Project Zomboid Build 42 modding guides
Everything we learned making our mods, explained so you can use it in yours. From the basics to vehicles, 3D clothing and running a dedicated server.
Beginner
What a Project Zomboid mod is and how to install one
The basics before you make your own mod: how mods are installed, where the files live, and what changed in Build 42.
02How to make your first Project Zomboid mod (B42)
We build a complete mod from scratch: a sopaipilla you can eat that shows up in fridges. Structure, mod.info, item, icon, translation and loot.
03How to publish a Project Zomboid mod on the Steam Workshop
How to upload your mod to Steam, what to put on the page so people can find it, and how to update it without losing subscribers.
Intermediate
Items and recipes in Project Zomboid B42 mods
Food, drinks, weapons, 3D models, crafting and repair recipes, with examples taken from published mods.
02Loot in Project Zomboid B42: making your item show up in the world
How Build 42 loot lists work, how to add your items without breaking anything, and how to choose where and how often they spawn.
03Translating Project Zomboid B42 mods (JSON)
Build 42 only reads translations in JSON. Which files exist, which key each one uses, and the most common mistake when porting a mod from B41.
04Lua for Project Zomboid mods: a practical guide
Client, server and shared; events; how to make things work in multiplayer; and the pitfalls of Project Zomboid's Lua.
05Common Project Zomboid mod errors and how to fix them
Where to look when something breaks, how to read errors, and a list of real problems with their fixes.
06How to port a Project Zomboid mod from B41 to B42
A list of everything that changed for modders between Build 41 and Build 42 (folders, items, recipes, translations, Lua) and how to update your mod step by step.
Advanced
Clothing and 3D models in Project Zomboid mods
How a clothing item is put together in B42, which clothes are 3D models and which are painted onto the body, and the bugs that took us ages to track down while making sneakers, caps and tracksuits.
02How to make vehicle mods in Project Zomboid B42
What we learned making ChileCars and Wanaco: how a car is structured, physics limits you can't exceed, lights, backwards text and how to make them spawn on the map.