[Bf-committers] Blender .blend file format and FileGlobal struct

[Kai Burjack]

Hello,

I just subscribed to this mailing list, so a friendly "hello" first. :-)

Currently, I am building a Java tool that produces .blend files for
consumption by the Blender application.
Looking at the C code and the struct definitions and the file "writefile.c"
it really is a straightforward process.

But, at one point I came to a halt, and that's when I want to write the
FileGlobal struct, which the Blender source does with the function
'write_global' in the source 'writefile.c'.

This struct, as defined in 'DNA_fileglobal_types.h', defines at its very
beginning a char[4] followed by two short's.
My tool writes data according to this exact struct definition, but somehow
the .blend files written by the Blender application are exactly 4 bytes
shorter (two times 2 bytes) there. Looking in with a hex editor it is
exactly at that very beginning where that 'char subvstr[4];' and the 'short
subversion, pads;' should be written.

So, these are 8 bytes. 4 for the char array and 2 times 2 for the shorts.
Now, the Blender-written .blend file here has only 4 bytes written, instead
of the expected 8.

I assume this is due to the fact, that compiler optimization kicks in,
resulting in the char-array member being simply erased from the struct
definition, because it is actually never read anywhere in the code.

Only the char array is read, namely in the function 'read_file_version'
defined in 'readfile.c'.

Is this right?
Otherwise I would not know how Blender falls short of writing the 4
additional bytes there.

Best regards,
Kai