DarkRadiant vs UAssetGUI
DarkRadiant
darkradiant.netUAssetGUI
github.comSide by side
| Figure | DarkRadiant | UAssetGUI |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Modding Tools | 8.0 (#5) | 7.8 (#12) |
| Intended users | The project's stated goal is to provide the fan-mission community with an editor for creating The Dark Mod missions. | The repository describes the tool as for low-level, hands-on examination and modification of Unreal Engine game assets. |
| Purpose | DarkRadiant is an open-source level editor for Doom 3 and The Dark Mod. | UAssetGUI is a tool for low-level examination and modification of Unreal Engine game assets by hand. |
| Support | The project directs users to The Dark Mod forums for discussion and its bugtracker for reporting issues. | The project invites bug reports through its issues page and says reports for assets that fail binary equality need sample assets, game name, Unreal Engine version, and mappings file if needed. |
Plans
In their own words
DarkRadiant
DarkRadiant is a free, open-source level editor for Doom 3 and The Dark Mod, with additional listed support for The Dark Mod 2.0, Quake 4, Quake 3, and XreaL. Its workspace includes a media browser, inspectors for surfaces, patches, and lights, plus layers, grouping, and selection sets. Model and material tools include a particle editor with real-time preview, model scaling, model and skin browsers, and UV editing. It imports classic Quake and idTech map formats and exports to Doom 3, Quake 4, and Quake 3 formats. Plugins for The Dark Mod cover Stim/Response, objectives, difficulty, and conversations, alongside AI and Readable tools. A Python script interface is available, and preferences can specify fs_game for working with other Doom 3 modifications. DarkRadiant runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS, although the FAQ says macOS builds are not fully tested. The editor does not install game resources; users must point it to a supported game before editing maps.
UAssetGUI
UAssetGUI is a desktop tool for examining and modifying Unreal Engine game assets by hand. It supports .uasset, .umap, .usmap, .utoc and .ucas files, as well as JSON. Windows is supported directly; Linux setup runs the Windows executable through Wine. Command-line arguments can export and import UAssetAPI JSON without opening the graphical interface, and custom C# scripts can extend the program. Portable mode, available in v1.1.0 or later, keeps configuration and saved mappings in a Data folder beside the executable. The v1.1.0 release added opening and saving .utoc and .ucas containers through built-in retoc integration. Pre-built binaries and an experimental build are available from the repository’s Releases page. Release notes report support for Unreal Engine 5.6 and 5.7, while earlier notes identify limits for some Unreal Engine asset support. UAssetGUI is free under the MIT License, which provides the software without warranty. The maintainer announced retirement from UAssetGUI development, though future contributors or releases might follow.