war3map(skin).w3* Modifications

These are the files that store the changes you make in the object editor. They all have one format in common. They have an initial int and then there are 2 tables Both look the same. The first table is the original table (Standard Objects by Blizzard). The second table contains the user created objects (Custom units / items / abilities …)

1.33 has added a second set of these files, war3mapSkin.w3*, which follow the same format, and are probably used to store "netsafe" fields, since these new files aren't in map_crc

Format

uint32		format_version

The following structure 2 times.

uint32		object_count

for each object {
	char[4]		original_id
	char[4]		modified_id

	if format_version >= 3 {
		uint32		sets_count
	} else sets_count = 1

	for each set {
		if format_version >= 3 {
			uint32 set_flag
		}
		uint32		modifications_count

		for each modification {
			char[4]		modification_id
			uint32		variable_type

			if optional_ints {
				uint32 level_variation
				uint32 data_pointer
			}

			if variable_type == 0 {
				uint32		value
			}

			if variable_type == 1 || variable_type == 2 {
				float		value
			}

			if variable_type == 3 {
				c_string	value
			}

			char[4]		end_token
		}
	}
}

Explanation

uint32		format_version

1 or 2 or 3

uint32		object_count

for each object {
	char[4]		original_id

Always one of the base units/items/abilities/... as defined by Blizzard.

	char[4]		modified_id

If we are reading the first table then this is always 0. If we are reading the second table then this is the new custom ID.

	uint32		sets_count

Only in version >=3, these sets probably correspond to the different asset modes the game recognises (SD vs HD, teen, all languages)

	for each set {

There's always one (0th) set before version 3, but we need to go through all of them to load the data correctly

		if format_version >= 3 {
			uint32 set_flag
		}

Unknown which values exist, but 0 is the default which makes it work for all asset modes

		uint32		modifications_count

		for each modification {
			char[4]		modification_id

A modification id from one of the xxxMetaData.slk files. You can use this to map to a field name.

			uint32		variable_type

Value	Variable Type	Value Format
0	Integer	int
1	Real	float (single precision)
2	Unreal (0 <= val <= 1)	float (single precision)
3	String	string (null terminated)

			if optional_ints {

Some types of objects use optional ints to specify things like variations or levels. See the table at the bottom.

				uint32 level_variation

In the ability and upgrade file this is the level of the ability/upgrade, in the doodads file this is the variation, set to 0 if the object doesn't have more than one level/variation.

				uint32 data_pointer

In reality this is only used in the ability file for values that are originally stored in one of the Data columns in AbilityData.slk, this int tells the game to which of those columns the value resolves (0 = A, 1 = B, 2 = C, 3 = D, 4 = F, 5 = G, 6 = H), for example if the change applies to the column DataA3 the level int will be set to 3 and the data pointer to 0

			}

			if variable_type == 0 {
				uint32		value
			}

			if variable_type == 1 || variable_type == 2 {
				float		value
			}

			if variable_type == 3 {
				c_string	value
			}

			char[4]		end_token

This is either 0, or equal to the original object ID or equal to the new object ID of the current object. When reading files you can use this to check if the format is correct, when writing a file you should use the new object ID of the current object here. From testing I have concluded that this field is not really used in the World Editor or the game so you can safely set it to 0.

		}
	}
}

Extension	Object Type	Object IDs	Mod IDs	Optional Ints
.w3u	Units	Units\UnitData.slk	Units\UnitMetaData.slk	No
.w3t	Items	Units\ItemData.slk	Units\UnitMetaData.slk (where useItem = 1)	No
.w3b	Destructables	Units\DestructableData.slk	Units\DestructableMetaData.slk	No
.w3d	Doodads	Doodads\Doodads.slk	Doodads\DoodadMetaData.slk	Yes
.w3a	Abilities	Units\AbilityData.slk	Units\AbilityMetaData.slk	Yes
.w3h	Buffs	Units\AbilityBuffData.slk	Units\AbilityBuffMetaData.slk	No
.w3q	Upgrades	Units\UpgradeData.slk	Units\UpgradeMetaData.slk	Yes