Testing Mods Locally
It’s a good idea to test your mods locally before publishing them for other people to use. You can also use this method to test mods in multiplayer with friends by sharing the necessary files and having them follow this same guide.
Always test your mods before distributing!
Testing Asset Bundles without a Mod Manager
It’s possible to test your asset bundles without installing them via a mod manager. This can be useful when testing quick iterations of the assets.
If you haven’t already, you must first export your assets to a .metem file. When testing without a mod manager,
the easiest way to do this is by using the Export Asset Bundles tool.
Go to your Void Crew install folder (the same folder that has Void Crew.exe).
Open install folder via Steam: Right click on Void Crew > Manage > Browse Local Files.
If there is no “Mods” folder already, create one.
Copy your
.metemfiles to the Mods folder. The game will natively try to load any.metemfiles placed in this folder.
Testing Mods Using Mod Manager
It’s a good idea to test your mod when loaded via a mod manager before publishing the mod on ThunderStore. This lets you simulate how a user will normally install your mod, and verify that it works as expected.
If you haven’t already, use the Export as Mod tool to prepare your assets for mod manager and ThunderStore distribution.
Using Gale
In Gale, go to “Import” on the toolbar and select “local mod”
Select your zipped mod file. It should now be visible in Gale and enabled.
Launch game via Gale to test your mod
Using R2ModMan
In R2ModMan, click on your Void Crew profile in the bottom left corner
Choose “Import local mod” and then “Select file”
Select your zipped mod file
Start modded game via R2ModMan
Testing Carryables
It is useful to be able to spawn carryables directly, so you can test modded carryables without having to first acquire them naturally. Official tools to do this are not available yet.
For the time being, we recommend using the debugging tools published by Nihility-Shift here.
Install the DebugTools zip file as a local mod via your mod manager.
In-game, press F5 to open the Void Manager menu, then go to the settings menu for Debug Tools.
In the Debug Tools settings menu, press the disable progress button.
From the Hub or Ship, Press F10 to open the Spawn Menu.
In the Spawn menu, you can now search for your modded carryables and spawn them for testing.
Testing Cosmetics
All modded cosmetics will be unlocked by default, so you can equip them immediately via the Personal Loadout Terminal in-game.
It can be difficult to judge how your cosmetic looks in first-person and via the terminal screen. You can use the Debug Camera (aka. Marketing Camera) to view yourself in third-person.