UI Unpack/Pack Tool for Total War Games

A tool for unpacking and packing Total War UI files (.ui ↔ .xml) using the etwng scripts.

About

This tool uses scripts from the etwng project by taw, which provides tools for modding Total War games. It offers both a graphical user interface and command-line access to convert UI files to editable XML format and back.

Features

• Convert UI files to XML for editing
• Pack edited XML files back to UI format
• Graphical interface for easy file selection
• Batch processing support
• Works with multiple Total War game versions

Supported Games

The tool supports UI file versions from Total War games including:

• Empire: Total War
• Napoleon: Total War
• Total War: Shogun 2
• Total War: Rome 2
• Total War: Attila
• And other Total War titles using similar UI formats

Usage

GUI Mode

Run uiunpack.exe and use the graphical interface to:

• Select mode: Unpack (UI → XML) or Pack (XML → UI)
• Choose input file(s) or folder
• Choose output folder
• Click convert

Command Line Mode (Ruby)

Unpack a UI file to XML:

ruby etwng/ui/bin/ui2xml path/to/file.ui path/to/output.xml

Pack an XML file to UI:

ruby etwng/ui/bin/xml2ui path/to/file.xml path/to/output.ui

Troubleshooting

XML Parsing Errors

If you get XML parsing errors when converting XML → UI:

• Your XML file may be corrupted or have mismatched tags
• Validate your XML structure before conversion
• If you unpacked the file yourself, try unpacking again from the original .ui file

Version Not Supported

Some UI file versions are only supported by the Ruby scripts, not the Python converter. Use the Ruby scripts directly for maximum compatibility.

Credits

• etwng scripts: Created by taw
• GUI wrapper: Community contribution for easier access to etwng functionality

License

The etwng scripts are licensed under their original license. See the etwng repository for details.

Support

For issues with:

• UI conversion functionality: Check the etwng repository
• This tool: Create an issue with details about your problem

Security Notice: Antivirus False Positives

If your antivirus software flags uiunpack.exe as a threat, this is a FALSE POSITIVE.

Why does this happen?

• This executable is built using PyInstaller, which packages Python scripts into a standalone .exe file
• Antivirus software often flags PyInstaller executables as suspicious because malware authors sometimes use the same tool
• This is a known issue affecting ALL PyInstaller applications, not a sign of actual malware

How to verify this is safe:

1. Open Source: This tool uses the open-source etwng scripts created by taw
2. Scan on VirusTotal: Upload the .exe to https://www.virustotal.com to see detailed scan results
3. Use the source code: Instead of the .exe, you can run the Ruby scripts directly (see Usage section)

Solutions:

Option 1: Add to Windows Defender Exclusions

1. Open Windows Security
2. Go to Virus & threat protection → Manage settings
3. Scroll to Exclusions → Add or remove exclusions
4. Add the uiunpack.exe file or folder

Option 2: Use Ruby Scripts Directly

Instead of using the .exe, run the original Ruby scripts:

# Convert UI to XML
ruby etwng/ui/bin/ui2xml input.ui output.xml

# Convert XML to UI
ruby etwng/ui/bin/xml2ui input.xml output.ui

Requirements: Ruby must be installed on your system

• Download: https://rubyinstaller.org/
• Install the Nokogiri gem: gem install nokogiri