This article is part of a backup. It was originally posted on Sunday, May 9. 2004.

In 2002 the MekTek Development team released a utility called Hudpatch 3 that allows for patching selected data files (such as textures) within .mw4 content packages of the popular computer game Mechwarrior 4. Its main purpose is to replace certain elements of the head-up display (HUD) in order to enhance the game experience.

The Hudpatch utility itself uses a certain unpublished archive format containing the files to be patched (so called .tek files). In order to add your own modifications to patches provided by MekTek (e.g. BlackKnight and Vengeance map grid patches) or by other developers (e.g. the Energy HUD by Insomniax) it is necessary to be able to extract the files from the patch. TekEx is a tool to open and unpack .tek patch archives.

Download

Name: TekEx
Version: 1.1.0 Build 2
Download: tekex.zip (240kB)

Note: By using TekEx you agree to the disclaimer at the bottom of this file.

Screenshot

Contents

Application (2 Files):

• /tekex.exe – TekEx application
• /readme.txt – this file

Installation

Just copy the two files into a folder of your choice. No additional steps required.

Bugs and Known Issues

There are no known bugs.

FAQ

Q: Can TekEx create new .tek patch archives to be used with Hudpatch?

A: No. Hudpatch itself already has the capability to create new .tek files. Please read the Hudpatch manual for more information!

Q: I found a certain .tek patch online – how can I add my own modifications?

A: Use TekEx to extract the data files from the .tek archive. Modify the extracted files as you like (e.g. change bitmap graphics in your favorite paint program) and create a new .tek archive from the modified files using the Hudpatch utility.

Q: Where can I get the latest version of TekEx?

A: http://www.gerke-preussner.de

Disclaimer

Copyright (c) 2004 headcrash industries. All rights reserved.

This software is provided “as is”, without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied. In no event shall the author or its contributors be held liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages arising out of the use of or inability to use this software.

Redistribution of TekEx in any form, including but not limited to websites, CDROM and printed media, is strictly prohibited and requires the explicit permission of the author.