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Installing Mods

ME3 Manager offers powerful tools to make installing mods easy. The recommended methods are using the built-in Nexus integration or Drag-and-Drop with automatic metadata parsing.

The easiest way to install mods is directly through the built-in Nexus Mods integration.

  1. Ensure you are logged in.
  2. Switch the search source to Nexus in the search bar.
  3. Type a mod name, ID, or paste a Nexus URL and press Enter.
  4. Select a mod to view details in the sidebar.
  5. Click Install to download and install the mod automatically.

Placeholder for Nexus Search

Free vs Premium Accounts

  • Premium Users: Downloads start automatically via the API.
  • Free Users: A browser window will open to the download page. Click "Slow Download", and ME3 Manager will detect the file in your Downloads folder and install it automatically.

2. Drag and Drop

You can install mods by simply dragging files into the manager. This is the best method if you have already downloaded the files manually.

Smart Nexus Detection

If you drag a zip/rar/7z archive downloaded from Nexus Mods (e.g., ModName-12345-1-0-123456789.zip), ME3 Manager will:

  1. Parse the filename to identify the Mod ID.
  2. Fetch metadata (Author, Version, Description) from Nexus automatically (if logged in).
  3. Enable update tracking for the mod.
  4. Install the mod correctly.

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Supported Drop Items

  • Archives (.zip, .rar, .7z): Installs the mod inside.
  • Directories: Installs the folder as a mod.
  • .me3 Profiles: Installs the profile and any associated mod data.
  • DLL files: Installs as a DLL mod.
  • Regulation.bin: Installs game regulation files.

3. Manual Installation (Advanced)

For advanced users or custom mod structures, you can manually place files, but it is recommended to use Drag and Drop to ensure proper tracking.

Mod Structure Guide

ME3 Manager works best when a mod includes a .me3 profile file or follows one of the standard structures below.

Native DLL Mod

A typical DLL mod should have the .dll file and its configuration folder at the same level.

└── Storm Control
    ├── StormControl
    │   ├── config.ini
    │   └── profiles
    │       └── Example.ini
    └── StormControl.dll

Package Mod

For mods that modify game assets (e.g., overhauls), the following structure is recommended for standard game folders:

Nightfarer Bots
├── event
│   ├── common_func.emevd.dcx
│   ├── m18_00_00_00.emevd.dcx
│   └── ...
├── map
│   ├── m18
│   │   └── m18_00_00_00
│   │       └── m18_00_00_00_0000.btl.dcx
│   └── mapstudio
│       ├── m18_00_00_00.msb.dcx
│       └── ...
├── msg
│   └── engus
│       └── item.msgbnd.dcx
└── regulation.bin