title: QuArK Conversion Tools
desc: conversiontool
desc: qeradiant
desc: worldcraft
desc: conversiontoolsys

<img border=1 align=right>conversion1.png</img>
There are three conversion tools in QuArK:
<ul>
<li><ref>adv/conversion/conversiontool \ Conversion Tool</ref> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(makes multiple types of .qrk files)
<li><ref>adv/conversion/qeradiant \ QERadiant .def file</ref> &nbsp;(only works with this type of file)
<li><ref>adv/conversion/worldcraft \ Worldcraft .fgd file</ref> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(only works with this type of file)
</ul>
All of these tools will convert other files into <ref>adv/intro/qrk \ .qrk</ref>
files that QuArK can use for game <ref>adv/addons \ Add-Ons</ref> files that
provide specific elements to work with in the
<ref>intro/mapeditor/overview/overview \ QuArK Map Editor</ref>.

But the <g>QERadiant</g> and <g>Worldcraft</g> tools will only make one of the needed
files, the entities.qrk file.
The <ref>adv/conversion/conversiontool \ Conversion Tool</ref> can make one or all
of the needed files.
<ul>
<li><g>Data(gamename).qrk</g>  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Used to setup basic things such as the <ref>maped/tutorial/starting/defaultroom \ default room</ref> for <ref>maped/tutorial/starting \ NewMap</ref>,
<li><g>UserData (gamename).qrk</g> &nbsp;Used to setup items for the QuArK <ref>intro/mapeditor/userdata \ Userdata panel</ref> and the <ref>intro/mapeditor/menu/gamemenu \ Games menu</ref> items.
<li><g>(gamename)Entities.qrk</g> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Used to create the <ref>intro/mapeditor/dataforms/specsargsview \ games entities and entities :form sections</ref>.
<li><g>(gamename)Textures.qrk</g> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Used to setup the games textures to be displayed in the QuArK <ref>intro/texturebrowser/overview \ Texture Browser</ref>.
<li><g>(gamename)Shaders.qrk</g> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Used to setup the games shaders, scrips, materials (if used) to be displayed in the QuArK <ref>intro/texturebrowser/overview \ Texture Browser</ref>.
<li><g>(gamename)ModelEntities.qrk</g> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Used to setup special <ref>intro/mapeditor/dataforms/specsargsview \ model entities</ref> if the game has these.
<li><g>(gamename)(special)Lists.qrk</g> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Used to setup other special lists of items that the game uses.
</ul>

The reasoning behind the above structure is that in the <b>OLD</b> days when games were small it didn't matter...<br>
so everything was purtty much thrown into one file.... that's just the way it was done....<br>
But now that games are 10 times bigger (and all their editing items) that way just doesn't work anymore.<br>
Try updating just the entities in a file that has all of that other different stuff in it.....
 and you will see what I mean.  ???<br>
(what a mess!) ....makes your hair stand on end....!

Now, the above individual files (for a basic game like HL2) are added to the "<g>AddOns</g>"
in the "<g>(gamename):config =</g>" section of the <g>Defaults.qrk</g> file so they get registered
and loaded right out of the box..... which also makes it easer for the end user.
Other addons for that game are registered by the user as desired.<br>
See how all of that works together now?
It keeps things simple, more directly related and easer to update a single component of a games
editing item individually without having to thrash through a bunch of different formatted code for other items.
