Mod Loader/Making a mod

A content pack adds fabrics, accessories, garment pieces, or story content. You can make one with a text editor and the files it uses. For a fabric, you can also use Options > Mod Manager > Make fabrics in the game. Use a C# plugin if you need to change how the game works.

Choose what to make

What you want to make	Start here
Room art, sprites, or menu pictures	Art replacement guide
Fabric with a texture or material settings	Fabric guide
Accessory, icon, or embroidery patch	Accessory guide
Garment piece, tag, icon, or sketch	Garment guide
Dialogue, client, or commission	Story guide
Translate game text	Translation reference
New behavior or an in-game command	C# APIs

Download an example from the fabric, accessory, garment, or story guide above. Unzip it outside the game folder and open mod.json in your text editor. Keep an unchanged copy while you work.

Install a content pack

Put the pack folder in Dressmaker/Mods. Each pack needs a mod.json file. The loader reads it when the game starts:

Dressmaker/
└── Mods/
    └── MyPack/
        ├── mod.json
        ├── icon.png
        └── textures/
            └── my-fabric.png

Give the pack a unique id and add a content list such as fabrics or garmentComponents. The pack name, author, version, icon, and description are optional. IDs can use letters, numbers, dots, underscores, and hyphens.

Give your copy its own pack ID before installing it. Try changing one item first, such as replacing a fabric texture. Restart Dressmaker and check the fabric shop. Once you share the pack, keep its pack and item IDs when updating those items so saved dresses can still find them.

Test before sharing

Keep a copy of the old pack. Back up your save from Options → Mod Manager → Save backups.
Install the updated pack with Install/Update Mod, then restart Dressmaker.
Check the item where players normally use it. For a garment, reopen a saved dress that uses the piece.
Check BepInEx/LogOutput.log for errors or skipped entries.

Mod Manager keeps a copy of the old pack when replacing it. The save backup in step 1 lets you try the update with a dress made using the old version.

When you need C#

You'll need a plugin to add a keyboard shortcut, change accessory placement, or run an action when a setting changes. Start with Write a C# mod: it walks through creating a project, compiling a DLL, and loading it in Dressmaker.

If your plugin patches a game method, test it with the current game versions. Methods can change between updates.

Credit other authors

Add attributions beside the other pack fields in mod.json. It works with any content pack, including fabrics and accessories. Players can read these credits from the pack's ... menu in Mod Manager, or before installing a ZIP.

"attributions": [
  {
    "name": "Ribbon model",
    "author": "Original Artist",
    "license": "License supplied with the model",
    "url": "https://example.com/ribbon",
    "notes": "Resized and recoloured for this pack."
  }
]

Replace the example with the asset's actual details. Use one entry per asset or library. In Accessory Creator, the Credits and licenses button edits this list for you. Keep any license files supplied with the asset in the pack too.

Field	What to enter
`name`	Required. Name of the credited asset or library, up to 200 characters.
`author`	Original creator's name, up to 200 characters.
`license`	License name or a short reference to its included file, up to 200 characters.
`url`	Source or license page, up to 2048 characters. Use an HTTP or HTTPS URL.
`notes`	Extra credit text, up to 4000 characters. Line breaks are allowed.

All fields except name are optional. The list can contain up to 100 entries. Omit it when there are no credits to list.

Share your mod

Try installing your ZIP through Mod Manager before uploading it. A content pack should have MyPack/mod.json inside the ZIP, not MyPack/another-folder/mod.json. A plugin ZIP should have one DLL under BepInEx/plugins; a mod.json, README, and license are fine too.

Tell players which Dressmaker branch and Mod Loader version you tried, and list any mods they need to install first. If your pack adds pieces or fabrics used in saved dresses, explain what happens when the pack is removed. Link the install guide for anyone new to Mod Loader.

Back to the Mod Loader guide