shapez/mod_examples

shapez.io Modding

General Instructions

Currently there are two options to develop mods for shapez.io:

1. Writing single file mods, which doesn't require any additional tools and can be loaded directly in the game
2. Using the create-shapezio-mod package. This package is still in development but allows you to pack multiple files and images into a single mod file, so you don't have to base64 encode your images etc.

Since the create-shapezio-mod package is still in development, the current recommended way is to write single file mods, which I'll explain now.

Mod Developer Discord

A great place to get help with mod development is the official shapez.io modloader discord.

Setting up your development environment

The simplest way of developing mods is by just creating a mymod.js file and putting it in the mods/ folder of the standalone (You can find the mods/ folder by clicking "Open Mods Folder" in the shapez.io Standalone, be sure to select the 1.5.0-modloader branch on Steam).

You can then add --dev to the launch options on Steam. This adds an application menu where you can click "Restart" to reload your mod, and will also show the developer console where you can see any potential errors.

Getting started

To get into shapez.io modding, I highly recommend checking out all of the examples in this folder. Here's a list of examples and what features of the modloader they show:

Example	Description	Demonstrates
base.js	The most basic mod	Base structure of a mod
class_extensions.js	Shows how to extend multiple methods of one class at once, useful for overriding a lot of methods	Overriding and extending builtin methods
custom_css.js	Modifies the Main Menu State look	Modifying the UI styles with CSS
replace_builtin_sprites.js	Replaces all color sprites with icons	Replacing builtin sprites
translations.js	Shows how to replace and add new translations in multiple languages	Adding and replacing translations
add_building_basic.js	Shows how to add a new building	Registering a new building
add_building_flipper.js	Adds a "flipper" building which mirrors shapes from top to bottom	Registering a new building, Adding a custom shape and item processing operation (flip)
custom_drawing.js	Displays a a small indicator on every item processing building whether it is currently working	Adding a new GameSystem and drawing overlays
custom_keybinding.js	Adds a new customizable ingame keybinding (Shift+F)	Adding a new keybinding
custom_sub_shapes.js	Adds a new type of sub-shape (Line)	Adding a new sub shape and drawing it, making it spawn on the map, modifying the builtin levels
modify_theme.js	Modifies the default game themes	Modifying the builtin themes
custom_theme.js	Adds a new UI and map theme	Adding a new game theme
mod_settings.js	Shows a dialog counting how often the mod has been launched	Reading and storing mod settings
storing_data_in_savegame.js	Shows how to store custom (structured) data in the savegame	Storing custom data in savegame
modify_existing_building.js	Makes the rotator building always unlocked and adds a new statistic to the building panel	Modifying a builtin building, replacing builtin methods
modify_ui.js	Shows how to add custom IU elements to builtin game states (the Main Menu in this case)	Extending builtin UI states, Adding CSS
pasting.js	Shows a dialog when pasting text in the game	Listening to paste events
sandbox.js	Makes blueprints free and always unlocked	Overriding builtin methods

Advanced Examples

Example	Description	Demonstrates
notification_blocks.js	Adds a notification block building, which shows a user defined notification when receiving a truthy signal	Adding a new Component, Adding a new GameSystem, Working with wire networks, Adding a new building, Adding a new HUD part, Using Input Dialogs, Adding Translations
usage_statistics.js	Displays a percentage on every building showing its utilization	Adding a new component, Adding a new GameSystem, Drawing within a GameSystem, Modifying builtin buildings, Adding custom game logic
new_item_type.js	Adds a new type of items to the map (fluids)	Adding a new item type, modifying map generation
buildings_have_cost.js	Adds a new currency, and belts cost 1 of that currency	Extending and replacing builtin methods, Adding CSS and custom sprites
mirrored_cutter.js	Adds a mirorred variant of the cutter	Adding a new variant to existing buildings

Creating new sprites

If you want to add new buildings and create sprites for them, you can download the original Photoshop PSD files here: https://static.shapez.io/building-psds.zip