Tutorial

Getting Started

Before beginning the tutorial, you can review the background information below.

How to Get to your Game Files (MacOS)

1. Open Finder
2. Open Finder and click Desktop
3. At the top of your screen click “Go”
4. In the drop down menu click “Go to Folder”
5. Enter ~/Library/Application Support/Steam
6. Open the folder labeled “steamapps”
7. Open the folder labeled “Common”
8. Open “Stardew Valley”

How to Get to Your Game Files (Windows)

1. Open Folders and look for “This PC” in the sidebar. Click on “Windows (C:),” or whatever drive you installed Steam on.
2. Open the folder labeled “Program Files (x86).”
3. Under “Program Files (x86)”, navigate to Steam>steamapps>Common>Stardew Valley.

How to Open and Play Stardew Valley

1. Download Steam
2. Login to project steam account
   • Username: lis4882019
   • Password: simmons2019
3. Enter security code found in the project Gmail
   • Username: lis488stardewvalley@gmail.com
   • Password: lis4882019
4. Navigate to “Library” and select Stardew Valley
5. Select Load
6. Click the save file for Library Farm with the player named “Modder”
7. You will wake up at 6 AM in bed at your farmhouse on Library Farm

In this tutorial we will be:

1. Locating and copying the cat XNB file.
2. Unpacking the XNB file.
3. Editing the PNG file.
4. Repacking the cat XNB file.
5. Replacing the cat XNB file with our modded XNB file.
6. Testing our mod.

1. First, we need an application that will help us unpack and repack XNB files so we can edit that cat’s PNG. XNBCLI is a safe, easy to use application for this purpose. Download it: here
   • Click on xnbcli-macos.zip to download, once downloaded move the folder to your desktop.
   • Instructions are available: here
2. Next, we are going to find and copy our Cat XNB file from the game files. You can review at the top of the page how to get to your game files depending on your OS. From the Stardew Valley folder, navigate >Content>Animals and file the XNB file “cat”.
   Being organized for this step is extremely important. Since we will be modifying game files, it’s easy to lose files and break your game. We can avoid this by keeping copies of the original game files. If your game files ever go missing or get corrupted, follow the instructions to recover your game files here
   
   On your desktop, create a folder and name it “vanilla files,” and another folder called “modded files.” Copy (do NOT move) cat.xnb to “vanilla files”
   
   
   
3. Now, we will unpack cat.xnb using XNBCLI. Copy (do NOT move) cat.xnb from “vanilla files” to xnbcli>packed. Then, run the appropriate file for unpacking. Depending on your OS, it pay be unpack.bat, unpack.command, or unpack.sh. Once the program is finished, close the program and open the unpacked folder. You should see three files: cat.png, cat.json, and unpacked.md. We are only concerned with the first two. Copy BOTH cat.png and cat.json to “modded files.”
   • For MacOS, you may get an error that says something like “you do not have the appropriate access.” To fix this, open up Terminal, and navigate to where you installed xnbcli by using the ‘cd’ command. Now we are going to use a command that gives us permission to run the command files. Type into Terminal “chmod +x unpack.command.” Your terminal window should look something like this: $ user xnbcli chmod +x unpack.command
   • Press enter. Now we have permission to run the unpack.command file.
   • To save yourself time later, also type “chmod +x pack.command” and press enter. That will give you permission to run the pack.command file later.
4. Now for the fun part: altering the artwork. In your “modded files” folder, double click on the PNG file to open it — it should look like a series of sprites for the cat. Double-clicking will also likely open the PNG in an image editing software. Most computers have a default image editing software — Preview on MacOS or Photos on Windows 10. Using your favorite image editing software, make the image black and white either by lowering the saturation or applying a black and white filter. When you are done, save your file.
   
   
5. Navigate back to your XNBCLI folder. Make sure your “packed” and “unpacked” folders are both empty besides the .md files. Then, copy cat.png and cat.json from “modded files” into xnbcli>unpacked. Then, re-pack your files by running the appropriate pack file. When the program is finished, close it and open the “packed” folder. You should see a new xnb file labeled “cat.” If it’s not named “cat,” rename it to “cat.” Copy your new xnb file to “modded files” on your desktop.
   
   
6. Now, COPY cat.xnb from “modded files” to Stardew>Content>Animals. You will be prompted that cat.xnb already exists and if you would like to replace cat.xnb. Click YES.
   
   
7. Launch the game> Load Game > Save File. Your cat might be inside the house! If not, use WASD on your keyboard to move your character outside and check the waterbowl to the left your house. If your cat is black and white, you have successfully modded your game. When you are done, please quit the game without saving.
   
   

To continue to learn about game modding, explore the link below