Difference between revisions of "Modding"

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Modding in Software Inc. is completely data driven. Software Inc. loads XML files found in the "Mods" folder of the root of the game when it launches.
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Mods in Software Inc. can be defined in simple text-based files or using C# and compiling code for the game to load. You can add new software types, furniture, translations and room textures using only the [[TyD|TyD]] file format.  
  
A mod should be placed in its own folder in the "Mods" folder and can optionally contain each of the following folders: "Companies", "CompanyTypes", "Events", "NameGenerators", "Scenarios" and "[[Modding#Software types|SoftwareTypes]]".
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== Debugging console ==
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You'll need the in-game console to properly test your mods and check if everything is working as it should. The debugging console is enabled by binding the console key at the bottom of the key binding menu in the options window. More information about how to use console can be found on [[Console]].
  
== Software types ==
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== Folder structure ==
Software types are the types of software you can choose to develop in Software Inc. in the design document window. Software types can be added to the game by creating an XML file in the "SoftwareTypes" folder. A software type XML file should contain the following tags:
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Unless downloaded from the Steam Workshop, mods are placed in the root of the game folder, depending on which type of mod you are making. Each mod should be placed in its own folder within the following folders (Note that these folders might not exist in the first place, so you should create them yourself):
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* Software types and personalities should be placed in the '''Mods''' folder.
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* Furniture should be placed in the '''Furniture''' folder.
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* Room, path and roof textures should be placed in the '''Materials''' folder.
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* C# code and dll files should be placed in the '''DLLMods''' folder.
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* Translations should be placed in the '''Localization''' folder.
  
{|
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== Meta file ==
|SoftwareType
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Each mod will take its name from the folder it is in. However, you can customize the '''Name''', '''Description''' and '''Author''' of your mod by adding a meta.tyd file to the root of your mod's folder, containing the specified records. This file will be created automatically when you edit your mod in-game (Not implemented yet as of Alpha 11.4.7).
|This is the root tag, which all tags should be a child to.
 
|-
 
|Name
 
|The name of the software as it will appear in dropdown lists, etc.
 
|-
 
|Category
 
|How the field of the software will be referred to in articles, e.g. games are categorized as "Gaming"
 
|-
 
|Description
 
|The contents of the tooltip that will appear when hovering over the software type in the dropdown menu in the design document window.
 
|-
 
|Random
 
|How much sales will vary. When a product is released, a random number between this number and 1 is chosen and will be multiplied for all sales. As an example, for games it is 0.5, since you can't count on good sales for a game, but for operating systems, it is 1, since they are generally in demand and necessary for a computer to work.
 
|-
 
|Popularity
 
|How popular a software type is, which limits the maximum amount of income. Operating system have 1 and games have 0.8.
 
|-
 
|OSSpecific
 
|Whether you need to choose an operating system for this software.
 
|-
 
|OneClient
 
|Whether this software is for contract work. This does not currently work as expected, so you should probably avoid setting this to TRUE.
 
|-
 
|InHouse
 
|Whether you can lock this software to your own company. This makes sense for game engines, but not for games for example.
 
|-
 
|NameGenerator
 
|The [[Modding#name generators|name generator]] to use for simulated companies or for when the player clicks the name button in the design document.
 
|-
 
|Needs
 
|All software types that this software type depends on, each need should be defined in a <Name> tag in the <Needs> tag. This will be deprecated at some point in the future and decided by feature dependencies instead.
 
|-
 
|Features
 
|All [[Modding#features|features]] that this software can implement.
 
|}
 
  
Example taken form the test mod:
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== Localizations ==
<pre><SoftwareType>
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Please go to [https://translate.coredumping.com translate.coredumping.com] to help translate the game.
<Name>Test Software</Name>
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<Description>This is part of a test mod. If you develop a perfect version, 50% of the population will want it, but 10% might randomly not want it.</Description>
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== Mod types ==
<Random>0.1</Random>
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=== Data mod ===
<Popularity>0.5</Popularity>
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[[Data Modding|Read the documentation here.]]
<OSSpecific>TRUE</OSSpecific>
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<OneClient>FALSE</OneClient>
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Data mods can add, change or remove software types, AI company types, name generators and employee personalities. This is all done with [[TyD|TyD]] files, however software can have scripts attached using [[SIPL|SIPL]].
<InHouse>FALSE</InHouse>
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<Category>Test</Category>
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=== Furniture ===
<NameGenerator>testgen</NameGenerator>
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[[Furniture Modding|Read the documentation here.]]
<Needs>
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<Name>Visual Tool</Name>
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You can add furniture using .obj 3D object files. The furniture modding system, while only using [[TyD|TyD]] files, allows you to change pretty much anything about your furniture that would be possible to change from within the game's engine.
</Needs>
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<Features>
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=== Materials ===
<Feature Forced="TRUE">
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[[Material Modding|Read the documentation here.]]
<Name>Test feat 1</Name>
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<Description>This feature will always be selected unless superseded by a feature with this as "From".</Description>
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Material mods allow you to load textures into the game for interior walls, exterior walls, floors, roofs and paths.
<DevTime>2</DevTime>
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<Innovation>0</Innovation>
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=== Code mod ===
<Usability>1</Usability>
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[[Code Modding|Read the documentation here.]]
<Stability>1</Stability>
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<CodeArt>1</CodeArt>
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If you want to dive even further, you can put .cs files directly with the game, and it will compile and load your scripts on startup. For more control, you can compile your own DLL files for the game to load.
<Dependencies></Dependencies>
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</Feature>
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=== Localizations ===
<Feature From="Test feat 1">
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To create a localization you can copy the English folder from the Localization folder and fill in your own text in the appropriate fields. Localization files are written entirely in [[TyD|TyD]], to be easily human-readable.
<Name>Test feat 2</Name>
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<Description>This feature takes 6 months to make and has 4/6 Usability.</Description>
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Localizations can also contain '''femalefirstnames.txt''', '''malefirstnames.txt''' and '''lastnames.txt''' files to overwrite the default employee names in the game. These should contain a list of names separated by new lines, ordered by how common the name is.
<DevTime>6</DevTime>
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<Innovation>1</Innovation>
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====Helpful console commands====
<Usability>4</Usability>
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* '''COMPARE_LOCALIZATION''' X Y - Compares what has changed between between localization X and Y, Y should almost always be "English"
<Stability>1</Stability>
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* '''CONVERT_LOCALIZATION_TYD''' X - Converts localization named X from XML to TyD
<CodeArt>1</CodeArt>
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* '''RELOAD_LOCALIZATION''' - Reloads all localizations, but does not update UI instantly when in-game
<Dependencies>
 
<Dependency Software="Visual Tool">Image viewing</Dependency>
 
</Dependencies>
 
</Feature>
 
<Feature>
 
<Name>Test feat 3</Name>
 
<Description>This feature takes just as many artists as programmers and offers no stability.</Description>
 
<DevTime>5</DevTime>
 
<Innovation>1</Innovation>
 
<Usability>1</Usability>
 
<Stability>0</Stability>
 
<CodeArt>0.5</CodeArt>
 
<Dependencies>
 
<Dependency Software="Test Software">Test feat 2</Dependency>
 
</Dependencies>
 
</Feature>
 
</Features>
 
</SoftwareType></pre>
 

Latest revision as of 18:01, 6 April 2026

Mods in Software Inc. can be defined in simple text-based files or using C# and compiling code for the game to load. You can add new software types, furniture, translations and room textures using only the TyD file format.

Debugging console

You'll need the in-game console to properly test your mods and check if everything is working as it should. The debugging console is enabled by binding the console key at the bottom of the key binding menu in the options window. More information about how to use console can be found on Console.

Folder structure

Unless downloaded from the Steam Workshop, mods are placed in the root of the game folder, depending on which type of mod you are making. Each mod should be placed in its own folder within the following folders (Note that these folders might not exist in the first place, so you should create them yourself):

  • Software types and personalities should be placed in the Mods folder.
  • Furniture should be placed in the Furniture folder.
  • Room, path and roof textures should be placed in the Materials folder.
  • C# code and dll files should be placed in the DLLMods folder.
  • Translations should be placed in the Localization folder.

Meta file

Each mod will take its name from the folder it is in. However, you can customize the Name, Description and Author of your mod by adding a meta.tyd file to the root of your mod's folder, containing the specified records. This file will be created automatically when you edit your mod in-game (Not implemented yet as of Alpha 11.4.7).

Localizations

Please go to translate.coredumping.com to help translate the game.

Mod types

Data mod

Read the documentation here.

Data mods can add, change or remove software types, AI company types, name generators and employee personalities. This is all done with TyD files, however software can have scripts attached using SIPL.

Furniture

Read the documentation here.

You can add furniture using .obj 3D object files. The furniture modding system, while only using TyD files, allows you to change pretty much anything about your furniture that would be possible to change from within the game's engine.

Materials

Read the documentation here.

Material mods allow you to load textures into the game for interior walls, exterior walls, floors, roofs and paths.

Code mod

Read the documentation here.

If you want to dive even further, you can put .cs files directly with the game, and it will compile and load your scripts on startup. For more control, you can compile your own DLL files for the game to load.

Localizations

To create a localization you can copy the English folder from the Localization folder and fill in your own text in the appropriate fields. Localization files are written entirely in TyD, to be easily human-readable.

Localizations can also contain femalefirstnames.txt, malefirstnames.txt and lastnames.txt files to overwrite the default employee names in the game. These should contain a list of names separated by new lines, ordered by how common the name is.

Helpful console commands

  • COMPARE_LOCALIZATION X Y - Compares what has changed between between localization X and Y, Y should almost always be "English"
  • CONVERT_LOCALIZATION_TYD X - Converts localization named X from XML to TyD
  • RELOAD_LOCALIZATION - Reloads all localizations, but does not update UI instantly when in-game