KulaQuest WikiKub Format
A custom binary archive format for storing multiple files with compression in the oldest demo.
Overview
.KUB (also known as .PIC) is the binary archive format used for storing compressed levels and end screenshots in the first demo of the game. This format was eventually superseded by the .PAK format used in later versions of the game, with the only differences being that the Kub doesn't store filenames and uses a different compression algorithm.
Files are compressed individually using lzrw3a instead, an old and somewhat obscure compression algorithm. All values are in little endian, and the primitive types can be found here.
Layout
| Offset(h) | Size | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0x00 | 4 | u32 | File count |
| 0x04 | file_count * 8 | FileEntry[] | File entries |
| 4 + (file_count * 8) | - | u8[] | Compressed file data |
File Entry Table
The first 4 bytes in the file specify how many compressed files are inside the archive.
Immediately after is the file entry table; one record per file, stored contiguously starting at 0x04.
Each record contains the absolute offset to the compressed file data and the compressed size of the file in bytes.
| Offset(h) | Size | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| +0x00 | 4 | u32 | Absolute offset to compressed file data |
| +0x04 | 4 | u32 | Size of compressed file in bytes |
Entry n is stored at offset 0x04 + (n * 8).
File Data
The file data starts immediately after the file entry table.
Each buffer starts with a null dword (0x00000000), signifying a standalone lzrw3a stream located at the absolute offset specified in the file entry table.