Creating Language Packs

This guide walks you through creating a complete language pack for Arsenal from scratch.

Prerequisites

Before starting:

• Arsenal installed
• Text editor (VS Code recommended for JSON)
• Basic understanding of JSON format
• Flag image for your language (64x64px recommended)

1: Create the Folder

Navigate to your Arsenal installation and create a new folder:

hd2arsenal/resources/locale/xx-XX/

Replace xx-XX with your language and country codes:

• xx = ISO 639-1 language code (lowercase)
• XX = ISO 3166-2 country code (uppercase)

Examples

2: Copy Template Files

Copy the contents of en-GB as your starting template:

en-GB/
├── _manifest.json
├── flag.png
└── translations/
    ├── dialogs.json
    ├── menus.json
    ├── misc.json
    ├── notifications.json
    ├── onboarding.json
    ├── settings.json
    ├── tutorials.json
    └── ui.json

Copy all these files to your new folder.

Note: This structure is a recommended starting point, but you can organize your translations differently. You can merge files, use different folder structures, or even use a single file—just make sure to update the files array in _manifest.json accordingly.

3: Update the Manifest

Edit _manifest.json with your language details:

{
    "label": "Deutsch",
    "languageCode": "de",
    "countryCode": "DE",
    "flag": "flag.png",
    "files": [
        "translations/notifications.json",
        "translations/dialogs.json",
        "translations/settings.json",
        "translations/ui.json",
        "translations/menus.json",
        "translations/onboarding.json",
        "translations/tutorials.json",
        "translations/misc.json"
    ]
}

Manifest Fields

Important: The files array must include all translation files that contain your translations. You don’t need to follow the same file organization as official packs—you can organize translations in a single file or any structure you prefer, as long as all required keys are present and all files are listed in this array.

Finding Codes

• Language codes: ISO 639-1 List 
• Country codes: ISO 3166-2 List 

4: Replace the Flag

Replace flag.png with an appropriate flag image for your language/region.

Flag Requirements

Finding Flags

Recommended: Download flags from flagcdn.com  using the convention:

https://flagcdn.com/w40/{countrycode}.png

Replace {countrycode} with your lowercase country code (e.g., it for Italy, de for Germany, fr for France).

Examples:

• Italian: https://flagcdn.com/w40/it.png 
• German: https://flagcdn.com/w40/de.png 
• French: https://flagcdn.com/w40/fr.png 

5: Translate Files

Open each translation file and replace English text with your translations.

Translation Process

Original (English):

{
    "navbar-label-home": "HOME",
    "navbar-label-mod-management": "MOD MANAGEMENT",
    "tooltip-deploy": "Deploy active mods"
}

Translated (German):

{
    "navbar-label-home": "STARTSEITE",
    "navbar-label-mod-management": "MOD-VERWALTUNG",
    "tooltip-deploy": "Aktive Mods bereitstellen"
}

Translation Rules

1. Keep keys unchanged — Only modify the values (right side)
2. Preserve formatting — Keep uppercase/lowercase patterns
3. Maintain placeholders — Keep {variable} markers exactly as-is
4. Check JSON validity — No trailing commas, proper quotes

Handling Placeholders

Some strings contain placeholders:

{
    "notification-mods-selected": "{count} mod(s) selected",
    "dialog-copy-mods": "Copy {count} selected mod(s) to profiles"
}

Keep placeholders in your translation:

{
    "notification-mods-selected": "{count} Mod(s) ausgewahlt",
    "dialog-copy-mods": "{count} ausgewahlte Mod(s) in Profile kopieren"
}

6: Test Your Pack

1. Save all files — Ensure valid JSON
2. Restart Arsenal — Required to detect new packs
3. Open Settings — Go to language selection
4. Select your language — It should appear in the list
5. Verify translations — Navigate the interface

Troubleshooting

Language Doesn’t Appear

Check manifest:

• Verify _manifest.json exists
• Ensure valid JSON syntax
• Confirm all required fields present

Check folder:

• Verify folder is in resources/locale/
• Confirm folder name format xx-XX

Missing Translations

Check files:

• Verify all files listed in manifest exist
• Ensure file paths match exactly
• Check JSON syntax in each file

Broken Characters

Encoding issues:

• Save files as UTF-8
• Avoid special encoding characters
• Test with common special characters

Placeholder Errors

Symptoms: {count} appears as literal text

Fix: Ensure placeholders are preserved exactly:

• Correct: {count}
• Wrong: { count }, [count], %count%