Modding Discussion Standardising content packs

Discussion in 'Mods' started by Pathoschild, Jan 17, 2018.

  1. Pathoschild

    Pathoschild Tiy's Beard

    Here's a proposed standard for mod content packs; feedback welcome!

    Background:

    Several mods read content packs to extend the game (not related to mod packs). This is a way for modders to change the game without needing to write their own SMAPI mod or worry about the implementation. For example:
    In all three cases, the latter is just a collection of files that the actual mod can read (i.e. content pack), not a mod in itself.

    The problem:
    • Players often mistakenly install content packs as mods. SMAPI shows a 'no manifest.json' error, which is confusing.
    • Mod managers can't automatically know whether something is a content pack, or which mod it's for.
    • Mod managers need to support content packs for each mod individually. For example, Json Assets and Seasonal Immersion don't have mods in the same directory structure. This also means that when a new mod supports content packs, players can't use mod managers to install them.
    Proposed solution:
    All content packs would have a manifest.json file with the basic mod fields plus a ContentPack field:
    Code:
    {
       "Name": "Eemie's Bees",
       "Author": "Eemie",
       "Version": "1.0.0",
       "UniqueID": "Eemie.Bees",
       "UpdateKeys": [ "Nexus:1259" ],
       "ContentPack": {
          "ForModID": "spacechase0.CustomCritters",
          "Subfolder": "Critters/Eemie.Bees"
       }
    }
    
    Benefits:
    • Mod managers would know (a) this is a content pack for the Custom Critters mod, and (b) to unzip it into that mod's Critters subfolder. They could also use SMAPI's web API to get a download link for the mod it needs.
    • SMAPI would know it's a content pack, so it can show a more helpful error if it's installed as a mod (like "Fantasy Crops is a content pack for the Json Assets mod. See the mod's instructions for install steps.").
    • The parent mod could potentially use a SMAPI API to fetch available content packs and let SMAPI handle the edge cases:
      Code:
      IContentPack[] contentPacks = helper.Mod.GetContentPacks("Critters");
      
     
      curi0, Ahrnie and Digus like this.
    • Pathoschild

      Pathoschild Tiy's Beard

    • Entoarox

      Entoarox Oxygen Tank

      I vote in favor of a standardised format at least insofar as a way for SMAPI & ModManager related information.

      But I also feel that a CP manifest should also be able to be convertable to a custom type easily, so that custom properties can type-safely exist for them.
       
      • Pathoschild

        Pathoschild Tiy's Beard

        @Entoarox Longer term, we can add SMAPI APIs to encapsulate reading content packs that avoids needing to do that. For example:
        Code:
        IContentPack[] contentPacks = helper.Mod.GetContentPacks("Critters");
        foreach (IContentPack pack in contentPacks)
        {
            CritterData data = pack.ReadJsonFile<CritterData>("critter.json");
            Texture2D texture = pack.LoadContent<Texture2D>("critter.png");
        }
        
        The first step is to standardise content packs, but there are a lot of things we can do once that's done.
         
        • Entoarox

          Entoarox Oxygen Tank

          I like that idea, having a SMAPI provided mechanic for handling all this intuitively would be very much wanted! :D
           
          • Digus

            Digus Spaceman Spiff

            What about a regular mod that want also have some content pack?
            Would it need to be two separate things?
            Since you are making SMAPI handle the content pack, couldn't it be done so any regular SMAPI mod could say which directory has content to each mod?
            This way people could make a custom tool that procure some items, but load this new items using Json Assets, all in one release.
             
            • Pathoschild

              Pathoschild Tiy's Beard

              @Digus This would support any mod that accepts content packs. One mod can't directly add content packs for another mod (which would cause load order issues), but a mod is free to create an mod-provided API for other mods to use.
               
              • Digus

                Digus Spaceman Spiff

                I think now I understood what you are proposing. I thought it was the other way around.
                I like the idea of parent mods loading content using SMAPI.
                What I was trying to ask, is with it would be possible for a mod to declare content packs and still function as a regular mod.
                It would not work if the parent mod does not load it thought SMAPI, but if it did, we could declare which subfolder has the content pack to be loaded. We could even declare more than one parent mod for different folders.
                 
                • Pathoschild

                  Pathoschild Tiy's Beard

                  Yep: any mod could read content packs from specified subfolders, and it'd still be a regular mod. Content packs must be loaded from the mod's folder though (e.g. Custom Critters can read them from subfolders in Mods/CustomCritters).
                   
                  • Pathoschild

                    Pathoschild Tiy's Beard

                    One issue is that SMAPI mods are dropped directly into Mods, but content packs work differently. So players often install content packs incorrectly and that'll be a perpetual source of confusion.

                    Since we've already agreed to standardise a manifest.json (with the EntryDLL field replaced with a ContentPack field), what if players could drop them directly into Mods and SMAPI would pick them up? Mods could call helper.Mod.GetContentPacks() to get all the content packs added for them, and SMAPI would show a friendly error if you install a content pack for a mod that's not installed.
                     
                    • Digus

                      Digus Spaceman Spiff

                      That was more like what I was thinking. This way I could make a mod zip with 2 folders, one for my mod and the other one with a content pack data for a dependency. This way I could release all in one file without any other action required from the user.

                      Later, if possible, there could be a way to register both a mod and content packs for other mods using the same manifest. Since SMAPI would be loading the content pack, it shouldn't matter if its from its own folder or inside a mod. That was what I thought of proposing.
                       
                      • Pathoschild

                        Pathoschild Tiy's Beard

                        Planned as SMAPI ticket #436; feel free to comment there if you want to suggest any changes before implementation. Otherwise this will be added in an upcoming SMAPI release. :)
                         
                        • noValley

                          noValley Tentacle Wrangler

                          Is there anyway to share my mod pack with a friend? I'm using moddrop
                           
                          • ghostgrider

                            ghostgrider Master Chief

                            Just drag and drop the modpack onto your friends avatar on the right, then click "Share" (or maybe send?). I use it to share mods with a friend so we have the same mods installed for multiplayer. Super nice feature imo.
                             
                              Last edited: Sep 25, 2018
                              noValley likes this.
                            • noValley

                              noValley Tentacle Wrangler

                              Well I guess I'll need to add some friends then. Thanks for the help! :cathug:

                              I haven't checked out multiplayer yet, but maybe soon. Add me on moddrop if you want. My name is Valley Girl
                               
                                ghostgrider likes this.
                              • ghostgrider

                                ghostgrider Master Chief

                                Glad I could help. I'm surprised more people aren't using modrop for this actually. It's a nice feature.

                                I'll add you next time I get on. Just FYI, you might want to avoid giving your name out online. Probably doesn't matter on these forums, but generally not the best idea.
                                 
                                • noValley

                                  noValley Tentacle Wrangler

                                  You're pro
                                  Yeah, you are probably right. I know better than to put my eamil or real name out, but figured giving my moddrop name out wasn't that big of deal. I've been using it for a couple weeks and didn't even know it supported "friends" or sharing mods. Cool app though, I actually just went and rated it.
                                   
                                    ghostgrider likes this.
                                  • ghostgrider

                                    ghostgrider Master Chief

                                    No big, I'm probably being overly cautious.

                                    I should probably rate it too, considering how much I've been using it recently. (checks the website and doesn't see anyway to rate). Where on the site are you seeing a way to rate it? Are you looking on www.moddrop.com?
                                     
                                    • noValley

                                      noValley Tentacle Wrangler

                                    • ghostgrider

                                      ghostgrider Master Chief

                                      Ah, gotcha.
                                       

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