Add Mod Files to Your Catalog

Before you can assemble a Protocol, you need some mod files registered in the system catalog. The catalog is where your mod files live before they are assigned to a protocol.

Adding a Mod File

Navigate to the Install page and switch to the Mod Files tab. This is your Mod File Catalog, a searchable database of all mod files the system knows about.

Via the “Add to Catalog” dialog

1. Click the Add File button at the top of the catalog table.
2. In the dialog that opens:
   • Click the folder icon (📂) to browse your file system and select a mod file (.pk3, .wad, .zip, .deh, etc.)
   • Give it a Pretty Name. This is how the mod is referred to throughout the system. If your file is called Project_Brutality_2.0b.pk3, you might name it Project Brutality Phase 2.
   • Optionally add a Version (e.g. 2.0b)
   • Optionally add a URL linking to the mod’s ModDB page, forum thread, or source
   • Optionally pick a Category (e.g. weapon_mod, map_pack) to help organise your catalog.
   • Load Order lets you specify other mod files this one depends on. The system will automatically load dependencies before this mod when launching. You can reorder dependencies by dragging them, or remove them with the trash icon.
   • If importing a .zip file that contains multiple supported files, the system will detect them and let you set their relative load order right from the import popup.
   • Toggle Sidecar mod if this file doesn’t work on its own and is only meant to be loaded alongside another mod.
   • Settings File. If the mod comes with a suggested settings.cfg, you can link it here. A copy is created for each protocol using this mod, so tweaks in one session do not bleed into others.
3. Click Add to Catalog. The system will copy the file to your mods directory with an MD5 hash-based filename to prevent collisions, and register it in the catalog.

The file is now available in the catalog and can be assigned to any Protocol via the Mod File Selector dropdown on the Install page.

Via the Install form directly

On the Configuration tab of the Install page, you can also add files on-the-fly:

1. Click the + Add File button below the file list.
2. Browse to your mod file or select one from the Catalog dropdown (which lists everything already in your catalog).
3. The file will be added to the current protocol. If it’s a new file (not yet in the catalog), it will be registered automatically when you create the protocol.

Editing or Removing Catalog Entries

Back in the Mod Files tab:

• Click the pencil icon (✏️) on any row to edit the entry’s name, version, URL, category, or load order.
• Click the trash icon (🗑️) to remove a file from the catalog entirely. A confirmation dialog lets you choose whether to also delete the file from disk.

UAC Registry Lookup

If you have Registry Lookups enabled in Settings → General, the system will attempt to match your mod file against the online UAC Registry when adding it to the catalog. Matched files will auto-populate metadata like name and version. Registry lookups require an active connection to the UAC data centers.

See the UAC Registry Lookup page for full details.

Where to find mod files

Looking for mods to play? Here are the best places to find Doom mods of all kinds:

Site	Best for
ModDB	The largest collection of Doom mods anywhere. Most major mods (Project Brutality, Hideous Destructor, Ashes 2063, etc.) have their main release here.
Doomworld / idgames	The original Doom mod archive, 20,000+ files going back decades. Great for classic maps, weapon mods, and obscure gems. Can be browsed through the Doomworld frontend or directly via the /idgames FTP.
Itch.io	Indie games and mods. A growing number of Doom mods are released here, often with “pay what you want” pricing, which is a good way to support the developers.
Realm667	A curated repository of weapon, monster, and texture packs. Especially good if you’re making your own mods and need resources.
GitHub	Many modern mods are developed on GitHub. Search topics like doom-mod, gzdoom, doom-wad to find projects.

File formats to look for

Most mod files come in one of these formats, all of which UAC Launch Control supports:

Format	Description
.wad	Classic Doom format, can be an IWAD (full game) or a PWAD (mod patch).
.pk3 / .pk7	Zipped archive formats used by ZDoom-family ports. These are the most common format for modern mods.
.zip	Supported natively by GZDoom/UZDoom, the app can also unpack it and let you import individual files.
.deh / .bex	DeHackEd patches that modify game behavior (weapon stats, monster properties).

Tips

• Read the mod page: This can make your experience way better as many mods specify which source port and version they require. Install that specific version (see the Downloading Source Ports guide).
• Load order matters: when using multiple mods, the order they’re loaded can affect compatibility. Check the mod description for recommended load orders and set them up in the Load Order field when adding files.
• Registry metadata: if you have UAC Registry Lookup enabled, the app will try to auto-fill names and versions when you add a file. The registry grows as the community contributes metadata.

Storage

Mod files registered in the catalog are stored in your configured Mods Directory (~/.config/uac/mods/ by default). The catalog index itself lives at:

~/.config/uac/modFileCatalogue.json

This file can be edited manually if needed, though using the in-app tools is recommended to avoid corrupting the registry.