BLIGHT (File Format)

The BLIGHT (Binary light controller) filetype controls lighting effects on characters, karts, items and objects in a track. It is always seen in the "./posteffect" folder inside an SZS. This file is not required for a track to load, as there is a "default.blight" file inside Common.szs.

File Header

Header is:

Offset	size	description	Extra Information
0x00	0x04	"BGHT" magic
0x04	0x04	File size	(always 00 00 05 A8)
0x08	0x04	Unknown value	(seen as 02 00 00 00 in Bowser's Castle)
0x0C	0x04 or [2x]0x02	Unknown values	(always 00 00 00 00?)
0x10	[2x]0x02	Unknown values	(seen as 00 10 00 10 in Bowser's Castle), possibly number of lights, and number of ambient lights
0x14	0x04	Unknown value	(always 00 00 00 FF?)
0x18	0x0F	Padding

However, one thing to note is that although 16 lights are stored in this file, only 8 can be referenced by the KCL (IDs 00 to 07). This is because the KCL only has three binary digits to reference lights (and 111 in binary = 7).

Light Object data (LOBJ)

Here is one Light Object.

LOBJ file inside the BLIGHT file

The first object starts at 0x28.

These addresses are relative to the start of the object.

Offset	size	description	Extra Information
0x00	0x04	The magic, LOBJ	(always 4C 4F 42 4A, spells LOBJ in ASCII)
0x04	0x04	Size of this LOBJ	(always 00 00 00 50)
0x08	0x08	Unknown value	(always 02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00)
0x10	0x02	Unknown value	(always 00 00?)
0x12	0x01	Unknown	Always 00 on unused/undefined lights, 02 most common, 01 (CCW) and 04 (RR, TD) seen.
0x13	0x01	Unknown value	Always 01
0x14	0x02	Light ID	The ID used here is referenced in KCL files, and also matches the ambient lights at the end of the BLIGHT.
0x16	0x02	Unknown value	(always 06 41)
0x18	0x04x3 (0x0C)	3D origin vector	X = 80566.406 Y = 55000.0 Z = 100000.0 in LC
0x24	0x04x3 (0x0C)	3D destination vector	X = 51367.188 Y = 41015.625 Z = 11865.234 in LC
0x30	0x04 (Float)	Scale?	(always 3F 80 00 00, 1 in float)
0x34	0x04	RGBA Light Color	(RR GG BB AA)
0x38	0x04	Unknown Value	(always 00 00 00 FF)
0x3C	0x04 (Float)	Unknown Value	(Part of another vector? Always 42 B4 00 00, 90 in float point)
0x40	0x04 (Float)	Unknown Value	(Always 3F 00 00 00?) (0.5 in float point)
0x44	0x04 (Float)	Unknown Value	(Always 3F 00 00 00?) (0.5 in float point)
0x48	0x08	Padding?	(always 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00, unless it is the last light. In that case, it's 00 00 00 FF 00 00 00 00)
0x50	End of object, start of next

Ambient Light data

At 0x0528 in the file, a list of colors starts, separated by four 00's. These are the ambient colors used by each light. They're in order, and their IDs are from 00 to 0F (matches the main lights above).

Offset	Length	Information
0x00	0x04	RGBA Ambient Light Color
0x04	0x04	Padding
0x08	Start of next color

Just like light objects, there are 16 ambient colors. All unused ones are 64 64 64 FF (a neutral gray).

Known .BLIGHT files

default.blight (in Common.szs)
posteffect.blight (in every course SZS file)