Stripplier

A script to apply a Source Engine Stripper .cfg to a .vmf.

Instructions

The script reads a .vmf, .bsp, and .cfg of the same name from an input folder directory relative to where the executable is. To use the script in the intended way, do the following:

1. Create an input folder in the directory of the executable. For example, if the .exe is present at .../folder, create an input folder so that .../folder/input exists
2. Place the .vmf, .bsp, and .cfg files within the input folder
   • Make sure all files have the same name including same letter cases
   • It is recommended to save the .vmf file in Hammer before using the script
3. Enter the name of the map when prompted in the console
   • Type in the map name only without any file extensions
4. If successful, the script will create a strippered .vmf and a log file in a separate output folder

Standalone .exe false-positive flagging as virus

The standalone .exe may cause your anti-virus software / windows defender to flag it as a virus. This is unfortunately unavoidable when compiling into a single file. To remedy this (or if you prefer to play it safe - very understandable), a separate file is included with a release that has a .exe file and its dependencies in a single .zip file - this .exe has a suffix of -d. The usage is the same as the standalone .exe, but you have to make sure all dependencies do not get removed/moved elsewhere.

If the dependent .exe still gets flagged as a virus, then you can always run the source code stripplier.py as is.

Navigating the log

For each stripper block the script executes, it will also write relevant information to the log file. This includes but is not limited to:

• Details of each stripper block
• Relevant KV's of all entities targetted by the stripper block
• The actions done on these entities

If the script fails to apply a line of stripper, it will produce a WARNING: which you can filter by in the log file. This can include any invalid stripper fixes (e.g. deleting a non-existent KV) or stripper fixes that the script cannot resolve.

If the script fails to apply the entire block of stripper, it will produce an ERROR:. These are fatal errors of which you should notify the creators with. The script will create a separate error log that lists all the previous actions the script had taken before a fatal error was reached, which you may find it to be more useful to pinpoint where the issue is.

Note, the script may fail to produce a WARNING when it should have - always check to make sure if the stripper has been applied correctly!

Notes

• The script will not check if all files present are valid and uncorrupted; double check if your stripper .cfg has no mistakes in it!
• The script will not work in all cases, especially if a stripper block uses somewhat niche techniques. Whenever applicable, an error or a warning is given so that these stripper fixes can be done manually
• The script will try to retain as much of the original .vmf as possible whenever an entity is modified, but the script may lose some hammer-specific settings after it is applied. This is especially true when modifying entities by replacing/deleting model numbers.
• The strippered .vmf may crash your hammer by an exception error - you can simply reopen the strippered .vmf
  • For this reason, you should save the strippered .vmf before doing any further modifications - hammer needs to assign id to any newly created entities.

and most importantly,

• The script is still in development, so if you encounter any fatal errors or have a suggestion then you can comment about those here