Binary serialization API

Introduction

Godot has a simple serialization API based on Variant. It's used for converting data types to an array of bytes efficiently. This API is used in the functions get_var and store_var of File as well as the packet APIs for PacketPeer. This format is not used for binary scenes and resources.

Packet specification

The packet is designed to be always padded to 4 bytes. All values are little-endian-encoded. All packets have a 4-byte header representing an integer, specifying the type of data:

Type

Value

0

null

1

bool

2

integer

3

float

4

string

5

vector2

6

rect2

7

vector3

8

transform2d

9

plane

10

quat

11

aabb

12

basis

13

transform

14

color

15

node path

16

rid

17

object

18

dictionary

19

array

20

raw array

21

int array

22

real array

23

string array

24

vector2 array

25

vector3 array

26

color array

27

max

Following this is the actual packet contents, which varies for each type of packet. Note that this assumes Godot is compiled with single-precision floats, which is the default. If Godot was compiled with double-precision floats, the length of "Float" fields within data structures should be 8, and the offset should be (offset - 4) * 2 + 4. The "float" type itself always uses double precision.

0: null

1: bool

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Integer

0 for False, 1 for True

2: int

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

8

Integer

64-bit signed integer

3: float

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Float

IEE 754 32-Bits Float

4: String

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Integer

String length (in bytes)

8

X

Bytes

UTF-8 encoded string

This field is padded to 4 bytes.

5: Vector2

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Float

X coordinate

8

4

Float

Y coordinate

6: Rect2

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Float

X coordinate

8

4

Float

Y coordinate

12

4

Float

X size

16

4

Float

Y size

7: Vector3

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Float

X coordinate

8

4

Float

Y coordinate

12

4

Float

Z coordinate

8: Transform2D

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Float

The X component of the X column vector, accessed via [0][0]

8

4

Float

The Y component of the X column vector, accessed via [0][1]

12

4

Float

The X component of the Y column vector, accessed via [1][0]

16

4

Float

The Y component of the Y column vector, accessed via [1][1]

20

4

Float

The X component of the origin vector, accessed via [2][0]

24

4

Float

The Y component of the origin vector, accessed via [2][1]

9: Plane

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Float

Normal X

8

4

Float

Normal Y

12

4

Float

Normal Z

16

4

Float

Distance

10: Quat

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Float

Imaginary X

8

4

Float

Imaginary Y

12

4

Float

Imaginary Z

16

4

Float

Real W

11: AABB

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Float

X coordinate

8

4

Float

Y coordinate

12

4

Float

Z coordinate

16

4

Float

X size

20

4

Float

Y size

24

4

Float

Z size

12: Basis

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Float

The X component of the X column vector, accessed via [0][0]

8

4

Float

The Y component of the X column vector, accessed via [0][1]

12

4

Float

The Z component of the X column vector, accessed via [0][2]

16

4

Float

The X component of the Y column vector, accessed via [1][0]

20

4

Float

The Y component of the Y column vector, accessed via [1][1]

24

4

Float

The Z component of the Y column vector, accessed via [1][2]

28

4

Float

The X component of the Z column vector, accessed via [2][0]

32

4

Float

The Y component of the Z column vector, accessed via [2][1]

36

4

Float

The Z component of the Z column vector, accessed via [2][2]

13: Transform

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Float

The X component of the X column vector, accessed via [0][0]

8

4

Float

The Y component of the X column vector, accessed via [0][1]

12

4

Float

The Z component of the X column vector, accessed via [0][2]

16

4

Float

The X component of the Y column vector, accessed via [1][0]

20

4

Float

The Y component of the Y column vector, accessed via [1][1]

24

4

Float

The Z component of the Y column vector, accessed via [1][2]

28

4

Float

The X component of the Z column vector, accessed via [2][0]

32

4

Float

The Y component of the Z column vector, accessed via [2][1]

36

4

Float

The Z component of the Z column vector, accessed via [2][2]

40

4

Float

The X component of the origin vector, accessed via [3][0]

44

4

Float

The Y component of the origin vector, accessed via [3][1]

48

4

Float

The Z component of the origin vector, accessed via [3][2]

14: Color

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Float

Red (typically 0..1, can be above 1 for overbright colors)

8

4

Float

Green (typically 0..1, can be above 1 for overbright colors)

12

4

Float

Blue (typically 0..1, can be above 1 for overbright colors)

16

4

Float

Alpha (0..1)

15: NodePath

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Integer

String length, or new format (val&0x80000000!=0 and NameCount=val&0x7FFFFFFF)

For old format:

Offset

Len

Type

Description

8

X

Bytes

UTF-8 encoded string

Padded to 4 bytes.

For new format:

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Integer

Sub-name count

8

4

Integer

Flags (absolute: val&1 != 0 )

For each Name and Sub-Name

Offset

Len

Type

Description

X+0

4

Integer

String length

X+4

X

Bytes

UTF-8 encoded string

Every name string is padded to 4 bytes.

16: RID (unsupported)

17: Object (unsupported)

18: Dictionary

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Integer

val&0x7FFFFFFF = elements, val&0x80000000 = shared (bool)

Then what follows is, for amount of "elements", pairs of key and value, one after the other, using this same format.

19: Array

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Integer

val&0x7FFFFFFF = elements, val&0x80000000 = shared (bool)

Then what follows is, for amount of "elements", values one after the other, using this same format.

20: PoolByteArray

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Integer

Array length (Bytes)

8..8+length

1

Byte

Byte (0..255)

The array data is padded to 4 bytes.

21: PoolIntArray

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Integer

Array length (Integers)

8..8+length*4

4

Integer

32-bit signed integer

22: PoolRealArray

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Integer

Array length (Floats)

8..8+length*4

4

Integer

32-bits IEEE 754 float

23: PoolStringArray

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Integer

Array length (Strings)

For each String:

Offset

Len

Type

Description

X+0

4

Integer

String length

X+4

X

Bytes

UTF-8 encoded string

Every string is padded to 4 bytes.

24: PoolVector2Array

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Integer

Array length

8..8+length*8

4

Float

X coordinate

8..12+length*8

4

Float

Y coordinate

25: PoolVector3Array

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Integer

Array length

8..8+length*12

4

Float

X coordinate

8..12+length*12

4

Float

Y coordinate

8..16+length*12

4

Float

Z coordinate

26: PoolColorArray

Offset

Len

Type

Description

4

4

Integer

Array length

8..8+length*16

4

Float

Red (typically 0..1, can be above 1 for overbright colors)

8..12+length*16

4

Float

Green (typically 0..1, can be above 1 for overbright colors)

8..16+length*16

4

Float

Blue (typically 0..1, can be above 1 for overbright colors)

8..20+length*16

4

Float

Alpha (0..1)