Architecture

The modkit is built around the user’s own PAYDAY 3 installation rather than a redistributed copy of the game project.

There are three main data paths to understand: cooked content, reflected native classes, and mod authoring/runtime loading.

Cooked content path

PAYDAY 3 installation
        |
        | game path + AES key
        v
Custom PAYDAY 3 editor
        |
        | AssetRegistry.bin in modkit root
        v
Cooked PAYDAY 3 assets exposed under /Game/...

The custom editor mounts the installed PAYDAY 3 containers and uses the supplied AssetRegistry.bin to discover the game’s cooked assets.

Supported assets then appear in the Content Browser at their original /Game/…​ paths.

These assets remain game-owned cooked content. They are not copied into the modkit and should not be redistributed with a mod.

Cooked audio support

Cooked audio assets also depend on the modkit’s modified Wwise integration.

The Wwise plugin is included with the modkit, but its Audiokinetic ThirdParty SDK files must be supplied by the user as described in Set Up Wwise.

Without the required matching Wwise files, cooked audio asset support is not fully available even if the rest of the cooked-content setup is correct.

Reflected native class path

Clean running PAYDAY 3
        |
        | GenerateJMAP.bat
        v
JMAP in Content/DynamicClasses
        |
        | project startup
        v
Suzie
        |
        v
Generated + registered PAYDAY 3 runtime classes
        |
        v
Blueprints, Data Assets and other editor references

Suzie runs when the project starts.

It reads the JMAP from Content/DynamicClasses, generates the native PAYDAY 3 runtime classes needed by the editor, and registers those classes so mod assets can reference them.

The generated files are local-only and are regenerated when the project starts. They are not committed to the modkit repository.

See Reflected Game Types.

Mod authoring path

CrimeForge
    |
    | Create Mod
    v
<ModkitRoot>/Mods/<ModName>/
    |
    | author content
    v
Forge
    |
    v
Plugin-based PDML mod
    |
    v
PAYDAY3/Mods/
    |
    v
PDML

CrimeForge creates user mods as Unreal plugins inside the modkit’s Mods directory.

When the mod is Forged, CrimeForge cooks and packages only the content that belongs to that mod. The resulting plugin mod is installed under the game’s PAYDAY3/Mods/ directory for PDML to discover and handle.

Bundled PDML development plugin

The modkit includes the official PDML plugin mod under:

<ModkitRoot>/Mods/PDML/

This gives mod authors access to PDML’s Blueprint functions and API while working in the editor.

Do not modify, Forge, or redistribute the bundled PDML project as part of your own mod.

Use the official PDML supplied with the modkit. It is present so your mod can reference PDML’s API during development.