((full)) — Starbound Change Character Appearance Mod Work

Here’s a comprehensive guide to understanding how character appearance change mods work in Starbound, including the most popular mods, installation steps, and how they function under the hood.

9. Conclusion

Best for most players: Appearance Enhancer Mod – safe, easy, and supports modded races.
Best for minimalists: Change Your Appearance command mod.
Best for total control: StarCheat (external editor).

Once you install one of these, you can freely update your character’s look at any point in the game without starting over.

Changing your character's appearance mid-game in is notoriously difficult because character data (hair, colors, and species) is hard-coded into your .player save file. Standard Workshop mods generally cannot modify these specific values while you are playing.

However, you can still "change" your look using one of the three methods below. 1. The "Mod" Solution: StarExtensions

If you want a modern in-game editor, StarExtensions is currently the best option. It is a specialized tool (not a standard Workshop mod) that modifies the game engine to allow mid-game changes.

How it works: Once installed, you can use the command /editor open to reopen the character creation screen on your current character.

Tip: It is recommended to remove your cosmetic armor before using this to avoid resetting your worn clothes. 2. The External Tool: Starcheat

For a long time, Starcheat has been the go-to external save editor. It allows you to open your save file and directly change your hairstyle, colors, and even your species.

Note: While powerful, some features may break after major game updates. Always make a backup of your storage/player folder before using it. 3. The "Manual" File Edit (No Mods)

If you don't want to install extra software, you can manually swap appearance data between a "template" character and your main character. This is the most stable method but requires several steps.

Create a New Character: Make a temporary character with the exact hairstyle and colors you want. starbound change character appearance mod work

Locate Files: Go to your Starbound folder (storage/player) and find the .player files for both your old and new characters.

Unpack & Swap: Use the dump_versioned_json tool in the game's win32 folder to turn the binary player files into readable text.

Edit "Identity": Search for the "identity" section in both files. Copy the hair, color, and pose values from the new character's text file and paste them into your main character's file.

Repack: Use make_versioned_json to convert the text back into a .player file.

Looking for Cosmetics instead?If you just want to change your clothes, use the Wardrobe Interface mod, which allows you to preview and equip every piece of clothing in the game without editing save files. Mod that changes appearance and race? - Steam Community

, there is no official in-game feature to change your appearance once a character is created . However, you can achieve this through third-party mods, save-editing tools, or manual file manipulation . Popular Tools & Mods

StarExtensions: Widely considered the most modern and convenient solution . It adds an in-game character editor that you can access by typing /editor open in the chat console .

Starcheat: A powerful external save editor that allows you to change virtually every aspect of your character, including race, name, and colors, without manually editing code .

Simple Extended Character Creation 2.0: While primarily for initial creation, this mod is often used alongside others to ensure modded races and extra customization slots appear correctly in the UI . Manual File Editing Method

If you prefer not to use external software, you can manually edit your .player files using Notepad++ and the game's built-in utilities . Simple Extended Character Creation 2.0 - Steam Community

, character appearance is hardcoded into your save file, meaning there is no "Barber Shop" or built-in menu to change your look mid-game. Most players use external tools or save file editing to achieve this. 🛠️ Option 1: Using Mods (Easiest) Place the Appearance Enhancer object on the ground

While standard Steam Workshop mods can't easily edit your save, certain "extensions" add this functionality directly to the game.

StarExtensions: This is widely considered the best tool for this. It allows you to reopen the character creation menu in-game. Command: Once installed, type /editor open in the chat.

Note: It is recommended to unequip your clothes first, as the editor might reset cosmetic slots.

OpenStarbound: An alternative engine for the game that includes a /run player.setSpecies("race") command and other identity-changing tools. 📁 Option 2: Save File Editing (Advanced)

If you don't want to install extensions, you can manually swap your appearance by "borrowing" the data from a new character. 1. Create a "Template" Character

Launch Starbound and create a new character with the exact appearance (hair, colors, etc.) you want for your main. Save and exit the game immediately. 2. Locate Your Save Files Go to \Starbound\storage\player\.

Identify your Main character and your Template character. (Check the "Date Modified" timestamp; the Template will be the newest). Backup your entire folder before touching anything. 3. Use Official Tools to "Unpack" the Save

Starbound saves are binary and unreadable by text editors. You must use the tools in the \Starbound\win32\ folder: Command: dump_versioned_json.exe [MainID].player main.json.

Repeat this for the Template character to get template.json. 4. Swap the "Identity" Data Open both .json files in Notepad++. Search for the "identity" section.

Copy the values for hairType, hairDirectives, and bodyDirectives from the Template to your Main.

Directives are long strings of HEX codes that control your colors (skin, hair, underwear). 5. Repack the Save the item triggers world.sendEntityMessage(player.id

Use the sister tool: make_versioned_json.exe main.json [MainID].player.

Replace the old file in your storage/player folder and launch the game. 🎨 Quick Reference: Customization Keys

If you are manually editing the JSON, look for these specific tags: hairType: The sprite name for your hair (e.g., male23). bodyDirectives: HEX codes for skin and underwear color. hairDirectives: HEX codes for hair color. personality: Controls your idle stance.

Step 3 – Change Your Look

1. Place the Appearance Enhancer object on the ground
2. Interact with it (E key)
3. A full character creator window opens
4. Modify: species, gender, hair, skin color, body type, etc.
5. Click Confirm – your character updates immediately

Warning: Changing species may break equipped armor visuals. Re-equip your gear.

Implementation options (brief)

1. Console command (quickest)

   • Hook into a server-side script that listens for a custom chat command (e.g., "/changeappearance").
   • Parse parameters (race, hair, color).
   • Update player’s appearance fields and call player.setPortrait or equivalent (see notes).
   • Pros: Fast to implement. Cons: No UI, risk of misuse.

2. Item / NPC / Vanity Station

   • Create an interactable object or NPC with a Lua script and a simple GUI (SB style JSON GUI).
   • Present dropdowns/sliders for race/hair/colors.
   • On confirm, server script writes the new appearance to player profile and forces re-render.
   • Pros: User-friendly; consistent with game UX.

3. Full Avatar Editor GUI

   • Reuse vanilla avatar editor GUI assets or mimic them to provide full-featured editing.
   • More work but most polished.

1. The Vanilla Problem: No Post-Creation Editing

In vanilla Starbound, you cannot change your character’s appearance (hair, skin color, body type, etc.) after leaving the character creation screen.
The only vanilla options are:

• Changing armor/clothes (visual slots)
• Using dyes on armor

This is why mods are essential.

3. Popular Mods for Changing Character Appearance

| Mod Name (Steam Workshop) | How It Works | Special Notes | |---------------------------|--------------|----------------| | Appearance Enhancer Mod | Craftable mirror object → opens character creator | Supports all vanilla races + many modded races | | Change Your Appearance | Simple command: /changeappearance (admin required) | Lightweight, no new assets | | StarCheat (external tool) | Direct save editing | Can change anything, but risk of corruption | | Make the Universe a Cuter Place | Adds salon NPCs & items | Also adds new hairstyles/colors |

Most mods require you to be an admin (/admin) or use a spawned item.

3. How Mods Override the Limitation

3.2 In-Game Lua Scripting (Common method)

Most appearance-change mods use Starbound’s Lua API for items/objects. The mechanism follows:

| Step | Action | |------|--------| | 1 | Player crafts or spawns a special item (e.g., “Appearance Gun”, “Mirror”, “Syringe”). | | 2 | On use, the item triggers world.sendEntityMessage(player.id, "openCustomInterface"). | | 3 | A custom UI replicates the character creation sliders/color pickers. | | 4 | Upon confirmation, the mod calls player.setSpecies(), player.setHairType(), player.setSkinColor(), etc. – Note: Some methods are normally restricted, requiring the mod to be loaded as a _merge patch or to run with admin/cheat permissions. | | 5 | The mod forces a visual refresh via player.setIdentity() with new parameters. |