05 UE ‐ Asset Nesting and Placement Logic (How the Game Builds a Mod) - CDDTreborn/Tekken-8-Resources GitHub Wiki

Asset Nesting and Placement Logic (How the Game Builds a Mod)

This section explains how assets are nested and why some assets must be in exact locations while others can be placed anywhere.

Understanding this structure will help you:

  • Decide what must be packaged in your mod
  • Decide what can be referenced
  • Avoid placing assets in the wrong location

Two Ways to Think About Assets

You need both of these ideas:

  1. Bottom-up nesting
    → What assets depend on other assets

  2. Top-down lookup
    → What the game searches for first

We explain them in that order.

Part 1 — Bottom-Up Nesting (What Depends on What)

This shows how assets are built on top of each other.

Level 0 — Textures

Textures are the lowest level.

Examples:

  • Base Color
  • Normal
  • RMA / TSE / packed textures

Rules:

  • Textures are always dependencies
  • They are only used if something references them
  • Custom textures must be packaged
  • They can be placed anywhere

Level 1 — Material Instances (MI)

Material Instances depend on textures.

Rules:

  • MIs reference textures
  • MIs are assigned to meshes
  • Beginners almost always use MIs (not base materials)
  • Custom MIs must be packaged
  • Referenced (vanilla) MIs are not packaged

Level 2 — Meshes (Skeletal / Static)

Meshes depend on Material Instances.

Rules:

  • Skeletal Meshes reference MIs
  • Static Meshes reference MIs
  • Custom or replaced meshes must be packaged
  • Placement rules depend on how the mesh is used higher up

Level 3 — Base Items

Base Items usually reference meshes.

Rules:

  • Often just a container
  • No major logic
  • Usually not searched for directly by the game

Level 4 — BCI (Base Character Item)

BCIs may reference Base Items.

Rules:

  • Often optional or left blank
  • May act as a pass-through container
  • Placement depends on whether something else searches for it

Level 5 — CI (Customized Item)

CI controls coloring and material overrides.

Rules:

  • CI may reference materials or MIs
  • CI controls whether items can be colored using game logic
  • If CI is custom, it must be packaged
  • If CI replaces vanilla, it must match path and name
  • Assets referenced inside CI can live anywhere

Level 6 — IP (Item Prefab)

IP brings everything together into an equipable item.

Examples:

  • Head
  • Upper body
  • Lower body
  • Full body
  • Hair
  • Face (special case)
  • Accessories, weapons, wings, etc.

Rules:

  • IPs are equipable items in customization
  • IP depends on Base Item + BCI + CI
  • Placement rules depend on who calls the IP

Level 7 — CS (Customized Set)

CS is a preset made of multiple IPs.

Rules:

  • CS references multiple IPs
  • CS is always a top-level asset
  • Nothing sits above CS
  • CS is always an entry point

Part 2 — Top-Down Placement Logic (What Must Be Exact)

Now that you know how assets nest, placement rules become simple.

The Golden Rule

Only assets the game searches for directly need exact placement.
Everything else is found through references.

Entry Point Assets (Strict Placement)

These are assets the game looks for first.

Examples:

  • Customized Sets (CS)
  • Item Prefabs (IP), when used directly
  • Assets called directly by game logic (movesets, effects, etc.)

Rules:

  • Must match exact folder path
  • Must match exact asset name
  • Must match case
  • Must be packaged if custom or replacing vanilla

Dependency Assets (Flexible Placement)

These are assets found because something else points to them.

Examples:

  • CI
  • BCI
  • Base Items
  • Meshes
  • Material Instances
  • Textures

Rules:

  • Can be placed anywhere
  • Can be organized however you want
  • Must be packaged if custom
  • Must have correct references

Why IP Placement “Sometimes Matters and Sometimes Doesn’t”

This is a common source of confusion.

Case 1 — IP Used Directly

  • The game looks for the IP
  • IP must be in the exact expected location

Case 2 — IP Used by a CS

  • The game looks for the CS
  • CS points to the IP
  • IP can live anywhere

Same asset type.
Different entry point.
Different rule.

Special Case — Direct Replacement Assets

Some assets:

  • Have no IP
  • Have no CS
  • Are called directly by game logic

Examples:

  • Certain meshes used only in moves
  • Effects or props with no container

Rules:

  • You must replace the vanilla asset
  • Same path
  • Same name
  • Included in the mod

This is the opposite of reference-based assets.

One Sentence to Remember

The game finds one asset first.
Everything else is loaded by following references from that point down.

If you understand this sentence, mod placement will make sense.

Stop Here

You should now understand:

  • How assets are nested
  • Why some assets need exact placement
  • Why others can be placed anywhere
  • How CS, IP, CI, and meshes relate to each other