arcdEx

Free plan Linux

What arcdEx is

arcdEx is a free Linux tool for examining and extracting files from .arcd archives produced by the Defold game engine. It can list archive contents and extract compressed or encrypted files, though decryption works only with Defold’s default encryption key. It can also inspect .texturec resources and extract their contained textures, as well as inspect compiled .luac files and extract Lua source code. To use it, provide an .arcd file; the tool guesses the paths to associated .arci index and .dmanifest manifest files. The repository describes support for manifest version 5, while the README also lists versions 1 through 4. Multiple .arcd files from a Defold web game must be combined before use. The README distinguishes desktop applications, which contain compiled Lua bytecode, from web projects through Defold 1.3.4, which contain Lua source code. arcdEx supports batch extraction and command-line use and runs as a Java JAR. It is licensed under AGPL v3, and archive repacking is not supported.

Who it suits

arcdEx suits Linux users who need to inspect or extract assets from Defold game archives, including texture resources and Lua code.

What it does well

Lists and extracts .arcd archive contents
Can inspect and extract contained textures
Supports batch extraction and command-line use
Free under the AGPL v3 license

What to know first

Decryption only works with Defold’s default key
Split web-game archives must be combined first
Archive repacking is not supported

Limits

Decryption is limited to files using Defold’s default encryption key. Multiple .arcd files from a web game must be combined before use, and archive repacking is unavailable.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
arcdEx	No paid plans or usage limits stated	Free

As github.com lists them, read 5 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Visit the arcdEx GitHub repository.
Use a Linux system and obtain the Java JAR.
Run the tool with `java -jar arcdEx.full.jar`.
Provide an .arcd archive; the tool guesses paths for its .arci index and .dmanifest manifest.
Combine multiple .arcd files from a Defold web game before using them.

Verdict

arcdEx handles inspection and extraction of several Defold archive and resource types. Its Linux and Java JAR use, default-key decryption limit, and lack of archive repacking are important constraints.

Questions

Is arcdEx free?

Yes. The listed plan is free, and no paid plans or usage limits are stated.

Which operating system does it support?

The listed platform is Linux.

What file types can it handle?

It works with .arcd archives and can inspect .texturec and .luac files. Texture support also includes Basis UASTC and .basis formats.

Can it decrypt every encrypted archive?

No. Decryption works only when the default Defold encryption key is used.

What license does arcdEx use, and who made it?

The README says it is licensed under AGPL v3 and credits Christian Weiske as the author.

Can it repack archives?

No. Archive repacking is not supported.

Facts from arcdEx's own pages

Archive handling: It can list .arcd archive contents and extract files, including compressed and encrypted files. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Archive inputs: The tool expects the .arcd file and guesses paths for the associated .arci index and .dmanifest files. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Archive support: It can list .arcd archive contents and extract files from archives. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Compression and encryption: Archive extraction supports compressed and encrypted files, but decryption works only with the default Defold encryption key. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Desktop Lua limit: The README says desktop applications contain compiled Lua bytecode, while web projects up to Defold 1.3.4 contain Lua source code. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Distribution: The README shows running the tool as a Java JAR with `java -jar arcdEx.full.jar`. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Encryption limit: Decryption is supported only when the default Defold encryption key is used. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Input files: The tool uses an .arcd archive and guesses the paths to the associated .arci index and .dmanifest manifest files. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
License: The README identifies arcdEx as licensed under AGPL v3. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Lua features: It can inspect compiled .luac files and extract Lua source code from them. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Lua support: It can inspect compiled .luac files and extract Lua source code from them. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Maker: The README credits Christian Weiske as the author. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Manifest versions: The repository says this version supports manifest version 5; the README also lists support for versions 1 through 4. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Multi-part web archives: Multiple .arcd files from Defold web games must be combined before use. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Purpose: arcdEx is a tool to work with .arcd files generated by the Defold game engine. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Release: The GitHub releases page lists v0.3.0 with the note “Support for manifest v5.” · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Runtime: The usage examples run arcdEx with Java using java -jar arcdEx.full.jar. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Support: The original README says feature requests and bug reports are intentionally disabled and that patches are welcome. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Texture features: It can inspect and extract .texturec files and their contained textures. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Texture support: It can inspect and extract .texturec files and their contained textures. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Version support: The repository says this fork supports manifest version 5, and the original README lists support for versions 1 through 4. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
Web archive limit: When a Defold web game uses multiple .arcd files, the README says they must be combined before use. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026

Where arcdEx stands on Freedom251

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