HPL3/Modding/Mod Dependencies

Mod dependencies provide a solution for sharing mod contents across multiple other mods. A few mods could depend on a parent mod to derive assets and other content from, instead of including it in their own mod.

When to Use Mod Dependencies

• The main occasion to use Mod Dependencies is when you want to distribute assets packs which include models, textures, materials, scripts, etc for people to use freely in their own mods.
• Mod dependencies can help to reduce the mod size you want to distribute, as a big portion of the assets themselves are not actually included in the mod, but come from an external source.

A simple diagram showing the process of a mod dependency. Several mods take resources from one source. Both mods use the castle assets pack.

The level editor will be able to pick on mod dependencies and will load the assets if there are any.

Setting Up a Mod Dependency

In order to turn a regular mod into a mod dependency, the mod's entry file needs to have a special attribute called UID. This is used so other mods can reference your mod as a dependency. The convention of naming a UID is the form provider_name.mod_name. For example, if the mod creator is named steve and the mod name is called Castle Assets Pack, the UID for the mod will be steve.castle_assets_pack.

In order to set a UID manually for a mod:

1. Open the mod's entry entry file.
2. Inside, add an attribute called UID and give it a name:

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   <Content Version="1.0"
   	Type="StandAlone"
   	Title="Your mod name here"
   	Author="Your name here"
   	Description="Mod description here"
       
       UID="my_uid"
   	
   	LauncherPic="LauncherPic.png"
   	InitCfg="config/main_init.cfg"
   />
   

Now you can use the mod as a dependency for other mods.

If your dependency has custom modules, it is recommended to not include modules.cfg and ModuleInterfaces_Custom.hps. Instead have the mod which uses the dependency include the necessary changes to those files within itself. Having those files both inside the dependency and the mod that uses it could cause errors.

Your dependency can have dependencies of its own as well.

Using a Mod Dependency

In order to use a mod dependency, the entry file of the mod which uses the dependency needs to have a special attribute called Dependencies. It is a list of UIDs separated by commas.

In order to set Dependencies manually for a mod:

1. Open the entry entry file of the mod you want to add a dependency to.
2. Inside, add an attribute called Dependencies and list the UID(s):

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   <Content Version="1.0"
   	Type="StandAlone"
   	Title="Your mod name here"
   	Author="Your name here"
   	Description="Mod description here"
       
       Dependencies="my_uid"
   	
   	LauncherPic="LauncherPic.png"
   	InitCfg="config/main_init.cfg"
   />
   

Now your mod loads the mod dependency with the UID of "my_uid".

See Also

• Creating a Mod
• Resources Configuration