Xdata

XDATA

XDATA is a Sinfar-exclusive string variable system that allows builders and players to customise the visual appearance of placeables, accessories, and visual effects beyond what the standard NWN toolset supports. Using the XDATA Generator tool on the Sinfar website, you can adjust scaling, position, orientation, colour (RGBA), and — most usefully — remap one texture to another on any supported object.

The feature is powered by the SinfarX client extender, which must be installed and running for XDATA effects to be visible in-game.

Related resources

XDATA Generator — the web tool to build your XDATA string
XDATA Mapping: A Comprehensive Guide (old wiki)
Coldest's Texture Database — textures with bitmap resrefs pre-looked-up (forum, login required)
Textures — full texture reference for Sinfar
Player_Housing — housing guide (placeables and statics)
Sinfar Forum — builders section for XDATA questions

What XDATA Can Do

Feature	Works on	Notes
Texture remapping	Placeables, accessories, VFX	Replace any bitmap with any other bitmap resref
Scaling	Placeables, accessories, VFX, creatures	Float value between 0.001 and 100
Position offset (X/Y/Z)	Placeables, accessories, VFX	Any float; useful for fine-tuning accessories
Orientation (X/Y/Z)	Placeables, accessories, VFX	Degrees, 0–360
RGBA colour tint	Placeables, accessories, VFX	Integer values −128 to +127 per channel

Important limitations:

Placeables must be set as Static in the toolset, otherwise XDATA has no effect.
Accessories that use the Metal/Leather/Cloth colouring system (RGB/Transparency/Saturation) cannot have their textures remapped via XDATA.
Some textures will not render correctly on certain placeables or VFX — this is a trial-and-error process.
XDATA effects are client-side (rendered by SinfarX). Other players must also have SinfarX installed to see them.

The XDATA Generator

The XDATA Generator is a web form at nwn.sinfar.net/xdata.php. Fill in the fields you want to change, leave the rest blank, and click Generate to produce the XDATA string.

Field	Type	Range	Description
Scaling	Float	0.001 – 100	Uniform scale multiplier for the object
Position X/Y/Z	Float	−∞ to +∞	Offset the object's position on each axis
Orientation X/Y/Z	Float	0 – 360	Rotate the object on each axis (degrees)
Red / Green / Blue / Alpha	Integer	−128 to +127	RGBA colour tint applied to all textures
Textures Mapping — From	ResRef	(texture name)	The original bitmap name on the model
Textures Mapping — To	ResRef	(texture name)	The replacement texture bitmap name

You can add multiple texture remapping pairs by clicking Add after each pair before generating. Once you have the full output string, copy it.

Applying XDATA

To a Placeable (in the Toolset)

Open your area in the NWN Toolset.
Select the placeable you want to modify.
In its Properties, make sure Static is checked. XDATA will not work on non-static placeables.
Go to the Variables tab.
Add a new variable:
- Type: String
- Name: XDATA
- Value: Paste the generated XDATA string
Save and upload your ERF via the House Upload Page.

To an Accessory (In-Game)

Equip or activate the accessory on your character.
Open the Adjustment Menu for that accessory in-game.
Select Set the adjustments string.
Paste the generated XDATA string and confirm.

Finding Texture Bitmap Names (ResRefs)

To remap a texture you need to know the bitmap resref — the internal file name of the texture as it appears inside the model file. There are two main methods:

Method 1: NWN Explorer

NWNExplorer lets you browse and search the NWN hak files to find model bitmaps.

Download and install NWNExplorer (note: it can be unstable on Windows 10/11 — contextual menus may crash it; a full NWN installation or at least the correct registry key pointing to your NWN folder is required).
Open the relevant hak file:
- Most Sinfar placeables are in the placeable hak files in your hak\ directory.
- Most accessories are in sf_effects_v27.hak (version number may vary).
- To speed up searching: click the relevant hak group (e.g. NWN Hak Files), then use Ctrl+S and type the resource name.
Navigate to Models, find the model, double-click it and wait for it to load.
Click ASCII Model and look for the line that starts with bitmap — that value is your resref.

Tip from the guide: NWNExplorer searches from the top of the list down. If you know the texture is in the custom haks, click NWN Hak Files first before searching to skip vanilla NWN resources.

Method 2: Sinfar Placeables List

The Sinfar top hak file (e.g. sf_top_v27.hak in your hak\ directory) contains a readable 2da with the placeables list including model names. Cross-reference with the Textures page on this wiki for known texture resrefs.

Method 3: Coldest's Texture Database

A community-maintained thread on the Sinfar forum has many textures with their bitmap resrefs already identified: Coldest's Textures Database (forum login required). This is especially useful for common patterns and tileset textures.

The Textures wiki page also lists 31,000+ texture resrefs cross-referenced from Sinfar's 2da files and model data, and can be used as a reference.

Step-by-Step Example: Retexturing a Carpet with Lava

This example (from the original guide) walks through replacing the texture on a carpet placeable with a lava texture.

Step 1 — Find the source texture resref

Look up "Carpet: Rug 16" in the placeables 2da. Open its model in NWNExplorer and note the bitmap: tni01_burlap.

Step 2 — Find the target texture resref

Look up "Floor: Lava 1 1×1". Its bitmap is: tde01_lava01.

Alternatively, look this up in the Textures reference — search for lava textures in the Tileset Textures section.

Step 3 — Generate the XDATA string

Open XDATA Generator.
Leave Scaling, Position, Orientation, and RGBA blank (no changes needed).
Under Textures Mapping:
- From: tni01_burlap
- To: tde01_lava01
Click Add, then click Generate.
Copy the resulting string.

Step 4 — Apply to the placeable

In the Toolset, select the carpet placeable, verify it is Static, and add a String variable named XDATA with the copied value. Upload the ERF.

The carpet will now display the lava texture in-game (for all players with SinfarX installed).

Step-by-Step Example: Retexturing an Accessory (Horns)

Step 1 — Find the accessory bitmap

Open NWNExplorer, click NWN Hak Files → open sf_effects_v27.hak → navigate to Models → search for the curved horns model. Double-click, load the ASCII model, and find the bitmap line: horn_01.

Step 2 — Find the target texture

Use any texture from the Textures reference or from Coldest's database. For this example: tde01_lava01.

Step 3 — Generate and apply

Open XDATA Generator.
Under Textures Mapping: From horn_01 → To tde01_lava01.
Click Add → Generate → Copy.
In-game, open the accessory adjustment menu → Set the adjustments string → Paste → Apply.

Note: If the accessory uses the Metal/Leather/Cloth colour system, texture remapping will not work. Additionally, colour (RGBA) changes applied alongside a texture remap will affect the remapped texture.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	Solution
XDATA has no visible effect on a placeable	Placeable is not set as Static	Open in Toolset, check the Static property
Texture doesn't appear / shows as white	Incorrect resref, or texture not in haks	Double-check the bitmap name in NWNExplorer; confirm the texture exists in the Sinfar haks
Other players can't see the XDATA effects	They don't have SinfarX installed	XDATA is client-side; direct them to SinfarX
NWNExplorer crashes on contextual menus	Known bug on Windows 10/11	Avoid right-click menus; use Ctrl+S to search; ensure NWN registry key is set
XDATA string rejected on house upload	XDATA variables are stripped from non-static placeables during upload validation	Set placeable as Static before uploading
Texture looks wrong / distorted	UV mapping mismatch between source and target texture	Experiment with different target textures; this is trial and error
Colour changes affect remapped texture	Expected behaviour	Apply RGBA values carefully; set all to 0 if you only want a texture swap

For additional help, post in the Builders section of the Sinfar Forum or ask on the Builders Discord.

Known Limitations and Notes

Accessories with Metal/Leather/Cloth colouring (the RGB/Transparency/Saturation system used for dyeable gear) cannot be remapped. Only items that do not use this system are compatible.
The results of texture remapping can be unexpected — a texture that looks great on one model may appear stretched, tiled oddly, or invisible on another. Testing is essential.
Multiple texture pairs can be added in a single XDATA string (add each From→To pair before clicking Generate).
Scaling, position, orientation, and colour changes can all be combined with texture remapping in a single XDATA string.
XDATA is not a scripting variable — it is read by SinfarX on the client side. No NWN script can read or write it at runtime; it must be set in the Toolset or via the in-game accessory menu.