Sean's DayZ Retexture Config Generator

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The all-in-one tool for creating DayZ retexture mods — no manual config editing required.

Drop your PAA texture files in, and the tool does the rest: it identifies which item each texture belongs to from a built-in database of 693 vanilla items across clothing, gear, weapons, vehicles, zombies, and animals. It auto-routes files to the correct folder structure, generates properly formatted config.cpp files with the right CfgPatches, CfgVehicles, hiddenSelectionsTextures, and requiredAddons, and creates types.xml spawn entries for server owners. Multi-slot items like firearms are handled automatically — functional slots are preserved through DayZ's class inheritance while your textures fill the correct visual slots.

Need to retexture items from another mod? Scan any mod's config.cpp (or drag it onto the tool) and its items are instantly available — with scanned mods remembered between sessions. The tool supports compound class names, deeply nested configs, multi-PBO mods, and non-standard naming conventions. Retextures of modded items are automatically separated into their own folder structure, keeping your mod organized.

Everything is designed to eliminate busywork: fuzzy matching handles imperfect filenames, batch operations let you process dozens of textures at once, a built-in config viewer lets you manage all your entries across every subfolder, and a config validator catches common mistakes before they become bugs. Whether you're retexturing one hoodie or building a 200-item clothing pack, this tool scales with you.

Features

Core

• Auto-match PAA files to base classes — Automatically identifies which DayZ item your texture belongs to (e.g. SEAN_Sneakers_Red.paa matches Sneakers_ColorBase). Handles camelCase names, compound suffixes, multi-prefix files, and modded class names
• All asset types — Supports clothing, gear, weapons (including firearms), vehicles, zombies, and animals
• Auto-routing — Files are automatically routed to the correct subfolder based on item category (e.g. shoes go to characters\shoes, weapons go to weapons\firearms). Each subfolder gets its own config.cpp with a unique CfgPatches name
• Modded item separation — Retextures of modded items are automatically routed to their own folder (e.g. {mod_root}\{ModName}\characters\tops\), keeping vanilla and modded retextures cleanly separated
• Generate config.cpp — Creates properly formatted config.cpp with CfgPatches, CfgVehicles, and hiddenSelectionsTextures[] entries
• Generate types.xml — One-click generation of types.xml spawn entries with per-asset-type settings (e.g. weapons default to Military spawn, animals to Hunting) and configurable nominal/min/lifetime values
• Append to existing configs — Detects existing config.cpp files and appends new entries without duplicates
• Duplicate class detection — Warns you before generating if multiple files would create the same class name
• Automatic file copying — Copies PAA files to the correct destination folder during generation
• Dynamic requiredAddons — Automatically sets the correct requiredAddons based on matched item types (e.g. DZ_Characters, DZ_Weapons_Firearms) and scanned mod dependencies
• Smart texture slot handling — For multi-slot items like firearms, only fills the correct texture slots and leaves functional slots (magazine, clip) inherited from the parent via DayZ's class inheritance ("")
• Multi-slot texture support — Provide custom textures for secondary slots (skein, fur, belt, etc.) using a naming convention. Files are automatically grouped and merged into a single config entry
• Multi-prefix support — Files with different prefixes can be added in the same session — the tool auto-detects and strips unknown prefixes during matching
• Config validator — Scan existing configs for common issues: missing PAA files, empty display names, self-inheritance, and duplicate class names across configs

Item Database

• 693 vanilla items built-in — Clothing, gear (containers, books, food, drinks, camping, tools, medical, consumables, crafting), weapons (firearms, pistols, shotguns, optics, buttstocks, handguards, ghillie wraps, magazines, muzzle attachments), vehicles (boats, jerry can), zombies (66 infected types), and animals (18 types — cows, wolves, goats, deer, chickens, boar)
• Bundled mod support — Ships with Windstride Clothing Pack (27 items). More mods can be added to BUNDLED_MODS
• P drive scanning — If DayZ Tools is installed, scans P:\DZ\characters, gear, weapons, vehicles, zombies, and animals for the latest item data. Finds _ColorBase classes, _Base classes with color variants (including classes with inherited hiddenSelections), and standalone retexturable items (books, food cans, optics, etc.)
• Scan any mod's config — Import base classes from any mod's config.cpp files. Supports _ColorBase, _Colorbase, _Base, compound names (e.g. _Colorbase_HoodUp), two-level and three-level inheritance, and deeply nested class definitions
• Recursive folder scanning — Scan an entire mod folder at once to find all config.cpp files across multiple PBOs (PBOs must be unpacked first using Mikero's DePbo tool)
• Drag-and-drop config.cpp — Drop a mod's config.cpp directly onto the file list to instantly import its base classes. The source mod name is automatically detected and saved
• Persistent scanned mods — Scanned and custom items are saved to scanned_mods.json and remembered between sessions. Scan once, use forever

File Management

• Drag-and-drop — Drop PAA files, folders, or config.cpp files directly onto the file list
• Placeholder hints — Empty file list shows drag-and-drop instructions and naming convention
• File list filter — Search box to quickly find files by name or matched base class when working with large file lists
• Match status indicators — Files are color-coded green (matched) or red (unmatched) with asset type and slot count shown inline
• Match counter — Status bar shows how many files are matched vs unmatched at a glance
• Rename unmatched files — Double-click any file to rename it. The tool suggests corrected names based on fuzzy matching against known items
• Manual base class assignment — If auto-matching fails, double-click a file and use "Select Base Class..." to pick from a searchable list of all known items (vanilla, bundled, and scanned)
• Bulk assign base class — Assign the same base class to all selected (or all unmatched) files at once
• Custom base class — For items not in any database, define your own base class with a custom name, slot count, asset type, and optional source mod. Validated as a C++ identifier, with duplicate warnings
• Batch rename prefix — Rename the prefix on all selected files (or all files if none selected) in one step
• Move up/down — Reorder files in the list
• Right-click context menu — Right-click files for quick access to rename, assign, delete, and batch operations
• Hover tooltips — Hover over a file to see its full path, or hover over any button for a description of what it does

Config Management

• Config viewer — See all entries across all config.cpp files in your mod at a glance, with folder, base class, display name, description, and texture info
• Sortable entries — Sort the config viewer by newest/oldest, base class, class name, display name, or folder
• Hover for full path — Hover over any row in the config viewer to see the full folder path
• Resizable columns — Drag column headers to resize. Widths are saved between sessions, with a reset button to restore defaults
• Edit entries — Double-click an entry in the config viewer to edit its display name and description
• Remove entries from GUI — Select entries in the config viewer and remove them, with the option to also delete the linked PAA files from disk. Fully undoable with Ctrl+Z
• Export class list — Export all generated class names to a text file for use in other tools or documentation
• Stale entry cleanup — When generating, the tool detects config entries whose PAA files have been deleted and offers to clean them up
• Automatic backups — Creates .bak files before modifying any config
• Restore from backup — One-click restore of all previous config versions

Quality of Life

• Auto-update — Checks for updates on launch. When a new version is available, shows the changelog and installs it automatically
• Naming guide — Click the "?" button next to PAA Files for a complete guide to file naming conventions, including secondary texture slots
• Template descriptions — Use {item} and {variant} placeholders in the description field (e.g. "Custom {item} in {variant}" becomes "Custom Sneakers in Red")
• Auto-detect prefix — Analyzes your filenames and automatically detects the common prefix (e.g. SEAN)
• Save/Load presets — Save your current mod folder, prefix, description, and file list to a preset file and reload it later
• Progress bar — Visual progress indicator for large batch operations (5+ files)
• Dark/Light mode — Toggle between themes. Your preference is saved between sessions
• Centered window — Opens centered on screen with even spacing, accounting for the taskbar
• Flash-free dialogs — All popup windows appear in their final position without flashing
• Open in Explorer — Open the mod folder directly from the tool
• Copy output to clipboard — Copy the output log contents with one click
• Button tooltips — Hover over any button for a description of what it does
• Keyboard shortcut hints — Button labels show their keyboard shortcuts (e.g. "Generate (Ctrl+G)")
• Keyboard shortcuts — Ctrl+G Generate, Ctrl+P Preview, Ctrl+O Add Files, Ctrl+Z Undo, Ctrl+A Select All
• Launch DayZ Tools — One-click button to launch DayZ Tools via Steam
• Collapsible sections — Hide/show the PAA file list and output log to maximize space for the config viewer
• Close confirmation — Warns you before closing if there are ungenerated files in the list
• Remember window size/position — The window reopens exactly where you left it
• Settings persistence — Mod folder, prefix, description, theme, window geometry, and column widths are saved to %APPDATA%

Getting Started

Requirements

• Windows 10/11
• DayZ Tools (optional — for P drive scanning and unpacking mod PBOs)

Download

Download the latest DayZ Retexture Config Generator.exe from the Releases page and run it — no installation needed.

The tool checks for updates on launch and can install them automatically.

Windows SmartScreen warning: Since the exe isn't code-signed, Windows may show a "Windows protected your PC" warning. Click "More info" → "Run anyway" to proceed. This is normal for unsigned applications.

Usage

Basic Workflow

1. Set your mod folder — Click Browse next to "Mod Folder" and select your mod's root directory (e.g. P:\MyMod)
2. Set prefix and description — Enter a unique prefix for your class names (e.g. SEAN) and an in-game item description. Click "Auto" to detect the prefix from your filenames
3. Add PAA files — Click "Add Files", "Add Folder", or drag-and-drop your .paa texture files onto the list. You can mix different item types (shirts, pants, weapons) in one session — they'll be routed to the correct folders automatically
4. Check match status — Green files are matched and ready. Red files need attention — double-click to rename or assign a base class
5. Preview — Click "Preview" (or Ctrl+P) to see what will be generated without writing anything
6. Generate — Click "Generate" (or Ctrl+G) to create/update config.cpp files and copy textures
7. Generate types.xml — Click "Generate types.xml" to configure and create spawn entries for server owners

File Naming Convention

Name your PAA files as PREFIX_ItemName_VariantName.paa for best results:

Filename	Matches	Class Generated
SEAN_Sneakers_Red.paa	Sneakers_ColorBase	SEAN_Sneakers_Red
SEAN_Hoodie_Blue.paa	Hoodie_ColorBase	SEAN_Hoodie_Blue
SEAN_M65Jacket_Camo.paa	M65Jacket_ColorBase	SEAN_M65Jacket_Camo
SEAN_AK74_Black.paa	AK74_Base	SEAN_AK74_Black
SEAN_ALV_Hoodie_Red.paa	ALV_Hoodie_ColorBase	SEAN_ALV_Hoodie_Red

Texture suffixes (_co, _ca, _nohq, _smdi, _as, _li, _mc) are automatically stripped during matching, so SEAN_Sneakers_Red_co.paa and SEAN_Sneakers_Red.paa both work.

The tool also handles underscore-separated names that DayZ stores as camelCase (e.g. Boonie_Hat matches BoonieHat_ColorBase).

Secondary Texture Slots

Some items have multiple texture slots (e.g. a hoodie with a drawstring, or pants with knee pads). By default, slots you don't provide textures for are inherited from the parent class.

To provide a custom texture for a secondary slot, add the slot name to the end of the filename:

PREFIX_ItemName_Variant_slotname.paa

The slot name must match one of the item's hiddenSelections entries. The tool detects it automatically.

Example: Skinny Jeans (3 slots: zbytek, skein1, skein2)

Filename	Slot
SEAN_Skinny_Jeans_Red.paa	slot 0: zbytek (body)
SEAN_Skinny_Jeans_Red_skein1.paa	slot 1: skein1
SEAN_Skinny_Jeans_Red_skein2.paa	slot 2: skein2

Example: Trapper Hat (2 slots: zbytek, fur)

Filename	Slot
SEAN_Trapper_Hat_Green.paa	slot 0: zbytek (body)
SEAN_Trapper_Hat_Green_fur.paa	slot 1: fur

You only need to provide secondary textures if you want to override them. Slots without a matching file will inherit the original texture from the parent item.

To find an item's slot names, click the "?" button next to PAA Files for the full naming guide, or check the mod's config.cpp for the hiddenSelections[] array.

Working with Modded Items

To retexture items from another mod:

1. Unpack the mod's PBOs — Use Mikero's DePbo tool to extract the .pbo files. The tool can only read unpacked config.cpp files, not packed .pbo or .bin files
2. Scan the mod — Either:
   • Drag and drop the mod's config.cpp onto the file list, or
   • Double-click an unmatched file → "Select Base Class..." → "Scan Config..." → select the mod folder to scan all configs recursively
3. Items are remembered — Scanned items are saved to scanned_mods.json with their source mod name, and will be available in future sessions without re-scanning
4. Automatic separation — When you generate, retextures of modded items are placed in their own folder (e.g. {mod_root}\AlphaClothing\characters\tops\), keeping them separate from vanilla retextures and from each other

When Auto-Matching Fails

If a file shows red (unmatched), double-click it to open the rename/assign dialog:

• Rename — Fix the filename so auto-matching can find it
• Select Base Class... — Opens a searchable picker with all known items (vanilla, bundled mods, and scanned items). Filter by name, type, or category
• Custom Base Class... — For items not in any database: type the exact class name (e.g. MyMod_SpecialItem_ColorBase), set the number of texture slots, choose the asset type, and optionally specify the source mod name
• Scan Config... — Import base classes from a mod's config files. You can scan a single file or an entire folder recursively
• Bulk Assign... — Assign the same base class to all selected or unmatched files at once

Auto-Routing

The tool automatically organizes files into the correct folder structure:

Vanilla items:

Asset Type	Destination Folder	Example
Clothing	{mod_root}\characters\{category}\	characters\shoes\
Gear	{mod_root}\gear\{category}\	gear\containers\
Weapons	{mod_root}\weapons\{category}\	weapons\firearms\
Vehicles	{mod_root}\vehicles\{category}\	vehicles\water\
Zombies	{mod_root}\characters\{category}\	characters\zombies\
Animals	{mod_root}\animals\{category}\	animals\bos_taurus\

Modded items are placed under their mod's name:

Source Mod	Destination Folder	Example
AlphaClothing	{mod_root}\AlphaClothing\characters\tops\	Modded hoodie retexture
BravoGear	{mod_root}\BravoGear\gear\containers\	Modded backpack retexture

Each subfolder gets its own config.cpp with a unique CfgPatches class name. Folders are created automatically as needed.

Managing Existing Configs

• The Config Viewer shows all entries across every config.cpp in your mod folder
• Sort entries by newest/oldest, base class, class name, display name, or folder
• Hover over a row to see the full folder path
• Double-click an entry to edit its display name and description
• Resize columns by dragging headers — widths are saved between sessions. Click "Reset Columns" to restore defaults
• Select entries and click Remove Selected to delete them from the config (with optional PAA file deletion)
• Click Export Class List to save all class names to a text file
• Click Validate Configs to scan for missing textures, duplicates, and other issues
• If you manually delete a PAA file, the tool will detect the orphaned config entry next time you generate and offer to clean it up
• Click Restore Backup to revert all configs to their previous versions

Keyboard Shortcuts

Global:

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+G	Generate config
Ctrl+P	Preview config
Ctrl+O	Add files
Ctrl+Z	Undo last action

File list:

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+A	Select all files
Delete	Remove selected files
Double-click	Rename / assign base class
Right-click	Context menu (rename, assign, delete, batch prefix)

Config viewer:

Shortcut	Action
Delete	Remove selected config entries
Double-click	Edit display name and description
Right-click	Context menu

Dialogs:

Shortcut	Action
Enter	Confirm / submit
Escape	Cancel / close

License

MIT