FModel vs TrenchBroom

FModel is free, open-source Windows software for exploring and extracting content from games made with Unreal Engine. It can browse game archives, including encrypted ones, and compare two archive states to identify new or modified packages; encrypted archives require an AES key. It parses more than 30 asset types, displays their properties and offers image, audio and 3D viewing for supported content. Package properties can be shown in formats including JSON, INI, XML and TXT, and models can be saved as PSK files. An Export Session window supports batching raw data, model, world, texture and animation exports. The August 2026 release added USD export for meshes, animations, materials and worlds, plus WebP export and texture quality settings. Whole-level export is in USDA format, and sockets or attachments may not always be placed correctly. FModel is distributed as a portable x64 executable in a ZIP archive. It requires .NET 10.0 or later, and some games may require up to 2 GB of free RAM.

TrenchBroom is a free level editor for brush-based engines such as Quake, Quake 2, and Hexen 2. It provides a 3D workspace alongside up to three 2D views. Brush editing includes vertex changes, clipping, scaling, shearing, and constructive solid geometry operations for merging, subtracting, or hollowing shapes. A UV view handles textures and supports multiple material collections. The entity browser accepts drag-and-drop placement and definitions from FGD, ENT, and DEF files, while model display includes mdl, md2, md3, bsp, and dkm formats. An issue browser filters map problems, helps resolve them, and offers automatic quick fixes. TrenchBroom can call external compilers and launch game engines, but those compilation tools are separate. It supports several Quake, Valve, Hexen 2, and package formats. The 2026.2 requirements list Windows 10 1903+, Linux with glibc 2.33+, or macOS 13+, with OpenGL 2.1 and GLSL 1.2 hardware.