Mod Loader/Getting started

Mods add fabrics, garments, stories, and other changes to Dressmaker. Installing one does not take any coding.

Quick start

1. Install Mod Loader.
2. Open Options > Mod Manager > Install/Update Mod.
3. Choose a mod, check the preview, and restart Dressmaker.

Before you start

You need Dressmaker from Steam and a mod made for Dressmaker. Mod Loader has separate Windows and macOS downloads. Save the mod ZIP somewhere outside the game folder until it has installed correctly.

Mod Loader supports both the Public Beta and Previous Version branches. Check the mod's page too; a mod can require a particular branch or loader version.

New to game folders? In Steam, right-click Dressmaker and choose Manage > Browse local files. The folder that opens is the game folder. On Windows, it contains Dressmaker.exe. You can pin this folder in File Explorer so it is easy to find again.

There are two different ZIP steps below. Extract the Mod Loader ZIP into the game folder when setting up the loader. For an individual mod, leave its ZIP intact and select it in Mod Manager. You only need to unzip a mod when following manual-install instructions.

Install Mod Loader

Windows

1. Quit Dressmaker. In Steam, right-click Dressmaker and choose Manage > Browse local files.
2. Right-click the Windows Mod Loader ZIP and choose Extract All. Open the extracted folder, then copy everything inside it into the Dressmaker folder, beside Dressmaker.exe.
3. Check for BepInEx/plugins/DressmakerMods.dll in the game folder. Start Dressmaker through Steam and open Options > Mod Manager. If the menu is there, Mod Loader started.

The folders should look like this:

Dressmaker/
├── Dressmaker.exe
├── BepInEx/
│   └── plugins/
│       └── DressmakerMods.dll
└── Mods/

The Windows download includes BepInEx. You do not need a separate BepInEx installer. If the ZIP made a folder like Dressmaker/BepInEx/BepInEx, you copied an extra outer folder. Move the extracted contents up beside Dressmaker.exe.

macOS

1. Install Dressmaker through Steam, then quit Steam.
2. Unzip the macOS Mod Loader download. Keep the extracted files together.
3. Right-click Install_Dressmaker_Mods.command and choose Open.
4. Follow the installer. Open Steam again and start Dressmaker.

Open Options > Mod Manager to check the install. The macOS download includes BepInEx and Doorstop. On Apple Silicon, it starts the game's x86_64 version through Rosetta. If the installer cannot find Dressmaker, see MAC_INSTALL.txt in the download.

Install a mod

Open Options > Mod Manager > Install/Update Mod. Choose a mod ZIP or folder. Check the preview, then confirm. Restart the game so the new mod can load.

Most downloads are content packs. A pack has a mod.json file and goes in Mods. A plugin is a DLL and goes in BepInEx/plugins. Mod Manager accepts content ZIPs, supported plugin ZIPs, and managed DLLs through Choose ZIP/DLL.

Dressmaker/
├── Mods/
│   └── MyFabricPack/
│       ├── mod.json
│       └── textures/
│           └── cotton.png
└── BepInEx/
    └── plugins/
        └── SomePlugin.dll

You can also choose a managed .dll in Mod Manager. It copies the file to BepInEx/plugins. A file check cannot tell whether that DLL is a BepInEx plugin or whether it works with your game and other mods. Read the mod author's instructions.

Installing a content pack by hand? Unzip it first. The mod.json should be directly inside the pack's folder:

Mods/
└── MyFabricPack/
    └── mod.json

If you see another folder between Mods and mod.json, move the actual pack folder into Mods.

For a manual plugin install, quit Dressmaker and copy its DLL into BepInEx/plugins, or into its own subfolder there. If the download is a .7z file or contains extra files, follow the mod author's instructions to extract and place them. Restart the game afterward. Do not put the whole archive in the plugins folder.

Change settings

Open Options > Mod Settings for loader settings. Place symmetrically and Show pins are under Accessories. Their default shortcuts are F6 and F7. Change shortcuts under Keybinds. Some plugins add another settings tab.

To turn a content pack off or on, use Mod Manager. Restart the game after changing packs. To stop a DLL plugin from loading, close Dressmaker and move its DLL out of BepInEx/plugins.

Update a mod or Mod Loader

Choose the new pack ZIP with Install/Update Mod. Mod Manager shows which installed pack it will replace. Check the author's update notes, especially if the pack adds content used in a saved dress.

To update Mod Loader, choose the newer Mod Loader ZIP with the same button. Confirm, then restart. Mod Manager saves a copy of the old loader DLL. If the release says to update BepInEx, quit Dressmaker and extract the full release ZIP into the game folder.

Back up your saves

Open Options > Mod Manager > Save backups to make or restore a backup. Backups are ZIP files in Documents/Dressmaker Save Backups. Mod Loader also makes automatic backups when it finds save files.

Restoring takes effect after you restart the game. Mod Loader backs up the current saves before it restores the selected one. Backup ZIPs include save data and dress thumbnails; the thumbnail is just a preview. Back up before removing a pack that provides fabric or garment pieces used by a saved dress.

Back to the Mod Loader guide