Creating a Mod

With great power comes great responsibility

Purpose of the guide

Congratulations on installing WolvenKit! It's time to get your hands dirty…

We're going to create an example project to help get you up to speed with WolvenKit's features and workflows. We'll walk through creating a basic mod step-by-step, while explaining how to get the best out of WolvenKit.

Before we get started

Keep in mind that understanding and modding Cyberpunk 2077 can be very challenging. If you're feeling stuck, please consider reaching out to fellow modders and the development team on our Discord server.

Now without further ado...

For a more detailed guide, check ELI5: Validate Functionality.

Did you know? Modding guides and know-how are collected in the dedicated Cyberpunk 2077 Modding Wiki.

Prefer visual guides? Check out the video demonstration of this guide below ↓

Creating a texture replacement mod

Summary

WolvenKit is a tool for mod developers to interact with REDengine file formats. Generally speaking, most mods created with WolvenKit share a similar workflow:

1. Browse and extract game files

2. Convert game files to common formats that can be modified

3. Modify the file, often with an external application

4. Convert the common format file back to game format

5. Build a mod package including the newly modified files

In the guide below we'll cover these steps in detail to replace an image in Cyberpunk.

What can WolvenKit do? Check out the Overview page to learn more about WolvenKit's features. Have some more questions before getting started? Try the FAQ!

Getting Started with WolvenKit

Starting a project

1. Ensure WolvenKit is properly configured by following the Setup procedure

2. Create a new WolvenKit mod project

3. Configure the Editor using docking. Use the View menu to ensure that the Asset Browser, Project Explorer, Import/Export, Properties, and Log windows are visible.

4. Navigate to the Asset Browser window

Asset Browser

The Asset Browser is the most fundamental WolvenKit tool. It allows us to browse any archive and add individual files to a local mod project. Any files added from the Asset Browser will be added to the archive directory with their folder structure intact. Files added with the Asset Browser can be viewed, studied, modified, and packed as a modded archive.

1. Use the "breadcrumb" style navigator in the left-hand side of the Asset Browser to quickly navigate folders

2. Navigate to the following path: base\characters\garment\player_equipment\torso\t2_084_jacket__short_sleeves\textures\

3. Use the main file list panel inside the Asset Browser to preview individual files. The XBM file extension always represents a texture file within REDengine. WolvenKit is capable of instantly previewing textures and models. The Properties window responds automatically to selections within the Asset Browser. Feel free to experiment by selecting a few textures.

4. Select t2_084_pma_jacket__short_sleeves_decal_d01.xbmby left-clicking the file within the Asset Browser list. Feel free to choose another if you're feeling adventurous. Beware depending on the texture you choose, you may experience some difficulty when it comes time to verify that the final modded archive works successfully.

5. Add the texture to your project by double-clicking directly on the file

Projects

WolvenKit Projects are the core of WolvenKit functionality. Projects are primarily used to separate and organize source and game files into distinct self-contained mods. Each project can be thought of as the source code for any given mod. The Project Explorer is the central component for each mod project. Project files are separated into two main system directories:

The archive directory is for REDengine/Cyberpunk format files. The raw directory is for non-REDengine/generic format source files. These are core directories for WolvenKit's file operations. These folders are never exposed to the game inside the packed mod.

1. (Optional) Navigate to the Project Explorer window to examine the new file added to the archive directory. The preview functionality of the Properties window also works for local project files. Many REDengine assets and common image files (png, tga, etc.) can be automatically previewed by selecting them within the Project Explorer.

2. (Optional) Files within the Project Explorer have additional options when right-clicked. Directly right-click any file to open the Context Menu.

Exporting REDengine Files

WolvenKit features a bespoke tool for conversions between REDengine and non-REDengine formats. The (creatively named) Import/Export tools are extremely robust, featuring advanced options and batch functionality.

The archive and raw directories within the Project Explorer behave as a mirror to one another; REDengine files are always stored in the archive directory, and the analogous "generic" format file will be stored in the raw directory with the same folder structure. Import and export destinations never need to be specified enabling ultra-fast file I/O, with the added benefit of automatically-organized Raw files.

1. Open the Export Tool
2. Double-click the t2_084_pma_jacket__short_sleeves_decal_d01.xbm file within the Export grid to view advanced options. Any asset within the Import/Export grid can be doubled clicked to adjust advanced I/O options for each file format.

3. Inspect the XBM Export Type drop down menu, in this case we want to export the texture as a PNG

4. Press the Confirm button to proceed. For batch exports, using the checkbox for Apply to all files of the same extension will ensure that any XBM currently within the Import/Export grid will inherit the same advanced options.

5. Press Process Selected to complete the export operation. A new PNG image will now be available within the Project Explorer Raw directory.

Editing Textures

While this guide is step-by-step, it's counter-productive for the WolvenKit team to guide users on using other software. For that reason, you can find more information on editing texture files on Cyberpunk 2077 Modding-> Importing and exporting textures.

We recommend free tools such as Krita, Paint.net, or Gimp for editing PNG format textures. If you don't know how to use that, hit up Google or check Youtube, as it would completely blow up this guide!

1. Import the t2_084_pma_jacket__short_sleeves_decal_d01.png texture file to an image editing software of your choice

2. Make a distinct and recognizable change to the image

3. Export the t2_084_pma_jacket__short_sleeves_decal_d01.png texture file as a PNG, overwriting the original PNG file

Not feeling creative? Feel free to use the the WolvenKit icon replacer below.

88KB

t2_084_pma_jacket__short_sleeves_decal_d01.png

image

Importing REDengine Files

1. Return to the WolvenKit Editor

2. Open the Import Tool
3. Select the t2_084_pma_jacket__short_sleeves_decal_d01.png file within the Import grid. Click the Load Settings button towards the top of the Import/Export tool. This sets the compression type and other various options to match the original XBM.

4. Press Process Selected to complete the Import operation

5. Verify the updated texture by selecting the XBM within the Project Explorer. The new texture should be viewable with the Properties window.

Building

WolvenKit features a one-click mod building solution. The build process packs any archive directory files into archive format and installs to the game automatically.

WolvenKit only supports unbundled files. Files that have been decompressed using WolvenKit CLI will not be packed correctly. Buffers must be compressed within the main REDengine file. Files added with the built-in Asset Browser will always be the correct format.

1. From within the Menu, select the Install button
2. Verify the mod project has been packed and installed by viewing the Log window

3. Congratulations! Launch Cyberpunk and check out your first mod with WolvenKit!

Testing In Game

To verify this texture mod in game, equip the outer torso item Replica of Johnny's Samurai jacket. The jacket can be obtained through normal gameplay during the main questline. Alternatively, the jacket can be added to the player inventory by using the Cyber Engine Tweaks console.

The following command can be used to obtain Johnny's Jacket: Game.AddToInventory("Items.SQ031_Samurai_Jacket",1) Copy and paste the command into the Cyber Engine Tweaks console using CTRL+C to copy, then CTRL+V to paste.

Final Thoughts

While not all encompassing, this guide teaches the core philosophy behind our modding pipeline. If you've followed along so far, you're ready to start getting the most out of WolvenKit. We recommend familiarizing yourself with the Wiki to understand how our Editors work. Please keep in mind that everything in our community from software such as WolvenKit or this Wiki is developed, written, and created by passionate volunteers. If you encounter issues with software or documentation, consider getting involved with us on the Discord server!

Enjoy your RED Modding journey!