SCAN (Metroid Prime)
This article is for the SCAN format from Metroid Prime. For other revisions of this format, see SCAN (File Format).
The SCAN file format describes scannable objects. It is a relatively simple format and has a static size.
Format
The SCAN format is very simple; it has a header with data that contains general settings related to the scan, and then four structs defining how the scan images work. Even if a scan doesn't use four images, there are always four image structs, which means that the SCAN format has a static size; every SCAN file is 0x89 bytes (or 0xA0 bytes padded).
Header
The header is rather simple, and consists of the following:
| Offset | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 4 | Version; 3 for the demo, 5 for the final |
| 0x4 | 4 | Magic; always 0x0BADBEEF |
| 0x8 | 4 | FRME ID |
| 0xC | 4 | Scan text STRG ID |
| 0x10 | 4 | Scan Speed Flag; 0 = normal fast scan, 1 = slower scan (usually found in boss fights) |
| 0x14 | 4 | Logbook Category; see below |
| 0x18 | 1 | Scan Icon Flag; 0 = orange icon, 1 = red icon |
| 0x19 | End of header | |
Logbook Category
There are five possible values:
| ID | Category |
|---|---|
| 0 | Not a logbook scan |
| 1 | Space Pirate Data |
| 2 | Chozo Lore |
| 3 | Creatures |
| 4 | Research |
Scan Images
Following the header is an array of four structs that contain settings for up to four scan images. Although there can be anywhere from 0 to 4 scan images attached to a scan, there are always four scan image entries here. Entries that aren't used have their TXTR ID set to 0xFFFFFFFF, with the rest of the settings mostly left at defaults. They follow this format:
| Offset | Size | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0x0 | 4 | long | TXTR ID |
| 0x4 | 4 | float | Appearance %; image will appear when the scan is this% complete. Should range from 0 to 1. |
| 0x8 | 4 | long | Image Position; See below. |
| 0xC | 4 | long | Width; 0 = no animation |
| 0x10 | 4 | long | Height; 0 = no animation |
| 0x14 | 4 | float | Interval; 0.0 = no animation |
| 0x18 | 4 | float | Fade Duration; 0.0 = no fade |
| 0x1C | End of entry | ||
Image Position
There are 20 possible values for the scan image's position; there are ten for the left side, and ten for the right:
| Value | Size | Position | FRME_ScanHud Widget |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0x00 | 1/4 | Top-left corner | imagepane_pane0 |
| 0x01 | 1/4 | Upper-middle-left | imagepane_pane1 |
| 0x02 | 1/4 | Lower-middle-left | imagepane_pane2 |
| 0x03 | 1/4 | Bottom-left corner | imagepane_pane3 |
| 0x04 | 1/2 | Top-left corner | imagepane_pane01 |
| 0x05 | 1/2 | Middle-left | imagepane_pane12 |
| 0x06 | 1/2 | Bottom-left corner | imagepane_pane23 |
| 0x07 | 3/4 | Top-left corner | imagepane_pane012 |
| 0x08 | 3/4 | Bottom-left corner | imagepane_pane123 |
| 0x09 | 1 | Left side | imagepane_pane0123 |
| 0x0A | 1/4 | Top-right corner | imagepane_pane4 |
| 0x0B | 1/4 | Upper-middle-right | imagepane_pane5 |
| 0x0C | 1/4 | Lower-middle-right | imagepane_pane6 |
| 0x0D | 1/4 | Bottom-right corner | imagepane_pane7 |
| 0x0E | 1/2 | Top-right corner | imagepane_pane45 |
| 0x0F | 1/2 | Middle-right | imagepane_pane56 |
| 0x10 | 1/2 | Bottom-right corner | imagepane_pane67 |
| 0x11 | 3/4 | Top-right corner | imagepane_pane456 |
| 0x12 | 3/4 | Bottom-right corner | imagepane_pane567 |
| 0x13 | 1 | Right side | imagepane_pane4567 |
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Image positions 0x00, 0x01, and 0x02
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Image positions for 0x04, 0x06, 0x0E, and 0x10
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Image positions for 0x03, 0x05, and 0x0F. Note that 0x03 appears only for this scan (Omega Pirate's projectiles) and no others.
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Image positions for 0x09 and 0x13
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This unused Chozo Elder scan (hacked onto Parasite Queen) shows image positions 0x0A and 0x0D. This scan is the only one where these positions are used.
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Image positions for 0x0B and 0x0C (unused)
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Image positions for 0x07 and 0x11 (unused)
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Image positions for 0x08 and 0x12 (unused)
Fly In Behavior
The first scan image to appear (based on the appearance percent value) will "fly in" from the side of the screen toward the center. The remaining images will "fade in" without moving. The only exception to this is when the first image to appear is a "blank" image with no associated TXTR. In this case, no image will fly in (i.e., all images will fade in).
Scan Animations
An extremely small number of scans display animated images in Metroid Prime. In the final version of the game, only a terminal in the Map Facility displays an animated image. In the demo version of the game, the aforementioned terminal scan and the Parasite Queen scan both display animated images. For most SCAN files, the last 32 bits of the scan image entry are zeroed out, but for the animated scans, these 32 bits have actual values in them. Strangely, the terminal directly to the left of the animated terminal in the Map Facility also has non-zero values for these 32 bits, even though it does not display any animated images.