AutoNeFS

A command-line tool for batch replacement of files in NeFS archive files, automating the modding workflow for Ego Engine games.

Overview

The original NeFSedit GUI required manual file-by-file replacement. AutoNeFS automates this process using manifest files, enabling efficient batch operations for game modding.

Key Features

• ✅ Manifest-based Batch Replacement: Define multiple file operations in a simple TSV format
• ✅ Wildcard Support: Replace multiple files at once using patterns (*.xml, *.dds, etc.)
• ✅ Automatic Backup: Original files are backed up before any operation
• ✅ Headless Execution: Run without GUI, perfect for automated workflows
• ✅ Detailed Logging: Comprehensive reports of success/failure for each operation
• ✅ Auto-detection: Simply double-click the executable - it finds .nefs files and manifest automatically

Limitations

• Replace only: Insert and remove operations are not implemented
• Archive structure is read-only: Cannot add new files or modify directory structure
• Manifest files only: Only files listed in manifest.tsv are processed

Quick Start

1. Prepare Your Files

YourProject/
├── AutoNeFS.exe
├── manifest.tsv          # Your file replacement list
├── input/                # Your replacement files
│   ├── subtitles/
│   ├── fonts/
│   └── ...
└── nefs/
    └── game.nefs         # Target archive

2. Create Manifest File (manifest.tsv)

# localFilePath	targetPath
input/ui/icon.png	ui/icons/icon.png
input/textures/body.dds	vehicles/car_a/*.dds
input/fonts/*.xml	frontend/fonts/*.xml

• First column (localFilePath): Path to your replacement file (supports wildcards)
• Second column (targetPath): Path inside the .nefs archive (supports wildcards)
• Separator: Use TAB character (not spaces!)

3. Run

Simply double-click AutoNeFS.exe - that's it!

It automatically finds:

• manifest.tsv in the current directory
• .nefs file in the nefs/ subfolder

(Advanced: Use --archive or --manifest options if your files are in different locations)

Advanced Usage

Useful Options

Most users won't need these, but here are some helpful options:

AutoNeFS.exe --dry-run           # Preview changes without applying
AutoNeFS.exe --archive "C:\path\to\game.nefs"  # Use different .nefs location

All Command-line Options (click to expand)

Option	Description	Default
--archive <path>	Target .nefs file path	Auto-detect in nefs/
--manifest <path>	Manifest file path	manifest.tsv
--backup-dir <path>	Backup folder location	<archive>.bak/
--output <path>	Output file path	Overwrite original
--on-missing <action>	Action when target not found (skip|fail)	skip
--continue-on-error	Continue processing on individual failures	true
--dry-run	Validate only, don't save changes	false
--log <path>	Log file path	AutoNeFS.log

Manifest Format

TSV Format (Tab-Separated Values)

# Comments start with #
# localFilePath	targetPath

# Simple file replacement
input/logo.png	ui/logo.png

# Wildcard in target path
input/car_texture.dds	vehicles/*/body.dds

# Wildcard in both paths
input/fonts/*.xml	frontend/fonts/*.xml

# Multiple wildcards
input/sounds/*.bnk	audio/engine/*/sound_*.bnk

Important:

• Fields MUST be separated by TAB character (\t), not spaces
• Empty lines and # comments are ignored
• Paths can use forward slashes (/) or backslashes (\)
• Relative paths are based on the working directory

Wildcard Patterns

• * - Matches any number of characters
• ? - Matches exactly one character

Examples:

• ui/icons/*.png → All PNG files in ui/icons/
• vehicles/*/body.dds → body.dds in any subfolder of vehicles/
• audio/?.bnk → Single-character named .bnk files

Advanced: Batch Script (Optional)

Only needed if you want to specify custom paths or options:

@echo off
AutoNeFS.exe --archive "C:\Games\YourGame\data.nefs"
pause

For most users, just double-click AutoNeFS.exe - it will auto-detect everything!

Project Structure

Repository Structure

AutoNeFS/
├── AutoNeFS.exe              # Main executable (ready to use)
├── manifest.tsv               # Manifest template
├── icon.ico                   # Application icon
├── .gitignore                 # Git ignore rules
├── LICENSE                    # MIT License
├── README.md                  # This documentation
└── ego.nefsedit-master/       # Source code
    ├── VictorBush.Ego.NefsLib/         # NeFS library
    ├── VictorBush.Ego.NefsEdit/        # GUI version (original)
    └── VictorBush.Ego.NefsEdit.Cli/    # CLI version (this tool)
        ├── Program.cs                  # Entry point
        ├── CliOptions.cs               # Command-line parser
        ├── ManifestParser.cs           # Manifest parser
        └── ArchivePatcher.cs           # Archive patcher

Working Directory Structure

When using the tool, create this structure:

YourProject/
├── AutoNeFS.exe              # Downloaded from releases
├── manifest.tsv               # Your manifest file
├── input/                     # Create: Your replacement files
│   ├── fonts/
│   ├── textures/
│   └── ...
└── nefs/                      # Create: Your .nefs files
    └── game.nefs

Build from Source

Requirements

• .NET 8.0 SDK

Build Commands

Standard build:

cd ego.nefsedit-master
dotnet build VictorBush.Ego.NefsEdit.Cli/VictorBush.Ego.NefsEdit.Cli.csproj -c Release

Create single-file executable:

dotnet publish VictorBush.Ego.NefsEdit.Cli/VictorBush.Ego.NefsEdit.Cli.csproj \
  -c Release \
  -r win-x64 \
  --self-contained true \
  -p:PublishSingleFile=true \
  -p:PublishTrimmed=false

Output location: artifacts/publish/VictorBush.Ego.NefsEdit.Cli/release_win-x64/AutoNeFS.exe

Troubleshooting

Common Errors

"Archive file not found"

• Ensure .nefs file is in the nefs/ folder, or use --archive to specify the path
• Use quotes for paths with spaces: --archive "C:\My Game\data.nefs"

"Replacement file not found"

• Check that localFilePath in manifest matches the actual file location
• Relative paths are based on the current working directory

"Target item not found"

• Verify targetPath matches the actual path inside the archive
• Paths are case-insensitive
• Default behavior is to skip (--on-missing skip), use fail to abort

"Wildcard matched no files"

• Check wildcard pattern syntax
• Use the original NeFSedit GUI to browse archive structure
• Verify path separators match (/ vs \)

Log File

Operations are logged to AutoNeFS.log:

[INF] AutoNeFS started
[INF] Archive: nefs/game.nefs
[INF] Loaded 5 manifest items
[INF] ✓ ui/logo.png
[INF] ✓ vehicles/*.dds (3 files replaced)
[INF] ✓ frontend/fonts/*.xml (7 files replaced)
[WRN] ⊘ audio/missing.bnk (target not found, skipped)
[INF] === Operation completed ===
[INF] Total items: 5
[INF] Success: 11
[INF] Failed: 0
[INF] Skipped: 1

Limitations & Known Issues

1. Replace only: Only the replace operation is implemented. Cannot insert new files or remove existing ones.
2. Archive structure is immutable: Cannot add new entries or modify the directory structure.
3. Same file for wildcards: When using wildcards, all matched files are replaced with the same source file.
4. No encryption support: Encrypted archives may not be supported.

License

MIT License - Based on the original ego.nefsedit project.

See LICENSE for details.

Credits

• Original Library: VictorBush/ego.nefsedit - NeFS library and GUI tool
• CLI Automation: AutoNeFS Project - Command-line interface and batch processing

Support

For issues, questions, or contributions:

1. Check AutoNeFS.log for detailed error messages
2. Use the original NeFSedit GUI to inspect archive structure
3. Verify your manifest.tsv uses TAB characters (not spaces)
4. Report issues on the GitHub repository