Tools

Tools

UELocKit uses a bring-your-own-tools model.

The toolkit provides scripts and documentation. The user provides local copies of the external tools.

For a normal user, the simplest mental model should be:

• place the required source file in the expected folder
• make the external tools discoverable
• run the init script
• translate
• run the build scripts

Upstream links

• FModel GitHub: 4sval/FModel Releases: FModel Releases
• retoc GitHub: trumank/retoc
• UnrealPak Comes with Unreal Engine. Reference overview: UnrealPak overview

What to use, and when

FModel

Use FModel when you want to:

• inspect game assets visually
• browse localization-related assets
• export contextual JSON or text views when available

FModel is mainly useful for discovery and context, not for rebuilding .locres.

retoc

Use retoc when you want to:

• inspect or work with IO Store-based Unreal game content
• convert packaging outputs when the game expects .utoc and .ucas

In this toolkit, retoc is part of the packaging stage.

UnrealLocres

Use UnrealLocres when you want to:

• export or import .locres
• rebuild a translated .locres from CSV

This is the key tool for the actual localization data round-trip.

UnrealPak

Use UnrealPak.exe when you want to:

• create the .pak that will contain the translated localization files

Python

Use Python when you want to:

• initialize a translation workspace from a source .locres
• convert JSON to CSV
• convert CSV to JSON
• validate translation working files
• run lightweight helper scripts

Recommended version:

• Python 3.10 or newer

Practical requirement:

• python should be available from a terminal or PowerShell session

The toolkit does not install Python for the user.

Users should install Python themselves if it is not already available on their machine.

PowerShell

Use PowerShell when you want to:

• orchestrate the full build
• stage files into the right Unreal folder structure
• generate .locmeta
• call the external tools in sequence

Python build entrypoint

Use the Python build entrypoint when you want:

• a less Windows-specific orchestration layer
• a script that is easier to adapt for CI or automation
• a build flow that is not tied only to PowerShell

Current script:

• build_locmod.py

Tool discovery

The scripts look for tools in this order:

1. Explicit parameter
2. Environment variable
3. Local workspace convention

Environment variables

• UNREALLOCRES_EXE
• UNREALPAK_EXE
• RETOC_EXE

Config file

Sample config:

• UELocKit.sample.config.psd1

Recommended local pattern:

• copy it to config/UELocKit.config.psd1
• keep the real config file out of version control

Recommended public-repo policy

• document upstream tools
• link to upstream projects
• do not bundle the binaries unless you explicitly choose to vendor them later

What the toolkit does for the user

If the user provides:

• a source .locres
• local tool installations
• a valid config or command-line paths

then the toolkit can:

• generate the initial working translation files
• rebuild a translated .locres
• generate .locmeta
• build .pak
• convert or package .utoc and .ucas

Preferred translation editing target:

• the generated JSON working file

Compatibility target:

• the generated CSV working file

What it does not provide:

• the original extracted game files
• the external binaries
• game-specific reverse engineering beyond this workflow