MDK² Documentation

Welcome to MDK² (Malware's Development Kit for Space Engineers), a comprehensive toolkit for developing programmable block scripts and mods for Space Engineers.

Getting Started

Start by choosing how you want to install MDK²:

Get Started with MDK Hub - Install the Hub and let it set up .NET, templates, and project management for you.

Manual Installation Guide - Advanced setup for users who prefer full manual control.

Note

Upgrading from MDK (version 1)? Due to significant architectural changes, we recommend creating a new MDK² project and copying your code files over rather than attempting to upgrade existing projects.

Using Your IDE

Once MDK² is installed (via Hub or manually), use your preferred IDE workflow:

Project Types

MDK² supports three project types:

Programmable Block Scripts - In-game scripts for programmable blocks. These are combined into a single file and deployed to Space Engineers.

Mods - Full game modifications that extend Space Engineers functionality.

Mixin Projects - Shared code libraries that can be referenced from multiple scripts or mods. Perfect for reusing utility functions, helper classes, or common logic across your projects.

Configuration

Start with the MDK² Project Configuration Guide to configure minification, output paths, and other settings.

Advanced Features

Controlling File Order - Manage how your files are combined in the final output
Using Macros - Use text replacement macros for build timestamps, version numbers, and custom values
Preserving Types During Minification - Keep specific code unminified

Updates & Maintenance

The Hub makes it easy to keep everything current. You can update templates directly from the Hub's update checker or use the command-line method.

For NuGet packages, the Hub shows update indicators in the project list. Select a project that needs updates, and you'll see "MDK Package Updates" in the actions panel with two options: "Update This Project" or "Update All Projects" to handle updates across your codebase.

If you prefer using your IDE's package manager instead:

Contributing to Documentation

Found an error or have a suggestion? We'd love to hear about it. You can report issues or contribute fixes through the malforge.github.io repository on GitHub. The documentation source files are in the input/mdk2/ folder.

Your contributions help make MDK² better for everyone!