Extracting content from .gma files [no programs necessary] / importing to SFM

Every time someone asks how to extract files from .gma workshop files, the general idea is that you need to download software to do it. That's 100% false! You don't even need to open Garry's Mod!

What are .gma files? How can I find the textures/models I need?

When downloading content from the Garry's Mod workshop, you receive a compressed .gma container. It holds the materials and models folders that contain the textures and other files necessary for the addon to appear. It is common to want to extract these files for use in other Source programs such as Source Filmmaker, or to modify the contents (with permission if you are planning on uploading them again, of course).

Extracting contents from .gma files

Step 1: Navigate to your Garry's Mod addons folder
(usually stored somewhere like: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\GarrysMod\garrysmod\addons).

Step 2: Find the addon you want to extract (in this case it is "temp.gma").



Step 3: Open up the Garry's Mod root folder in a new window (steamapps/common/GarrysMod). Open the folder entitled "bin" and scroll down to the application named gmad.exe.

Step 4: Drag the .gma file from the earlier window that you want to open into the gmad.exe application in the new window. A command prompt should briefly appear and the newly extracted files will appear in the addons folder, in a folder with the same name of the workshop addon. That's it, you're done!

Transferring addon into Source Filmmaker

To transfer the newly extracted addon into Source Filmmaker, copy the "materials" and "models" folders into Steam\steamapps\common\SourceFilmmaker\game\usermod



For the majority of addons this is all that you need to do. They should now be visible in the SFM model browser. However some content may require additional modification in order to appear correctly within SFM, but I will not go into detail on those here.

Thanks for reading! ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

[Kaiden Konsensus]

Gmad doesn't appear in bin?

[Zsombor99]

@Feyora You need to extract the contents from the bsp with " bspsrc [github.com]".

[Feyora]

it gives a bsp file but doesnt include any textures

[RayMareach]

Doesn't work, gmad closes instantly no matter what.

[local onion]

Have my children

[Zsombor99]

@Sawrunner It supposed to automatically make a subfolder at where the gma is and the extracted files should be there.

[BOOK SIMON]

bruh when I try to drag the addon gma into it it just closes instantly

[Warko]

works like a charm

[UltraLuigi2401]

this helped me decompile gmod map gm_the_pit, so thanks

[Alaygrounds]

How do I reverse it (turn those files back into a gma)