File Structure¶

Basic File Structure¶

117 & 1800

117 1800

basic mod file structure

├─ data/
│  ├─ base/config/
│  │  ├─ export/
│  │  │  └─ assets.xml            # asset XML patches
│  │  └─ gui/
│  │     └─ texts_english.xml     # language files
│  └─ <your name>/
│     └─ **/*                     # models, textures
├─ banner.jpg
├─ logo.jpg
├─ modinfo.json                   # mod id, version, ...
└─ README.md

basic mod file structure

├─ data/
│  ├─ config/
│  │  ├─ export/main/asset/
│  │  │  └─ assets.xml            # asset XML patches
│  │  └─ gui/
│  │     └─ texts_english.xml     # language files
│  └─ <your name>/
│     └─ **/*                     # models, textures
├─ banner.jpg
├─ logo.jpg
├─ modinfo.json                   # mod id, version, ...
└─ README.md

Anno 117 and Anno 1800 (mod.io only) won't load mods without a modinfo file.

A modinfo.json file is required in the top-level folder of your mod. Description, images and all other content files are optional.

File	Description
`banner.jpg`	Large 16:9 image for offline mod managers.
`logo.jpg`	Small 16:9 image. Used in Anno 1800 mod activation list.
`modinfo.json`	ModID, version, dependencies and other infos.
`README.md`	Mod description.

Templates in Visual Studio Code

Use a template to create the basic mod file structure with empty files.

Press F1 in Anno Modding Tools and run Anno: Create Mod from Template.

Nested Mods¶

117 & 1800

Mods can contain mods.

Nested mods don't have their own activation. They are always enabled or disabled together with their parent mod.

├─ data/
├─ modinfo.json
└─ nested-mod/
   ├─ data/
   └─ modinfo.json

The loading order of nested mods is independent of their parent mod.

117 1800

modinfo.json

{
  // ..
  "Dependencies": {
    "LoadAfter": [ "other-mod" ]
  }
}

modinfo.json

{
  // ..
  "LoadAfterIds": [ "other-mod" ]
}

Shared Mods¶

117 & 1800

Mods can share nested mods. Only one version of it is loaded. The highest version is chosen, if multiple of the same are there then one is picked.

- mod-a/
  ├─ data/
  ├─ modinfo.json
  └─ mod-c/
     ├─ data/
     └─ modinfo.json
- mod-b/
  ├─ data/
  ├─ modinfo.json
  └─ mod-c/
     ├─ data/
     └─ modinfo.json

Link Files¶

1800

You can link files by adding a text file with the extension .lnk. The path and name of the file is the link source, the text file contents is the link target.

This is useful to duplicate islands under a different path for example.

117 This feature will come back for Anno 117, but it is currently untested in its old form.

Mod Collections¶

117 & 1800

You can distribute and use multiple mods in one folder.

See Collection Folders.