Crowbar vs UABEA

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.

UABEA is a free reader and writer for Unity Asset Bundles and Serialized Files on Windows and Linux. Its maker positions it for modding and research rather than general asset extraction. The tool handles textures, TextAssets, fonts, audio, MonoBehaviours, Unity Asset Bundles, Unity Serialized Files, and Addressables bundles, and supports batch extraction and archive repacking. Editing Addressables requires clearing CRC checks with a separate CRC cleaning tool. UABEANext, a newer work-in-progress version, adds docking and multi-bundle opening. The latest listed release requires .NET Runtime 6.0. Windows also needs the Visual C++ Redistributable; Linux requires glibc 2.29 or later, and musl-based distributions require compiling UABEA. Font import and export covers TTF and OTF, but font atlases are unsupported. Swizzled Switch textures can be edited, while newly added textures are not automatically swizzled. The repository identifies the software as MIT licensed.