SWG IFF Deconstructor

Deconstruct Star Wars Galaxies IFF DataTable files back to TAB or XML format with a single right-click in Visual Studio Code.

Features

• ✅ Right-Click Deconstruction: Deconstruct .iff files to .tab or .xml format directly from the explorer or editor context menu
• ✅ Batch Processing: Deconstruct all .iff files in a folder at once
• ✅ Flexible Output: Choose TAB or XML output format
• ✅ Custom Output Paths: Output to same directory or custom location
• ✅ Progress Notifications: Visual feedback during deconstruction
• ✅ Auto-Open Output: Optionally open deconstructed file after completion

Quick Start

1. Install the extension
2. Open a workspace containing SWG IFF files
3. Right-click any .iff file
4. Select "SWG: Deconstruct IFF to TAB" or "SWG: Deconstruct IFF to XML"

That's it! Your .tab or .xml file will be created automatically.

Commands

Configuration

Open VS Code settings and search for "SWG IFF Deconstructor" to customize:

Default Output Format

"swg-iff-deconstructor.defaultOutputFormat": "tab"

Choose default output format: tab or xml.

Output Location

"swg-iff-deconstructor.outputLocation": "same"

Choose output location:

• same: Output to same directory as IFF file
• custom: Use custom output directory

Custom Output Path

"swg-iff-deconstructor.customOutputPath": "C:/path/to/output"

Custom output directory (when outputLocation is 'custom').

Show Notifications

"swg-iff-deconstructor.showNotifications": true

Show deconstruction status notifications.

Open Output on Success

"swg-iff-deconstructor.openOutputOnSuccess": true

Open the deconstructed file after successful deconstruction.

Usage Examples

Deconstruct Single File to TAB

1. Open or select a .iff file in Explorer
2. Right-click the file
3. Select "SWG: Deconstruct IFF to TAB"

Deconstruct Single File to XML

1. Right-click a .iff file
2. Select "SWG: Deconstruct IFF to XML"

Deconstruct All Files in Folder

1. Right-click on a folder containing .iff files
2. Select "SWG: Deconstruct All IFF Files in Folder"
3. Watch the progress notification

Supported File Types

This extension decon structs DataTable IFF files only:

• DataTable IFF files created from .tab files
• DataTable IFF files created from .xml files

Not supported:

• Mesh files (.msh)
• Shader files (.sht)
• Appearance files (.apt)
• Other non-DataTable IFF formats

How It Works

The extension reads the binary IFF file structure and parses:

1. FORM/DTII chunk (DataTable identifier)
2. COLS chunk (column names)
3. TYPE chunk (data types)
4. ROWS chunk (table data)

Then reconstructs the original TAB or XML format.

Output Formats

TAB Format

columnName1	columnName2	columnName3
s	i	f
value1	123	45.67
value2	456	78.90

XML Format

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<datatable>
  <column name="columnName1" type="s" />
  <column name="columnName2" type="i" />
  <row>
    <cell name="columnName1">value1</cell>
    <cell name="columnName2">123</cell>
  </row>
</datatable>

Data Type Support

• s - String
• i - Integer
• f - Float
• b - Boolean
• e - Enum
• h - Hash string
• c - CRC
• v - Packed string

Troubleshooting

"Not a DataTable IFF file"

The selected IFF file is not a DataTable format. This extension only works with DataTable IFF files.

Output File Not Created

• Check write permissions to the output directory
• Verify the IFF file is a valid DataTable IFF
• Check the output for error messages

Incorrect Data

• The IFF file may be corrupted
• Try using the original compilation tool to verify the IFF

Companion Extension

Use with SWG IFF Creator to complete the workflow:

• SWG IFF Creator: Compile .tab and .xml files to .iff
• SWG IFF Deconstructor: Deconstruct .iff files back to .tab or .xml

Known Issues

• Very large IFF files (100+ MB) may take several seconds to process
• Custom data types may not be fully supported

Release Notes

1.0.0

• Initial release
• Right-click deconstruction for .iff files
• TAB and XML output formats
• Batch folder deconstruction
• Configurable output paths
• Progress notifications
• Auto-open deconstructed files

Contributing

Found a bug or have a feature request? Please open an issue on our GitHub repository.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Credits

Created for the Star Wars Galaxies modding and development community by Wasted Potential Studios LLC.

Enjoy deconstructing IFF files with ease! 🚀

For more SWG development tools, visit Wasted Potential Studios.