How to read .bin files?

Question

Hi, I exported a .bin file from RealFlow 4 and now need to be able to read it in Python, to make an importer. How do these files work?

Answer 1

You need to know how the data is coded in the file. If you have this information, you can use the struct package to convert the binary data to something that can be used in python.

I hope it helps

Answer 2

Thanks guys, I've found the file. Here I uploaded it, and included a particle file for you.

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?xujqjghkcim

Answer 3

Here you go:

import struct

class Particle:
    """A single particle.  Attributes added in BinFile."""
    pass

class BinFile:
    """Parse and store the contents of a RealFlow .bin file."""
    def __init__(self, fname):
        self.bindata = open(fname, "rb").read()
        self.off = 0

        self.verify = self.peel("=i")[0]
        assert self.verify == 0xfabada
        self.name = self.string(250)

        (self.version, self.scale, self.fluid_type, self.simtime, self.frame_number,
         self.fps, self.num_particles, self.radius) = self.peel("=hfifiiif")
        self.pressure = self.peel("=fff")
        self.speed = self.peel("=fff")
        self.temperature = self.peel("=fff")
        if self.version >= 7:
            self.emitter_position = self.peel("=fff")
            self.emitter_rotation = self.peel("=fff")
            self.emitter_scale = self.peel("=fff")

        self.particles = [self.peel_particle() for i in range(self.num_particles)]

    def peel_particle(self):
        """Read one particle from the file."""
        p = Particle()
        p.position = self.peel("=fff")
        p.velocity = self.peel("=fff")
        p.force = self.peel("=fff")
        if self.version >= 9:
            p.vorticity = self.peel("=fff")
        if self.version >= 3:
            p.normal = self.peel("=fff")
        if self.version >= 4:
            p.neighbors = self.peel("=i")[0]
        if self.version >= 5:
            p.texture = self.peel("=fff")
            p.infobits = self.peel("=h")[0]
        (p.age, p.isolation_time, p.viscosity, p.density, p.pressure, p.mass,
         p.temperature, p.id) = self.peel("=fffffffi")
        print p.id, p.neighbors, p.position
        return p

    def peel(self, fmt):
        """Read some struct data from `self.bindata`."""
        data = struct.unpack_from(fmt, self.bindata, self.off)
        self.off += struct.calcsize(fmt)
        return data

    def string(self, length):
        s = self.bindata[self.off:self.off+length].split("\0")[0]
        self.off += length
        return s

b = BinFile("Circle0100001.bin")
print "Name:", b.name
print "Particles:", b.num_particles
print "Position of first particle", b.particles[0].position

When run on your sample data, it prints:

Name: Circle01
Particles: 1066
Position of first particle (-1.7062506675720215, 4.9283280372619629, -6.4365010261535645)