Format Overview

The assetsinfo JSON format allows for advanced control over mod injector behavior.

The most common uses of assetsinfo JSON include:

Format Overview

{
	// experimental - used to add new map layers
    "layers":[
        {
            "name":""
        }
    ],
    
    // experimental - used to add new maps
    "maps":[
        {
            "name":"" 
        }
    ],
    
    // used for adding, removing, or re-ordering of .resources files
    "resources":[
        {
            "name":"",
            "remove":,
            "placeFirst":,
            "placeBefore":,
            "placeByName":""    
        }
    ],
    
    // used for adding, removing, or re-ordering of game assets
    "assets":[
        {
            "name":"",
            "mapResourceType":"",
            "resourceType":"",
            "streamDbHash":,
            "version":,
            "remove":,
            "placeBefore":,
            "placeByName":"",
            "placeByType":"",
            "specialByte1":,
            "specialByte2":,
            "specialByte3":
        }
    ]
}

"Layers" array

The first part of the assetsinfo JSON format is the layers array. This can be used to add additional layers to a map, which can then be referenced via .entities. 

Each item in this array contains an object that has the name property. This field is required for each entry. In there you can set the name of the layer you want to create. It's that simple.

Here is an example usage that adds three custom layers:

{
    "layers":[
        {
            "name":"game/sp/custom/my_custom_layer"
        },
        {
            "name":"game/sp/custom/my_custom_layer_2"
        },
        {
            "name":"game/sp/custom/my_custom_layer_3"
        }
    ]
}

Note: It is unclear what effect this has on gameplay, since it is possible to add new layers to the game without this step, and all existing layers in the game can already be used in any level without additional steps anyway.

"Maps" array

The second part of the assetsinfo JSON format is the maps array.

As with the layers array, each item contains an object that has the name property. In there you can set the name of the map you want to create. This feature is currently of limited use, since we can't create new maps anyway. 

Here is an example usage that adds two custom maps:

{
    "maps":[
        {
            "name":"maps/game/sp/custom/my_custom_map" 
        },
       	{
            "name":"maps/game/sp/custom/my_custom_map_2" 
        }
    ]
}

"Resources" array

The third part of the assetsinfo JSON format is the resources array. This one is a bit more complicated, so let's begin by explaining what this is actually for.

In DOOM Eternal, each map has a list of .resources and .streamdb files that will be loaded in the map itself. With this feature, you can tell the game to load additional .resources and/or .streamdb files in maps. In other words, you can load files that aren't normally loaded, giving you access to game assets and entities that normally aren't available. You can also tell the game to stop loading .resources or .streamdb files that are loaded by default in maps.

This feature is what allows us to load things like spirits and other DLC-specific enemies into the base campaign.

Below is an example usage. This would add the e5m1_spear.resources file, as well as several .streamdb files, to a map that it is not normally loaded in. Don't worry if you don't understand this - it is explained in more detail on the Reference: "resources" array page of the guide.

{
    "resources":[
        {
            "name":"e5m1_spear.resources"
        },
        {
            "name":"gameresources_6_1.streamdb",
            "placeBefore":true,
            "placeByName":"gameresources_0_4.streamdb"
        },
        {
            "name":"gameresources_0_6.streamdb",
            "placeBefore":true,
            "placeByName":"gameresources_0_4.streamdb"
        },
        {
            "name":"gameresources_1_8.streamdb",
            "placeBefore":true,
            "placeByName":"gameresources_0_4.streamdb"
        },
        {
            "name":"gameresources_2_2.streamdb",
            "placeBefore":true,
            "placeByName":"gameresources_0_4.streamdb"
        },
        {
            "name":"gameresources_3_2.streamdb",
            "placeBefore":true,
            "placeByName":"gameresources_0_4.streamdb"
        },
        {
            "name":"gameresources_4_3.streamdb",
            "placeBefore":true,
            "placeByName":"gameresources_0_4.streamdb"
        },
        {
            "name":"gameresources_5_3.streamdb",
            "placeBefore":true,
            "placeByName":"gameresources_0_4.streamdb"
        }
    ]
}

"Assets" array

The last feature in the assetsinfo JSON is the assets array. This is the most complicated one to understand as it has a lot of fields. In most cases, you will only need to use a few of them.

The main purpose of this section is to add entirely new assets to the game. (Most mods work by replacing another asset that already exists, rather than adding something new). For more details, refer to the Reference: "assets" array page of the guide.

An example usage is below. This would add a new image file to the game:

{
    "assets":[
        {
            "resourceType":"image",
            "version":21,
            "name":"custom_textures/custom_emissive_texture.tga$bc1$streamed$mtlkind=bloommask",
            "mapResourceType":"image"
        }
    ]
}

See Also


Revision #8
Created 6 October 2021 16:31:47 by SamPT
Updated 21 January 2024 18:44:23 by Alby