4 Create .me Mods

Shiny edited this page 2025-04-11 22:15:29 +02:00

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Table of Contents

• Create a .me Mod (For Developers Only)
• What .ME Mods Support:
• Limitations on C# Scripts
• If You Need Script Support
• Exporting Your Mod
• Testing Your Mod

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Create a .me Mod (For Developers Only)

What .ME Mods Support:

• Prefabs
• 3D Models
• Shaders
• Any built-in Unity components
• All existing MateEngine SDK components (e.g. AvatarMenuController.cs)

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Limitations on C# Scripts

.me mods do not support custom C# scripts attached to prefabs that are compiled outside of MateEngine.
This is due to a Unity engine limitation: AssetBundles cannot deserialize MonoBehaviours from external assemblies at runtime.

If you want to develop a mod with your own C# logic:

• You must compile your code into a separate .dll assembly
• And dynamically inject logic into the prefab after loading
• The .me system does not currently support automatic injection of external MonoBehaviours

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If You Need Script Support

If your mod depends on custom C# logic (e.g. new MonoBehaviour classes), you will need to:

• Develop your own mod loader
• Or use reflection-based systems to manually attach components after runtime .dll load

Creating a .me mod is easy! Just follow these steps:

1. Clone the full MateEngine Git repository.
2. Open Unity Hub, click "Open project", and select the MateEngine folder.
3. Once the project loads, navigate to the folder MATE ENGINE - Scenes and open the scene named DEV.
   This scene always contains the latest Bleeding Edge components, updates, and features.

You will now see a normal Unity project view of MateEngine itself. You’re ready to start developing your mod!

Important: In the Hierarchy window, create a new folder where all your mod content will be stored.

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Example Project Structure:

Mate Engine InDev
├── Settings
│   └── Content
├── Menu
│   └── Content
├── Model
│   └── Content
├── APIs
│   └── Content
├── WIPs
│   └── Content
├── Debugging
│   └── Content
├── Steam Exclusives
│   └── Content
├── YOUR_MOD_FOLDER
│   └── YOUR_MOD_CONTENT

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Exporting Your Mod

1. Once your mod is complete, go to the top menu bar in Unity.
2. Click on "MateEngine" > "AssetBundle Exporter".
3. Drag and drop your YOUR_MOD_FOLDER into the "Prefab or Scene Object" field.
4. Assign a Bundle Name.
5. Click "Export".

This will generate a .me file that contains all your shaders, objects, and scripts.

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Testing Your Mod

To try out your mod:

• Open MateEngine.
• Click the "VRM" button.
• Select your exported .me file.

Note: Currently, mods and models are loaded using the same button. This means the VRM model will be disabled when you load a mod. A proper external mod loader is planned for version 1.5.0.