Replicating the Game Structure
Depending on what you want to replace, it must mimic the file pattern of the original source game. In order to do so, you must have the Umodel Viewer. This viewer is also helpful to show how the game is organized as well as later on if you want to verify if your mod is being picked up correctly by the game.
Tutorials on how to use the viewer in general can be found here.
When you use the viewer, make sure the version of Unreal Engine it is trying to read is 4.19 and navigate to your Spyro Reignited Trilogy folder. In the viewer, we will be looking at the Falcon/Plugins directory. Take note of all the paths of files you want to modify so that you can mimic it in your Unreal Mod project.
Plugins in Spyro: Reignited Trilogy can be easily identified by whether a directory contains only one sub-directory named Content
In the editor, you will need to create a plugin. To do so, go to Edit > Plugins.
Click on "New Plugin".
Select "Content Only Plugin". Name it to how you see it in the viewer, for example if it is in CPS1999_Spyro, name it that. After that, hit "Create Plugin".
Make sure you are on in the plugin's content.
If you have not already created any content for replacing certain aspects of the game, there are some sub-tutorials on how to make those.
You can begin finding out how to make the different types of files in these pages:
- Mesh
- Audio
- Localizations
- More later...
Despite being different types, many of these assets follow the same steps for replacements to produce the desired outcome.
If you already had created your mod content (Audio, Models, Textures, etc.), place them in the path you want to replace the files with. Either place them in the directory of the project folder via File Explorer and import them later or have an open Unreal Engine Editor and drag it into the Content Browser of the correct directory to let it load the assets you have moved into it. Other content such as materials, map layouts, and blueprints can be made within the Unreal Engine Editor.
You will notice there will be generated asset files in Unreal Engine Editor's content browser, make sure they are named exactly like the ones you are going to replace in the viewer. So if you see in the viewer SK_CPS1999_Spyro.uasset, name in the Unreal Engine Editor should be SK_CPS1999_Spyro.
Majority of the pattern is file-name.uasset seen in Umodel Viewer to Unreal Engine Editor file-name of the approprite asset type.
If you are replacing materials, in the viewer should show them in a sub-folder named Materials. This means in the plugin, you should have the same Materials folder as well if you plan on replacing material. Similar fashion for other resources.
Next Step: Creating the Pak File