.GI is a Source 2 (Valve) file (Games). Analyser identifies a .GI file and reads the metadata in its header, right in your browser. In Source 2 a .gi file is associated with baked global-illumination data, the precomputed bounced light for a map. Source 2 is Valve's in-house game engine, the successor to Source, and powers Dota 2, Half-Life: Alyx and Counter-Strike 2. Source 2 stores most assets as human-readable text that its resource compiler turns into the packed binary the game loads.

How do I open a .GI file?

Drop a .GI file onto Analyser at https://lab.valjdakosta.com/ and it is identified directly in your browser - no upload, no account and no software to install. Identify and read Valve Source 2 text assets from Deadlock (Citadel), Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2 and Half-Life: Alyx: the gameinfo.gi manifest (game, title, search-path mounts), KeyValues3 files (.kv3 / .vcfg - surfacing the KV3 encoding and format header), the editor templates (.vsnd_template sound events, .vnm_template node graphs, .mks_template sheets), tools UI (.vqlayout, .vsc colours, .qss Qt stylesheets), function-signature databases (.signatures) and text resource/UI layouts (.res, content-gated against binary Windows .res) - each with parsed metadata plus a source preview.

Can I open a .GI file online for free?

Yes. Analyser is a free online .GI identifier that runs entirely in your browser - your .GI file never leaves your device, so there is nothing to upload and no software to install. It even works offline once installed.

.GI file - what it is and how to identify it online

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Home › Formats › .GIID

What is a .GI file?

.GI is a Source 2 (Valve) file (Games). Analyser identifies a .GI file and reads the metadata in its header, right in your browser.

Did you know: In Source 2 a .gi file is associated with baked global-illumination data, the precomputed bounced light for a map.
Source 2 is Valve's in-house game engine, the successor to Source, and powers Dota 2, Half-Life: Alyx and Counter-Strike 2.
Source 2 stores most assets as human-readable text that its resource compiler turns into the packed binary the game loads.
What Analyser reads: Identify and read Valve Source 2 text assets from Deadlock (Citadel), Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2 and Half-Life: Alyx: the gameinfo.gi manifest (game, title, search-path mounts), KeyValues3 files (.kv3 / .vcfg - surfacing the KV3 encoding and format header), the editor templates (.vsnd_template sound events, .vnm_template node graphs, .mks_template sheets), tools UI (.vqlayout, .vsc colours, .qss Qt stylesheets), function-signature databases (.signatures) and text resource/UI layouts (.res, content-gated against binary Windows .res) - each with parsed metadata plus a source preview.
Depth of analysis: .GI is an identification-grade format: Analyser recognises it from its bytes and decodes the header metadata it carries, rather than opening it in a full viewer. Formats that do get a full viewer are marked "Full" on the formats page.
Open a .GI file: Drag a .GI file onto the Analyser home page (or tap to pick one). It is identified entirely in your browser - nothing is uploaded, there is no account, and it works offline once installed.
Related formats: .KV3 · .VCFG · .VQLAYOUT · .VSC · .QSS · .SIGNATURES · .VSND_TEMPLATE · .VNM_TEMPLATE · .MKS_TEMPLATE · .RES. See all supported file types.