Crowbar vs OpenKh

Crowbar is a free modding tool for working with GoldSource and Source models and game packages. It can decompile MDL and related files into QC, SMD, and other related files, and can compile models when the game’s authoring tools or SDK and Crowbar’s studiomdl.exe are available. Viewing models likewise requires the game tools or SDK and Crowbar’s hlmv.exe. For archives, Crowbar can unpack, view, and search Valve VPK, Garry’s Mod GMA, Bloodlines VPK, Tactical Intervention FPX, and Fairy Tale Busters APK files. It can pack folders into VPK and GMA packages and supports batch extraction. Workshop functions allow downloading and publishing items for supported games. Game setups can link a game folder to its compiler, viewer, and package tools. On Windows, file associations and drag-and-drop can open VPK, QC, MDL, and folder inputs. The requirements page lists.NET Framework 4 and Windows XP or later, or Linux or Mac OS with a way to run a.NET Framework program. Crowbar is listed at free; donations are optional.

OpenKH brings together technical documentation, tools, code libraries, and modding support for the Kingdom Hearts series. Its documentation covers games and remasters, shared assets, tools, and the OpenKH Game Engine. The Mod Manager installs and manages mods for supported PC ports and PS2 versions of several games. Mods can come from GitHub repositories or archive files, and collections can group assets for multiple titles. Panacea lets users switch mods on and off without overwriting original game files. The guide lists Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, Re:Chain of Memories, Birth by Sleep, and Dream Drop Distance as legacy-class games, and says PC releases from Epic Games Store and Steam are supported. OpenKH also includes an Image Viewer for common and Kingdom Hearts-specific formats, including IMD, IMZ, and Birth by Sleep font ARC files; it exports images, while import functions are in development. The engine has basic Kingdom Hearts II support on Windows, Linux, and macOS, including Raspberry Pi. Tools require the.NET 8.0 Runtime. The engine requires the user's original Kingdom Hearts II PlayStation 2 or PlayStation 4 copy. OpenKH is free; the listed plan is free.