CIA: Difference between revisions

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[[Category:File formats]]

== Overview ==

CIA stands for '''C'''TR '''I'''mportable '''A'''rchive. This format allows the installation titles to the 3DS. CIA files ~~can compile~~ [[~~NCCH~~]] ~~files for installation to either the SDMC or CTR NAND~~. CIA files can also ~~compile .SRL~~ files ~~(format for DS(i) executable images) for installation to the TWL NAND of the 3DS~~.

CIA stands for '''C'''TR '''I'''mportable '''A'''rchive. This format allows the installation titles to the 3DS. CIA files and titles on [[Title list|Nintendo's CDN]] contain identical data. As a consiquence, valid CIA files can be generated from CDN content. This also means CIA files can contain anything titles on Nintendo's CDN can contain.

~~An example~~ .~~CIA can be downloaded~~ [~~https://dl~~.~~dropbox.com/u/60710927/CTR/Sample/~~CIA~~.7z here] Credit:~~ [[~~User:Jl12~~|~~Jl12~~]]~~. It includes a .cia~~ file~~, the result of installation, some screenshots. Everything is decrypted/extracted for convenience sake~~.

Under normal circumstances CIA files are used where downloading a title is impracticle or not possible. Such as distributing a [[Download Play]] child, or installing forced Gamecard updates. Those CIA(s) are stored by the titles in question, in an auxiliary [[NCCH#CFA|CFA]] file.

[[~~Download Play~~]] child CFAs contain a CIA, which contains the Download Play child title. System Update CFAs from gamecards and Download Play also contain CIAs. On retail, CIAs are only used with Download Play child CFAs and System Update CFAs.

Development Units, are capable of manually installing CIA files via the [[3DS Development Unit Software#Dev Menu|Dev Menu]].

~~Development Units, are capable of manually installing~~ CIA ~~files via the~~ [[~~3DS Development Unit Software#Dev Menu~~|~~Dev Menu~~]].

An sample (developer) CIA can be downloaded [https://dl.dropbox.com/u/60710927/CTR/Sample/CIA.7z here] Credit: [[User:Jl12|Jl12]]. It includes a .cia file, with everything is decrypted/extracted. It also includes some screenshots, as well as a copy of the directory where the title was installed.

== Format ==

This is the current version of the CIA format, it was finalised in late 2010. (Older versions of the CIA format can be viewed on the Talk page)

This is the current version of the CIA format, it was finalised in late 2010. (Older versions of the CIA format can be viewed on the [[Talk:CIA|Talk]] page)

The CIA format has a similar structure to the [http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Wad WAD format].

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The data is aligned in 64 byte blocks (if a content ends at the middle of the block, the next content will begin from a new block).

The CIA format is capable of containing more then one NCCH in the APP data, the TMD specifies the size of each NCCH contained in the APP data. Generally it will only contain additional NCCH files (.[[NCCH#CFA|CFA]] format, such as the Manual and DLP Child) related to the main executable NCCH (.[[NCCH#CXI|CXI]] format). The CIA format could be interpreted as an installable variant of the [[NCSD|CCI]] format.

=== CIA Header ===

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Category:File formats]]
 == Overview ==
-CIA stands for '''C'''TR '''I'''mportable '''A'''rchive. This format allows the installation titles to the 3DS. CIA files can compile [[NCCH]] files for installation to either the SDMC or CTR NAND. CIA files can also compile .SRL files (format for DS(i) executable images) for installation to the TWL NAND of the 3DS.
+CIA stands for '''C'''TR '''I'''mportable '''A'''rchive. This format allows the installation titles to the 3DS. CIA files and titles on [[Title list|Nintendo's CDN]] contain identical data. As a consiquence, valid CIA files can be generated from CDN content. This also means CIA files can contain anything titles on Nintendo's CDN can contain.
-An example .CIA can be downloaded [https://dl.dropbox.com/u/60710927/CTR/Sample/CIA.7z here] Credit: [[User:Jl12|Jl12]]. It includes a .cia file, the result of installation, some screenshots. Everything is decrypted/extracted for convenience sake.
+Under normal circumstances CIA files are used where downloading a title is impracticle or not possible. Such as distributing a [[Download Play]] child, or installing forced Gamecard updates. Those CIA(s) are stored by the titles in question, in an auxiliary [[NCCH#CFA|CFA]] file.
-[[Download Play]] child CFAs contain a CIA, which contains the Download Play child title. System Update CFAs from gamecards and Download Play also contain CIAs. On retail, CIAs are only used with Download Play child CFAs and System Update CFAs.
+Development Units, are capable of manually installing CIA files via the [[3DS Development Unit Software#Dev Menu|Dev Menu]].
-Development Units, are capable of manually installing CIA files via the [[3DS Development Unit Software#Dev Menu|Dev Menu]].
+An sample (developer) CIA can be downloaded [https://dl.dropbox.com/u/60710927/CTR/Sample/CIA.7z here] Credit: [[User:Jl12|Jl12]]. It includes a .cia file, with everything is decrypted/extracted. It also includes some screenshots, as well as a copy of the directory where the title was installed.
 == Format ==
-This is the current version of the CIA format, it was finalised in late 2010. (Older versions of the CIA format can be viewed on the Talk page)
+This is the current version of the CIA format, it was finalised in late 2010. (Older versions of the CIA format can be viewed on the [[Talk:CIA|Talk]] page)
 The CIA format has a similar structure to the [http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Wad WAD format].
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 The data is aligned in 64 byte blocks (if a content ends at the middle of the block, the next content will begin from a new block).
-The CIA format is capable of containing more then one NCCH in the APP data, the TMD specifies the size of each NCCH contained in the APP data. Generally it will only contain additional NCCH files (.[[NCCH#CFA|CFA]] format, such as the Manual and DLP Child) related to the main executable NCCH (.[[NCCH#CXI|CXI]] format). The CIA format could be interpreted as an installable variant of the [[NCSD|CCI]] format.
 === CIA Header ===