SAND (File Format)

The SAND format appears in Metroid Prime 3. It stores various animation-related data, which is used by CHAR files. Most of the data in this format appeared in the ANCS format in Prime 1/2.

Format

Type Count Name Notes
u16 1 Unknown Always 0
u32 1 Transition Count Number of animation transitions.
Transition Transition Count Transition Array Array of animation transitions.
u32 1 Half Transition Count Number of half transitions.
Half Transition Half Transition Count Half Transition Array Array of half transitions.
Meta-Transition 1 Default Transition
u32 1 Additive Animation Count Number of additive animations.
Additive Animation Additive Animation Count Additive Animation Array Array of additive animations. Although any animation can be used as additive, this array allows for customizing the fade in/out time for each animation.
float 1 Default Fade-In Time Fade-in time used for additive animations not listed in the above array.
float 1 Default Fade-Out Time Fade-out time used for additive animations not listed in the above array.
u8 1 Unknown Always 0
u32 1 Anim Event Set Count Count of anim event sets. There'll be one set per animation that uses events (unless the animation has its events in the CHAR file).
Anim Event Set Anim Event Set Count Anim Event Set Array Array of animation event sets.

Transition

Offset Type Name Notes
0x0 u8 Unknown Always 0
0x1 Asset ID (ANIM) Animation ID A ID of the animation being transitioned from.
0x9 Asset ID (ANIM) Animation ID B ID of the animation being transitioned to.
0x11 Meta-Transition Transition Meta-transition data.

Half Transition

Offset Type Name Notes
0x0 u8 Unknown Always 0
0x1 Asset ID (ANIM) Animation ID The animation being transitioned from.
0x9 Meta-Transition Transition Meta-transition data.

Additive Animation

Offset Type Name Notes
0x0 Asset ID (ANIM) Animation ID ID of the animation that these additive settings apply to.
0x8 float Fade-In Time Fade-in duration.
0xC float Fade-Out Time Fade-out duration.

Anim Event Set

Type Count Name Notes
Asset ID (ANIM) 1 Animation ID ID of the animation that these events apply to.
u32 1 Unknown
u32 1 Effect Event Count Number of effect events in this set.
Effect Event Effect Event Count Effect Event Array Array of effect events.
u32 1 Sound Event Count Number of sound events in this set.
Sound Event Sound Event Count Sound Event Array Array of sound events.
u32 1 User Event Count Number of user events in this set.
User Event User Event Count User Event Array Array of user events.