PK3 shows up empty after a while

[Aerosplinter]

(Feel free to let me know if this topic doesn't belong here or needs to be moved)

Occasionally, whenever I edit my PK3 files, they eventually become empty after a while. This time, the same thing happened with a music mod, and I don't think I had never done anything to corrupt the PK3 file. All I did was close my applications, including Slade 3, and I restarted my pc. And then today, the contents became empty! Even when I loaded the bak file and changed it to PK3, that too was empty...

Is there a reason why files like these become empty?

[Kappes Buur]

Is there a reason why files like these become empty?

It may seem like it from time to time, but computers do not do things on their own. Problems like this always have one of three causes:

• malfunctioning hardware
• unwanted interactions between running apps
• human initiated error

To determine what causes your problem I would suggest to analyze precisely the steps you have undertaken in opening/closing the apps and what actions you took in each.

[axredneck]

I usually use folder instead of .pk3 during development and then pack it to .pk3 when mod is ready to ship.

[Enjay]

Seconding that, especially if it's a big/complex/long term project. At other times I just use a standard zip tool of some sort (mostly 7zip) to work with the pk3 and its contents directly.

[Kappes Buur]

I sort of got the impression that Aerosplinter pressed delete instead of save after edits.

[3saster]

I'll second (third?) axredneck's and Enjay's comment; it's easier, quicker, and more versatile to use folders directly instead of zip/PK3 during development, and let's you avoid using SLADE for more basic things. SLADE is a bit of a funny program, and can do some very bizarre things; it's why a lot of people will tell you to avoid using SLADE where possible. If you like gambling, try hitting Ctrl-Z after you've done a bunch of work on something using SLADE...

[Aerosplinter]

Does this mean that Slade 3 has weird issues in handling large files?

For Enjay, can you move up/down the files on 7zip or other zip editors, just like Slade 3?

[axredneck]

For Enjay, can you move up/down the files on 7zip or other zip editors, just like Slade 3?

There is no need to do this because zip and 7z files can have folders.

[Enjay]

For Enjay, can you move up/down the files on 7zip or other zip editors, just like Slade 3?

I'm not really sure what you mean by that (I suspect axredneck has answered it though).

What I do know is that I have not encountered any file management techniques that are appropriate for use with a PK3 which Slade allowed but Windows explorer or 7zip etc did not.

I have seen some weird things that people have done in a PK3 which cannot be done using normal file handling techniques - e.g. putting WAD-style 0-length markers into the PK3 between entries - but I have no idea why anyone would want to do that; it is not necessary, makes for extra work and means that the file can no longer be opened and worked with reliably in anything other than Slade.

As axredneck said, PK3s support folders (and sub-folders, which are automatically read) and, if you use them properly, it is much easier to sort, manipulate, move and whatever else the lumps in your project because you are just using standard file management techniques. Nothing fancy needed.

Slade is still a valuable too. It is good for doing Doom-specific things: texture composition, sprite offsets (at least until the bug that made them difficult to save appeared - but I'm sure that will be addressed sooner or later), colour remapping, conversion of formats (including, of course, the Doom graphics format which most non-Doom tools won't read) and so on. It also has a map editor, of course. However, for simple operations like "I want to move 100 textures into the project and group them in sub folders according to [insert reason here]" using standard file management techniques (as used in Windows explorer or any decent zipping tool) is the way to go IMO.

If your project resources are contained in a WAD though, then a WAD manipulation tool such as Slade is essential and 7zip (etc) cannot help you there.

[Graf Zahl]

For Enjay, can you move up/down the files on 7zip or other zip editors, just like Slade 3?

I don't know any. It's pointless anyway because any decent Zip tool can change the display sort order. GZDoom also sorts its contents alphabetically so you wouldn't achieve anything by shuffling entries around.

Also seconding the notion to not use SLADE for Zip editing - the tool is clearly not doing it robustly