A Complete Example

This page walks through a fully working pack (Cindersap Forest Campground), from the manifest.json to the last map patch, so you can see how the pieces fit together and copy the shape.

The pack is the framework's own reference content, so what you see here is the intended, idiomatic way to build one.

Read alongside the pack

If you have the example pack itself, keep it open next to this page. This walks the same files in load order. The pack has the full, unabridged JSON (with the literal IDs in place of the {{ModId}}_ placeholders used here).

---

The shape of the pack

[CP] Cindersap Forest Campground/
├── manifest.json
├── content.json                    the entry point (wires everything together)
├── i18n/
│   └── default.json                every DisplayName / dialogue string
└── assets/
    ├── maps/                        the campground map, visitor-site maps, tilesheets
    └── campgrounds/
        ├── campgroundPreview.png
        ├── tents/       campingTents.json + tent textures
        ├── foods/       campfireFoods.json + icon sheet
        ├── villagers/   campingVillagers.json
        ├── visitors/    parkVisitors.json
        └── shops/       shops.json

The pack keeps each content type in its own file and stitches them together from content.json with Include. This is optional and not a requirement. It helps keep the structure organized by doing so, however.

---

1. The manifest

manifest.json

{
  "Name": "[CP] Cindersap Forest Campground",
  "Author": "PeacefulEnd",
  "Version": "1.0.0",
  "UniqueID": "PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds.CindersapForestCampground",
  "MinimumApiVersion": "4.1.10",
  "UpdateKeys": [ "Nexus:????" ],
  "Dependencies": [
    { "UniqueID": "PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds.Core", "IsRequired": true, "MinimumVersion": "1.0.0" },
    { "UniqueID": "PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds.ContentPatcher", "IsRequired": true, "MinimumVersion": "1.0.0" }
  ],
  "ContentPackFor": { "UniqueID": "Pathoschild.ContentPatcher" }
}

The important part is the split between ContentPackFor and Dependencies (covered in full on the Getting Started page), the pack is for Content Patcher and depends on the framework's core and Content Patcher component.

---

2. content.json

content.json does five things, in order.

It creates the campground's location

A campground is a game location. Before anything else, the pack registers one through vanilla Data/Locations, keyed by the same Id the CampgroundData will use:

content.json (abridged)

{
  "Action": "EditData",
  "Target": "Data/Locations",
  "Entries": {
    "{{ModId}}_CindersapForestCampground": {
      "DisplayName": "{{i18n:map.cindersapForestCampground.name}}",
      "CreateOnLoad": { "MapPath": "Maps/{{ModId}}_CindersapForestCampground" },
      "ExcludeFromNpcPathfinding": true,
      "Fish": [ /* ... */ ],
      "Forage": [ /* ... */ ],
      "MinDailyForageSpawn": 4,
      "MaxDailyForageSpawn": 6,
      "MaxSpawnedForageAtOnce": 6
    }
  }
}

Note where the campground's display name lives: on the location, not the CampgroundData. The location also carries its own Fish and Forage tables (like any Stardew Valley location). Then the map itself is loaded:

{ "Action": "Load", "Target": "Maps/{{ModId}}_CindersapForestCampground", "FromFile": "assets/maps/CindersapCampground.tmx" }

It registers the campground with the framework

The CampgroundData entry appears and points back at that same location Id:

{
  "Action": "EditData",
  "Target": "Data/PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds/Campgrounds",
  "Entries": {
    "{{ModId}}_CindersapForestCampground": {
      "Id": "{{ModId}}_CindersapForestCampground",
      "ForceForageRefreshOnVisit": true,
      "PreviewTexturePath": "Mods/{{ModId}}/CindersapForestCampgroundPreview",
      "PlayerSpawnTile": { "X": 25, "Y": 18 },
      "GuestSpawnTile": { "X": 17, "Y": 23 },
      "MaxTentTileSize": { "Width": 5, "Height": 5 },
      "Description": "A peaceful camping spot in Cindersap Forest.",
      "TravelTimeInHours": 0,
      "UnlockCondition": "WORLD_STATE_ID MAP_UNLOCKED_CAMPGROUND:{{ModId}}_CindersapForestCampground",
      "UnlockHint": "Unlocked after talking with the Cindersap Park Ranger."
    }
  }
}

That UnlockCondition is the buy-to-unlock loop in action. It checks the exact flag a campsite map sets and the map that sets it is sold in the shop (step 5).

It includes the rest

The remaining content types are pulled in as separate files:

{ "Action": "Include", "FromFile": "assets/campgrounds/tents/campingTents.json" },
{ "Action": "Include", "FromFile": "assets/campgrounds/foods/campfireFoods.json" },
{ "Action": "Include", "FromFile": "assets/campgrounds/villagers/campingVillagers.json" },
{ "Action": "Include", "FromFile": "assets/campgrounds/visitors/parkVisitors.json" },
{ "Action": "Include", "FromFile": "assets/campgrounds/shops/shops.json" }

An Include file is just a content.json fragment with its own Changes array. This is done for organizational purposes and to reduce the bloat of 'content.json'.

---

3. Tents: three tiers of progression

campingTents.json defines three tents that form a progression:

Tent	Meals	Resting buff	How it's unlocked
Starter	1	none	Always available (it's the starter tent)
Standard	1	LowXPBuff	Buy the schematic
Sturdy	2	LowXPBuff	Buy the schematic after camping 10 times

The Standard tent shows the full unlock shape:

{
  "Id": "{{ModId}}_StandardTent",
  "DisplayName": "{{i18n:campingTents.standardTent.name}}",
  "NumberOfAllowedCampfireMeals": 1,
  "RestingBuffs": [ { "Id": "{{ModId}}_LowXPBuff" } ],
  "UnlockCondition": "WORLD_STATE_ID SCHEMATIC_UNLOCKED_TENT:{{ModId}}_StandardTent",
  "UnlockHint": "Purchase the schematic from the Cindersap Forest Park shop.",
  "TexturePath": "Mods/{{ModId}}/StandardTent",
  "GrayscaleTexturePath": "Mods/{{ModId}}/StandardTentGrayscale",
  "PreviewOffset": { "X": 0, "Y": -20 },
  "SouthSprite": { "...": "..." }
}

A few things the pack demonstrates that are easy to miss:

• EntranceTile and offsets are pixels. The starter tent's south entrance is { "X": 16, "Y": 48 }, which is three tiles' worth of pixels (not tile 16). See the tents reference.
• The sturdy tent halves its spritesheet with a flip. Its EastSprite sets "FlipHorizontally": true and reuses the west sprite's DisplayRectangle and gives east its own EntranceTile, because the flip doesn't move the entrance.
• Each tent loads its own textures right after its EditData, so the whole tent (data + sprite) lives in one block.
• The starter tent has no UnlockCondition. It's the fallback every villager and every player starts with, so it's always available.

---

4. Foods, villagers, visitors

Foods

Three meals, each RationCost: 1 and all from one 16×16 icon sheet by SourceRectangle. Two are free from the start ("UnlockCondition": "") while one is bought as a recipe:

{
  "Id": "{{ModId}}_SausageOnAStick",
  "RationCost": 1,
  "TexturePath": "Mods/{{ModId}}/DefaultCampfireFoods",
  "SourceRectangle": { "X": 32, "Y": 0, "Width": 16, "Height": 16 },
  "Buffs": [ { "Id": "{{ModId}}_LowStaminaBuff" } ],
  "UnlockCondition": "WORLD_STATE_ID RECIPE_UNLOCKED_CAMPFIRE_FOOD:{{ModId}}_SausageOnAStick",
  "UnlockHint": "{{i18n:foods.sausageOnAStick.unlockHint}}"
}

Villagers

The pack writes an entry for Abigail and Harvey, specifically to set their liked / disliked campgrounds:

{
  "Changes": [
    {
      "Action": "EditData",
      "Target": "Data/PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds/Villagers",
      "TargetField": [ "Abigail", "LikedCampgrounds" ],
      "Entries": {
        "PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds.ContentPatcher_MinesCampground": "PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds.ContentPatcher_MinesCampground"
      }
    },
    {
      "Action": "EditData",
      "Target": "Data/PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds/Villagers",
      "TargetField": [ "Harvey", "DislikedCampgrounds" ],
      "Entries": {
        "PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds.ContentPatcher_MinesCampground": "PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds.ContentPatcher_MinesCampground"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Note: TargetField should be used to append the lists (LikedCampgrounds and DislikedCampgrounds).

Visitors

parkVisitors.json uses both visitor styles side by side. One standard visitor:

{
  "Id": "{{ModId}}_Willy",
  "PreferredDates": [ { "Day": 8 } ],
  "StandardVisitorSettings": { "Visitors": [ "Willy" ] }
}

Three advanced visitors, one per park site (NW, SE, SW):

{
  "Id": "{{ModId}}_TravelingMerchant",
  "PreferredDates": [ { "Day": 8 } ],
  "AdvancedVisitorSettings": {
    "RequiredSpot": "NW",
    "MapPatches": [
      {
        "MapPath": "Maps/{{ModId}}_ParkSpotNW_TravelingMerchant",
        "ToArea": { "X": 5, "Y": 5, "Width": 12, "Height": 12 },
        "PatchMode": "Overlay"
      }
    ]
  }
}

The advanced visitors show two techniques the reference pages only describe:

• Token-driven cooldowns. The AbiEmiMaru visitor sets "DaysRequiredBetweenVisits": "{{Random: {{Range: 20, 40}} }}", which is a Content Patcher token (evaluated per visit), for a visit every 20–40 days.
• Weather/festival gating with a negated query. That same visitor uses "RequirementsCondition": "!WEATHER PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds.ContentPatcher_CindersapPark Rain Storm GreenRain Festival Wedding". The leading ! skips the visit on bad-weather or event days. Note the query is checked against the park location, not the campground.

Each advanced visitor spreads across a different sites, so all three could appear on the same day.

---

5. The shop

shops.json edits the framework's built-in camp shop by appending items to it:

{
  "Action": "EditData",
  "Target": "Data/Shops",
  "TargetField": [ "PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds.Shops.CampShop", "Items" ],
  "Entries": {
    "{{ModId}}_TentSchematic_SturdyTent": {
      "Id": "{{ModId}}_TentSchematic_SturdyTent",
      "ItemId": "(O)PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds.Items.TentSchematic {{ModId}}_SturdyTent",
      "Price": 5000,
      "AvailableStock": 1,
      "AvailableStockLimit": "Player",
      "Condition": "!WORLD_STATE_ID SCHEMATIC_UNLOCKED_TENT:{{ModId}}_SturdyTent, PLAYER_STAT Current PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds_TotalNightsGoneCamping 10"
    }
  }
}

Some notes:

• The ItemId is the tent-schematic item query with the tent's Id as its argument. Buying it sets the SCHEMATIC_UNLOCKED_TENT: flag the tent's UnlockCondition checks.
• The Condition does two things: !WORLD_STATE_ID ... hides the item once bought (so it's a one-time purchase) and PLAYER_STAT ... TotalNightsGoneCamping 10 hides it until the player has camped ten nights. See the nights-camped stat.
• AvailableStockLimit: "Player" with AvailableStock: 1 makes it once per player.

The pack sells a campsite map, a recipe and two tent schematics this way, then uses MoveEntries to order them after the walkie-talkie in the shop list.

A second shop for the recipe merchant

The visitor-run recipe shop shows the UNKNOWN_COOKING_RECIPES query put to use, with random stock and a random price multiplier:

{
  "Id": "{{ModId}}_RandomRecipes",
  "ItemId": "PeacefulEnd.Campgrounds_UNKNOWN_COOKING_RECIPES",
  "MaxItems": "{{Random: {{Range: 3, 5}} }}",
  "PriceModifiers": [ { "Modification": "Multiply", "Amount": "{{Random: {{Range: 2, 3}} }}" } ]
}

---