Arsenal Documentation | Manifest Reference

The manifest.json file is the configuration document that defines your mod's structure, options, and metadata. Version 1 of this schema is still what Arsenal 0.36 and later writes. For the current editor UI, see Manifest. This page remains the full field reference used by the legacy builder.

Complete Schema

{
  "Version": 1,
  "Guid": "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-4xxx-yxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx",
  "Name": "string",
  "Description": "string",
  "IconPath": "string",
  "Options": [
    {
      "Name": "string",
      "Description": "string",
      "Include": ["string"],
      "Image": "string",
      "SubOptions": [
        {
          "Name": "string",
          "Description": "string",
          "Include": ["string"],
          "Image": "string"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Root Fields

Version

"Version": 1

Property	Value
Type	`number`
Required	Yes
Value	Always `1`

The manifest format version. Currently only version 1 is supported.

Guid

"Guid": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-4789-abcd-ef0123456789"

Property	Value
Type	`string`
Required	Yes
Format	UUID v4

A unique identifier for your mod. Auto-generated when creating a new project. Do not modify unless you know what you're doing. Changing the GUID creates a "new" mod in users' libraries.

Name

"Name": "My Awesome Mod"

Property	Value
Type	`string`
Required	Yes
Max Length	Recommended < 50 characters

The display name shown in mod managers and listings.

Description

"Description": "A brief explanation of what this mod does"

Property	Value
Type	`string`
Required	Yes
Note	Can be empty string `""`

A short description of the mod's purpose and features.

IconPath

"IconPath": "icon.png"

Property	Value
Type	`string`
Required	No
Format	Relative file path

Path to the mod's thumbnail image, relative to the mod root folder.

Supported formats: PNG, JPEG, WebP

Recommended size: 256x256 or 512x512 pixels

Options

"Options": [...]

Property	Value
Type	`array`
Required	No
Items	Option objects

An array of configurable options for the mod. Omit entirely for simple mods without options.

Option Object

{
  "Name": "High Quality Textures",
  "Description": "4K resolution texture pack",
  "Include": ["High Quality Textures"],
  "Image": "High Quality Textures/preview.png",
  "SubOptions": [...]
}

Name

Property	Value
Type	`string`
Required	Yes

The display name for this option.

Description

Property	Value
Type	`string`
Required	Yes
Note	Can be empty string

Explanation of what enabling this option does.

Include

"Include": ["FolderName"]

Property	Value
Type	`string[]`
Required	Conditional
Condition	Required if no `SubOptions`

Array of folder paths to include when this option is enabled. Paths are relative to the mod root.

Image

Property	Value
Type	`string`
Required	No

Relative path to a preview image for this option.

SubOptions

Property	Value
Type	`array`
Required	Conditional
Condition	Required if no `Include`
Items	SubOption objects

Array of sub-options for nested choices within this option.

Rule

An option must have either Include OR SubOptions, not both empty.

SubOption Object

{
  "Name": "Gold Variant",
  "Description": "Luxurious gold finish",
  "Include": ["Weapon Skins/Gold Variant"],
  "Image": "Weapon Skins/Gold Variant/preview.png"
}

SubOptions have the same fields as Options except they cannot contain nested SubOptions.

Name

Property	Value
Type	`string`
Required	Yes

Description

Property	Value
Type	`string`
Required	Yes
Note	Can be empty string

Include

Property	Value
Type	`string[]`
Required	No

Image

Property	Value
Type	`string`
Required	No

Examples

Minimal Mod (No Options)

{
  "Version": 1,
  "Guid": "12345678-1234-4123-8123-123456789abc",
  "Name": "Simple Texture Mod",
  "Description": "Replaces default textures"
}

Mod with Icon

{
  "Version": 1,
  "Guid": "12345678-1234-4123-8123-123456789abc",
  "Name": "Enhanced Effects",
  "Description": "Better particle effects for explosions",
  "IconPath": "icon.png"
}

Mod with Options

{
  "Version": 1,
  "Guid": "12345678-1234-4123-8123-123456789abc",
  "Name": "Quality Selector",
  "Description": "Choose your texture quality",
  "IconPath": "icon.png",
  "Options": [
    {
      "Name": "Ultra Quality",
      "Description": "4K textures, highest quality",
      "Include": ["Ultra Quality"],
      "Image": "Ultra Quality/preview.png"
    },
    {
      "Name": "Performance",
      "Description": "1K textures, better FPS",
      "Include": ["Performance"],
      "Image": "Performance/preview.png"
    }
  ]
}

Mod with SubOptions

{
  "Version": 1,
  "Guid": "12345678-1234-4123-8123-123456789abc",
  "Name": "Weapon Customization",
  "Description": "Multiple weapon skin variants",
  "IconPath": "icon.png",
  "Options": [
    {
      "Name": "Primary Weapon Skins",
      "Description": "Choose a skin for primary weapons",
      "SubOptions": [
        {
          "Name": "Default",
          "Description": "Keep original appearance",
          "Include": []
        },
        {
          "Name": "Gold",
          "Description": "Golden finish",
          "Include": ["Primary Weapon Skins/Gold"],
          "Image": "Primary Weapon Skins/Gold/preview.png"
        },
        {
          "Name": "Carbon Fiber",
          "Description": "Carbon fiber wrap",
          "Include": ["Primary Weapon Skins/Carbon Fiber"],
          "Image": "Primary Weapon Skins/Carbon Fiber/preview.png"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Validation Rules

Required Fields

Version must be 1
Guid must be valid UUID format
Name must be non-empty string
Description must be present (can be empty)

Option Rules

If Options array exists, it must contain at least one option
Each option must have Name and Description
Each option must have Include OR SubOptions (at least one)

Path Rules

All paths are relative to the mod root folder
Paths are case-sensitive
Use forward slashes (/) as separators
No leading or trailing slashes

Build-Time Cleaning

When building, the manifest is cleaned:

Empty Description fields are kept (required)
Empty IconPath is removed
Empty Image fields are removed

Manifest Reference

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