PakZip

mainwindow

The PakZip program solves two problems…

Building ZIP files for game programs such as Quake that use ZIP as their archive format.
Building distribution archives when an installer is not appropriate.

Quake and other game formats use ZIP files, renamed to pak or another file type, to store an archive that represents a game level. These pak files require a specific internal folder structure that mimics the file system folder structure. WinZip and other archive programs are not suitable for building these files since they do not allow flexible definition of the base folder for the archive. During the building of the level within the game environment, the files for the level are in the file system and are scattered throughout the folder tree. To build the pak file for distribution, these files must be selected and zipped into an archive without the other files.

When building a distribution of, for example, a source tree, one would like to include or exclude files by type and based on the folder. For example, OBJ and BSC files are intermediate files and are not distributed, however, CPP and H files are included. The folder structure for a source distribution may be complex. Also source control directorys, such as those for QVCS, may be scattered in the source tree and perhaps the distribution should not include these source control files.

PakZip solves these problems, and builds standard zip archive files.

PakZip Application Main Window

mainwindow

The elements of the GUI are:

The Pak Source Path three pulldown contains a recent list of base folders. The selected base folder is removed from the folder path in the archive as the archive is built.
The browse button allows the path to be set.
The Scan button scans the base path and populates the tree display to allow files and folders to be selected.
Types may be excluded or included in the tree scan and in the final pak or zip file. Enter a list of types separated by semicolons. Check the box to exclude the path, otherwise they are included. Files with no type are always included in the scan.
Paths containing substrings maybe excluded from the scan and the final pak or zip file. It may be best to include a leading backslash to provide an unambiguous path string. Any substring is matched. Paths may be excluded, but not included in this way. If the box is not checked, the path string is ignored.
The PakZip window can be resized to provide a better view of the folder tree.

Building a Folder List
Once the folder tree is scanned, individual files and folders may be added to the list for the archive. Select individual folders in the tree:

folders

Each folder of the tree display displays the size and files in the entire tree below the folder and
( the size and files in the folder itself).

Then use the add buttons to add entries to the folder list:

tree

At any time, the refresh button scans the folders and populates the pak file list. Do not use the refresh button if you have added individual files to the list since only folders are considered by refresh.

The chosen folder can be removed from the folder list with the remove folder button.

Adjusting the File List

pakfiles Once the files have been chosen, the list can be adjusted with the buttons at the bottom of the dialog. And then the archive can be built using the ZipPak button.