MeltyTool vs Source 2 Viewer
MeltyTool
github.com
Source 2 Viewer
s2v.appSide by side
| Figure | MeltyTool | Source 2 Viewer |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Asset Extractors | 7.2 (#17) | 8.3 (#4) |
| Command line | The command-line tool can convert model files, and it automatically selects a plugin based on the input files. | A cross platform console application can export and decompile Source 2 resources similarly to the main application. |
| Limitations | The maintainer cautions that not all models in supported games are supported and exported models may not accurately reproduce every feature. | The maker documents that some data may be lost during export and that certain compiled-file data cannot be recovered if Valve’s compiler discarded it. |
| Purpose | MeltyTool is a multitool for viewing and extracting assets in bulk from various N64, GameCube, 3DS, and PC games. | Source 2 Viewer browses VPK archives and views, exports, and decompiles Source 2 assets such as maps, models, materials, textures, and sounds. |
Plans
In their own words
Source 2 Viewer
Source 2 Viewer is a free, open-source tool for browsing VPK archives and inspecting or exporting assets from Source 2 games. It can search, extract, and create archives, including VPK versions from Source 1. Its renderer displays maps, models, physics, and particles with real-time lighting and animation playback. The tool also inspects textures, audio, shaders, and other Source 2 resources. Maps, models, physics, and animations can be exported to glTF 2.0, with material conversion and batch export; maps, models, and materials can be decompiled into editable formats for Hammer, ModelDoc, and Source 2 Workshop Tools. Texture tools cover channels, depth layers, mip levels, cubemaps, and HDR, with image export. Its audio player supports WAV, MP3, and Source 2 formats. The graphical interface is Windows-only, though the guide describes running it on Linux and macOS through Wine; the command-line utility is available for Windows, Linux, and macOS. The GUI is portable and requires no installation. Some data may be lost during export, and reverse-engineered format support is incomplete. The project is volunteer-built and says it is not affiliated with Valve.