulting wrp file (in 8WVR format), and consequently, that, is a reflection of the Arma Engine itself.

While there have been several pew versions, the one's listed here are

POSEW59 and
POSEW60

there are only a few subtle differences to their makeup.

Legend

Little endian byte order, lsb first for numeric values, text is stored in Big endian byte order. Type Description byte 8 bit (1 byte) short 16 bit signed short (2 bytes) int 32 bit signed integer (4 bytes) float 32 bit signed single precision floating point value (4 bytes) double 64 bit signed single precision floating point value (8 bytes) asciiz Null terminated (0x00) variable length ascii string ascii fixed length ascii string(UTF-8)

XYPair

XYPair
{
 ulong x,y; // normally associated with cell sizes
}

RGBAColor

RGBAColor
{
 byte r,g,b,a; // // 0xFF:FF:FF:FF means 'default'
}

RGBA colors correspond to Microsoft's D3DCOLORVALUE
They normally come in pairs innside the pew structures

String

String
{
 ulong  Length;
 Asciiz Characters;// null terminated regardless.

Length always =strlen(Characters)+1;

This is a pre-calculated convenience to reduce load times (and skip over the variable length block).

File Format

This file format is principally used with Armed Assault v1.09 and later plus the ArmA Tools Suite Final release (v1.14).

 POSEW59
 POSEW60
 {
   PoseHeader               Header;
   ulong                    nTextures           //typically 0;
   Texture                  Textures[nTextures];
   ulong                    nObjectTypes;
   ObjectType               ObjectTypes[nObjectTypes];
   ulong                    nTerrains           //typically 0;
   shortBool                NoTerrains;
   if  (!NoTerrains)
   {
   ulong                    nTerrainTypes;
   TerrainType              TerrainTypes[nTerrainsTypes];
   }
   shortBool                NoForests;
   if  (!NoForests)
   {
   ulong                    nForests;          
   Forest                   Forests[nForests];
   }
   RoadNets                 RoadNets[...];
   Terrain                  Terrain[...];
   ulong                    NoOfObjects;
   Object                   Objects[NoOfObjects];
   ulong                    NoOfLayers;
   Layer                    Layers[[NoOfLayers] ;
   ulong                    RoadNetIndices[TerrainGridSizeXY];
   if (POSEW60)
   {
    ulong                   NoOfBackgrounds;
    Background              Backgrounds[NoOfBackgrounds] ;// probably
   }
   else // pose59
   {
     ulong                  Count;
     UnknownStruct2         UnknownStructs[Count];
   }
 
   ulong                    nBlocks;
   RoadBlock                RoadBlocks[nBlocks];
 
   if (POSEW60)
   {
     ulong                  Count;
     UnknownStruct2         UnknownStructs[Count];
   }
   else // pose59
   {
    ulong                   NoOfBackgrounds;
    Background              Backgrounds[NoOfBackgrounds] ;// probably
   }
   ulong                    Count;
   Locale                   Locales[Count];         
   ulong                    nIcons;
   Icon                     Icons[nIcons];
   ulong                    Always4;
   ulong                    Always0;
 }

PoseHeader

Header
{
 char     Signature[7];        // "POSEW59" or "POSEW60" note: NOT null terminated
 
 ulong    Length;              // of PEW file;
 ulong    UnknownLong;         // typically 0
 String   IslandDataPath;      //"SomePboPrefix\SomeIsland\data\0"
 String   IslandObjectPath;    //""
 float	   GridSize;            //50.0
 float	   SellSize;            //400.0 (SegmentSize - SegmentOverlap)
 String   IslandClassname;     //""
};

Texture

Texture
{
 ulong	    TextureID;
 String    TextureFileName;	// "snih3.paa"
 String    TextureName;		// "snih3"
 String    RvmatName;		// "snih3.rvmat"
 byte      UnknownBytes[14];	// (typically 0)
 RGBAColor Colour;
}

ObjectType

 ObjectType 
 {
     String       ModelFilename; //"SomePrefixRoot\data\jablon.p3d\0"
     String       ModelName;     //"jablon"
     ulong        ObjectType;    // 0..5
     RGBAColor    OutlineColour; 
     RGBAColor    ObjectColour;  
     VariousInfo:
     double	GeometryLODBox_X;	// 50.0
     double	GeometryLODBox_Y;	// 50.0
     ulong	ModelID;
     XYZTriplet GeometryLODAutoCenterPos;
     double	ResolutionLODBox_X;	// 50.0
     double	ResolutionLODBox_Y;	// 50.0
     XYZTriplet ResolutionLODAutoCenterPos;
     shortBool	Generally0x01;   
     short	ScaleFlag;	// Random Scale Flag
     double	Scale0;		// 50.0
     double	Scale1;		// 50.0
     short	RotateFlag;	// Random Rotate Flag
     double	Rotate0;	// 20.0
     double	Rotate1;	// 20.0
     short	OrientationFlag;// Random Orientation Flag
     double	Orientation0;	// 180.0
     double	Orientation1;	// 180.0
     shortBool	RoadFlag;
     if (RoadFlag) 
     {
           float	RoadNamedSelections[12];	// (LB, PB, PB, PE)
           float	XRoadNamedSelections[12];	// (LD, LH, PD, PH)
     };
//      ulong MarkerType;	//	See MarkerTypeEnum 
     ulong     nArtificialObjects;
     ArtificialObject ArtificialObjects[nArtificialObjects];
     LongBool LongBool;	//	0 or 1 
 }

ArtificialObject

 ArtificialObject
 {
    String     Name;       //"pohrada"
    LongBool   LongBool;
    ulong      nTriplets; // always 2
    XYZTriplet StartEndPos[nTriplets];
 }

TerrainType

TerrainType
{
 String  TerrainName;
 byte    UnknownBytes[11];
 ulong	  nSurfaces;
 Surface Surfaces[nSurfaces];
}

Surface

Surface
{
 String SurfaceName;
 float	 Surfacefloat[4];
 byte   UnknownBytes[16];
}

Forest

Forest
{
 String    ForestName;
 RGBAColor OutlineColour;
 RGBAColor ObjectColour;
 ulong	    SquareFillModelID;
 ulong	    SquareModelID;
 ulong	    TriangleModelID;
 ulong	    Unknown1;	// (typically 0)
 ulong	    Unknown2;	// (typically 0)
}

RoadNet
 
   shortBool NoRoads;
   if  (!NoRoads)
   {
     ulong    nTypes;
     RoadType RoadTypes[nTypes];
     ulong    nXRoads;
     XRoad    XRoads[nXRoads];
   }

RoadType

 RoadType
 {
   String       FamilyName;        // "cesta","silnice",etc
   RGBA         KeyPartsColour;    
   RGBA         NormalPartsColour; 
   shortBool    FilledLine;        // 0 or 1
   double       MaxAngle;          // 25.0 degrees 
   double       MaxBankAngle;      // 5.0 degrees
   ulong        nStraights;
   RoadList     Straights[nStraights];
   ulong        nCurves;
   RoadList     Curves[nCurves];
   ulong        nSpecials;
   RoadList     Specials[nSpecials];
   ulong        nTerminators;
   RoadList     Terminators[nTerminators];
   }
 }

RoadList

 RoadList     
 {
      String      ModelName;      // "cesta25"
      ulong       ObjectID;       // in the model list
      ushort      MeterType;      // 0,1,2,3 not present for Terminators
      shortBool   CanChangeAngle; // not present for Terminators or Curves
 }

MeterType

  Type Straights Curves 
  0 6 25 meters 
  1 12 50 
  2 25 75 
  3 100

Broadly speaking, there are a few basic road types

asfalt bitumen.
silnice Paved
cesta dirt

Each RoadType describes the general characteristics of a Dirt Road as opposed to (say) an Asphalt one.

Each of these RoadTypes (such as asphalt) can have multiple curved, straight, special, and termination p3d models associated with them.

Generally speaking, there are

3 'straight' models, approximately 6,12, and 25 meters long respectively.
4 'curved' models, 25,50,75 and 100 meters long.
1 'terminaton type.

The termination type is a road like any other but tends to be a fixed 6 meter fade out of the general road texture.

XRoad

XRoad
{
 String    Name;	      //kr_asfaltka_asfaltka_t.
 ushort    Type              //1 or 3
 RGBA      color;	      //FF FF FF FF 
 shortBool CanChangeBankAngle;
 ulong     ObjectID;
 String    Intersections[4]; //"asfaltka","silnice","cesta",Type=3 "silnice" else ""
}

Although CrossRoads could, conceivably, have any number of intersections, only two types are handled.

Type 1: A T_Junction (3 intersections)
Type 3: A Genuine crossroad (4 way intersection)

For T_Junctions, there is, obviously, no 4th intersection and this is null filled.

Without taking too literal an interpretation, there are some major types of road.

asfaltka:bitumen (sealed)
silnice: Paved
cesta: Dirt

Thus the names of each intersection reflect the road type of that intersection, sometimes resulting in (up to) four identical names.

The overall name of the crossroad itself, tries to reflect the nature of it's makeup thus kr_asfaltka_asfaltka_t: an bitumen T_Junction kr_silince_x_cesta: a crossroad of paved and dirt roads.

Terrain

Terrain
{
   XYPair   TerrainGridSize; // 256 x 256 eg
   float    TerrainGridHeights[TerrainGridSize];
   float    BlueEdgeTerrainHeights[NoOfBlueFloats]  ; //Always zero values 
   // NoOfBlueFloats = (TerrainGrid_Y * TerrainGrid_X)/16;
   ulong    Always0;
}

Object

Object
{
ShortBool IsPresent;
if (IsPresent)
{ ShortBool Always0;
ulong InstanceId;
float TransformColumn[3][4]; // described here to solidly illustrate to reader
// this is a standard DirectX Transform matrix
// but in COLUMN format;
double ObjectRelativeSize; // decimal percentage
String InstanceName; // "minimalStrelPos"
float RelativeSurfaceElevation;
RGBA OutlineColour;
RGBA ObjectColour;
ulong ObjectID;
};
};

Layer

   Layer
   {
       String          Name1;            //"Base"
       ulong           SizeType;         //0
   //	TextureXSize = TerrainXSize >> SizeType;
   //	TextureYSize = TerrainYSize >> SizeType;
   //	TexTableSize = TextureXSize * TextureYSize;
       String          Name2;            //"Base"
       ushort          DefaultIndicator; // 0 ... 1
       if (DefaultIndicator == 0)
       {
           ulong SurfaceTable[TexTableSize];
           ulong TextureTable[TexTableSize];
           char uchar[16384];
           char uchar[2];
       };
       if (DefaultIndicator == 1)
       {
           ulong           NoOfTerrainMaterials;
           TerrainMaterial[NoOfTerrainMaterials]
           {
               ulong  BitFlags;         // 1 = label, 0x40 = rvmatfile,,,,
               String MaterialName; // "---sea---","Layers\P_000-000_L00.rvmat"
               ulong  TypeID;       // 0,1,2
           };
           ulong RvmatTable[TexTableSize];
       };
   };

Background

 Background // this structure has not been seen
 {
      String BackgroundFilename;
      String BackgroundName;
      float  OffsetX;
      float  OffsetY;
      float  SizeX;
      float  SizeY;
      ulong  Transparency;
      ulong  Visible;
 }

RoadBlock

RoadBlock
{
 ShortBool IsPresent; 
 if IsPresent
 {
 ShortBool Always1; 
 ulong     Unknown[12]; 
           /* typical data
           **00 00 00 00 00 00 00 F0 2C 46 00 98 23 46 C6 6F 
           **C6 42 0E 01 00 00 01 00 00 F0 2C 46 00 98 23 46 
           **C6 6F C6 42 0E 01 00 00 4B 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
           */
 ushort    Type;             // 0,1,2,3
 String    RoadFamilyName;   //"hlavni silnice"
 String    RoadModelName;    //"kr_silnice_cesta_t"
 RGBA      color;            
 ShortBool Always1; 
 ulong     Count; 
 FamilyList FamilyLists[Count];
 ulong     Unknown[27];
           /* typical data
           **FA D4 30 BF 94 58 08 3D 00 00 C8 C0 00 00 60 C0 
           **00 00 00 00 00 00 48 C1 00 00 60 40 00 00 00 00 
           **00 00 48 C1 00 00 60 C0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
           **00 00 60 40 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 C8 C0 
           **00 00 00 00 00 00 30 C0 00 00 C8 C0 00 00 00 00 
           **00 00 1C C1 04 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
           **09 00 00 00 0B 80 00 00 04 00 00 00 
           */
 ulong     Count;    
 ModelList ModelLists[Count];
 }
}

Type

0 Road Ending with FamilyName and it's ModelName_konec
1 TJunction ModelName Only
2 Road similar to type 0
3 Xroad with ModelName Only

FamilyList

FamilyList
{
  ulong  Unknown[4];// Typically 00 00 C8 C0 00 00 C8 C0 00 00 00 00 0E 01 00 00
  String Name;     // "silnice hlavni silnic\0"
}

This struct is principally used for Xroads and Tjunctions. It typically lists the order of all RoadFamilyName's required

ModelList

ModelList
{
 ulong      Count;           //15 eg
 BlockModel BlockModel[Count];
 String     FamilyName;      //"silnice hlavni silnic\0"
 ulong      Unknown[4];      //Typically 00 00 C8 C0 00 00 C8 C0 00 00 00 00 0E 01 00 00
 RGBA       color[2];         
 ShortBool  Always01;        //01
 ulong      buf2[4];         // Typically 00 00 00 00 00 00 39 40 00 00 00 00 00 00 24 40
}

BlockModel

   BlockModel 
   {
       ulong	ModelFlag;   // 0x000001 ... 0x00010001
       float	XYZ[3];      // Model coordinates
       float	ModelDirection;
       ulong	ObjectID;
       ushort   Type;               //0,1,2,3
       String   ModelName;          //"silnice10 100\0"
       ulong    unknown[25];
          /*typical data
          **00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 
          **C4 76 C2 3F 0E EB 8A C1 00 00 00 00 BE 00 00 00 
          **CC ED 26 BE CA 0F 12 40 56 30 28 3F 00 00 00 00 
          **18 CA 04 C1 48 8B 3D C0 00 00 00 00 2D 3D 91 C1 
          **06 01 C0 40 00 00 00 00 EE 98 84 C1 99 99 91 C0 
          **00 00 00 00 64 4A 5F 35 99 99 91 40 00 00 00 00 
          **64 4A 5F B5 01 00 
          */
       ShortBool ok; // 0 or 1
}

Forest Block

UnknownStruct2
{
 ShortBool IsPresent;
 if IsPresent
 {
  ShortBool Always0;
  BisString Name1;          //"Les_new"
  ulong     Colour[3];
  ulong     nFloats;
  float     Floats[nFloats];
            /* Typical Data
            **00 00 61 45 00 78 1B 46 00 20 64 45 00 20 19 46 
            **00 20 64 45 00 78 1B 46 00 40 67 45 00 58 18 46 
            **00 40 67 45 00 78 1B 46 00 60 6A 45 00 58 18 46 
            **00 60 6A 45 00 78 1B 46 00 80 6D 45 00 90 17 46 
            **00 80 6D 45 00 B0 1A 46 00 A0 70 45 00 C8 16 46 
            **00 A0 70 45 00 E8 19 46 00 C0 73 45 00 00 16 46 
            */
  ulong     ID;             // 0,1,2,3,4....
  if POSEW60
  {
   LongBool  Always1;
  }
  else
  {
   BisString Name2;          //Les_new Name2==Name1
  }
 }
};

Locale

Locale
{
 LongBool  Always1; 
 String    ClassName;  //"Noe_Lany"
 RGBA      Colour[3];
 ShortBool ShortInd; 
 float     Offset[2];  // map relative
 float     Size[2];    // 250 x 250.0 eg
 ulong     ID;         // 0,1,2,3,4,5,6....
 BisString TownName;   //"Lipany", "Hill"
 BisString LocaleType; //"NameCity" NameCityCapital, NameVillage, NameLocal, VegetationBroadLeaf,Hill,Marine,ViewPoint
 BisString NoName;     // always null
}

Each of these locales have a LocaleType. Some of which are:

NameCity
NameCityCapital
NameVillage
VegetationBroadLeaf (Forest)

There is always a classname associated with this locale,

Forest_Owls
Abel_LaTrinite

and in most cases a text name

“La Refuge Des Chassuers”

(Type Viewpoints and Marine eg) do not have names associated with them. There is no “place” in the sea.

Icon

Icon
{
 BisString IconName;  //"sat_lco.bmp"
 BisString Name;      //"overlay1"
 byte      unknown[22];
}

Enums

ObjectClassEnum

enum ObjectClassEnum { Natural = 1, Artificial = 2, Road = 3, Forest = 4, ArtificialAndDefinedInRoad = 5 }

MarkerTypeEnum

enum MarkerTypeEnum { Rectangular = 0, Elliptical = 1 }