RCOXML Coding

Description

RCOXML files are the XML descriptor files implicit inside Resource Container (RCO) files (.rco)

This RCOXML files doesnt exists inside the .rco container, tools like Rcomage extracts the info as XML as a representation of the data inside the .rco container

Are composed by tables, some of this tables works simply as an index of the contents inside the container (texts, sounds, languages), and others tables contains "pages" that builds the XMB items, animations, effects, dialog menues, selection windows, widgets, etc...

Note the name "page" here in wiki is used as a generic name for all types of pages, rcomage uses specific names for some types of pages wich purpose was identifyed, this names can vary between different versions of rcomage tool

RCOXML Contents (PS3)

There are 122 .rco files in PS3 firmware 4.76

filename.rco	RCOXML contents						notes
	MainTree Name	ImageTree	TextTree	SoundTree	ObjectTree	AnimTree
ap_plugin.rco	ap_plugin	No	No	No	Yes	No
audioplayer_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
audioplayer_plugin_dummy.rco	sample	No	Yes	No	No	No
audioplayer_plugin_mini.rco	sample	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
audioplayer_plugin_util.rco	sample	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Associated .sprx has a different name.
auth_plugin.rco	auth_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
autodownload_plugin.rco	autodownload_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
autoupdateconf_plugin.rco	autoupdateconff_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
avc2_game_plugin.rco	sample	No	Yes	No	No	No
avc2_game_video_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
avc2_text_plugin.rco	tcgui	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
avc_game_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Associated .sprx has a different name.
avc_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
bdp_disccheck_plugin.rco	bdp_disccheck_plugin	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
bdp_plugin.rco	bdp_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
bdp_storage_plugin.rco	bdp_storage_plugin	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
campaign_plugin.rco	campaign_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Contains images with non-gim formats (png).
category_setting_plugin.rco	category_setting_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
checker_plugin.rco	checker	No	No	No	Yes	No	Associated .sprx has a different name.
closedcaption_config_plugin.rco	closedcaption_config_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
comboplay_plugin.rco	comboplay_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
custom_render_plugin.rco	custom_render_plugin	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
data_copy_plugin.rco	sample	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
deviceconf_plugin.rco	deviceconf_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
dlna_plugin.rco	dlna	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
download_plugin.rco	download	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
dtcpip_util.rco	dtcpip_util	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
edy_plugin.rco	edy_plugin	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
eula_cddb_plugin.rco	eula_cddb_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
eula_hcopy_plugin.rco	eula_hcopy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
eula_net_plugin.rco	regcam_plugin	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Contains images with non-gim formats (png, jpg).
explore_category_friend.rco	explore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
explore_category_game.rco	explore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
explore_category_music.rco	explore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
explore_category_network.rco	explore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
explore_category_photo.rco	explore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
explore_category_psn.rco	explore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
explore_category_sysconf.rco	explore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
explore_category_tv.rco	explore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
explore_category_user.rco	explore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
explore_category_video.rco	explore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
explore_plugin_ft.rco	explore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
explore_plugin_full.rco	explore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Associated .sprx has a different name.
explore_plugin_game.rco	explore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
explore_plugin_np.rco	explore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
filecopy_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
friendim_plugin.rco	friendim	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
friendim_plugin_game.rco	friendim	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Associated .sprx has a different name.
friendml_plugin.rco	friendml_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
friendml_plugin_game.rco	friendml_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Associated .sprx has a different name.
friendtrophy_plugin.rco	friendtrophy_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
friendtrophy_plugin_game.rco	friendtrophy_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Associated .sprx has a different name.
game_ext_plugin.rco	game_ext_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Contains images with non-gim formats (png).
game_indicator_plugin.rco	user_info_plugin	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
game_plugin.rco	game_plugin	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Associated .sprx has a different name.
gamedata_plugin.rco	gamedata_plugin	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
gamelib_plugin.rco	gamelib_plugin	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
gameupdate_plugin.rco	sample	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
hknw_plugin.rco	hknw_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
idle_plugin.rco	idle	No	No	No	Yes	No
impose_plugin.rco	impose_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Associated .sprx has a different name.
ingame_manual_plugin.rco	ingame_manual	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
kensaku_plugin.rco	kensaku	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
msgdialog_plugin.rco	msgdialog_plugin	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Associated .sprx has a different name.
mtpinitiator_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
musicbrowser_plugin.rco	sample	No	No	No	Yes	No
nas_plugin.rco	nas_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
netconf_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
newstore_effect.rco	skeleton_plugin	No	No	No	No	No	Empty file.
newstore_plugin.rco	newstore_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Contains images with non-gim formats (png, jpg).
np_eula_plugin.rco	npeula	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
np_matching_plugin.rco	np_matching_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
np_multisignin_plugin.rco	np_multisignin_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
np_sns_plugin.rco	npsns	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
np_trophy_ingame.rco	np_achiev	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
np_trophy_plugin.rco	np_achiev	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
npsignin_plugin.rco	npsignin_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
osk_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
oskfullkeypanel_plugin.rco	ime_osk_base_resouce	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
oskpanel_plugin.rco	ime_osk_base_resouce	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
pesm_plugin.rco	pesm	No	No	No	Yes	No
photo_network_sharing_plugin.rco	pesm	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
photolist_plugin.rco	sample	No	No	No	Yes	No
photoupload_plugin.rco	dlna	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
photoviewer_plugin.rco	photoviewer_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Contains images with non-gim formats (png).
playlist_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
podl_plugin.rco	podl_plugin	No	No	No	Yes	No
poweroff_plugin.rco	poweroff	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
premo_plugin.rco	premo_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
print_plugin.rco	print_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
profile_plugin.rco	profile_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
profile_plugin_mini.rco	profile_plugin_mini	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Associated .sprx has a different name.
ps3_savedata_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
ps3_savedata_plugin_game_mini.rco	sample	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
rec_plugin.rco	rec_plugin	No	No	No	Yes	No
regcam_plugin.rco	regcam_plugin	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Contains images with non-gim formats (png, jpg).
remotedownload_plugin.rco	remotedownload	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
sacd_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
scenefolder_plugin.rco	sample	No	No	No	Yes	No
screenshot_plugin.rco	screenshot_plugin	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
search_service.rco	search_service	No	Yes	No	No	No	Associated .sprx has a different name.
software_update_plugin.rco	software_update_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
soundvisualizer_plugin.rco	soundvisualizer	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
strviewer_plugin.rco	strviewer	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
subdisplay_plugin.rco	ap_plugin	No	No	No	Yes	No	Associated .sprx has a different name.
sv_pseudoaudioplayer_plugin.rco	sv_pseudoaudioplayer	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Associated .sprx has a different name.
sysconf_plugin.rco	sysconf_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
system_plugin.rco	system_plugin	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Associated .sprx has a different name.
thumthum_plugin.rco	sample	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
upload_util.rco	upload_util	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
user_info_plugin.rco	user_info_plugin	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
user_plugin.rco	user	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
videoeditor_plugin.rco	skeleton_plugin	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Contains images with non-gim formats (png, jpg).
videoplayer_plugin.rco	videoplayer	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
videoplayer_util.rco	videoplayer	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
vmc_savedata_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
wboard_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
webbrowser_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
webrender_plugin.rco	sample	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
xmb_ingame.rco	xmb_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
xmb_plugin_normal.rco	xmb_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Associated .sprx has a different name.
ycon_manual_plugin.rco	ycon_plugin	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No

• VSMXfile and ModelTree are not included in the table above because none of the PS3 .rco files includes them
• Other .rco files from previous firmwares (not present in latest firmwares) using the MainTree name sample
  • xai_plugin.rco

RCOXML Structure

Not all nodes below are required, and various object/anim entries are omitted.

RcoFile - XML root element; generally does not need to be modified
	MainTree - root RCO node from which everything must descend from
		VSMXFile - attached UMD virtual machine instruction code, for UMD and some LFTV RCOs.  Only one may exist in an RCO file
		ImageTree - parent node from which all image resources descend from
			Image
			Image
			...
		TextTree - parent node from which all text language resources descend from
			TextLang
			TextLang
			...
		ModelTree - parent node from which all model resources descend from
			Model
			Model
			...
		SoundTree - parent node from which all sound resources descend from
			Sound
			Sound
			...
		ObjectTree - parent node from which all object pages descend from
			<Page>
				page objects go here
			<Page>
				page objects go here
			...
		AnimTree - parent node from which all animation sequences descend from
			<Animation>
				animation entries go here
			<Animation>
				animation entries go here
			...

MainTree

All RCOXML files starts with the tag:

	<MainTree name="label">

MainTree represents the root of the container, so it seems the label is the name of the .rco container and is working as an identifyer of it

• Is unknown how this labels works and his purpose, but follows a few rules:
  • The same label can be used by several .rco's that shares functions
  • This label names doesnt appears in the associated .sprx

VSMXFile

None of the PS3 rco's uses a VSMXFile

ModelTree

None of the PS3 rco's uses a ModelTree