Prepare App Files

To distribute your app via the Crossplay Launcher, you first need to prepare files necessary for running the app on a PC, such as the app icon, the app executable file, the app configuration file, etc. As an example only for illustration, let’s assume that the game app files for Com2uS Pro Baseball 2024 are prepared as follows.


Com2us_ProBaseball_2024
  │  app.ico
  │  app.exe
  │  app.ini
  │  ...
  └─ resources
  └─ data
  └─ packages
  └─ ...

Com2us_ProBaseball_2024

│ app.ico

│ app.exe

│ app.ini

│ ...

└─ resources

└─ data

└─ packages

└─ ...

In this case, to distribute the Com2uS Pro Baseball 2024 game through the Crossplay Launcher, you need to prepare the following directory structure.


// This is the root folder. Use the folder name you want.
Com2us_Game_for_Crossplay_Launcher
// This is the app folder. Use the folder name you want.
└─ Com2us_ProBaseball_2024
    │  app.ico
    │  app.exe
    │  app.ini
    │  ...
    └─ resources
    └─ data
    └─ packages
    └─ ...
// This is the meta.json file.
└─ meta.json

// This is the root folder. Use the folder name you want.

Com2us_Game_for_Crossplay_Launcher

// This is the app folder. Use the folder name you want.

└─ Com2us_ProBaseball_2024

│ app.ico

│ app.exe

│ app.ini

│ ...

└─ resources

└─ data

└─ packages

└─ ...

// This is the meta.json file.

└─ meta.json

root folder

root folder is the top-level directory containing all the data necessary to distribute an app with the Crossplay Launcher. root folder should contain app folder and meta.json. The folder name root folder can be specified by the app developer. After specifying the name, it should be entered in the Hive console under Crossplay Launcher > App Management > Download Setting > Game Installation Option > Folder Name.

app folder

app folder is the folder containing files necessary for app execution. Prepare and place the app execution file, icon file, resources, data, and other necessary files in this folder. The folder name app folder can be specified by the app developer. However, the folder name should not contain “#” or “;” characters, and it should not contain empty subfolders.

META.JSON

In meta.json, there are the relative paths of the app execution file (app.exe), icon file (app.ico), which are placed in the app folder, and the paths or registry paths to be deleted along with the app upon uninstallation. The relative paths of the app execution file and icon file are relative to the location of the meta.json file. meta.json must be located in the same location as the app folder.

Write the meta.json file following the example format below.


{
    "launch": "app folder/app.exe",
    "icon": "app folder/app.ico",
    "delete": [
        {
        "type": "CSIDL",
        "path": "0x1c/myGameLocalRes"
        },
        {
        "type": "general",
        "path": "C:/myGameGlobalRes"
        },
        {
        "type": "registrykey",
        "root": "0x80000001",
        "path": "SOFTWARE\\MyGame"
        }
    ]
}

{

"launch": "app folder/app.exe",

"icon": "app folder/app.ico",

"delete": [

{

"type": "CSIDL",

"path": "0x1c/myGameLocalRes"

{

"type": "general",

"path": "C:/myGameGlobalRes"

{

"type": "registrykey",

"root": "0x80000001",

"path": "SOFTWARE\\MyGame"

}

]

}

Field Name Description Type Required

launch

Field Name	Description	Type	Required
launch	The relative path of the app execution file (e.g., app.exe) used when running the app with the Crossplay Launcher.	string	Y
icon	The relative path of the app icon file (e.g., app.ico) required to create shortcut files on the PC desktop and start menu when installing the app with the Crossplay Launcher. To create shortcut files in the Crossplay Launcher, the icon file must be present. The file format should be `ico`, and for compatibility with screen resolutions, it should be bundled as one `ico` file containing a total of 6 images with different resolutions. 16X16 32X32 48X48 64X64 128X128 256X256	string	Y
delete	During running the app, the app may generate data in folders other than the app installation folder. The files or registry entries located elsewhere than the app installation folder need to be deleted when uninstalling the app. This field contains the information of those files or registries, an array of folder information and registry information to be deleted. `type`: Type of data to be deleted when uninstalling the app (folder or registry) `root`: Value to be entered only when the `type` is registry, indicating the registry Root `path`: Folder or registry path to be deleted when uninstalling the app	array	N

The relative path of the app execution file (e.g., app.exe) used when running the app with the Crossplay Launcher.

string

icon

The relative path of the app icon file (e.g., app.ico) required to create shortcut files on the PC desktop and start menu when installing the app with the Crossplay Launcher. To create shortcut files in the Crossplay Launcher, the icon file must be present. The file format should be ico, and for compatibility with screen resolutions, it should be bundled as one ico file containing a total of 6 images with different resolutions.

16X16
32X32
48X48
64X64
128X128
256X256

string

delete

During running the app, the app may generate data in folders other than the app installation folder. The files or registry entries located elsewhere than the app installation folder need to be deleted when uninstalling the app. This field contains the information of those files or registries, an array of folder information and registry information to be deleted.

type: Type of data to be deleted when uninstalling the app (folder or registry)
root: Value to be entered only when the type is registry, indicating the registry Root
path: Folder or registry path to be deleted when uninstalling the app

array

The following is a guide for the delete array:

Field Name Description Type Required

type

Field Name	Description	Type	Required
type	The type of data to be deleted. `CSIDL`: When the file to be deleted is located in special folders used by Windows OS, such as ProgramFiles or AppData `general`: When the file to be deleted is located in a ordinary path `registrykey`: When the file to be deleted is a registry file	string	Y
root	A hexadecimal string representing the registry Root, entered only when the `type` is `registrykey`. Below are examples of registry Roots and their corresponding hexadecimal values. Root: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, Value: `0x80000000` Root: HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Value: `0x80000001` Root: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, Value: `0x80000002` Root: HKEY_USERS, Value: `0x80000003` Root: HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG, Value: `0x80000005`	string	N
path	The path where the `type` data is located. When `type` is `CSIDL`: Written in the format of CSIDL(16 hexadecimal digits)/{remaining path} When `type` is `general`: Written as an absolute path When `type` is `registrykey`: Among the entire registry path, only the sub-tree and key are written, excluding the Root.	string	Y

The type of data to be deleted.

CSIDL: When the file to be deleted is located in special folders used by Windows OS, such as ProgramFiles or AppData
general: When the file to be deleted is located in a ordinary path
registrykey: When the file to be deleted is a registry file

string

root

A hexadecimal string representing the registry Root, entered only when the type is registrykey. Below are examples of registry Roots and their corresponding hexadecimal values.

Root: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT,
Value: 0x80000000
Root: HKEY_CURRENT_USER,
Value: 0x80000001
Root: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,
Value: 0x80000002
Root: HKEY_USERS,
Value: 0x80000003
Root: HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG,
Value: 0x80000005

string

path

The path where the type data is located.

When type is CSIDL: Written in the format of CSIDL(16 hexadecimal digits)/{remaining path}
When type is general: Written as an absolute path
When type is registrykey: Among the entire registry path, only the sub-tree and key are written, excluding the Root.

string

The following is an example of configuring meta.json when a certain game app files are prepared as shown below:

Data	Type	Data Location	Notes
game.exe	Game Execution File	root folder/game	root folder and game are both directories specified by the game company
icon.ico	Icon File	root folder/game	root folder and game are both directories specified by the game company
MyGame	Registry	HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\SOFTWARE\MyGame	Registry data generated during game execution, the data to be deleted along with the game upon uninstallation
myGameGlobalRes	Folder (General Path)	C:/myGameGlobalRes	Data generated during game execution, folder containing files to be deleted along with the game upon uninstallation
myGameLocalRes	Folder (Special Path)	C:/Users/[username]/AppData/Local/myGameLocalRes	Data generated during game execution, folder containing files to be deleted along with the game upon uninstallation

In the above situation, write meta.json file as follows:


{
    "launch": "game/game.exe",
    "icon": "game/icon.ico",
    "delete": [
        {
        "type": "CSIDL",
        "path": "0x1c/myGameLocalRes"
        },
        {
        "type": "general",
        "path": "C:/myGameGlobalRes"
        },
        {
        "type": "registrykey",
        "root": "0x80000001",
        "path": "SOFTWARE\\MyGame"
        }
    ]
}

{

"launch": "game/game.exe",

"icon": "game/icon.ico",

"delete": [

{

"type": "CSIDL",

"path": "0x1c/myGameLocalRes"

{

"type": "general",

"path": "C:/myGameGlobalRes"

{

"type": "registrykey",

"root": "0x80000001",

"path": "SOFTWARE\\MyGame"

}

]

}