Developer(s) |
Mike Zuurman Jeremy Walton Ben Moench |
---|---|
Initial release | v1.07, (August 16, 1999) [1] |
Stable release | 4.6
[2]
/ November 10, 2022 |
Preview release | None
/ None |
Written in | Visual Basic |
Operating system | Windows |
Type | File manager |
License | Shareware (Windows) |
Website | multiex.xentax.com |
MultiEx Commander was a game resource archive manager for Windows published by the Xentax Foundation. Some features include a built-in MexScript (AKA BMS) interpreter, file extractor and importer, stand alone mod creator EasyMod.
This application is currently written by Mike Zuurman in Visual Basic. [3] The first versions of the program were written in Borland Turbo C in 1998 and 1999 as a user interface for a command line DOS archiving tool, called multiex, that was created in 1997. [4] The program is extensible by programmers via a plugin- API. [5] The first multiex release was built around MexScript, a custom script written specifically to enable programmers to process (game) archives by simply typing a few lines of script. All the low-level events would be carried out by the main program. MexScript (or BMS as it is also called, after Binary MultiEx Script [6]) is still a prominent feature of the tool, as the user can write scripts via the built-in script window. [4] It also enables the use of QuickBMS scripts, a later third party produced improvement (or "forking") of the original MexScript. [7]
Additionally, MultiEx Commander can create stand-alone mods for games via the EasyMod creator. Custom changes made to certain game archives (such as sounds, or textures) are stored as a stand-alone program, enabling users to distribute their mods without others needing MultiEx Commander.[ citation needed]
The Windows version is freeware, although it was donateware up until September 2014: users could download it after they donated a certain amount to the Xentax Foundation. As part of the 25th Anniversary of the publisher in 2014, it became free to download. [8]
In 1997, the command line MexScript based game archive extraction and importation tool multiex.exe for DOS was programmed using Turbo C. From 1998 through 2001 MultiEx Commander was created as a GUI for multiex.exe with new versions. [9] One can still see the last DOS version (2.3) in action in this video, a version that was released on February 23, 2001. [10] In that same year, the first Windows version was released (3.0b) along with a number of updates to higher versions, [11] [12] a task Mike Zuurman first discussed with fellow programmers. [13] During the years that followed, new versions came out [14] [15] up until version 3.9.68, of which source code was uploaded to SourceForge on October 9, 2003. [16] [17] A brief Open Source development period started, including a major update to version 4.0 on June 29, 2004. [18] This period ended when version 4.2 was completed [19] in August 2005. The current version is 4.5.1, [20] that has "approval" of Duke Nukem (as acted by original Duke Nukem voice actor Jon St. John). [21] As MultiEx Commander was pirated on, and cracks and registration numbers released, it was an on-line only tool, until November 2022. The developer announced the last version (4.6) had been released, that is stand-alone and is used offline. In addition, they stated there would be no more new updates. [4] [22]
The gaming press had received MultiEx Commander with positive articles in hard-copy magazines, such as PC Action, PC Games Hardware and PC Gameplay. [23] PC Gameplay (a leading Belgian game magazine at the time) stated "MultiEx Commander makes modding possible for everyone", [24] while PC Extreme called it "the ultimate game modding utility". [25] In September 2012, a book was released about MultiEx Commander. [26]
Developer(s) |
Mike Zuurman Jeremy Walton Ben Moench |
---|---|
Initial release | v1.07, (August 16, 1999) [1] |
Stable release | 4.6
[2]
/ November 10, 2022 |
Preview release | None
/ None |
Written in | Visual Basic |
Operating system | Windows |
Type | File manager |
License | Shareware (Windows) |
Website | multiex.xentax.com |
MultiEx Commander was a game resource archive manager for Windows published by the Xentax Foundation. Some features include a built-in MexScript (AKA BMS) interpreter, file extractor and importer, stand alone mod creator EasyMod.
This application is currently written by Mike Zuurman in Visual Basic. [3] The first versions of the program were written in Borland Turbo C in 1998 and 1999 as a user interface for a command line DOS archiving tool, called multiex, that was created in 1997. [4] The program is extensible by programmers via a plugin- API. [5] The first multiex release was built around MexScript, a custom script written specifically to enable programmers to process (game) archives by simply typing a few lines of script. All the low-level events would be carried out by the main program. MexScript (or BMS as it is also called, after Binary MultiEx Script [6]) is still a prominent feature of the tool, as the user can write scripts via the built-in script window. [4] It also enables the use of QuickBMS scripts, a later third party produced improvement (or "forking") of the original MexScript. [7]
Additionally, MultiEx Commander can create stand-alone mods for games via the EasyMod creator. Custom changes made to certain game archives (such as sounds, or textures) are stored as a stand-alone program, enabling users to distribute their mods without others needing MultiEx Commander.[ citation needed]
The Windows version is freeware, although it was donateware up until September 2014: users could download it after they donated a certain amount to the Xentax Foundation. As part of the 25th Anniversary of the publisher in 2014, it became free to download. [8]
In 1997, the command line MexScript based game archive extraction and importation tool multiex.exe for DOS was programmed using Turbo C. From 1998 through 2001 MultiEx Commander was created as a GUI for multiex.exe with new versions. [9] One can still see the last DOS version (2.3) in action in this video, a version that was released on February 23, 2001. [10] In that same year, the first Windows version was released (3.0b) along with a number of updates to higher versions, [11] [12] a task Mike Zuurman first discussed with fellow programmers. [13] During the years that followed, new versions came out [14] [15] up until version 3.9.68, of which source code was uploaded to SourceForge on October 9, 2003. [16] [17] A brief Open Source development period started, including a major update to version 4.0 on June 29, 2004. [18] This period ended when version 4.2 was completed [19] in August 2005. The current version is 4.5.1, [20] that has "approval" of Duke Nukem (as acted by original Duke Nukem voice actor Jon St. John). [21] As MultiEx Commander was pirated on, and cracks and registration numbers released, it was an on-line only tool, until November 2022. The developer announced the last version (4.6) had been released, that is stand-alone and is used offline. In addition, they stated there would be no more new updates. [4] [22]
The gaming press had received MultiEx Commander with positive articles in hard-copy magazines, such as PC Action, PC Games Hardware and PC Gameplay. [23] PC Gameplay (a leading Belgian game magazine at the time) stated "MultiEx Commander makes modding possible for everyone", [24] while PC Extreme called it "the ultimate game modding utility". [25] In September 2012, a book was released about MultiEx Commander. [26]