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How Do I Create idStudio Mods?

See the official website for more in-depth guides: https://idstudio.idsoftware.com/

The mod file locations idStudio reads & writes is not always what you package.
All editors are located in the "Windows" tab located on idStudio's top bar.

decl mod

  • Edit or create a new decl in the Asset Browser
  • Decls are located in your base/declTree folder

texture mod

  • Edit textures with the Material Editor & Material Painter
  • Added textures should be in a standard .tga format
     - Use GIMP or Paint.net to export textures into .tga
  • Create a folder for your newly-added textures manually in File Explorer if you haven't already done so
     - Not applicable if textures are being replaced, not added
  • Menu & Custom textures are located in your base/art folder
  • Character textures are located in your base/models folder
  • GUI textures are located in you base/textures folder

static / animated model mod

  • Edit models with Blender (not in idStudio)
  • Export models as .fbx
  • Import the .fbx model in the Static Model Editor or Animated Model Editor
  • Create a folder for your newly-added models & animations manually in File Explorer if you haven't already done so
     - Not applicable if models & animations are being replaced, not added
  • Static models are located in your base/art folder
  • Animated models & animations are located in your base/md6 folder

string mod

  • Edit strings with the String Editor
  • Language -> English
  • Be sure to save BOTH the String Contents then the String Table
  • Strings are located in your base/strings folder

sound effect / voice over mod

  • Convert sfx/vo with Wwise as PCM Auto Detect High (not in idStudio)
  • Export sfx/vo as .wem
  • Manually place them in base/sound/soundbanks/pc
  • Rename each file to ONLY contain the sfx ID (ex: 123456789.wem)

music mod

  • Convert music with Wwise as Ogg Vorbis Quality High (not in idStudio)
  • Export music as .wem
  • Manually place them in base/sound/soundbanks/pc
  • Rename each file to ONLY contain the music ID (ex: 123456789.wem)

entities mod

  • Import zipped mod with the Legacy Mod Importer tool
  • Entities are located in the base/maps folder

map mod

  • Save As in the World Editor
  • Be sure to add brushes for geo, some light points for visibility, & a playerStart entity
  • Do a Slowmap bake for quick testing
  • Execute a slowmap command in the Engine window to load into the map
  • Do a Full Map bake & Collision + Nav bake before packaging your map
  • Maps are located in the base/maps folder
map mod (how to load)
  • To load into a custom map, the devmenuoption/devmenuoption/new_campaign.decl file must be modified.
     - This will ensure that creating a new save for the base Campaign will load the player into the custom map.
  • Set the devMenuMapName to the path of a custom map.
  • Set the devMenuInventoryLoadout to the path of a devInvLoadout decl.

devmenuoption/devmenuoption/new_campaign.decl

declType( devMenuOption ) {
	edit = {
		devMenuList = {
			num = 1;
			item[0] = {
				devMenuDisplayName = "Custom Map";
				devMenuMapName = "maps/custom_map_name.map";
				devMenuInventoryLoadout = "devinvloadout/dlc/e4m1_rig";
			}
		}
	}
}