Local sources and assets

Browsers cannot scan a Project Zomboid installation automatically. Every game, tile-pack, or source folder must be selected explicitly. The Studio keeps each selection as a removable source set so vanilla and multiple add-on sources can be indexed together.

Asset sources

Open Assets and choose Import folder. Selecting the game’s media folder is the simplest complete vanilla source because it includes texture packs and tile-definition metadata.

The importer recursively recognizes:

• Build 42 .pack texture archives, versions 0 and 1;
• compiled .tiles definitions, versions 0 and 1;
• TileZed *.tiles.txt and TileProperties.txt exports;
• tileDepthTextureAssignments.txt;
• loose transparent PNG sprite sheets.

The current parsers were implemented independently from the inspected Build 42 Java and TileZed format behavior. No TileZed source or Project Zomboid asset is copied into the application.

For compiled packs, the Studio uses each subtexture’s runtime sprite name, trimmed rectangle, offset, and original cell size. For loose PNGs it chooses grid dimensions in this order:

1. associated tile-definition columns and rows;
2. an explicit author-selected preset or custom cell size;
3. JUMBO_, JUMBOXL_, or JUMBOXXL_ naming conventions;
4. standard 2x (128x256) or 1x (64x128) inference.

The sprite inspector reports which rule supplied the dimensions. It does not guess collision, wall, material, or gameplay behavior from pixels.

Script and game-data sources

Use the source manager to add one or more folders. Useful vanilla roots include:

ProjectZomboid/media/scripts/entities
ProjectZomboid/media/scripts/generated/entities
ProjectZomboid/media/scripts/generated/items
ProjectZomboid/media/lua
ProjectZomboid/media/lua/shared/Translate/EN

Add the equivalent folders from dependency mods when a buildable references their sprites, items, tags, entities, callbacks, or timed actions. Removing a source rebuilds the index so stale entries do not remain available for autocomplete.

The source parser is static and non-executing. It can index entity blocks, SpriteConfig faces, CraftRecipe inputs, items, tags, perks, recipes, timed actions, and related metadata. It never executes imported Lua or entity data.

Source precedence and conflicts

Records resolve by runtime sprite/entity/item identity, not by local path. Later source sets may shadow earlier sources of the same kind, while all owners remain visible as conflicts. A compiled pack subtexture is preferred over an inferred PNG slice of the same sprite because it includes exact trim and anchor metadata.

Do not use source order to hide a dependency mistake. Exported definitions must still declare every supplying mod, and only the game can prove the final active-mod load order.

Browser support

Chromium can use the File System Access API for directory handles. When that API is unavailable, the Studio opens a recursive directory-upload input. The fallback may require selecting the folder again after reopening the browser.

Directory handles, when remembered at all, are browser-local. Portable .kbwproject.json files contain logical references and authoring metadata, not absolute paths or image bytes.

Renderer boundary

The isometric preview uses the verified Build 42 2:1 projection and sprite bottom-center/trim offsets. It supports pan, zoom, direction, Z-level capping, grid/cell bounds, ghost opacity, origin markers, and deterministic ordering.

It intentionally does not reproduce lighting, shaders, weather, dynamic cutaways, native depth-buffer occlusion, characters, attached animations, or special per-object tree scaling. Treat it as geometry and sprite verification, not an in-game screenshot generator.