Extract text from Hammer Editor autosaves (VMF_AUTOSAVE)
To convert VMF_AUTOSAVE autosaves to another format, you need Valve Hammer Editor or other Backup software.
To convert other file formats to the "Source Engine Map Backup" file type, you need software like Valve Hammer Editor or a similar tool.
A .vmf_autosave file is an automatic backup generated by the Valve Hammer Editor, the official level creation tool for the Source game engine. These files store plain-text, key-value data representing map geometry (brushes), entity placements, spawn points, and lighting configurations. They act as a fail-safe in case the editor crashes during level design.
To utilize these files, you must use the Hammer Editor provided by Valve Corporation as part of the Source SDK.
The main disadvantage of the .vmf_autosave format is its rigid coupling to the Source engine ecosystem. Standard 3D modeling tools cannot natively read it. Furthermore, the file does not embed textures or 3D models; it only contains text references to external VTF (Valve Texture Format) and MDL (Model) files.
The primary "conversion" required for this file is simply renaming the file extension from .vmf_autosave to VMF so the Hammer Editor can recognize it. If you need to migrate the map geometry into standard 3D applications, you must use third-party tools or plugins, such as the SourceIO add-on for Blender, to convert the raw brush data into standard OBJ, FBX, or GLTF formats.
This file format is difficult to convert universally because game engine logic, triggers, and proprietary brush geometry do not translate cleanly into standard polygon meshes. Often, only the original software can properly read or export the data without losing functionality. If our analysis detects a supported underlying format, viewing or conversion to standard text or 3D formats may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your VMF_AUTOSAVE file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert VMF_AUTOSAVE file to TMP, TEMP, CACHE, LOG, BAK, OLD, NEW, PART, DOWNLOAD, CRDOWNLOAD, LOCK or PID, you can use Valve Hammer Editor or similar software from the "Game Map Design Backup" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DEVICE, CACHE, SOCK, SYMLINK, PID, MOUNT, FIFO, LOG, PIPE, TMP, JUNCTION or TEMP files to VMF_AUTOSAVE, try Valve Hammer Editor or another comparable tool in the "Game Map Design Backup" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our VMF_AUTOSAVE converter.