Description

ZonePaq Toolkit is an application designed for managing .pak mods for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. The toolkit provides essential functionalities for unpacking, repacking, and resolving conflicts in mod files, ensuring smooth mod integration and reduced compatibility issues.

The application is user-friendly, featuring an intuitive GUI that allows modders to quickly identify and resolve conflicts. ZonePaq Toolkit comprises two main modules:

• Repacker - Unpack .pak files and repack folders back into .pak archives.
• Conflict Resolver - Analyze multiple .pak files for conflicts and assist in resolving overlapping files.
  

ZonePaq Toolkit utilizes a combination of next external tools for operation:

• repak_cli for unpacking and repacking .pak files.
• KDiff3 or WinMerge for comparing and merging unpacked mods.
• AESDumpster for getting AES encryption key, used to unpack vanilla files.
• 7zr for extracting Windows PE installers.
  

All required tools can be downloaded and installed automatically.

ZonePaq Toolkit ships with English and Russian translation of user interface and several color themes to choose from.


Quick start

• Download the latest release.
• Run .exe file and follow on-screen hints.
• If you have problems understanding kdiff3 or WinMerge you may read the tutorial.
  

Note: Running from source may offer superior performance in some conditions.


Running from Source

1. Install Python 3.8 or later

2. Clone the repository to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/63OR63/zonepaq && cd zonepaq

3. Install requirements:

pip install --upgrade -r requirements.txt

4. Run run.cmd or execute in terminal:

pythonw zonepaq

Note: You may want to check these issues in utilized libraries (fixes have been applied in the compiled version): 1, 2


Compiling

You can compile an executable for your operating system by running python build.py

Note: full functionality is guaranteed only on Windows.


Usage

• Open ZonePaq Toolkit. On first launch you will be prompted to install all needed tools.
• Follow the hints that are built-in in GUI. You can disable them in the settings once you're acquianted with the workflow.
• If you wish to change any settings, go to the Settings menu by clicking the cog button on main screens.
  

Troubleshooting

• If you encounter any errors, first try resetting the settings to default by deleting the zonepaq/settings.ini file.
• If you get some bug, please open an issue on GitHub and include logs/zonepaq.log file contents in your report.
  

FAQ

• What are .pak files in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2?
  

.pak files are archives that contain game assets, mods, or configuration files used in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and some other Unreal Engine games.

• Where are .pak files located?
  

The default location for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is %GAME_FOLDER%\Stalker2\Content\Paks.

• What is the order .pak mods are loaded?
  

.pak files are loaded in alphabetical order, with files later in the order having higher priority. When multiple files contain the same resource, the version from the higher-priority .pak file will override others. Adding _P to the end of a .pak file's name gives it the highest priority, overriding files in mods without the suffix. Additionally, if you prepend _P with a number, it will affect the priority as well, so a_2_P.pak will override z_1_P.pak, even though a comes before z.

• How to merge mods if there're too many mods changing the same file?
  

To resolve complex conflicts, create a merged mod for groups of 2 or 3 mods, then proceed to merge these intermediate merged mods together.

• Should I keep original mods after creating a merged one?
  

A merged mod will include only the files that had conflicts between mods, so it's generally recommended to keep the original mods in case some files were not merged. Since the merged mod has the highest priority by default and loads last to overwrite conflicts, keeping the originals shouldn't cause any issues.

• Where are the installed tools and unpacked vanilla files located?
  

Those are being placed in the zonepaq/tools folder in the same directory as the toolkit.

• Can this Toolkit be used for other Unreal Engine games?
  

Theoretically, yes. You can try and leave your feedback.

• Is the ZonePaq Toolkit free?
  

Yes, this tool is completely free and open source under the MIT License.


Credits

• Gratitude to the developers of Tkinter, CustomTkinter, and all other libraries utilized in this project.
• A huge thanks to Sabre for testing and assisting with debugging!
• Special thanks to the respective developers of repak_cli, KDiff3, WinMerge, AESDumpster, and 7z.
• Appreciation to the developers of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.
  

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