For anyone who isn't sure how the file structure for ARMA 3 mods work, here is a quick overview.
THE MOD FILESWhen you download a mod from Armaholic or off the forums, there are generally three types of files included. PBO's, bikey's, and bisign's.
Unless you are running a server or joining a server with signature verification, you can ignore the bikey files.
What is a PBO?A PBO is Bohemia Interactive's own packed file format. Think of it similar to a .zip file. The .pbo contains all of the necessary files that ARMA reads and uses to add your mod to the game.
Where do I put the PBO and Bisign?This is where you can do things a few different ways. I am only going to go over the @Mod structure.
Frankly, it is the easiest and safest way to go about adding mods into the game, as you keep your mod files separate from ARMA 3's files.
In order for ARMA to read your custom PBO, it has to be in a folder in your ARMA directory named "addons". There is an "addons" folder created in your ARMA directory when you install the game, but we went to keep our files separate from the base files.
To do this, we create folders named "@ModName" that have an "addons" folder inside. This separates our files and also sorts our mod folders to the top of the ARMA directory. You can give the folder whatever mod name you want, but try to keep it simple and descriptive like @TFAR or @506thPack.
Inside the "addons" folder in your "@ModName" folder, you will place your addon .pbo and bisign files.
Your final file structure should look like:
Drive:\Steam\steamapps\common\Arma 3\@ModName\addons\mymod.pbo
USERCONFIG FILESA few of the mods we use here in the 506th require userconfig files that tell the mod how to interact with you.
These files are essentially a piece of C++ code that is run during your game session. They should all have a .hpp file extension. The file structure for userconfig files is very specfic, as the location of the files are hard-coded into the mod's files. All files will go into their own folder in the userconfig folder found in your ARMA 3 directory.
If for some reason you download a userconfig file that doesn't come in it's correct folder, you can find the name of that folder in a readme file on Armaholic or BIStudio forums.
Current 506th mods that require userconfig files include (as of 08FEB15):
| Mod Name | Userconfig File | Folder Structure |
| TFA Radio | radio_settings.hpp | userconfig\task_force_radio |
| CTAB | ctab_settings.hpp | userconfig\ctab |
BONUS FACTSYou can create an @Mod folder and add whatever mod .pbo files you want to it.
Our own 506th pack is simply a compilation of mods approved by Command Staff all put into the same directory so it's easier to launch them.
For example, you could create an @ClientsideMods folder and combine the addons folders from the approved clientside mods you use in it. Now you can launch all your clientside mods under one mod name.
