Project export: from preset to launch

Export output

The exporter takes the project, applies a preset, prepares resources and creates output for the selected platform. Exporting is different from building engine source and from saving a document in the editor.

Start with Windows export for a first testable desktop build. A dedicated server uses a separate mode; do not enable it for a regular client merely to reduce size.

Prepare before exporting

1. The main document is configured and runs. Required documents and resources are saved.
2. Scripts build. For C#, the expected .sln and linked .csproj exist: without a solution, the current export plugin may not detect the .NET project.
3. A target preset and templates for the required version and architecture exist. The exporter must find the required Debug/Release files.
4. The output directory is separate from source project assets. Avoid placing finished builds among resources that will enter subsequent exports.

Open Project → Export, add a platform and give the preset a clear name. The command line takes that name, not just the platform label. Check missing templates through Editor → Manage Export Templates. Configure SDKs and tools for other platforms through their specific guides; adding a preset does not install them.

Files included in the game

Select all resources for the first build. After an export works, reduce its contents and repeat the test.

Add ordinary JSON, TXT and other files read through FileAccess with an inclusion filter such as *.json. The exclusion filter runs after inclusion and can remove a required file. Verify resources whose paths are built as runtime strings separately too: explicitly include them when using selective export.

Resource import and export solve different problems. A source image on disk does not prove its imported result entered the package.

C# build and resource pack

The C# plugin runs publish using ExportDebug or ExportRelease. dotnet/embed_build_outputs controls whether C# outputs enter the PCK or are distributed separately. Preserve the complete output, including generated directories and DLLs.

A desktop preset’s binary_format/embed_pck is a separate setting: it embeds the PCK in the executable. This does not promise a single-file distribution for every game. Extensions and other dependencies can remain external.

A PCK/ZIP from Export PCK/ZIP does not run by itself. Do not substitute an arbitrary editor EXE for a missing full build. For a first release, use Export Project and test its output. See PCKs, patches and mods for additional packs.

Configuration files

• export_presets.cfg stores presets, filters, output paths and ordinary options. Keep it with the project version after inspecting its contents before publication.
• .reckfell/export_credentials.cfg stores options the exporter marks secret, including passwords and keys. Keep it out of public repositories.

After moving a project, verify templates, build tools and confidential settings on the new computer. The preset file does not transfer installed SDKs.

Automation

The commands below illustrate Windows. Supply an existing editor, project and preset name; create the output directory first.

$engineExe = 'C:/Tools/Reckfell/Runtime/Reckfell Engine.console.exe'
$projectDir = 'C:/Projects/MyGame'
$buildDir = 'C:/Builds/MyGame'
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "$buildDir/Release" | Out-Null
& $engineExe --headless --path $projectDir --editor --export-release 'Windows Desktop' "$buildDir/Release/Game.exe"
if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'Export failed' }

Replace --export-release with --export-debug for Debug; use --export-pack with a .pck output for a pack only. Relative output paths start at the project directory. Check the exit code and log. See the command-line guide for other arguments.

Accept the finished output

Run the exported application rather than F6 in the editor. Check launching from another directory, dynamic resources, ordinary files, input, audio, level transitions and saving to user://. Then repeat on the target device. Keep the source project after a successful export: a finished build does not replace source resources or change history.

The technical example exported and ran Windows x64 C# Debug/Release builds outside the source project. It verified the C# entry point, resource, UTF-8 JSON and project settings. It does not establish other platforms, rendering, every filtering mode or clean-system installation.