Creating Mods

Tutorial for creating custom mods from scratch using cslol-manager

Create your own custom skins and modifications for League of Legends using the mod creation tools built into cslol-manager.

Overview

There are several ways to create a mod:

• From RAW folder - Start with custom asset files
• From WAD files - Use extracted or modified WAD archives
• From scratch - Create an empty mod and add files later

Creating a New Mod

1. Open the New Mod Dialog

   Click the New Mod button in cslol-manager’s toolbar.

   This opens the mod creation interface where you’ll define your mod’s metadata.

2. Fill in Mod Information

   Provide the following details:

   Name · string · required

   The display name of your mod (e.g., “Dark Star Ahri”)

   Version · string · required

   Semantic version number (e.g., “1.0.0”)

   Author · string · required

   Your name or username

   Description · string

   A brief description of what your mod does

   Home · string

   URL to your mod’s homepage or download page

3. Add a Preview Image

   Upload a preview image (PNG format recommended) to help users identify your mod.

   The image will be saved as META/image.png in your mod directory.

4. Save the Mod

   Click Save to create the mod structure.

   The mod will be created with the filename format:

   ModName V1.0.0 by Author
   

Adding Content to Your Mod

After creating the basic mod structure, you need to add game files.

Method 1: Add WAD Files

1. Edit Your Mod

   Right-click your mod in the list and select Edit Mod.

2. Add WAD File

   Click Add WAD and select:

   • A .wad or .wad.client file
   • An unpacked WAD directory
3. Configure Import Options

   Choose whether to:

   • Rebase against game - Recommended to reduce file size
   • Remove unknown entries - Strips files not present in the base game
4. Wait for Processing

   The tool will:

   • Import the WAD contents
   • Compare against game files
   • Strip duplicate/unmodified entries
   • Save optimized output to WAD/ directory

Method 2: Use CLI Tools

For advanced workflows, use the mod-tools command-line interface:

# Create a mod from a RAW folder
mod-tools import ./MyRawAssets ./installed/MyMod --game:/path/to/league

# Add a WAD to an existing mod
mod-tools addwad ./modified.wad ./installed/MyMod --game:/path/to/league --removeUNK

See the CLI Commands documentation for full details.

Working with WAD Files

Extracting Game WADs

Before you can modify game assets, you need to extract them:

1. Locate Game WAD Files

   Game WADs are located in:

   League of Legends/Game/DATA/FINAL/Champions/
   
2. Extract the WAD

   Use the extraction command:

   wad-extract input.wad.client ./output-directory
   
3. Modify Files

   Edit textures, models, or other assets in the extracted directory.

4. Create Mod from Modified Files

   Import the modified directory:

   mod-tools import ./output-directory ./MyMod --game:/path/to/league
   

Understanding WAD Structure

Extracted WAD directories typically contain:

Champion.wad.client/
├── data/
│   └── characters/
│       └── champion/
│           ├── skins/
│           │   └── skin01.dds
│           └── animations/
├── assets/
└── OBSIDIAN_PACKED_MAPPING.txt

Mod Metadata Format

The META/info.json file contains mod information:

{
  "Name": "My Custom Skin",
  "Version": "1.0.0",
  "Author": "YourName",
  "Description": "A beautiful custom skin for Champion X",
  "Home": "https://example.com/mods",
  "Heart": ""
}

All fields are automatically validated and populated with defaults if missing.

Exporting Your Mod

Once your mod is ready to share:

1. Select Your Mod

   Right-click the mod in the mod list.

2. Choose Export

   Select Export from the context menu.

3. Save Location

   Choose where to save the .fantome or .zip file.

4. Wait for Export

   The export process will:

   • Optimize the mod against game files
   • Package all files into an archive
   • Apply TFT filtering if enabled

The exported file can be shared with other users or published to mod repositories.

Best Practices

Use Semantic Versioning

Follow the MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH format:

• MAJOR: Breaking changes or complete overhauls
• MINOR: New features, backwards compatible
• PATCH: Bug fixes and small tweaks

Always Rebase Against Game Files

This ensures:

• Smaller mod file sizes
• Compatibility with game updates
• Faster overlay building

Test Before Sharing

Always test your mod:

1. Create a test profile
2. Add only your mod
3. Run the game and verify changes
4. Check for conflicts or errors

Include Preview Images

A good preview image helps users:

• Identify your mod quickly
• Understand what the mod changes
• Make informed decisions about installation

Troubleshooting

Mod Creation Failed

If mod creation fails:

• Check that the installed/ directory is writable
• Ensure mod name doesn’t contain invalid characters
• Verify anti-virus isn’t blocking file operations

WAD Import Errors

If adding WAD files fails:

• Verify the WAD file isn’t corrupted
• Ensure the League path is correctly configured
• Check that cslol-tools/mod-tools.exe exists
• Review log.txt for detailed error messages

Changes Not Appearing In-Game

If your mod doesn’t work:

• Verify the profile is running (green indicator)
• Check for mod conflicts in the overlay build log
• Ensure you’re modifying the correct champion WAD
• Try rebuilding the profile with --ignoreConflict

Next Steps

WAD Files Guide

Deep dive into WAD file operations

CLI Tools

Master the command-line tools