< Guide to Game Development

Data file types/formats

Text based file types

Easy for humans to read, levels of indentation, can take up a lot of space. Standard used for storing general data.
  • .json
Compact data file, better for humans not to see, levels of indentation.
  • .txt
Text file used for miscellaneous things.
  • .ini
Easy to read, usually used to store game options.

Binary based file types

  • .dll
  • .xnb
Used with XNA programming

Geometry

Used for storing 3D models
    • Wavefront .mtl
Material template library, used to store one or more materials within one file. Used with Wavefront .obj.
  • .fbx
File type owned by Autodesk

Image types

Bitmapped

  • .png
Loss-less compression, good compress
  • .jpg or .jpeg
Uses lossy compression
  • .bmp
Loss-less compression, not so amazing compression, but easier to read with code
  • .gif
  • .tga and TGA 2.0
  • .pnm.bz2

Texture formats

  • .mat
  • .dds
Used for DXTC (Desktop platforms: OS X, Linux, Windows & Tegra) and ATC (Andreno GPUs) textures [1].
  • .pvr
Used for PVRT textures (PowerVR GPUs)[1].
  • .pkm
Used for ETC1 textures(All OGLES 2.0 devices compatibles)[1].

Vector

  • .svg
Scaled vector graphic

Audio

  • .mp3
  • .wma
  • .wav
  • .ogg
  • .midi
  • .cda
  • .rm
  • .asf
  • .bik

Animation

  • .anim

Fonts

  • .ttf

Other

  • .prefab

Data files

Image files

Audio files

Animation files

Font files

Other files

References

  1. 1 2 3 http://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/15334/best-most-popular-image-format-for-texturing
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