# Help: Starting modding and projects

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/help-starting-modding-and-projects/19320>\
**Category:** The Toolbox\
**Created:** [March 20, 2019, 8:33am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/help-starting-modding-and-projects/19320 "2019-03-20T08:33:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mr.Denton](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/mr.denton/32/3156_2.png) [@Mr.Denton](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Mr.Denton)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2019, 8:33am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/help-starting-modding-and-projects/19320/1 "2019-03-20T08:33:32Z")

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**I have some questions regreding modding, any help is appreciated**

1: which program is good to design graphic elements with? And where to add the image file once done?  
- And what formats/pixels is normally used for good CDDA graphic elements?  
2: is there a list of flags and their function?  
3: How to start making vehicle parts? And giving them function  
4: How to use GitHub? And what does it take for a mod to be made mainline?

_The projects I wanna work on for now is mostly focused on base building and especially underground:_

**EASY**

1: pickaxe and jackhammer can turn rock and stone floors to dirt tiles (via construct, or via action)

3: Construction: Scarecrow, will be able to scar animals (mammals) away (tags?)

**MEDIUM**

1: Fishnet/tank for catching and transporting fish, once the fish tank item is used, it will start using units 100/100 and once it reaches 0/100 and you haven’t released the fish, it is killed

2: Vehicle part: crops growing light, heat effect similar to a brazier, but smaller output and also a light effect, smaller area, runs off power.

**HARD**

1: vehicle part: Hydroponics which require power, and nutrients (item), can be planted with any seed, all with the growing animations from their crop version (Yes we want em!🙂 )

2: vehicle part: farming water pipes, able to fertilize crops around it

3: a way to transport energy between terrain levels automatic (cables, or similar)

**HARDER**

1: vehicle part: Console from which you can control all vehicles electronics from, and see conditions that have installed [Radar moduel]

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**Author:** ![TheMurderUnicorn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/themurderunicorn/32/5706_2.png) [@TheMurderUnicorn](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/TheMurderUnicorn)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2019, 8:52am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/help-starting-modding-and-projects/19320/2 "2019-03-20T08:52:54Z")

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GIMP is the king of free art programs.

[https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/blob/b19cb9dddae3a3f0d392a025204304e9a9debd77/doc/JSON\_FLAGS.md](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/blob/b19cb9dddae3a3f0d392a025204304e9a9debd77/doc/JSON_FLAGS.md) contains a list of many flags and what they do, though to my knowledge it is not a complete list.

Vehicle parts are not my thing, but, [https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/wiki/Guide-to-adding-new-content-to-CDDA-for-first-time-modders:-New-Vehicle-Parts](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/wiki/Guide-to-adding-new-content-to-CDDA-for-first-time-modders:-New-Vehicle-Parts)

And Github . . . was hard for me to understand as someone who had never used something like it before. I pieced it together from many small tutorials around the internet. Mlangsdorf has some stuff about it . . . I guess it’s on [https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/wiki/Guide-to-adding-new-content-to-CDDA-for-first-time-modders](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/wiki/Guide-to-adding-new-content-to-CDDA-for-first-time-modders) – which I probably should have just linked to begin with.

And best of luck. More people working the project is usually a good thing.

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**Author:** ![Mr.Denton](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/mr.denton/32/3156_2.png) [@Mr.Denton](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Mr.Denton)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2019, 9:04am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/help-starting-modding-and-projects/19320/3 "2019-03-20T09:04:24Z")

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Thanks, man, I will start my training then, on the weekend 🙂