Creator Operations Manual

Documentation

A first-pass field manual for building RaidCreator packs: what the builder exports, how anchors and readiness work, and where community prefab publishing fits today.

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Static manual page. No CMS, no API reference, and no runtime/plugin behavior invented here.

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Overview

What RaidCreator produces

RaidCreator is a web-based 3D authoring tool for the EnderRaids Rust plugin. Its job is to produce validated, folder-based packs that the plugin can read from disk. The web app is not a runtime dependency.

Cinematic RaidCreator field manual dashboard with a 3D layout and checklist props.

Choose the pack contract

Pick Raid, Cave, Lobby, Environment, or Loot before authoring. The type controls required files, settings, and readiness checks.

Build the scene

Use the catalog, Anchors panel, placement snapping, and transform tools to create the layout in the browser workspace.

Save the draft

Save to the Library so the pack can be reopened, duplicated, previewed, thumbnail-captured, exported, or used as publishing source material.

Clear readiness

Resolve blocking checks for manifest identity, required anchors, type settings, references, and valid JSON before downloading the pack.

Export or publish the right thing

Download pack folders as local ZIPs. Community publishing is currently scoped to reusable User catalog prefab groups, not full pack bundles.

Builder basics

From catalog to saved Library draft

The builder workflow is an editor workflow first: place objects, tune transforms, save the draft, then run readiness before export.

Catalog

Place Rust prefabs from categorized catalog entries, including building pieces, deployables, doors, traps, turrets, storage containers, signs, effects, and saved User prefab groups.

Placement

Catalog click starts placement, drag-and-drop places directly into the 3D workspace, and control-drag supports repeat painting for clear horizontal or vertical strokes.

Transforms

Use selection, gizmo translation/rotation, grid snapping, rotation snapping, snap bypass, and camera controls to tune authored positions without changing the export contract.

Saving

Saved Library drafts retain manifest data, type settings, layout entities, anchors, NPC/vendor data, and preview thumbnail state where available.

Library workflow

Library packs can be reopened for editing, duplicated, previewed, downloaded as ZIPs, or checked against same-difficulty route and loot context warnings before export.

Pack types

Choose the right contract before building

Raid, Cave, Lobby, Environment, and Loot packs do not export the same files. Choosing the type up front keeps readiness messages specific.

TypeUseReadiness focusAnchor rulesExport files

Raid

Terminal encounter space for the actual raid objective.

Completion rule, raid boundary, manifest identity, and layout content.

Pack.Connector.Entrance, tagged storage containers for loot markers, optional npcSpawn anchors.

manifest.json, layout.json, raid.json, optional npc.json.

Cave

World-to-instance entry and claim space.

Spawn config, `portalAnchorId`, claim boundary, and layout content.

portal_anchor and claim_anchor. Caves do not use the Pack.Connector.* chain.

manifest.json, layout.json, cave.json, optional npc.json.

Lobby

Safe staging area before an environment or raid route.

Spawn points, lobby boundary, vendor config, and layout content.

Pack.Connector.Exit, vendor_anchor, at least one spawn point, optional enderchest_anchor.

manifest.json, layout.json, lobby.json, vendor.json.

Environment

Bridge segment between lobby and raid.

Environment boundary, manifest identity, and layout content.

Pack.Connector.Entrance, Pack.Connector.Exit, optional npcSpawn anchors.

manifest.json, layout.json, environment.json, optional npc.json.

Loot

Difficulty-aligned reward data for storage containers and NPC drops.

Fixed Standard, Rare, and Elite pools each need at least one item. NPC Drops are optional.

None. Loot packs are data-only and never include layout.json.

manifest.json, loot.json.

Anchors and connectors

Formal route assembly points

Spatial route packs snap together through formal connector anchors. Cave entry is separate: it uses a portal anchor into the instanced route, not the Pack.Connector.* chain.

Lobby

Requires Pack.Connector.Exit where the Environment attaches.

Environment

Requires Pack.Connector.Entrance from Lobby and Pack.Connector.Exit toward Raid.

Raid

Requires Pack.Connector.Entrance where the Environment attaches.

Cave

Uses portal_anchor and claim_anchor; it is outside the connector chain.

Readiness validation

What checks catch before export

Readiness exists so creators see contract problems in the builder instead of discovering broken pack files after installing them on a server.

Manifest and identity

Pack id is lowercase-safe, unique, and matches the folder name.
Pack type matches the destination family: Raids, Caves, Lobbies, Environments, or Loot.
Difficulty tag is one of easy, normal, hard, or expert.

Layout and anchors

Spatial packs contain at least one exported entity.
Required Pack.Connector.* anchors are present for Lobby, Environment, and Raid packs.
Cave portalAnchorId resolves to a portal_anchor in the same layout.json.

Type settings

Raid packs define a completion rule and raid boundary.
Lobby packs define spawn anchors, lobby boundary, and a vendor anchor reference.
Environment packs define an environment boundary; Loot packs fill the fixed Standard, Rare, and Elite pools.

Reference safety

Anchor references resolve inside the same pack.
NPC spawn anchors resolve in that pack's layout.
Unknown prefab paths or shortnames remain warnings until server-authoritative catalogs exist.

Export shape

Export folder anatomy and JSON conventions

Exported packs are native folder-based content. The folder name must match manifest.json id exactly, and file names are fixed by pack type.

Content folder map

EnderRaids/
  Content/
    Raids/
      <packId>/
        manifest.json
        layout.json
        raid.json
        npc.json              optional
    Caves/
      <packId>/
        manifest.json
        layout.json
        cave.json
        npc.json              optional
    Lobbies/
      <packId>/
        manifest.json
        layout.json
        lobby.json
        vendor.json
    Environments/
      <packId>/
        manifest.json
        layout.json
        environment.json
        npc.json              optional
    Loot/
      <packId>/
        manifest.json
        loot.json

Every JSON file uses an object at the root, never a top-level array.

Fields use camelCase and stable string IDs for named objects.

Positions and rotations use { x, y, z } vector objects.

Booleans and lists are explicit; do not rely on implied runtime behavior.

The web app must not export import-meta.json; that file is importer-generated only.

Community publishing

Prefab groups, thumbnails, tags, and imports

Community publishing is useful, but it is deliberately narrower than pack export. Today it centers on public snapshots of reusable User catalog prefab groups.

Reusable prefab groups

Publish from User catalog groups when a reusable building segment is ready for other creators. Full pack and bundle publishing stay out of scope for this first-pass docs page.

Thumbnail-first preview

Publishing captures a stored thumbnail and camera framing so community cards can browse quickly without regenerating previews passively.

Creator tags

Use concise creator-entered tags and descriptions to explain the prefab group. Tags help browsing, but they should not stand in for a clear name and thumbnail.

Imports and updates

Adding a published prefab imports the latest snapshot into the Builder User catalog. Imported copies do not silently auto-update when the original creator publishes again.

Cinematic export operations bay with folder cartridges, validation boards, and prefab thumbnail sheets.

Troubleshooting

Symptom, cause, fix

Start with the readiness message or publish error. Most failures are missing references, missing required type settings, or an unsupported assumption about what the current web app exports.

Missing connector anchor

Likely cause: The pack is using no formal connector, the wrong connector direction, or an older legacy alias.
Fix: Open the Anchors panel and place the required Pack.Connector.Entrance or Pack.Connector.Exit, then set its facing rotation intentionally.

Cave portal fails readiness

Likely cause: cave.json.portalAnchorId does not resolve to a portal_anchor inside the same layout.json.
Fix: Place a Cave portal anchor, keep the cave portal flow separate from the Pack.Connector.* chain, and rerun readiness.

Invalid or blocked export

Likely cause: Manifest identity, required files, type-specific settings, or same-pack anchor references are incomplete.
Fix: Follow the readiness message literally. Fix the first blocker, rerun readiness, then continue until only accepted warnings remain.

Empty spatial layout

Likely cause: A Raid, Cave, Lobby, or Environment pack has no exported layout entities.
Fix: Place at least one real prefab entity. Anchors define references, but the spatial export still needs layout content.

Lobby vendor mismatch

Likely cause: vendor.json binds to an anchor, but the vendor NPC entity must also exist in the Lobby layout.
Fix: Place the vendor anchor and ensure the vendor NPC entity is part of layout.json; vendor.json only defines appearance metadata.

Thumbnail or publish trouble

Likely cause: The community publish flow needs a captured thumbnail and valid User catalog group snapshot.
Fix: Save the group, wait for the preview to frame, then publish or publish latest again. Community browsing should use stored thumbnails.

Imported prefab is stale

Likely cause: Imported community prefab groups are snapshots in your private User catalog, not live-linked source records.
Fix: Use the update-import flow when a newer public snapshot is available instead of editing the imported copy as if it owned the source.

Loot pack has no layout

Likely cause: Loot packs are data-only by design.
Fix: Author Standard, Rare, and Elite item pools in the Loot workspace. Use Raid storage containers or NPC Drops to consume loot data at runtime.

Next steps

Where to go after this hub

Use this page as the central field manual, then jump to the route that matches the next creator task.

Tutorials

Use guided workflow pages when you want a narrower how-to path.

Support

Use the public support page when readiness messages or publish flows do not explain the issue.

Roadmap

Check shipped work, planned candidates, and production-hardening context.

Community

Browse published prefab groups and creator surfaces.