How to Mod Blocks

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Modding blocks is the process of sculpting a 3D model, texturing it, and injecting it into Space Engineers. With the introduction of the Modding API, a groundwork has been laid to even more customization of the Engineer experience.

There is currently no one-stop shop for all the information on modding. Information can be found here on the official wiki and the official modding section of the forums.


Tools

Here are the recommended tools to start modding blocks in Space Engineers:

  • Blender (For creating 3D models)
  • SpaceEngineersModSDK (For all of your other small tools)
  • Havok "Content Tools for Game Artists and Designers" (Official distribution of this tool has stopped. Please refer to this forum to find a Dropbox with the tool)
  • Havok FBX Importer (it is probably a good idea to place this in the Havok directory)
  • Paint.NET

Overview

There are a variety of block mods in Space Engineers. Some are just for armor and decoration, but other blocks might have uses, like cockpits and reactors.


Setting up the Add-on in Blender

Once you have obtained the Space Engineers Block Tools plug-in, install it in Blender by going to the user preferences, switch to the "Add-Ons" tab, click on "Install from File…​" and navigate to the downloaded .zip file.

You will need to enable it after you’ve installed it. You can find the add-on by using the search box, or going to the Category "Space Engineers". After you’ve enabled the add-on by checking the box, open its settings by clicking the arrow on the left. You need to provide all the paths in the list like so:

Space Engineers

  • Game Directory: \SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\SpaceEngineers\
  • MWM Builder: \SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\SpaceEngineers\Tools\MwmBuilder\MwmBuilder.exe

Havok Content Tools

  • FBX Importer: \Program Files\Havok\HavokContentTools\FBXImporter.exe
  • Standalone Filter Manager: \Program Files\Havok\HavokContentTools\hctStandAloneFilterManager.exe


Press the "Save User Settings" button when the form is filled out.


Using the Add-on in Blender

File and folder Layout

The Space Engineers Block Tool add-on has a requirement in regards to how the folders are arranged: The .blend file(s) must be in the base-folder of the mod. This is so that paths with textures, models, etc, can be relative and calculated correctly.

Sources

harag-on-steam's SE BLock Tools for Blender. Link to his work.