MZ Plugin Studio

A visual no-code plugin builder for RPG Maker MZ. Create professional-quality plugins without writing JavaScript.

Overview

MZ Plugin Studio provides a complete visual development environment for creating RPG Maker MZ plugins:

• Visual Editors - Build plugins through intuitive forms instead of writing code
• Real-time Preview - See generated JavaScript update as you make changes
• Code Templates - 36 ready-to-use templates covering common plugin patterns
• Project Integration - Load your MZ project for auto-populated dropdowns
• Full Format Support - All 26 parameter types, multi-language, structs, and arrays

Features

Plugin Building

• Metadata Editor - Name, version, author, description, help text, URL
• Parameter Builder - All 26 MZ parameter types with drag-and-drop reordering, bulk operations, and presets
• Command Builder - Plugin commands with typed arguments
• Struct Definitions - Complex nested data structures
• Multi-language - Japanese (ja) and Chinese (zh) localization tabs

Parameter Types

All 26 RPG Maker MZ parameter types are fully supported:

Category	Types
Basic	string, number, boolean, select, combo, note, text, hidden
Game Data	variable, switch, actor, class, skill, item, weapon, armor, enemy, troop, state, animation, tileset, common_event, map, icon
Advanced	file (with @require), struct, array, color

Parameter Attributes

Attribute	Description
@text	Display label
@desc	Help description
@default	Default value
@min / @max	Number constraints
@decimals	Decimal precision
@dir	File directory
@parent	Nested parameter groups
@on / @off	Boolean labels
@option / @value	Select options

Plugin Commands

Code Template Library

36 templates across 14 categories to jumpstart your plugins:

Category	Templates	Description
Method Alias	1	Extend existing MZ classes safely (139 classes, 644 methods)
Custom Window	4	Windows, HUDs, popups, gauges
Scene Hooks	1	Hook into scene lifecycle
Database Extension	1	Add note tag parsing
Plugin Commands	3	Basic, async, and validated commands
Save/Load	1	Persistent data storage
Input Handler	1	Keyboard and gamepad input
Battle System	4	Actions, damage, turn hooks
Sprite System	3	Custom sprites and animations
Map Events	4	Event spawning, movement, transfers
Menu System	4	Custom scenes, title mods, options
Audio System	3	BGM control, SFX, crossfades
Message System	3	Text codes, window mods, choices
Actor/Party	3	Custom properties, party management

Code Editor

• Monaco Editor - Same editor as VS Code
• Syntax Highlighting - JavaScript highlighting
• Real-time Generation - Code updates as you edit
• Template Insertion - One-click template insertion
• Validation - Real-time error and warning display
• Raw Mode - Imported plugins can regenerate headers only, preserving original code body verbatim
• Diff View - Side-by-side comparison of generated output vs saved file
• Export Formats - Export as .js, README.md, .d.ts type declarations, or plugins.json entry

Project Integration

• Load MZ Projects - Select your project folder
• Auto-populate Dropdowns - All 14 MZ database types (actors, classes, skills, items, weapons, armors, enemies, troops, states, animations, tilesets, common events, switches, variables)
• Direct Export - Save plugins to js/plugins/ folder
• Import Existing - Parse and edit existing .js plugins

Additional Features

• Plugin Conflict Detection - Scans all project plugins for prototype method overrides; flags when 2+ plugins override the same method with severity based on class popularity
• Dependency Analysis - Scans @base, @orderAfter, and @orderBefore across project plugins; detects missing deps, circular deps, and load-order violations
• Analysis View - Dedicated view with overview stats, conflict details, and dependency issues — switch between Editor and Analysis tabs
• Auto-Documentation - Generate help text from plugin metadata with one click
• Bulk Parameter Operations - Multi-select, duplicate, delete, export/import parameters, reusable presets
• Note Parameters - Declare @noteParam groups for RPG Maker deployment packager
• Dark/Light Theme - Toggle between dark and light modes with full Monaco editor theme sync
• Keyboard Shortcuts - Press F1 for shortcuts panel (Ctrl+S/N/O, Ctrl+1-5 tab switching, F5 regenerate)
• Auto-Update - Checks for new versions via GitHub Releases with status bar notification
• Validation - Warns about unused structs, orphaned parent references, and unimplemented commands

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18 or later
• npm or yarn

Setup

# Clone or download the repository
cd mz-plugin-studio

# Install dependencies
npm install

# On WSL or Windows mounted drives, use:
npm install --no-bin-links

Development

# Start development server with hot reload
npm run dev

# Type check only
npm run typecheck

# Run tests (239 tests)
npm test

# Build for production
npm run build

# Lint code
npm run lint

# Format code
npm run format

Building for Distribution

# Windows
npm run build:win

# macOS
npm run build:mac

# Linux
npm run build:linux

Output will be in the dist/ folder.

Quick Start

1. Launch the app - Run npm run dev or the built executable
2. Create a plugin - Click the + button in the sidebar
3. Set metadata - Fill in name, version, author in the Meta tab
4. Add parameters - Click "Add Parameter" and configure each one
5. Add commands - Define plugin commands with arguments
6. Insert templates - Click the template icon in the code editor
7. Preview code - See real-time generated JavaScript
8. Export - Save to your project's js/plugins/ folder

Project Structure

src/
├── main/                    # Electron main process
│   ├── index.ts             # Window creation, app lifecycle
│   ├── updater.ts           # Auto-update (GitHub Releases)
│   ├── ipc/                 # IPC handlers
│   │   ├── dialog.ts        # File dialogs
│   │   ├── plugin.ts        # Plugin load/save/parse
│   │   └── project.ts       # MZ project loading
│   └── services/
│       └── pluginParser.ts  # Parse existing plugins
├── preload/
│   └── index.ts             # Context bridge (window.api)
├── shared/
│   ├── ipc-types.ts         # Typed IPC channel constants
│   └── override-extractor.ts # Prototype override extraction (shared main/renderer)
└── renderer/src/            # React frontend
    ├── components/
    │   ├── plugin/          # Main editors
    │   ├── preview/         # CodePreview, DiffView
    │   ├── analysis/        # AnalysisView (conflicts + dependencies)
    │   ├── settings/        # SettingsDialog, ShortcutsDialog
    │   └── ui/              # shadcn/ui components
    ├── stores/              # Zustand stores (one per domain)
    │   ├── pluginStore.ts
    │   ├── projectStore.ts
    │   ├── settingsStore.ts
    │   └── ...
    ├── lib/
    │   ├── generator/       # Code generation + validation
    │   ├── conflict-detector.ts   # Plugin conflict detection
    │   ├── dependency-analyzer.ts # Plugin dependency graph + validation
    │   ├── param-io.ts      # Parameter import/export (.mzparams)
    │   ├── exportFormats.ts  # README, .d.ts, plugins.json
    │   ├── shortcuts.ts     # Keyboard shortcut definitions
    │   └── mz-completions.ts # Monaco MZ autocomplete
    └── types/
        └── plugin.ts        # TypeScript interfaces
tests/                       # Vitest unit tests (239 tests)

Tech Stack

Technology	Purpose
Electron	Desktop application shell
React 19	UI framework
TypeScript	Type-safe development
electron-vite	Build tooling
Tailwind CSS	Styling
shadcn/ui	UI components
Zustand	State management
Monaco Editor	Code editor

Documentation

• User Guide - Detailed usage instructions

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Run npm run lint and npm run typecheck
5. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Third-party dependency licenses are listed in THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.md.

Disclaimer

"RPG Maker" and "RPG Maker MZ" are trademarks of Gotcha Gotcha Games / Kadokawa Corporation. MZ Plugin Studio is an independent, community-developed tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Gotcha Gotcha Games or Kadokawa Corporation.

Support

If you find this tool useful, consider supporting its development:

• Star this repository
• Report issues or suggest features
• Contribute code or templates