v21.1 Simple Custom Launcher for Essentials 1.0

Setup Instructions​

1. Install Visual Studio 2022
The first step is to download and install Visual Studio 2022 (the Community version is free). I won’t post the direct link here as I’m not sure if it’s against the rules, but you can easily find it by searching "Visual Studio 2022 Community" in your preferred browser.

Note: Make sure to select the ".NET SDK+10" workload during installation to ensure you can compile the launcher.

2. Installation and Configuration
After the download is finished, run the installer. During the setup process, you need to select the specific components required for the launcher to work. Please check the options circled in red in the image below:



Make sure you select the ".NET SDK 10" workload, as this is essential for compiling the project files.

3. GitHub Configuration
Now, let's move on to setting up GitHub. If you are already familiar with this process, feel free to skip this step. We will create a new repository to host your game updates. It’s a very straightforward process—just follow the red markings in the screenshots below:





4. Adding Files to your Repository
Once you have created your repository following the steps above, you will see the screen shown below. Click on the area marked in red and select the "Create new file" option.



5. The File Editor Screen
After selecting this option, you will be directed to the following screen/tab:




6. Creating the Update Info FileNow, do the following: in the filename field (marked in red), type exactly:

update_info.json

In the text area below, paste the following code:

JSON

{<br> <span>"version"</span>: <span>"1.0.1"</span>,<br> <span>"downloadUrl"</span>: <span>"Place the download link here."</span><br>}<br>

It should look like the screenshot below. After pasting the code, click the button marked in red (usually "Commit changes") to save it.



7. Setting up the Download URL
After completing the steps above, we will set up the download environment. It's very simple—we are going to create a new Release. Just click on the area circled in red in the image:



After clicking that, you will see the following screen. Follow the numbered instructions below:

• I. Tag: Here you will enter a version tag. You can choose whatever you like (I used "update" in my example, but any tag works).
• II. Release Title: Give your release a name. This is for your own organization and won't affect how the launcher works.
• III. Assets: Simply drag and drop your .zipfile into this area. The name of the zip file doesn't matter (I named mine "update").
  • Important: Whenever you need to update the game, remember to remove the old .zip and upload the new one.
• IV. Publish: Once you've filled everything out, just click "Publish release".

8. Finalizing the Update InfoAfter following the steps above, you will see this screen. Go to the area marked in red, right-click the asset, and select "Copy link address" to get your download link (I’m sure I don’t need to explain how to right-click, right? ).




After copying the link, go back to the repository homepage. If everything is set up correctly, it should look like this:



Click on the area marked in red to edit the update_info.json file. You will see the following screen:



In the downloadUrl field, paste the link you just copied from your update.zip file. It should look something like this:



Your version will show your specific download URL. Once the link is updated, simply click the green "Commit changes" button (marked in red).

Important: Every time you release a new update, you must update both the version number and the download link in this file for the launcher to recognize the change!

9. Getting the RAW Link
Once you have completed the steps above, go back to the file screen. We need to get the RAW link for your JSON file so the launcher can read the data correctly.

There are two ways to get this link:

I. First Method: Click the "Raw" button. This will open a new page displaying only the plain text of your file. Copy the URL from your browser's address bar (as indicated by the arrow in the image).





II. Second Method: Simply right-click the "Raw" button and select "Copy link address" (this part is pretty self-explanatory, right?).

10. Configuring the Launcher Source Code
Now that we have our URL, go to the launcher’s project folder. Find the file marked in red and edit this .cs file (I highly recommend using Notepad++ for this).



When you open it with Notepad++, you will see the following screen:



This is where you will paste the RAW link we copied in the previous step. After pasting it, just save the file.

Important Note: You only need to set up this RAW link once. After this, the launcher will always know where to look for updates in your repository!

Click to expand...

11. Extra Step: Compiling the Launcher
If for any reason you need to compile the launcher yourself, simply follow the steps shown in the short video below.

Command: dotnet publish -c Release

Path to find the compiled launcher.exe: launcher 1.0\bin\Release\net10.0-windows\win-x64\publish



apos terminar de compilar pegue o launcher.exe gerado e coloque ele na pasta raid do seu projeto

12. Installing the Launcher in your Project
Once the compilation is finished, take the generated launcher.exe and place it in the root folder of your game project (the same folder where your Game.exe is located).