Technical Note: Asset Compilation in Code-Only Projects

[EsatMan]

Regarding asset compilation in code-only development: it’s actually not as complex as it might seem—the Stride developers have already done most of the heavy lifting. However, if you are pursuing a code-only workflow, you might run into some hurdles. You may have seen related discussions in the Stride Community Toolkit repository, but the information there can be a bit scattered. I’d like to provide a concise explanation of how it works.

The Underlying Principle

As long as your project references Stride.Core.Assets.CompilerApp, your MSBuild process will automatically include a call to the Asset Compiler. This target relies on a few prerequisites; if these aren't met, you'll run into compilation issues.

Key Requirements

The .sdpkg File: You need a YAML-based <ProjectName>.sdpkg file. It must reside in the same directory as your .csproj and share the exact same name. If your solution has multiple projects, place the .sdpkg in your main executable/app project, not the class libraries.
Folder Structure: I recommend sticking to the default paths: !dir Assets, !dir Effects, and !dir Resources. While it might be possible to customize these, I’ve found that keeping the defaults ensures the MSBuild targets work seamlessly without extra configuration.
GameSettings: You must have a GameSettings.sdgamesettings file (YAML) inside your Assets/ folder. If the MSBuild target can’t find this file, it will fall back to default game settings, which often makes your .sdpkg edits appear as if they are being ignored.
Tip: You can easily get boilerplate templates for these files by creating a dummy project in the Stride Editor (ironically, even for a code-only approach, having the Editor handy for generating templates is highly recommended).

Troubleshooting and Validation

Ensure your YAML syntax is perfect—which can be tricky if you're editing in a plain text editor like Notepad. Once these files are correctly set up, your project will compile assets just like an Editor-based project would. Simply drop your YAMLs in Assets/ and raw files in Resources/.

If you mess up the YAML syntax, you’ll likely get two errors during build. Double-clicking them will lead you to the MSBuild target that invokes the Asset Compiler. Don't modify the target file; just go back and fix your YAML.

One Final Detail: RootAssets

The definitions under RootAssets must match the actual physical path of the corresponding YAML files in the Assets/ folder. Even if the GUID is correct, the compilation will fail if the path is mismatched. You cannot move a YAML file to a different subdirectory while trying to maintain a shorter URL in the configuration.