Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Unreal Engine 5.3 installed on your system.
• Python 3.x installed on your system.
• Git LFS (Large File Storage) installed, which is required for handling large binary assets. To compile the project, ensure that Visual Studio is set up for Unreal Engine development with the necessary C++ tools.
• To compile the project, ensure that Visual Studio is set up for Unreal Engine development with the necessary C++ tools. For guidance, you can refer to Setting Up Visual Studio Development Environment. Wiki-Visual Studio Installer
• To create the necessarry compile file, right clic on the .uproject and Generate Visual Studio Porject File

• Once generated, open MurkyDiversMod.sln in visual studio. Once open, clic the green arrow at the top to compile and launch unreal.

Note: We noticed some compile error if Visual Studio is not set to English

Clone the Repository

Download the project files by cloning the repository from GitHub.

git clone https://github.com/EmbersGames/MurkyDiversMod.git

Mod setup

Use mod_setup.py, to setup the mod and your development environment: You need to run these commands as an administrator and with Unreal closed.

Note: For easy access, right clic in the root folder, where the .uproject sit and open the terminal from there. Every command are now going to be launched from the correct folder.

py ./mod_setup.py setup-mod -n “My Mod Name” -c "CreatorName" -v "1.0"

WARNING: renaming while working on the mod can create internal folder conflict and prevent the mod from working, be sure to name your mod properly from the get go.

Please check that you have a folder with your mod's name inside the Plugins directory. If not, it means the setup-mod process did not work correctly.

py ./mod_setup.py set-env -m “Path/To/Murky/Divers/Install” -u "Path/To/UE5.3/"

-m (Murky Divers Path): This should point to the main install folder of Murky Divers, typically: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Murky Divers

-u (Unreal Engine 5.3 Path): This should be your local UE 5.3 installation directory, for example: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_5.3

Once these paths are set, the scripts will know where to locate the game and the engine for building and packaging your mod.

This will ensure the environment is set up correctly for you to develop and package your mod.

Naming your mod once and for all is advised.

If you're looking for available tools and their usage, you can run:

py ./mod_setup.py -h

Downloading Murky Divers' 3D assets

If you want to modify 3D assets in Murky Divers, you can download the source rigs, exported animations and skeletal meshes using this command:

py ./mod_setup.py download-assets

Once complete, you can find all the assets in the External folder.

Setup your Editor

Since all assets of your mod must be in the [ModName] plugin, it is recommended to enable the display of plugin assets in the Content Browser. This makes it easier to access the necessary files.

For example, in the Open Asset menu (Ctrl + P):

Note: Keep in mind that every unreal panel act separatly, enabling the visibility of the plugin content need to be done in evey content browser panel. Enabling it in the Open Asset as shown next won't show it in the Content Browser.

Getting Started with Mod Creation

Keep in mind that you should only work within the MD_Mod_Plugin_Content folder. The project already contains examples of modified functionality. You can learn more on the wiki page: Mod Examples

Required Blueprint Files

A mod for Murky Divers must include two essential Blueprint files at the root directory:

BP_Mod_InitMenu
BP_Mod_InitGame

• BP_Mod_InitMenu is spawned in the main menu, the game's home screen.
• BP_Mod_InitGame is spawned at the start of a session or when joining a game. This Blueprint is responsible for initializing and deploying your mod. Use the BeginPlay event to start your logic.

Starting Your Mod Development

You can now safely start developing your mod!

When you want to call events or functions from a parent class, Unreal may not automatically suggest them in the child Blueprint. For certain Blueprints, simply opening the parent or interface and recompiling it will make those nodes available in the child. In other cases, you need to create the function call in the parent and then copy it into the child.

Test Your Mod

Since the project only contains proxy assets, you cannot test your mod directly in the editor. Instead, you need to switch to the dev-mod branch on Steam and follow these steps: Build, Packaging, and Install.

The version on the dev-mod branch has logging enabled, and you can find the logs in:

%appdata%\Local\MurkyDivers\Saved\Logs

Build your mod

When you need to build your mod, open the project launcher.

Use the provided custom launch profiles:

• Game: builds the Game/Content files and create the initial game's .pak. This needs to be done at least once. If you modify content in the Game/Content it will need to be rebuild. When encountering build error in the build of Mod it is probably the cause.
• Mod: builds the Plugins files and creates the mod's .pak. If the Gameis already build, you only need to build this one.

Packaging your mod

Use py ./mod_setup.py package or py ./mod_setup.py p to package your mod. This retrieves the .pak file and generates the necessary folder structure along with the .umod file. Once complete, you can find your mod in Binaries/{ModName}

Installing your mod locally

Use py ./mod_setup.py install or py ./mod_setup.py i to install the mod to your Murky Divers install path. This will copy your mod to Murky Divers’ Mods folder.

Start Murky Divers From Steam

You should see a new item in the dispenser named TestModItem, as well as a test costume in the costume machine.

Next Page : Mod examples