🤓 Reversing FLP format#

You should first take a look at what events are. A decent knowledge of the topics mentioned there as well as Python itself is assumed.

One could use a hex editor, but its too tedious. I have a simpler solution:

A test FLP opened in FLPEdit

FLPEdit, an event view for FLP (and related formats) files.#

Download it here.

This is an unmaintained software, written actually in C#. Event ID names are different but the file attached above has source code as well. Check the FLPFileFormat/FLP_File.cs file for a list of event IDs and compare them to the ones from pyflp._events.EventEnum in PyFLP.

Events#

Which event needs to be inspected can only be understood when you observe the ordering of events, whether they occur for default values or not as well as a general knowledge of new features and changes occuring inside FL Studio.

Check this discussion for a list of unknown / undiscovered events.

Struct fields#

Structs whose field names are prefixed with a _u are undiscovered fields. Wherever possible, I have added helpful comments right next to them.

Also, throughout PyFLP’s codebase, there are a number of # TODO comments. Some of these can have additional information about them.

My workflow#

  1. Create a new test FLP or a preset and save it.

  2. Parse the file with PyFLP and record the initial values.

  3. Turn knobs / faders all the way to their extremes, save and repeat (2)

Hint

WhatsNew.rtf

FL Studio’s changelog file WhatsNew.rtf exists in its install folder. It is a very helpful source for understanding which features were added when.