Difference between Editor pak's and UnrealPak pak's?

Development Platform & Builds
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1

I’ve been using the “ShooterGame” to test different ways the Engine packs and then attempting to replicate it with my own project but it doesn’t seem to like manually created pak files.

Steps:

Package a game with “Use Pak File”: the Editor packages everything into a single .pak file

Extract the pack file into the Content/Unpack directory: UnrealPak.exe (Game.pak) -extract (ContentDirectory)\Unpack

Remove the original .pak file so I can test afterwards

Re-pack “Unpack” into a .pak file with the same name: UnrealPak.exe (Game.pak) -create=(ContentDirectory)\Unpack

Is there a different set of commands the Editor uses to pak files? Whenever I do this, the game won’t run, but if I remove the re-packed file, and replace it with the original, it works fine.

I’m attempting to create my own .pak files so that I can load them at runtime as modular content that could be downloaded from a server. I roughly understand mounting paks and loading assets from them, and I’ve been referencing the way ChunkSetup and ChunkInstall handle it, but even if I try to recreate the chunks it doesn’t work. It’s like there’s some metadata that doesn’t get unpacked or something.

2

Something else I tested was building a second game and moved “Game2.pak” to the 1st build content directory and it also failed

3

I’m not 100% sure why this fixed re-packing what already existed. My only assumption is that the PakList file doesn’t get packed itself (instead only informs the packing tool what goes in).

(UnrealPak.exe) (pak name)
-create="(APPDATA)\Unreal Engine\AutomationTool\Logs\C+EpicGames+UE_4.18\ PakList_(pak name).txt"

This answers the question of what the difference is: there is a PakList log file that informs the packing tool.

4

If you turn off “Use Pak File” you can also use the “FinalCopy_UFSFiles.txt” file for packaging some key points about using this file:

Every line contains 2 file paths

Every second file path, on every line needs to have “…/…/…/” added to the beginning

You can accomplish this by finding every instance of ‘" "’ and replacing it with ‘" "…/…/…/’

5

Decided to write something up to potentially help someone attempting to do the same thing I was doing with manually packing and mounting at runtime.

link text

6

Are you available to help for pay, with a single small specific project, (and/or teach how to make this (above) work? I am an Artist and need real help. I can pay . PLEASE PLEASE respond. I can find no way to contact you or message you or I would have! Please email me if you can: NextWorldVR (@) gmail.com
Thank you.

7

Thank you for the text file . But I am stuck at Step one. :~O What does this mean and how does one ‘get’ to it?

‘Go to %APPDATA%\Unreal Engine\AutomationTool\Logs\C+EpicGames+UE_4.18’

I see none of the %% Symbols anywhere on my hard drive!!

There CAN be no folders or files called: ‘C+EpicGames+UE’ Is it a location? A folder? A file? I am now more confused! I appreciate your willingness to help though, Maybe you could elucidate a little?

8

Sorry I just got around to seeing these comments pop up in my emails.

IF you’re using Windows, go into the File Explorer (open up your hard drive) and in the address bar at the top type “%APPDATA%” and hit enter.

That should take you to the app data folder that is generally hidden (unless you tell Windows to reveal hidden folders).

In order for the folders: “AutomationTool” \ “Logs” \ “C+EpicGames+UE_[version number]” to show up you’ll have to build the project at least 1 time.