Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/ZeqMacaw/Crowbar/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Crowbar’s Pack tab creates VPK archives (or Garry’s Mod GMA addons) from a local folder by invoking the packer executable configured in the selected game profile. Crowbar sets the correct working directory for the packer, captures its output, and then moves the resulting package file to the output location you choose. Both single-file VPK output and multi-file (split) VPK output are supported.
The Pack tab requires a game profile with a valid Packer path (vpk.exe for Source games, gmad.exe for Garry’s Mod) and a valid game path. Configure these in the Set Up Games tab before using Pack. See Game Setup for details. PackInputOptions enum:
| Mode | Description |
|---|
| Folder | Pack the contents of a single folder into one VPK archive. The folder name becomes the package name. |
| Parent of child folders | Pack each direct subdirectory of the selected parent as a separate VPK archive in one batch operation. |
Before packing, organize your files into the correct Source engine folder structure inside the input folder: materials/, models/, sound/, scripts/, etc. The VPK will preserve this structure, and the game’s file system will mount it correctly.
Game Setup Selector
The Game setup dropdown selects which game profile’s PackerPathFileName (vpk.exe or gmad.exe) Crowbar will invoke. The profile also supplies the game path used for validation checks before the pack runs.
Output Path Options
The output path dropdown maps to the PackOutputPathOptions enum:
| Option | Description |
|---|
| Work folder | Move the finished package file to the work folder path you specify. |
| Parent folder (default) | Leave the finished package in the same directory as the input folder. |
Pack Options
Crowbar Options
| Option | Settings Key | Default | Description |
|---|
| Log file | PackLogFileIsChecked | Off | Write a log file recording the packer’s output next to the input folder. |
Packer Options
| Option | Settings Key | Default | Description |
|---|
| Multi-file VPK | PackOptionMultiFileVpkIsChecked | Off | Create a split-archive VPK with a _dir.vpk directory file and numbered data files. Crowbar passes -M a to vpk.exe along with a filelist.txt response file. |
| Ignore whitelist warnings | PackOptionIgnoreWhitelistWarningsIsChecked | Off | Pass -warninvalid to gmad.exe to suppress warnings about files not on Garry’s Mod’s allowed file list. GMA packing only. |
GMA-Specific Fields (Garry’s Mod)
When the selected game profile uses gmad.exe, two additional fields are available:
| Field | Settings Key | Description |
|---|
| GMA title | PackGmaTitle | The display name of the addon as it will appear in the Garry’s Mod workshop and addon browser. |
| GMA item tags | PackGmaItemTags | One or more category tags (e.g. map, model, weapon) written into the addon’s addon.json metadata file. |
How Crowbar Invokes the Packer
For standard single-file VPK output, Crowbar changes the working directory to the parent of the input folder, then runs:
For multi-file VPK output, Crowbar passes -M a along with the folder name and a filelist.txt response file:
vpk.exe -M a "<folder_name>" @filelist.txt
gmad.exe create -folder with the input folder:
gmad.exe create -folder "<folder_name>"
