L4D AddonInfo Authoring

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In Left 4 Dead Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 Left 4 Dead 2 , addons use addoninfo.txt to setup the proper metadata in the addons menu, or for the server browser. Without this, addons will not be visible in the menu. However in Left 4 Dead 2, loading addons from the Steam Workshop (requires being online) will automatically build metadata, which also overrides the addoninfo.txt file.

Warning.png Warning: Even in Left 4 Dead 2, you should still build a addoninfo.txt file for Steam Workshop addons, as users 'do convert the addons into a 'local addon' (addons not tied to subscriptions, and don't need internet).
Warning.png Warning: In Left 4 Dead, addons don't reload until you relaunch the game.

Keys

Any text that looks like this means that its either obsolete, or deprecated.

Metadata

These keys setup the general, but still important metadata of mods. Usually they're used for the addons menu.

Key Description
addonTitle Title of the addon. Mind that the default addon menu can't show long titles in full.
addonAuthor Name of the author.
addonURL0 Home page of addon with a download link. Used for server browsers, or joining a lobby without the necessities downloaded. (e.g. Mutations)
addonDescription Description of addon. In Left 4 Dead 2, Steam Workshop addons have a character limit of 499, regardless of UI mods.
addonSteamAppID Steam App ID the addon is for. Only addoninstaller.exe uses this, but its still used for organization.
Tip.png Tip: App ID for Left 4 Dead is 500, while 550 for Left 4 Dead 2.
addonVersion Version number of the addon; defaults to 1.0. Only addoninstaller.exe uses this.

Content Tagging

Add-ons can be given certain tags, which is displayed next to an add-on's name, and helps quickly describes an addon. In Left 4 Dead 2 however, tags are only visible when an addon is selected, but its possible to filter addons by tag.

The add-on menu has limits to tags, but its different in each game:

  • Left 4 Dead - Appends '..' to the addon's tags. Needs 4+ tags in Left 4 Dead's default menu UI before this happens.
  • Left 4 Dead 2 - Cuts off the tag's names. The limit before it happens is 30 characters for the default menu UI.
Key Left 4 Dead Left 4 Dead 's effects Left 4 Dead 2 Left 4 Dead 2 's effects
addonContent_Campaign Adds the Campaign tag. Loads all assets within the addon only for the maps in the campaign's mission file; adds the Campaigns tag.
addonContent_Map If addonContent_Campaign isn't used, adds the Maps tag. If addonContent_Campaign isn't used, adds the Campaigns tag.
addonContent_Survivor Adds the Survivor Models tag. Adds the Survivors tag. A single "string" can be used instead if needed. (e.g. "Coach")
To do: What does that do?
addonContent_Skin Adds the Skins tag. Adds the Skins tag. Using a single string instead is possible. To do: What does that do?
addonContent_BossInfected Adds the Boss Models tag. Adds the Infected tag.
addonContent_CommonInfected Adds the Common Models tag. Adds the Infected tag.
addonContent_Music Adds the Music tag. Adds the Sounds tag.
addonContent_Sound Adds the Sounds tag. Adds the Sounds tag.
addonContent_Prop Adds the Prop Models tag. Adds the Items tag.
addonContent_Weapon Adds the Weapon Models tag. Adds the Weapons tag.
addonContent_Script Adds the Scripts tag. Adds the Scripts tag.

Doesn't exist

These keys are found in the example addoninfo.txt from the Deadline example campaign, but does nothing when used.

Key Description
addonTagline A "wrap-up short description". How this was going to be implemented is unknown.
addonAuthorSteamID Supposed to setup a link that goes to the author's page.
addonSteamGroupName Supposed to setup a link that goes to a Steam Group's page.
addonContent_Survival, addonContent_Versus, addonContent_Scavenge (only in Left 4 Dead 2) Likely meant for maps.
addonContent_Prefab Prefabs refer to Hammer VMF prefabs. This doesn't alter the menu tags in anyway.
addonContent_Spray This doesn't alter the menu tags in anyway.
addonContent_BackgroundMovie 'BackgroundMovie' likely refers to the menu video.
Content_Weapon Supposedly for when the addon "provides a new weapon, i.e. guns, explosives, booby traps, hot tar, etc.". No such modding support exists.
Content_WeaponModel 'WeaponModel' points to mods that changes the looks of weapons.
addonDescription_XX Extra localization key variants for addon descriptions. The last two characters are the first two characters of the language (e.g. e.g.addonDescription_FR for French). All of the documented ones are:



File Samples

You'll find the addoninfo metadata files from the sample Deadline campaign, displayed here.

Downloads to the sample campaign are below:

Dead Line Left 4 Dead 
Dead Line 2 Left 4 Dead 2 

See also

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