Tutorial How to successfully pack and unpack .pak files

Discussion in 'Starbound Modding' started by SexualRhinoceros, Jan 26, 2014.

  1. The guy I was helping had his games installed to the E:/
    With steam you can change the install directory for games... Incase you are a guy like me that likes to reformat the hard drive and reinstall the OS every year or so. This way you don't have to re-download 300 Gigs worth of games.
     
  2. anew742

    anew742 Void-Bound Voyager

    Here's how to unpack .pak files on Mac. The instructions provided did not work for me, so I got help from a friend. (This actually works, by the way!)

    1. Open Terminal
    2. Browse to Starbound directory. (That's: "Go" tab, hold alt, Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Starbound)
    3. Right click Starbound application, show package contents, Contents/MacOS
    4. Drag asset_unpacker to Terminal window.
    5. Go back to the main Starbound folder (in SteamApps/common/...), go to assets and drag packed.pak to Terminal window.
    6. Repeat step 5, replace ".pak" with "/" so it says .../Starbound/assets/packed/
    7. Press enter and go to assets folder.

    And that's all!
     
    Kordharin likes this.
  3. TurdOfTheWeek

    TurdOfTheWeek Void-Bound Voyager

    Hey guys! i don't know if it has already been said but i used a drag and drop on the cmd to unpack my packed.pak . i simply opened my cmd and drag and drop the asset_unpacker.exe into it pressed space DaD my packed.pak pressed space again and DaD my folder in wich i wanted to put the assets in and everything was working!
     
  4. Mapekus

    Mapekus Void-Bound Voyager

    Ah, thank you. It didn't realize the was still running, since it just showed the codes and never any besides that.
     
  5. SexualRhinoceros

    SexualRhinoceros Existential Complex

    added this to OP! I don't own a Mac so the instructions I posted were based on what someone else told me!
     
    anew742 likes this.
  6. Frec

    Frec Void-Bound Voyager

    Sup, i have a problem.
    Whenever i try to:
    -use the command prompt;
    -use a cmd file;
    -use the pak-unpak.exe file that guy posted,

    I still get the same ******* error:
    Help.png

    i have windows 8.1

    Please help me i'm running out of patience. :(
     
  7. Siveria

    Siveria Big Damn Hero

    I don't get why they don't just make it a .zip file with all the stuff insted of a .pak file, would be much simpler since everyone has winzip or a simmlar tool.
     
  8. turbo614

    turbo614 Space Spelunker

    Probably because they don't want EVERYONE tapping in to the files. If your not technically capable of the pak/unpak part,should you really be messing with this?!?....just my two cents.
     
  9. SolarGust64

    SolarGust64 Space Hobo

    Can you give a list of steps to put it back into a .pak file please?
     
  10. Popernickel

    Popernickel Orbital Explorer

    Mine does says this and does nothing
    Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
    Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

    C:\Windows\system32>"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Starbound\win
    32\asset_unpacker.exe"
    Usage: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Starbound\win32\asset_unpac
    ker.exe <assets pak path> <target output directory>
    If the target output directory does not exist it will be created

    C:\Windows\system32>"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Starbound\win
    32\asset_packer.exe"
    Usage: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Starbound\win32\asset_packe
    r.exe [-i ignoreFile] [-s] <assets folder path> <output filename>
    ignoreFile expects a json map with a key containing a string list named: "global
    Ignore"
    if server mode is enabled with -s then ignoreFile must also contain a string lis
    t named "serverIgnore"
    Example: { "globalIgnore" : [ "/ignore_file.config", "some.*regex[here]" ], "ser
    verIgnore" : ["/sfx/irrelevantMusic.ogg"] }
    Exact paths are assumed to start with a /, all other strings are treated as rege
    x.

    C:\Windows\system32>"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Starbound\ass
    ets\packed.pak"

    C:\Windows\system32>"C:\Users\alex\Desktop\Unpacked Files\unpacked starbound"
     
  11. Popernickel

    Popernickel Orbital Explorer

    Nvm i get it now
     
  12. Tirea

    Tirea Scruffy Nerf-Herder

  13. MysticMalevolence

    MysticMalevolence Oxygen Tank

    Does unpacking copy the files into desired place, or does it completely remove them? In other words, if I don't change anything do I still have to pack the files?
     
  14. Your Buddy Bill

    Your Buddy Bill Existential Complex

    Unpacker GUI 2.0 application problem: Doesn't work with the new update. Someone fix please.
     
  15. turbo614

    turbo614 Space Spelunker

    What i do is copy the pak file,extract that. Make changes,re-pack n replace. ....it copies them,to answer your question. If it in fact removed them,you wouldn't be able to play the game. ;)
     
  16. Choggo

    Choggo Void-Bound Voyager

    I'm kind of shocked that nobody has suggested just making .bat files instead of using the command prompt, it's a heck of a lot easier than having to keep copy and pasting in cmd.

    If anyone needs help making a .bat file it's incredibly simple
    1. Change windows so you can see file extensions. (google it if you don't know)
    2. Create a text file and name it anything.
    3. open the text file and paste the unpack/pack info exactly the same way you would have in cmd "c:\Programs Files\blah blah"
    4. Save and exit.
    5. Change the extension from .txt to .bat
    6. Double click and be free of cmd!

    You can Right Click and hit edit to modify the bat file in word/notepad just like a text file, (if it's your first time you'll have to tell windows what program you want open it with.)

    If your having issues getting it to work, you can put /pause at the end of the text file and it will leave the cmd open so you can look at what errors are popping up.
     
  17. chrisgbk

    chrisgbk Subatomic Cosmonaut

    Most people are unfamiliar with even these basic steps, which is why no one has done so. This is the exact reason I wrote a GUI for packing and unpacking and the same motivation behind others doing the same.
     
  18. Your Buddy Bill

    Your Buddy Bill Existential Complex

    Well, your GUI seems to be broken, same with another exe and a bat that were all working before. I wonder what changed.
     
  19. chrisgbk

    chrisgbk Subatomic Cosmonaut

    What's broken about it? There was a bug that snuck into one of the beta versions that broke the ability to change the starbound directory, but that was fixed last night.
     
  20. Your Buddy Bill

    Your Buddy Bill Existential Complex

    Doh, I had the version pre-last-night. That explains that.
     

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