Shaping the Zone: Modifying Existing Game Content

With the Zone Kit installed and set up, you're ready to create your first mod! Whether it's altering textures, adjusting weapon properties, or changing sound effects, this guide will show you how to bring those original elements into your mod project and make your desired changes. We'll also cover a crucial concept called "Redirection."

Modifying original content: Bringing assets into your Mod

To change an asset that is part of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 game, you can't edit the original file directly. Instead, you need to get a copy of that asset into your mod's project folder. The editor facilitates this process, often referred to as "checking out" assets. There are two main workflows:

Method 1: Copy to the Mod Directory and change

This method is straightforward: you copy the original asset to your mod's folder first, and then you open the copy to make your modifications.

1. Ensure your mod is selected as the active mod in the top toolbar.
2. Open the Content Browser (usually located at the bottom of the editor window) and navigate through the game's content folders to find the specific asset or folder you want to modify.
3. Right-click directly on the asset, the folder containing multiple assets, or a group of selected items you wish to transfer to your mod.
4. In the context menu that appears, select the Checkout option. The editor will copy the selected content to your active mod's directory. Crucially, it will preserve the original folder structure within your mod folder, keeping things organized.
5. Now that the asset(s) are copied into your mod's folder (which you can see in the Content Browser, often under All → Plugins → [YourModName]), you can open these copies from within your mod's folder and make your desired changes.

Method 2: Change and save to the Mod Directory

This method allows you to open an original asset directly, start making changes, and the editor prompts you to copy it to your mod folder upon saving.

1. Ensure your mod is selected as the active mod in the top toolbar.
2. Open the Content Browser and locate the folder or asset you need to modify.
3. Make the desired changes within the asset editor window.
4. When you are finished, select the Save button for that asset.
5. A Check Out Assets window will pop up. This window lists the modified assets that need to be brought into your mod project.
6. Select the Check Out Selected button within this window. The original assets in the base game's content files remain unchanged, but the modified versions you just saved are automatically copied into your active mod's folder, maintaining the correct directory structure.

ATTENTION: Limitations on Modifying World Partition Assets

It is absolutely critical to heed this warning:

• This functionality does not work with World Partition assets at this time.
• Do not try to modify or check out levels, external actors, or external objects using either of the methods described above. Attempting to do so may lead to crashes or unpredictable behavior within the editor.
• However, the checkout and modification functionality works correctly with most other asset types, including blueprints (for data modification, not scripting), materials, material instances, textures, skeletal meshes, animation sequences, sound events, and more.

Understanding Redirection

When you select a mod from the dropdown in the top toolbar, you effectively "turn on" that mod, enabling a system called Redirection. This is how the game and editor know to use your modified assets instead of the originals.

• How it Works: After you "checkout" an asset into your active mod's folder, all references in the game's original /Game directory that used to point to the original version of that asset are temporarily redirected to point to the duplicate copy now located in your active mod folder (/Game/[YourModName]). This redirection applies both visually in the Content Browser and when testing within the editor using features like Play-in-Editor – you will see the impact of your changes.
• Turning Off Redirection: If you select None from the active mod dropdown, you turn off the active mod and cancel the redirection. All links revert back to referencing the original game assets. If you have both the original asset and a modded duplicate, you can only open the original when the mod is turned off. With the mod enabled, opening that asset will always open its duplicate from your mod instead of the original.
• Deleting Modded Assets: If you delete an asset directly from your mod's folder while that mod's redirection is enabled, the redirection link pointing to the asset being deleted is correctly removed beforehand. This ensures the assets are deleted cleanly from your mod without causing issues or breaking links related to the original game files.

NOTE: Redirection does not work correctly with levels and external actors. Attempting to check out or rely on redirection for these assets may lead to a crash in the editor.