.blend file format of Blender: Lua parsing library

Blender is an open source suite for 3D modelling, sculpting, animation, compositing, rendering, preparation of assets for its own game engine and exporting to others, etc. .blend is its own binary format that saves whole state of suite: current scene, animations, all software settings, extensions, etc.

Internally, .blend format is a hybrid semi-self-descriptive format. On top level, it contains a simple header and a sequence of file blocks, which more or less follow typical TLV pattern. Pre-last block would be a structure with code DNA1, which is a essentially a machine-readable schema of all other structures used in this file.

Application

Blender

File extension

blend

KS implementation details

License: CC0-1.0

References

This page hosts a formal specification of .blend file format of Blender using Kaitai Struct. This specification can be automatically translated into a variety of programming languages to get a parsing library.

Lua source code to parse .blend file format of Blender

blender_blend.lua

-- This is a generated file! Please edit source .ksy file and use kaitai-struct-compiler to rebuild
--
-- This file is compatible with Lua 5.3

local class = require("class")
require("kaitaistruct")
local enum = require("enum")
local str_decode = require("string_decode")
local stringstream = require("string_stream")
local utils = require("utils")

-- 
-- Blender is an open source suite for 3D modelling, sculpting,
-- animation, compositing, rendering, preparation of assets for its own
-- game engine and exporting to others, etc. `.blend` is its own binary
-- format that saves whole state of suite: current scene, animations,
-- all software settings, extensions, etc.
-- 
-- Internally, .blend format is a hybrid semi-self-descriptive
-- format. On top level, it contains a simple header and a sequence of
-- file blocks, which more or less follow typical [TLV
-- pattern](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type-length-value). Pre-last
-- block would be a structure with code `DNA1`, which is a essentially
-- a machine-readable schema of all other structures used in this file.
BlenderBlend = class.class(KaitaiStruct)

BlenderBlend.PtrSize = enum.Enum {
  bits_64 = 45,
  bits_32 = 95,
}

BlenderBlend.Endian = enum.Enum {
  be = 86,
  le = 118,
}

function BlenderBlend:_init(io, parent, root)
  KaitaiStruct._init(self, io)
  self._parent = parent
  self._root = root or self
  self:_read()
end

function BlenderBlend:_read()
  self.hdr = BlenderBlend.Header(self._io, self, self._root)
  self.blocks = {}
  local i = 0
  while not self._io:is_eof() do
    self.blocks[i + 1] = BlenderBlend.FileBlock(self._io, self, self._root)
    i = i + 1
  end
end

BlenderBlend.property.sdna_structs = {}
function BlenderBlend.property.sdna_structs:get()
  if self._m_sdna_structs ~= nil then
    return self._m_sdna_structs
  end

  self._m_sdna_structs = self.blocks[(#self.blocks - 2) + 1].body.structs
  return self._m_sdna_structs
end


-- 
-- DNA struct contains a `type` (type name), which is specified as
-- an index in types table, and sequence of fields.
BlenderBlend.DnaStruct = class.class(KaitaiStruct)

function BlenderBlend.DnaStruct:_init(io, parent, root)
  KaitaiStruct._init(self, io)
  self._parent = parent
  self._root = root or self
  self:_read()
end

function BlenderBlend.DnaStruct:_read()
  self.idx_type = self._io:read_u2le()
  self.num_fields = self._io:read_u2le()
  self.fields = {}
  for i = 0, self.num_fields - 1 do
    self.fields[i + 1] = BlenderBlend.DnaField(self._io, self, self._root)
  end
end

BlenderBlend.DnaStruct.property.type = {}
function BlenderBlend.DnaStruct.property.type:get()
  if self._m_type ~= nil then
    return self._m_type
  end

  self._m_type = self._parent.types[self.idx_type + 1]
  return self._m_type
end


BlenderBlend.FileBlock = class.class(KaitaiStruct)

function BlenderBlend.FileBlock:_init(io, parent, root)
  KaitaiStruct._init(self, io)
  self._parent = parent
  self._root = root or self
  self:_read()
end

function BlenderBlend.FileBlock:_read()
  self.code = str_decode.decode(self._io:read_bytes(4), "ASCII")
  self.len_body = self._io:read_u4le()
  self.mem_addr = self._io:read_bytes(self._root.hdr.psize)
  self.sdna_index = self._io:read_u4le()
  self.count = self._io:read_u4le()
  local _on = self.code
  if _on == "DNA1" then
    self._raw_body = self._io:read_bytes(self.len_body)
    local _io = KaitaiStream(stringstream(self._raw_body))
    self.body = BlenderBlend.Dna1Body(_io, self, self._root)
  else
    self.body = self._io:read_bytes(self.len_body)
  end
end

BlenderBlend.FileBlock.property.sdna_struct = {}
function BlenderBlend.FileBlock.property.sdna_struct:get()
  if self._m_sdna_struct ~= nil then
    return self._m_sdna_struct
  end

  if self.sdna_index ~= 0 then
    self._m_sdna_struct = self._root.sdna_structs[self.sdna_index + 1]
  end
  return self._m_sdna_struct
end

-- 
-- Identifier of the file block.
-- 
-- Total length of the data after the header of file block.
-- 
-- Memory address the structure was located when written to disk.
-- 
-- Index of the SDNA structure.
-- 
-- Number of structure located in this file-block.

-- 
-- DNA1, also known as "Structure DNA", is a special block in
-- .blend file, which contains machine-readable specifications of
-- all other structures used in this .blend file.
-- 
-- Effectively, this block contains:
-- 
-- * a sequence of "names" (strings which represent field names)
-- * a sequence of "types" (strings which represent type name)
-- * a sequence of "type lengths"
-- * a sequence of "structs" (which describe contents of every
--   structure, referring to types and names by index)
-- See also: Source (https://archive.blender.org/wiki/index.php/Dev:Source/Architecture/File_Format/#Structure_DNA)
BlenderBlend.Dna1Body = class.class(KaitaiStruct)

function BlenderBlend.Dna1Body:_init(io, parent, root)
  KaitaiStruct._init(self, io)
  self._parent = parent
  self._root = root or self
  self:_read()
end

function BlenderBlend.Dna1Body:_read()
  self.id = self._io:read_bytes(4)
  if not(self.id == "\083\068\078\065") then
    error("not equal, expected " ..  "\083\068\078\065" .. ", but got " .. self.id)
  end
  self.name_magic = self._io:read_bytes(4)
  if not(self.name_magic == "\078\065\077\069") then
    error("not equal, expected " ..  "\078\065\077\069" .. ", but got " .. self.name_magic)
  end
  self.num_names = self._io:read_u4le()
  self.names = {}
  for i = 0, self.num_names - 1 do
    self.names[i + 1] = str_decode.decode(self._io:read_bytes_term(0, false, true, true), "UTF-8")
  end
  self.padding_1 = self._io:read_bytes(((4 - self._io:pos()) % 4))
  self.type_magic = self._io:read_bytes(4)
  if not(self.type_magic == "\084\089\080\069") then
    error("not equal, expected " ..  "\084\089\080\069" .. ", but got " .. self.type_magic)
  end
  self.num_types = self._io:read_u4le()
  self.types = {}
  for i = 0, self.num_types - 1 do
    self.types[i + 1] = str_decode.decode(self._io:read_bytes_term(0, false, true, true), "UTF-8")
  end
  self.padding_2 = self._io:read_bytes(((4 - self._io:pos()) % 4))
  self.tlen_magic = self._io:read_bytes(4)
  if not(self.tlen_magic == "\084\076\069\078") then
    error("not equal, expected " ..  "\084\076\069\078" .. ", but got " .. self.tlen_magic)
  end
  self.lengths = {}
  for i = 0, self.num_types - 1 do
    self.lengths[i + 1] = self._io:read_u2le()
  end
  self.padding_3 = self._io:read_bytes(((4 - self._io:pos()) % 4))
  self.strc_magic = self._io:read_bytes(4)
  if not(self.strc_magic == "\083\084\082\067") then
    error("not equal, expected " ..  "\083\084\082\067" .. ", but got " .. self.strc_magic)
  end
  self.num_structs = self._io:read_u4le()
  self.structs = {}
  for i = 0, self.num_structs - 1 do
    self.structs[i + 1] = BlenderBlend.DnaStruct(self._io, self, self._root)
  end
end


BlenderBlend.Header = class.class(KaitaiStruct)

function BlenderBlend.Header:_init(io, parent, root)
  KaitaiStruct._init(self, io)
  self._parent = parent
  self._root = root or self
  self:_read()
end

function BlenderBlend.Header:_read()
  self.magic = self._io:read_bytes(7)
  if not(self.magic == "\066\076\069\078\068\069\082") then
    error("not equal, expected " ..  "\066\076\069\078\068\069\082" .. ", but got " .. self.magic)
  end
  self.ptr_size_id = BlenderBlend.PtrSize(self._io:read_u1())
  self.endian = BlenderBlend.Endian(self._io:read_u1())
  self.version = str_decode.decode(self._io:read_bytes(3), "ASCII")
end

-- 
-- Number of bytes that a pointer occupies.
BlenderBlend.Header.property.psize = {}
function BlenderBlend.Header.property.psize:get()
  if self._m_psize ~= nil then
    return self._m_psize
  end

  self._m_psize = utils.box_unwrap((self.ptr_size_id == BlenderBlend.PtrSize.bits_64) and utils.box_wrap(8) or (4))
  return self._m_psize
end

-- 
-- Size of a pointer; all pointers in the file are stored in this format.
-- 
-- Type of byte ordering used.
-- 
-- Blender version used to save this file.

BlenderBlend.DnaField = class.class(KaitaiStruct)

function BlenderBlend.DnaField:_init(io, parent, root)
  KaitaiStruct._init(self, io)
  self._parent = parent
  self._root = root or self
  self:_read()
end

function BlenderBlend.DnaField:_read()
  self.idx_type = self._io:read_u2le()
  self.idx_name = self._io:read_u2le()
end

BlenderBlend.DnaField.property.type = {}
function BlenderBlend.DnaField.property.type:get()
  if self._m_type ~= nil then
    return self._m_type
  end

  self._m_type = self._parent._parent.types[self.idx_type + 1]
  return self._m_type
end

BlenderBlend.DnaField.property.name = {}
function BlenderBlend.DnaField.property.name:get()
  if self._m_name ~= nil then
    return self._m_name
  end

  self._m_name = self._parent._parent.names[self.idx_name + 1]
  return self._m_name
end