Cutscenes

Finding Cutscenes

There are a few ways that you can locate a cutscene.

Cutscene Pointer

You can always find the start of a cutscene in memory by watching the cutscene pointer with a memory viewer. It's located at 8044A628 in the Debug Rom, 803E8C18 in NTSC-J 1.0, and 803E8A48 in NTSC-U. Be aware that the cutscene pointer does not null itself once the cutscene has finished playing, but as long as you don't leave the immediate area this won't be an issue.

Scenes

Many, but not all, cutscenes are stored within scene files. These are referenced directly from the scene header.

Header References

The main scene header can contain a command (the 0x18 command) that defines extra headers for the purpose of creating different variations of the same scene. Some of these extra headers exist with the purpose of playing a single cutscene. This is done by defining the 0x17 command, which in turn points to the start of the cutscene header by a bank offset.

See Scenes and Rooms for more information on the header commands.

Cutscene Commands

Cutscenes begin with a simple 8 byte header of the following form:

/*0x00*/ int Commands; // number of commands in the cutscene. 
/*0x04*/ int EndFrame; // Last frame of the cutscene.

Notes:

If the number of commands or end frame variables are negative, the cutscene will not be parsed, and normal play will resume.
Other commands can (and typically will) terminate the cutscene before the end frame is reached.

Following that are the cutscene commands. Every command is at least 8 bytes long. Valid commands are 0x01-0x90, 0x3E8, and -1

Marker	Description	Variables	Usage	Notes
`0000000A`	Textbox	`0000xxxx`	x = Entries	End Frame waits for text/action to finish before continuing cutscene. The frame counter will be stopped at one less than the End Frame value
	No Text	`FFFFssss eeeeFFFF` FFFFFFFF	s = start frame e = end frame
	Display Text	`iiiissss eeeeoooo` yyyynnnn	i = message id s = start frame e = end frame o = Type. Set 0 for standard dialog, 1 for yes/no branching dialog y = yes/no top option branch n = yes/no bottom option branch
	Learn Song	`iiiissss eeee0002` mmmmFFFF	i = Play Song Action s = start frame e = end frame m = message id displayed when making a mistake. 088B is used here.
`0000005A`	Camera Data	`aaaaaaaa`	a = size of block	See Camera Data
`00000096`	Performs Various Actions	`00000001 xxxxyyyy` zzzz[zzzz]	00000001 = constant? x = Action y = start frame z = end frame (seems to be repeated)
`00000097`	Lighting?	`00000001 xxxxyyyy` zzzz[zzzz]	00000001 = constant? x = y = start frame z = end frame (seems to be repeated)
`00000098`	Scene Transition Effects?	`00000001 xxxxyyyy` zzzz[zzzz]	00000001 = constant? x = transition (probably the same as entrance/exit transitions) y = start frame z = end frame (seems to be repeated)
`00000099`	Motion Blur	`aaaaaaaa` xxxxyyyy zzzz[zzzz]	a = number of entries x = y = start frame z = end frame (seems to be repeated)	0001 = on, 0002 = off?
`0000009A`	Gives Link Tatl	`00000001 xxxxyyyy` zzzz[zzzz]	00000001 = constant? x = 0001 only? y = start frame z = end frame (seems to be repeated)
`0000009B`	Black Overlay?	`00000001 aaaabbbb` ccccdddd dd000000	00000001 = constant? a = Fade type? b = start frame c = end frame (seems to be repeated) d = RGB Value
`0000009C`	Unknown	`00000001 xxxxyyyy` zzzz[zzzz]	00000001 = constant? x = y = start frame z = end frame (seems to be repeated)
`0000015E`	Cutscene Terminator	`00000001 xxxxyyyy` zzzz[zzzz]	00000001 = constant? x = y = start frame z = end frame (seems to be repeated)
`FFFFFFFF`	Cutscene Terminator	`00000000`		Commands beyond this one will not be parsed, even if the number of commands is higher
`0000aaaa`	Actor Command	`0000yyyy`	a = Marker, where a relates to a specific actor. y = Number of entries.	Marker values are NOT the same numbers used to load an actor in a room.
	Actor Path	`aaaabbbb ccccdddd` `???????? eeeeeeee` `ffffffff gggggggg` `hhhhhhhh iiiiiiii` `jjjjjjjj kkkkkkkk` `llllllll mmmmmmmm`	a = Actor Action/Animation b = Start frame for path. c = End frame for path. d = ? e f g = Path start vertex coordinate (x,y,z) h i j = Path end vertex coordinate (x,y,z) k l m = Vertex normal for the path, single precision floats.

Play Song Action Ids

Value	Purpose
0001	Free Play
0002	Monkey teaches Sonata of Awakening
0003	Goron Elder's son teaches Goron Lullaby
0004	Zora Tadpoles teach New Wave Bossa Nova
0005	King of Ikana teaches Elegy of Emptiness
0006	Giant teaches Oath to Order
0007	Giant (?) teaches Saria's Song
0008	Zelda teaches Song of Time
0009	Happy Mask Man teaches Song of Healing
000A	Romani Teaches Epona's Song
000B	Kaepora Gaebora teaches Song of Soaring
000C	Stone teaches Song of Storms
000D	Blank Text Box
000E	Blank Text Box
000F	Blank Text Box
0010	Goron Elder teaches part of Goron Lullaby
0011	Blank Text Box
0012	Play back Sonata of Awakening
0013	Play back Goron Lullaby
0014	Play back New Wave Bossa Nova
0015	Play back Elegy of Emptiness
0016	Play back Oath to Order
0017	Play back Saria's Song
0018	Play back Song of Time
0019	Play back Song of Healing
001A	Play back Epona's Song
001B	Play back Song of Soaring
001C	Play back Song of Storms
001D	Play back Sun's Song
001E	Play back Inverted Song of Time
001F	Play back Song of Double Time
0020	Play back part of Goron Lullaby
0021	Play back Ballad of the Wind Fish (Link)
0022	Play back Ballad of the Wind Fish (Goron)
0023	Play back Ballad of the Wind Fish (Zora)
0024	Play back Ballad of the Wind Fish (Deku)
0025	Play back Zora Jam Session I
0026	Play back Zora Jam Session II
0027	Play back Zelda's Lullaby
0028	Play back Scarecrow's Song?

Camera Data

Camera Chunk Header

eeeessss llllllll

e = number of entries
s = size
l = length (frames)

Camera Entries

First half of data appears to be focus, second half position.

ccddeeee xxxxyyyy zzzzaaaa

c = Camera behaviour (use 05 if you don't know what to use)
d = Factor (?)
e = End frame
x = X-position
y = Y-position
z = Z-position
a = Actor

Entries can be broken down into sub-groups based on e. If e becomes less than the previous entry, then this entry starts a new group. The chunk will end at the header's defined length of frames even if the total length of frames for the entries exceed it.

If a is 0000 then the x, y, and z positions will be relative to the map. Otherwise they will be relative to an actor's position.
Not sure how values for a work. 0001 seems to mean Link, 0002 and 0003 are Great Fairy/Stray Fairies?, 0004 is Goron Elder.

Field of View

Values after the camera entries deal with the FOV for each entry.

llllrrrr ffffuuuu

l = Length (in frames)
r = Rotation
f = Field of View
u = Unknown

Not sure how the rotation works here. Is it a signed 16bit integer? Negative means rotate counterclockwise? Positive means rotate clockwise?
Clock Tower twisted tunnel entrance cutscene uses 0x0000 then 0x0078 (120°?) then 0xFF88 (-120°?) then back to 0x0000. This results in a full 360° counterclockwise rotation.

Actor Entities

Marker	Actor	Action Param (v)
`0064`	En_Elfgrp (Broken Great Fairy)
`0065`	En_Dnp (Deku Princess)
`0066`	Dm_Zl (Zelda)
`0067`	Bg_Dy_Yoseizo
`0068`	Bg_Ctower_Gear
`0069`	En_Dnq (Deku King)
`006B`	Dm_Stk (Skullkid)
`006C`	En_Ge3
`006D`	Dm_Char05
`0070`	En_Horse (Epona)
`0071`	Dm_Char00 (var 0000, Tatl)
`0072`	Dm_Char00 (var 0001, Tael)
`0073`	Dm_Opstage
`0077`	En_Gg
`0078`	En_Ma_Yts
`0078`	En_Ma4 (Romani)
`0079`	En_Ge1
`007C`	Bg_Open_Shutter
`007D`	Bg_Open_Spot
`007E`	En_Dnk
`007F`	En_Mk (Professor)
`0082`	En_Osn (Happy Mask Man)
`0083`	Dm_Char02
`0084`	Obj_Tokeidai
`0085`	En_Fall
`0086`	Obj_Tokei_Step
`0087`	Dm_Char01
`0088`	Dm_Char03 (Happy Mask Man)
`00C8`	Player (Link)	See Link Action Parameters below
`00C9`	En_Elf (Tatl)	0003 Bounces up and down in a rhythmic pattern
`01C2`	En_Fall
`01C5`	En_Giant
`01C6`	En_Giant
`01C7`	En_Giant
`01C8`	En_Giant
`01C9`	En_Zoraegg
`01CF`	Dm_Char06
`01D5`	Bg_Haka_Curtain
`01D6`	En_Jg
`01D7`	En_Zog
`01D8`	En_Dai
`01D9`	Dm_Char05
`01DA`	Dm_Char08
`01DB`	En_Dno
`01DC`	En_Ge2
`01DF`	En_Gk
`01E0`	Eff_Kamejima_Wave
`01E2`	En_Po_Composer
`01E3`	Obj_Hgdoor
`01E4`	En_Hg
`01E5`	En_Pamera
`01E6`	En_Hgo
`01F4`	En_Zob
`01F5`	En_Zos
`01F6`	Eff_Kamejima_Wave
`01F7`	Dm_Char09
`01F8`	En_Zov
`01F9`	En_Test6
`01FA`	En_Test3 (Kafei)
`01FF`	Obj_Boat
`0200`	Eff_Stk
`0201`	Dm_Stk (Skullkid)
`0202`	Dm_Tsg
`0203`	En_Zod
`0206`	Dm_Char05
`020D`	En_Toto
`020E`	En_Gm
`020F`	Eff_Zoraband
`0214`	En_Bsb
`0226`	En_Rz
`0227`	En_Rz
`0228`	Obj_Usiyane
`022C`	En_Ma_Yto (Cremia)
`022D`	En_An
	Dm_An
	Dm_Gm
`022F`	Dm_Char05 (var 0003, Majora's Mask)
`0232`	Dm_Al
	Dm_Ah
	Dm_Nb
`0235`	En_And
`0238`	Dm_Bal
`0239`	Door_Warp1
`02C8`	En_Dns (Deku Palace Scrub)

0x96 Actions

0005 End Cutscene, Return Control to Link
0007 Show Area Title Card
000A Turn Child Link
0014 Fade in title screen
0015 Fade out title screen
0016 Turn Deku Link
001E Disable Actor Path Data
0021 Set entered clocktown for the first time flag
0023 Pass In-game Time
0026 Set day to day 9
0027 Turn Zora Link

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