Что такое формат файла VFS?
A .vfs file is a game data archive used by the UFO trilogy, a computer game series developed by Altar Games (originally ALTAR Interactive) with their proprietary Vision engine. .vfs files store the packed assets the game engine needs to build the game world. The first entry in the series, UFO: Aftermath, was released in 2003 as a spiritual successor to X-COM, with many gameplay elements changed and new features added. All three UFO titles were released for Microsoft Windows.
.vfs files contain various resources used by the game, including:
- Graphics and 3D models
- Music tracks and audio effects
- Maps and locations
- Textures
- Numerical and configuration data
Data in .vfs files is compressed using per-entry lossless compression to save disk space, though some entries are stored uncompressed. The format operates as a proprietary binary container, similar in purpose to a .PAK archive used by other game engines. No publicly documented magic-byte signature exists; tools identify archives by their location within the game install folder rather than a file header. Various tools for extracting .vfs archive contents are available.
VFS files and UFO games
During the period between 2003 and 2007 three UFO games were released, each using the .vfs archive format:
- UFO: Aftermath (2003)
- UFO: Aftershock (2004)
- UFO: Afterlight (2007)
Modifying VFS files
Various mods - tools and resources that let users modify game contents and change one or more aspects of the game - are available for the UFO trilogy. Installing mods to the game requires no specific technical knowledge; usually it is sufficient to place the modded .vfs file using the given modding tool into the game's main folder. The primary game archive is named gamedata.vfs. Modded VFS packages typically use the following naming convention: mod_packagename.vfs. More detailed descriptions of the .vfs data structure and modding guides can be found on UFO fan sites as well as on the developer's official game forum. Do not move or rename existing .vfs files in an install - doing so will break the game.
Безопасность и защита
РИСК: MEDIUMThe biggest risk is self-inflicted: deleting, renaming or wrongly editing a UFO game's .vfs files breaks or corrupts the install - never remove them to "free space"; uninstall the game instead, and back up any .vfs before modding. The archive itself is passive asset data and does not auto-run code, but download .vfs/mod packages only from reputable UFO-community sites. Because the extension is shared by many unrelated 'virtual file system' programs, make sure a .vfs from elsewhere actually belongs to a UFO game before treating it as one.
Детали формата
в двух словах- Generic Virtual File System container - Many programs (emulators, installers, sandbox/VPN tools, some IDEs) store a virtual filesystem image as .vfs; each is a private, unrelated format.
- Sony Sound Forge / Vegas video-stabilization & misc app data - A few media and utility apps write settings or cache files as .vfs, unrelated to game archives.
Программы, открывающие файлы VFS
Windows2 apps
Dragon UnPACKer
Бесплатно Open the .vfs; its UFO/Vision plug-in browses the internal directory so you can preview and extract assets. 
Game Extractor
Бесплатно Try opening the .vfs to list/extract entries; supports many game archive formats (coverage of UFO VFS may be partial). Технические подробности
глубокая спецификация| Format type | Proprietary binary Virtual File System container (game asset archive) |
| Developer / engine | Altar Games (ALTAR Interactive) - Vision game engine |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| Compression | Per-entry; entries may be compressed with an engine-specific method or stored uncompressed |
| Encryption | None documented |
| Internal structure | Binary header followed by a file directory table (entry paths, byte offsets, sizes) and packed asset data |
| Supported titles | UFO: Aftermath (2003), UFO: Aftershock (2004), UFO: Afterlight (2007) |
| Target platform | Windows |
| Typical archive size | Tens of MB to several hundred MB per file |
| File signature (magic bytes) | None publicly documented; identified by install-folder context, not a header pattern |
| Primary archive filename | gamedata.vfs |
| Mod archive naming convention | mod_<packagename>.vfs (community standard) |
| Internal versioning | Undocumented; varies slightly across the three UFO titles |
| Asset types stored | 3D models, textures, maps, audio tracks, numerical and configuration data |
| Extraction tools | Dragon UnPACKer (via plug-in), Game Extractor |
| Выпущен | 2003 (UFO: Aftermath, Altar Games) |
| Последняя версия | As shipped with UFO: Afterlight (2007); format is not publicly versioned |
Конвертации VFS
Вопросы и ответы сообщества
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