Warcraft III File Format Specifications

Community-compiled documentation of all known Warcraft III file formats, organized for use as Copilot / LLM context when writing parsers, test data generators, and map tools.

Primary sources: - https://867380699.github.io/blog/2019/05/09/W3X_Files_Format (the Zepir/WC3C spec, mirrored) - https://github.com/ChiefOfGxBxL/WC3MapSpecification (living document, versioned tables) - https://github.com/Luashine/wc3-file-formats (Kaitai Struct definitions, .ods tables)

Version note: Structures marked [TFT] are Frozen Throne / Reforged era. Classic RoC variants differ in some fields.
File format version numbers referenced here are those in the binary header of each file.

Directory Layout

wc3-formats/
├── README.md                  ← this file
├── map-container/
│   ├── mpq.md                 ← MPQ archive format
│   └── w3x-w3m.md             ← W3X/W3M map container (header + MPQ)
├── terrain/
│   ├── w3e.md                 ← war3map.w3e  – terrain / tilepoints
│   ├── shd.md                 ← war3map.shd  – shadow map
│   └── wpm.md                 ← war3map.wpm / war3mapPath.tga – pathing
├── units-doodads/
│   ├── doo.md                 ← war3map.doo  – doodads (trees, destructables)
│   └── unitsdoo.md            ← war3mapUnits.doo – units & items placement
├── triggers-scripts/
│   ├── j.md                   ← war3map.j    – JASS2 script
│   ├── wts.md                 ← war3map.wts  – trigger strings
│   ├── wtg.md                 ← war3map.wtg  – GUI triggers
│   └── wct.md                 ← war3map.wct  – custom text triggers
├── object-data/
│   ├── w3i.md                 ← war3map.w3i  – map info
│   ├── w3u-w3t-w3b-etc.md     ← war3map.w3u/t/a/b/d/h/q – object data
│   ├── w3r.md                 ← war3map.w3r  – regions
│   ├── w3c.md                 ← war3map.w3c  – cameras
│   └── imp.md                 ← war3map.imp  – imported files list
├── sounds-regions/
│   └── w3s.md                 ← war3map.w3s  – sound definitions
├── visual-formats/
│   ├── blp.md                 ← BLP texture format
│   ├── mdx-mdl.md             ← MDX (binary) and MDL (text) model formats
│   └── mmp-minimap.md         ← war3map.mmp / minimap files
├── slk/
│   └── slk.md                 ← SYLK / SLK table format + key game SLK files
├── campaign-replay/
│   ├── w3n.md                 ← W3N campaign archive
│   ├── w3g.md                 ← W3G replay format
│   └── w3z-w3v.md             ← W3Z save files, W3V variable cache
└── tools/
    └── tools.md               ← Recommended tools (MPQ editors, hex editors, etc.)

Data Primitives (all files)

All WC3 binary files share these primitive types. Little-Endian unless stated.

Type	Size	Notes
`int`	4 bytes	Signed 32-bit LE. Equivalent to C `int`.
`short`	2 bytes	Signed 16-bit LE. Range used is −16384..16383 (top 2 bits free for flags).
`float`	4 bytes	IEEE 754 single-precision LE.
`char`	1 byte	Single ASCII byte.
`char[4]`	4 bytes	Four-char ID code (e.g. `"W3E!"`, `'Ahbz'`). Stored as-is, no null terminator.
`string`	variable	Null-terminated UTF-8 byte sequence. Length = content + 1.
`flags` (int)	4 bytes	Each bit is an independent boolean.
`byte`	1 byte	Raw unsigned byte.

TRIGSTR_ strings

If a string value starts with TRIGSTR_ (case-sensitive), it is a trigger string reference. WC3 resolves it at display time from the .wts string table.

TRIGSTR_007, TRIGSTR_7abc, TRIGSTR_07 → all reference trigger string #7
TRIGSTR_ab7, TRIGSTR_ → reference trigger string #0
TRIGSTR_-7 (negative) → resolves to empty string ""
Convention: always written as TRIGSTR_NNN (3 digits) + null terminator → 12 bytes total.

Color codes in strings

|c00BBGGRR embeds a color change inline in a displayed string.
BB GG RR are 2-digit hex values for blue, green, red respectively.

UTF-8 conversion

WC3 strings are UTF-8. For pure ASCII content treat as normal C strings. For multi-byte characters the standard UTF-8 encoding applies (see primary source for full conversion tables).

File Version Table (across WC3 patches)

File	Classic / RoC	TFT (1.07+)	Pre-Reforged (1.29–1.31)	Reforged (1.32+)	2.0+
`war3map.w3e`	11	11	11	11	12
`war3mapUnits.doo`	7	8_11	8_11	8_11	—
`war3map.doo`	7	8_11	8_11	8_11	—
`war3map.w3r`	5	5	5	5	—
`war3map.w3c`	0	0	0	0	—
`war3map.w3s`	1	1	1	3	—
`war3map.w3u/.w3t/.w3a/etc.`	1	2	2	2	—
`war3map.wts`	1	1	1	1	—
`war3map.w3i`	18	25	25–28	31	33
`war3map.imp`	1	1	1	1	—

Sources: ChiefOfGxBxL/WC3MapSpecification version tables; cross-verified with Luashine/wc3-file-formats.