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ZZAR provides two main workflows for creating audio mods: using the Audio Browser for precise replacements, or the Import Wizard for quick batch imports.

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Creating Mods with the Audio Browser

The Audio Browser lets you browse game audio files, tag sounds, and export replacements as a mod package.
1

Browse Game Audio

Navigate to the Audio Browser tab. ZZAR will load all .pck files from your game directory.The tree view shows:
  • .pck files (e.g., Char_Female_Player_Jp_SFX.pck)
  • .bnk soundbanks inside each PCK
  • Individual .wem audio files
2

Find the Sound You Want to Replace

Use the Search bar to find sounds by:
  • File ID (e.g., 123456789)
  • Sound name/tag
  • PCK name
Click Find Matching Sound to use audio fingerprinting to match an external audio file against the game’s database.
3

Replace the Audio

Double-click a .wem file in the tree to open the replacement dialog.
  1. Select your replacement audio file (supports .mp3, .wav, .flac, .ogg, etc.)
  2. ZZAR will automatically convert it to .wav format
  3. If Wwise is installed, it will convert .wav → .wem
  4. The replacement is staged (not yet applied)
4

Tag Your Sounds (Optional)

Right-click any sound and select Tag Sound to add a human-readable label.Tags help you:
  • Remember what each sound is
  • Search for sounds later
  • Share tagged databases with others
Download the official tag database from the Audio Browser settings for pre-tagged sound names.
5

Review Your Changes

Click Show Changes to see all staged replacements.You can:
  • Preview replacement audio
  • Navigate to the original sound in the tree
  • Remove unwanted changes
6

Export as Mod Package

Click Export Mod to open the mod creation dialog.Fill in:
  • Mod Name: Display name (e.g., “Better Voice Acting”)
  • Author: Your name or alias
  • Version: Semantic version (e.g., 1.0.0)
  • Description: What your mod does
  • Thumbnail: Optional image (PNG, JPG, etc.)
Click Create Mod Package and choose where to save the .zzar file.
The Audio Browser workflow is best for:
  • Precise, targeted replacements
  • Mods that require listening to original audio first
  • Leveraging the official sound database for accurate tagging

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Creating Mods with the Import Wizard

The Import Wizard is a fast way to create mods from pre-converted .wem files or batch-import from folders.
1

Open the Import Wizard

In the Mod Manager tab, click Import Mod to launch the wizard.
2

Choose Import Mode

Select one of the following modes:

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Mode 1: Import WEM Files by ID

  • Provide .wem files named by their file ID (e.g., 123456789.wem)
  • ZZAR automatically detects which PCK each file belongs to
  • Use Browse Files to select individual WEMs, or Browse Folder to import all WEMs in a directory

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Mode 2: Import PCK Files

  • Provide pre-modified .pck files
  • ZZAR extracts changed .wem files by comparing against original PCKs
  • Useful for advanced users with custom PCK workflows
3

Select Your Files

  • Browse Files: Pick one or more .wem or .pck files
  • Browse Folder: Recursively scan a directory for matching files
The wizard displays the number of files found.
4

Fill in Mod Metadata

Provide:
  • Mod name
  • Author
  • Version (defaults to 1.0.0)
  • Description
  • Thumbnail (optional)
5

Create the Mod

Click Create Mod and choose where to save the .zzar file.ZZAR will:
  • Process each file (extract, index, or convert as needed)
  • Generate a metadata.json with replacement mappings
  • Package everything into a .zzar archive
  • Automatically install the mod into your library
The Import Wizard expects properly converted .wem files. If you’re starting from .mp3 or .wav, use the Audio Browser workflow instead.

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Mod Package Structure

A .zzar file is a ZIP archive containing: 
my_mod.zzar
├── metadata.json          # Mod info and replacement mappings
├── thumbnail.png          # Optional thumbnail
└── wem_files/
    ├── 123456789.wem
    ├── 987654321.wem
    └── ...

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metadata.json Format

{
  "format_version": "1.0",
  "name": "My Custom Mod",
  "author": "Username",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "Replaces character voices with...",
  "thumbnail": "thumbnail.png",
  "created_date": "2026-03-03T12:00:00",
  "zzar_version": "1.0.0",
  "replacements": {
    "Char_Female_Player_Jp_SFX.pck": {
      "123456789": {
        "wem_file": "wem_files/123456789.wem",
        "sound_name": "Player_Jump",
        "lang_id": 0,
        "bnk_id": null,
        "file_type": "wem"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Key Fields in replacements

  • wem_file: Path to the replacement .wem file inside the archive
  • sound_name: Human-readable label (optional)
  • lang_id: Language ID (0 = default, 1 = English, 2 = Chinese, etc.)
  • bnk_id: If the WEM is inside a .bnk soundbank, this is the BNK’s ID
  • file_type: Always "wem"
Advanced users can manually create .zzar files by writing metadata.json and zipping it with WEM files. Just ensure all paths are relative and files exist.

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Editing Existing Mods

To update a mod you created:
  1. Import the .zzar for editing: In the Audio Browser, click the settings menu and select Import ZZAR for Editing
  2. Make additional changes in the Audio Browser
  3. Export again with an incremented version number
  4. Install the new version (ZZAR auto-replaces the old one)

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Sharing Your Mod

Once you’ve created a .zzar file, you can share it:
  • Upload to GameBanana, Nexus Mods, or other mod sites
  • Share directly with friends
  • Post in ZZAR community channels
Always include a clear description and list of affected audio in your mod’s documentation.

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Best Practices

Use descriptive mod names: Instead of “My Mod v1”, use “Enhanced Combat Sounds Pack”.
Increment versions properly: Use semantic versioning:
  • 1.0.0 → 1.0.1 for bug fixes
  • 1.0.0 → 1.1.0 for new content
  • 1.0.0 → 2.0.0 for major changes
Test before sharing: Install your mod locally and verify it works in-game before distributing.
Include a thumbnail: Mods with thumbnails are easier to identify in the Mod Manager.

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Troubleshooting

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”Wwise is not installed” when exporting

You need Wwise to convert .wav → .wem. See Setup & Configuration for installation instructions.

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”Game audio directory not set” in Import Wizard

Configure your game path in Settings > Game Directory first.

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Mod installs but doesn’t work in-game

Check:
  • File IDs match the original game files
  • .wem files are valid (not corrupted during conversion)
  • The correct PCK name is used in metadata.json

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