Why use Mikero's Tools?

Why use Mikero's Tools?

If you've seen prior information and guides on mod making for Arma 3, you've undoubtedly seen recommendations to use Mikero's Tools. However, I don't think they always give the rationale behind why Mikero's Tools are the go-to choice.

Mikero, with the help of others, has continued to offer frequent updates and support for his tools for god knows how many years (10+?). He is accessible in Discord, and possibly Skype if that's even still used. He is quick to fix issues, provided it's an agreeable issue that's easy to reproduce. Fairly extensive documentation is available in C:\Program Files (x86)\Mikero\DePboTools\docs, and you get bonus points for finding undocumented features. Plus he has goats.

I think pboProject is hands down the best tool for any terrain maker, as well as being arguably the best for work with models. It'll save you hours of hair pulling and wasted time opening and closing Arma trying to figure out where you might have made an error. This is because pboProject does extensive checking of nearly all files in the project folder for correct paths, incorrect config syntax, etc. Subsequently, if an error is found you'll typically get an error in the console window or packing log with information about what file, what line, and what specifically the error is. When someone is using pboProject for the first time it's pretty much expected that they'll need to fix multiple errors before pboProject will let them even pack the PBO, as pboProject will exit packing if it finds an error. There can be circumstances where pboProject will give you an error for something that is benign, in which case you can try and persuade him to make it a warning, rather than an error.

Making a map for Arma is hard enough as it is, don't make it harder on yourself by using an inadequate tool.

Free vs. Paid

Mikero's Tools are available in both a free and paid version. As a newcomer to terrain making, you can absolutely get by with the free version of Mikero's Tools, and shouldn't feel pressured to upgrade until you think it's worth the investment.

While the free version of the tools is usually updated semi-annually, the paid version receives much more frequent updates and has access to a wider variety of programs. Three notable tools within the paid version are DeP3d, DeRtm, and DeWrp, which can be used for learning how BI or other addon makers (if allowed in their license) configure certain properties within models, animations, and map frame properties. Also included in the paid version are ConvertWrp, MoveFolder, and MoveObject, which in my opinion are absolutely essential if you are working with files that come from a previous Arma title, or working with files that were shared with you by another addon maker. This is because ConvertWrp can be used to convert map files to a format that you can use to import into Terrain Builder. Secondly, MoveFolder and MoveObject make mass changing the paths used in files nearly effort and worry-free.

For a short breakdown of what each tool does and which version it's included in, see the table below.

Name	Description	Free	Paid
Arma3P	Extracts A3 PBOs to the drive of your choice.	Yes	Yes
ConvertWrp	Converts terrain file formats (WRP) to different versions.	No	Yes
DeFxy	Lists information about a font file (FXY).	No	Yes
DeKey	Checks the integrity and validity of signature files (.bisign) and key files (.bikey and .biprivatekey).	No	Yes
DeOgg	Support tool for DePbo.	Yes	Yes
DeP3d	Lists information about models (P3D), change properties of LODs, auto fix many "errors", change to previous version of P3D format. Does not convert a model between unbinarized and binarized.	No	Yes
DePax	Analyzer of texture files (PAA or PAC) and can list information about them.	No	Yes
DePbo	"Main driver" behind Mikero's tools.	Yes	Yes
DePew	Extract object, template, and elevation information from older terrain file formats (PEW).	No	Yes
DeRap	Support tool for pboProject, Eliteness, and Arma3P to convert binarized text files.	Yes	Yes
DeRoad	Converts binarized models with snap points to a format usable in Terrain Builder (A3) or Visitor (A2).	Yes	Yes
DeRtm	Analyze contents of animation files (RTM), or convert binarized RTM into unbinarized RTM.	No	Yes
DeTex	Lists PAA files used in TexHeaders.bin.	No	Yes
DeWrp	Analyze or list the contents of a WRP terrain file.	No	Yes
DeWss	Converts sound files (WSS, WAV, OGG) to other types.	No	Yes
Eliteness	Multi-purpose tool that allows you to look at properties of PBOs, models (P3D), and terrains (WRPs). Can also be used to build and extract PBOs, but I wouldn't recommend it.	Yes	Yes
ExtractPbo	Extract the contents of a PBO.	Yes	Yes
MakePbo	Build PBOs with many different configurable parameters.	Yes	Yes
MoveFolder	Used to move some or all content of a PBO, as well as the paths used by the PBO to a new directory.	No	Yes
MoveObject	Used by MoveFolder to rename the paths inside of a specific file, e.g. WRP, P3D, RVMAT, etc.	No	Yes
pboDeps	Lists dependencies of required addons defined in a PBO's configs. Outputs to a file format that is easy to import into Excel for analysis.	No	Yes
pboProject	PBO Builder "on steroids". Can build one or multiple PBOs in the same operation and has extensive error checking.	Yes	Yes
QueryAddons	Lists the addon dependencies for a mission (SQM) or config (CPP/BIN).	No	Yes
Rapify	Binarizes text file formats, e.g. RVMAT, EXT, CPP, SQM, etc.	Yes	Yes

Are there alternatives to Mikero's Tools?

Yes, but in relation to terrain making, I would not recommend them. This is because building PBOs for terrains require fairly specific handling of the file formats and data, in comparison to building PBOs with just scripts and configs.

armake

armake is a cross-platform and open-source implementation of Arma's modding tools. Its Github page can be found here. armake is used by the popular and well-developed addons ACE3 and ACRE. However, in its current form (November 2018), it doesn't support terrains.

Arma 3 Tools

Included within the Arma 3 Tool installation from Steam is Addon Builder, which can be used to build PBOs. However, I would strongly recommend against using it, especially for terrain making, as it includes very limited error checking capabilities. In addition, it has many different quirks that someone unfamiliar with the program won't know about, and in my opinion, will subsequently result in wasted time trying to figure out why something that should be a non-issue is not working.

To give an example on my prior statement about a quirk of Addon Builder I've experienced previously:

1. Build a PBO and check the box within Addon Builder to binarize.
2. Make a change to the model.
3. Build the PBO again with binarize still checked.
4. Observe that the model wasn't changed in the resulting PBO.

Now, this can be worked around by using the "clear" temporary directory option within Addon Builder, but this is just one example of the many quirks Addon Builder has that in my opinion are just not worth the time trying to figure out.

Alternative Options

If all you want to do is extract PBOs, then there are dozens of options depending on whether you want to extract them through a command line or user interface. However, you should be careful with tools that build PBOs without error checking, as they'll produce PBOs that aren't suitable for release publicly. There are also numerous open source options available, most of which are listed here on the official wiki page.