Tools

There are a variety of useful tools used in modding Unreal Engine-based games, and OMD3 is no different. Here are some tools beyond the uSDK that can help get you started.

Starter Kit

The Starter Kit is a .zip file containing a basic folder structure and a few handy utilities that should ease the process of making mods for Orcs Must Die 3. It’s recommended as a starting point for every prospective modder.

FModel

Fmodel is a tool that auto-detects your game’s .pak files, and allows you to navigate through them, export files, and easily understand the role of individual assets. This is a must-have tool for any Unreal modder.

Fmodel is capable of exporting .uasset files, audio files, and models & textures.

JohnWickParse

JohnWickParse is a command line uasset serialization tool, and a capable alternative to FModel’s at-a-glance view, if less user friendly.

QuickBMS

QuickBMS is a user-friendly command line tool to unpak .pak files. It takes three inputs - A script that identifies the Unreal Engine version, one or more .pak files, and an output directory. If you’re using the Starter Kit, you’ll already have an Output directory ready to place your .pak files, as well as a script designed for Unreal 4.26 files.

UnrealPak

UnrealPak is an official Unreal tool to manage .pak files. This is included in the Starter Kit, along with associated .bat files that will allow you to compress files into a Pak with or without strong compression.

UModel

UModel, also known as UE Viewer, is a tool that allows you to view model information contained in a .UAsset file. It also allows you to extract said information, along with textures, miscellaneous images, and movies.

UnrealModLoader

UnrealModLoader is a tool made by RusselJerome that allows the game to dynamically load mods that utilize new Unreal Engine Blueprints. It allows for the creation of entirely new content, rather than simply modified or derived content.

Unreal Engine 4 Scripting System(UE4SS)

UE4SS is an all-in-one solution to dumping the game's reflected C++ classes, enabling the console, and allowing you to script mods using LUA. XInput version that doesn't include Case Preservation is the one you want for OMD3.

UnrealLocres

UnrealLocres is a command-line tool for importing and exporting localization files. Be sure to read the usage instructions on their GitHub to learn how to use it if you intend on editing localization.

Asset-Editor

Asset-Editor, initially designed with the State of Decay modding community in mind, is a powerful tool that enables the editing of data for a variety of UE4-based games. This will allow you to edit stats, create new upgrades, modifiers, and potentially even traps and weapons (more on that later).

Universal Unreal Engine 4 Unlocker

The Universal Unreal Engine 4 Unlocker (UUU) injects a DLL into your game’s process to enable freecam mode, disable the UI, and access the in-game console. It’s a handy tool for getting good screenshots of your mods.

Hex Editors

You won’t generally need to use a Hex Editor for most kinds of mods, but there are situations where they can come in handy. Two that come recommended are HxD and 010 Editor

HxD

HxD is both a Hex and Disk/RAM editor, allowing on-the-fly editing.

010 Editor

010 Editor allows you to create Binary templates, translating Hex into something more readable. Of course, this requires you actually understand what you’re looking at well enough to make a template, as there are currently no binary templates available for Orcs Must Die 3’s files.