FS25 Map Modding

Overview

Guide for creating and configuring FS25 map mods — terrain, placeables, farmlands, and environment setup.

When to Use

Creating a new map mod
Configuring terrain layers and ground types
Setting up farmlands, placeables, or selling points
Modifying environment settings (weather, seasons, growth)

Map Structure

FS25_MapName/
  modDesc.xml
  map/
    map.xml                    # Main map configuration
    map.i3d                    # Scene graph (3D world)
    map01.i3d                  # Terrain
    map01_dem.png              # Height map (16-bit)
    map01_densityMap_fruits.gdm
    map01_densityMap_ground.gdm
    map01_densityMap_stones.gdm
    config/
      environment.xml          # Weather, daylight
      farmlands.xml            # Farmland parcels
      items.xml               # Savegame items
      placementCollisionMap.grle
      vehicles.xml             # Starting vehicles
    data/
      fruitTypes.xml           # Custom fruit types
      groundTypes.xml          # Terrain layers

map.xml Key Sections

<map>
    <terrain rootNode="terrain"
             heightMapFilename="map01_dem.png"
             mapSize="2048"
             heightScale="255"
             unitsPerPixel="2" />

    <farmlands filename="config/farmlands.xml" />

    <vehicles filename="config/vehicles.xml" />
    <items filename="config/items.xml" />

    <placeables>
        <placeable filename="placeables/sellingStation.xml"
                   position="100 0 200" rotation="0 90 0" />
    </placeables>

    <environment filename="config/environment.xml" />
</map>

Terrain

Height map: 16-bit PNG, dimensions determine map size
Map size formula: pixels × unitsPerPixel = meters
Common sizes: 1024 (1km), 2048 (2km), 4096 (4km)
heightScale: Max terrain height in meters

Ground Types / Terrain Layers

Defined in groundTypes.xml or the map's custom fruitTypes.xml:

Each layer has a diffuse, normal, and specular texture
Layers are painted in the GIANTS Editor
Maximum layers varies by map settings

Farmlands

<farmlands>
    <farmland id="1" pricePerHa="50000" areaInHa="12.5"
              defaultFarmProperty="true" showOnMap="true" />
    <farmland id="2" pricePerHa="40000" areaInHa="8.0" />
</farmlands>

Each farmland has a colored region on the farmland.grle info layer
defaultFarmProperty="true" — owned at game start
npc="true" — NPC-owned, cannot be purchased

Placeables

Placeables are objects the player can build/place:

Defined as separate XMLs with their own specializations
Positioned in map.xml or placed by player in-game
Base game placeables in dataS/data/placeables/
Placeable specializations in dataS/scripts/placeables/specializations/

XSD Schemas

The game ships XML Schema files (in the game's shared/xml/schema/ directory) that define every valid element and attribute. Use these as the authoritative reference:

Schema	Covers
`shared/xml/schema/mission00.xsd`	Map XML (map.xml) structure
`shared/xml/schema/farmlands.xsd`	Farmland definitions
`shared/xml/schema/fruitTypes.xsd`	Fruit type configuration
`shared/xml/schema/fields.xsd`	Field definitions
`shared/xml/schema/foliageType.xsd`	Foliage types
`shared/xml/schema/densityMapHeightTypes.xsd`	Density map height types
`shared/xml/schema/stones.xsd`	Stone system
`shared/xml/schema/aiSystem.xsd`	AI system paths
`shared/xml/schema/trafficSystem.xsd`	Traffic configuration
`shared/xml/schema/placeable.xsd`	Placeable XML structure

When unsure about valid attributes or value ranges, read the XSD — it's more reliable than guessing from examples.

Common Workflow

Check the XSD schema for valid attributes and structure
Start from a base game map as reference (dataS/data/maps/)
Export from GIANTS Editor with terrain and scene graph
Configure map.xml with terrain settings
Set up farmlands, selling points, and spawn points
Add custom ground types if needed
Test in-game, check log.txt for missing references

fs25-map-mod