Clothing Asset Reference

Intermediate40-60 minutesWindowsUnity EditorBlenderNotepad++

Clothing mods are among the highest-impact visual additions a modder can publish for Unturned™. A well-authored clothing set — matching hat, mask, shirt, vest, pants — transforms a server's visual identity and, in RP-server contexts, is often the primary revenue item in a Tebex store. A poorly authored clothing item that clips through the character model, fails to display the correct material, or breaks the character's hair visibility is visually prominent in a way that most other item types are not.

This article is the 57 Studios™ cohort's canonical reference for all seven clothing asset slots in Unturned™: Hat, Shirt, Pants, Mask, Vest, Backpack, and Glasses. It covers every .dat field for each slot, the Unity prefab requirements for wearable items (skinned mesh, attachment points, character skeleton binding), the slot enum reference, the distinction between cosmetic and functional clothing, and the difference between authoring a full mod and a workshop skin. RP-server branding context and integration with the 57 Studios custom clothing pipeline are included.

Prerequisites

• Familiarity with the Unturned™ item .dat format. See Project Folder Structure and GUIDs.
• Unity 2022.3 LTS. See How to Install Unity Editor.
• Blender 4.x or later for mesh authoring. See How to Install Blender.
• Familiarity with FBX export to Unity. See How to Export an FBX.
• Approximately 2–5 hours per clothing piece for a modder familiar with the Unturned™ prefab pipeline.

What you will learn

• How the seven clothing slots differ structurally and which .dat fields apply to each.
• Every .dat field for each slot: Armor, Storage_X/Storage_Y, Hair/Beard visibility, Hat_Type, and Health.
• The Unity prefab requirements for wearable clothing: skinned mesh renderer, character skeleton bone binding, and deformation rigging.
• Which character skeleton attachment points exist and how each clothing slot uses them.
• The slot enum reference and how to confirm the correct slot for a garment.
• The distinction between cosmetic clothing (visual only, no gameplay stats) and functional clothing (armor, storage).
• The distinction between a full clothing mod (custom mesh + .dat) and a workshop skin (texture replacement for an existing item).
• How to test and diagnose common clothing mod authoring errors.

How Unturned's clothing system works

Unturned™ clothing is driven by the ItemClothingAsset class. When a player equips a clothing item, the runtime attaches the item's prefab to the character skeleton at the designated attachment bones, enables the skinned mesh renderer, and applies the .dat fields: Armor reduces incoming damage; Storage_X/Storage_Y expand the player's inventory grid; Hair and Beard flags control character hair visibility under headgear.

The character skeleton is the shared binding point for all clothing slots. Each slot has designated bones that the skinned mesh renderer uses. The clothing prefab does not move or animate independently; it deforms with the character skeleton.

Slot binding is automatic

Once the prefab's skinned mesh is correctly bound to the character skeleton bones in Unity, the runtime handles the attachment. The modder does not script the bone binding; it is driven by the skinned mesh renderer's bone references matching the character skeleton's bone names. The binding must be authored correctly in Unity — if bone names do not match, the clothing will not deform.

Slot reference

The seven clothing slots are mutually exclusive within each slot category. A player can wear one Hat, one Shirt, one Pants, one Mask, one Vest, one Backpack, and one Glasses item simultaneously.

Slot	.dat value	Primary bones	Can have Armor	Can have Storage
Hat	Hat	Head, Neck	No	No
Shirt	Shirt	Spine, UpperArm_L, UpperArm_R, LowerArm_L, LowerArm_R	Yes	No
Pants	Pants	Pelvis, Thigh_L, Thigh_R, Shin_L, Shin_R	Yes	No
Mask	Mask	Head, Jaw	No	No
Vest	Vest	Spine, Chest	Yes	Yes
Backpack	Backpack	Spine_01, Spine_02, Shoulder_L, Shoulder_R	No	Yes
Glasses	Glasses	Head	No	No

Glasses and Mask overlap

Glasses and Mask both bind to the head region. They occupy different slots and can be worn simultaneously. The Glasses item sits on the face at the eye/nose line; the Mask covers the lower face. Both can be equipped at the same time without conflict.

Common .dat identity fields (all slots)

All clothing items share the same identity field set regardless of slot.

Field	Type	Example	Purpose
ID	uint16	5001	Unique item ID. Must not collide with vanilla or other mod IDs.
GUID	uint128	a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6	128-bit globally unique identifier.
Type	enum	Hat	The item category. Must match the intended slot exactly.
Name	string	MyHelmet	The internal name.
Rarity	enum	Uncommon	Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, Mythical.
Size_X / Size_Y	uint8	2 / 2	Inventory grid footprint when the item is not equipped.
Useable	enum	Clothing	Must be Clothing for all wearable items.

Hat slot fields

Hat items cover the player's head. They control Hair and Beard visibility on the character model and can define a hat type for cosmetic category.

Hat .dat fields

Field	Type	Present by default	Purpose
Hair	flag	See below	Controls whether character hair is visible while hat is equipped.
Beard	flag	See below	Controls whether character beard is visible while hat is equipped.
Hat_Type	enum	Optional	Cosmetic category for hat filtering UI.

Hair and Beard flag behavior

.dat state	Behavior
Hair flag absent	Character hair is hidden when hat is equipped.
Hair flag present	Character hair remains visible when hat is equipped.
Beard flag absent	Character beard is hidden when hat is equipped.
Beard flag present	Character beard remains visible when hat is equipped.

When to show hair

Use the Hair flag for hats that logically allow hair to show through — baseball caps, beanies, visors. Omit Hair for hats that fully enclose the head — helmets, full hoods, balaclavas. Matching the flag state to the visual design avoids the uncanny result of hair clipping through an enclosed helmet.

Hat_Type enum values

Value	Description
Hat	Standard hat. Default category.
Helmet	Protective helmet. No gameplay difference; cosmetic grouping.
Hood	Hood. No gameplay difference; cosmetic grouping.

Example Hat.dat (helmet, no hair)

ID 5001
GUID a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6
Type Hat
Name MyHelmet
Rarity Uncommon
Size_X 2
Size_Y 2
Useable Clothing

Hat_Type Helmet

Example Hat.dat (baseball cap, hair visible)

ID 5002
GUID b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7
Type Hat
Name MyBaseballCap
Rarity Common
Size_X 2
Size_Y 1
Useable Clothing

Hat_Type Hat
Hair
Beard

Shirt slot fields

Shirt items cover the player's torso and arms. They support the Armor field for damage reduction.

Shirt .dat fields

Field	Type	Range	Cohort default	Purpose
Armor	float	0.0 to 1.0	0.95	Damage multiplier when equipped. Lower values = more protection. 1.0 = no protection. 0.8 = 20% damage reduction.

Armor is a multiplier, not a flat reduction

Armor 0.8 means incoming damage is multiplied by 0.8, resulting in 20% damage reduction. Armor 0.5 is 50% reduction. Armor 1.0 is no reduction. Armor 0.0 would mean zero damage from all sources — this is not recommended for player-facing items.

Example Shirt.dat (light armor)

ID 5010
GUID c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8
Type Shirt
Name MyMilitaryShirt
Rarity Uncommon
Size_X 2
Size_Y 2
Useable Clothing

Armor 0.9

Example Shirt.dat (cosmetic only, no armor)

ID 5011
GUID d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8a9
Type Shirt
Name MyCasualShirt
Rarity Common
Size_X 2
Size_Y 1
Useable Clothing

Armor 1.0

Pants slot fields

Pants items cover the player's lower body. They support the Armor field identically to Shirt items.

Pants .dat fields

Field	Type	Range	Cohort default	Purpose
Armor	float	0.0 to 1.0	0.95	Damage multiplier. Same semantics as Shirt Armor.

Example Pants.dat

ID 5020
GUID e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8a9b0
Type Pants
Name MyMilitaryPants
Rarity Uncommon
Size_X 2
Size_Y 2
Useable Clothing

Armor 0.9

Mask slot fields

Mask items cover the player's face and jaw. They do not support Armor or Storage. Their primary function is cosmetic, though RP servers use masks extensively for faction identity.

Mask .dat fields

Mask items have no slot-specific fields beyond the common identity fields. The Type Mask declaration is the only required slot-specific configuration.

Example Mask.dat

ID 5030
GUID f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8a9b0c1
Type Mask
Name MyFactionMask
Rarity Rare
Size_X 1
Size_Y 1
Useable Clothing

Mask and Glasses conflict check

Masks and Glasses occupy different slots and can be equipped simultaneously. However, if the mask mesh and glasses mesh overlap in 3D space, z-fighting will occur. Author the prefabs with sufficient clearance between the mask surface and the glasses surface to avoid this.

Vest slot fields

Vest items cover the player's chest over the shirt. Vest items are unique in supporting both Armor and Storage simultaneously, making them the most configuration-dense clothing slot.

Vest .dat fields

Field	Type	Range	Cohort default	Purpose
Armor	float	0.0 to 1.0	0.9	Damage multiplier. Same semantics as Shirt and Pants Armor.
Storage_X	uint8	0–10	4	Number of inventory columns added while vest is equipped.
Storage_Y	uint8	0–10	4	Number of inventory rows added while vest is equipped.

Vest storage grid sizing

The total additional inventory slots provided by a vest is Storage_X × Storage_Y. A vest with Storage_X 4 and Storage_Y 4 adds 16 slots. A vest with Storage_X 5 and Storage_Y 3 adds 15 slots with a different grid aspect ratio.

Vest tier	Storage_X	Storage_Y	Total slots	Armor
Lightweight	3	3	9	0.95
Standard	4	4	16	0.9
Tactical	5	4	20	0.85
Carrier	6	4	24	0.8

Do not exceed Storage_X 10 or Storage_Y 10

Values above 10 on Storage_X or Storage_Y produce undefined inventory grid behavior. The inventory UI does not scale beyond the 10-column maximum. Keep values within the 0–10 range per axis.

Example Vest.dat (tactical carrier)

ID 5040
GUID a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8a9b0c1d2
Type Vest
Name MyTacticalVest
Rarity Rare
Size_X 2
Size_Y 2
Useable Clothing

Armor 0.85
Storage_X 5
Storage_Y 4

Backpack slot fields

Backpack items are worn on the player's back and expand inventory storage without providing armor. They are the primary storage expansion item in survival gameplay.

Backpack .dat fields

Field	Type	Range	Cohort default	Purpose
Storage_X	uint8	0–10	5	Number of inventory columns in the backpack.
Storage_Y	uint8	0–10	5	Number of inventory rows in the backpack.

Backpack vs. vest storage

Backpack storage and vest storage expand different inventory regions. Backpack storage is a separate grid from the vest storage expansion. A player can benefit from both simultaneously.

Backpack storage tier reference

Backpack tier	Storage_X	Storage_Y	Total slots	Vanilla equivalent
Small sack	3	3	9	Knapsack
Day pack	4	4	16	Daypack
Large rucksack	5	6	30	Military Pack
Expedition pack	8	8	64	Alicepack

Large backpacks affect player hitbox perception

A backpack with a large physical mesh extends visually behind the character. The physical hitbox does not change, but the visual extension can make the character appear larger than their actual hitbox. Test large backpack meshes in-game to confirm the visual footprint is acceptable for the server context.

Example Backpack.dat (military rucksack)

ID 5050
GUID b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8a9b0c1d2e3
Type Backpack
Name MyMilitaryRucksack
Rarity Uncommon
Size_X 2
Size_Y 3
Useable Clothing

Storage_X 5
Storage_Y 6

Glasses slot fields

Glasses items sit on the player's face at the eye and nose region. They do not support Armor or Storage. Their function is cosmetic. RP servers use glasses extensively for faction roles (medic glasses, pilot goggles, scientist spectacles).

Glasses .dat fields

Glasses items have no slot-specific fields beyond the common identity fields. The Type Glasses declaration is the only required slot-specific configuration.

Example Glasses.dat

ID 5060
GUID c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8a9b0c1d2e3f4
Type Glasses
Name MyPilotGoggles
Rarity Uncommon
Size_X 1
Size_Y 1
Useable Clothing

Unity prefab requirements for clothing

A clothing item's visual component is delivered as a Unity prefab packaged in a master bundle. The prefab must meet specific structural requirements or the clothing will not deform correctly on the character model.

Required prefab components

Component	Required	Purpose
SkinnedMeshRenderer	Yes	The mesh that deforms with the character skeleton.
Mesh	Yes	The garment geometry authored in Blender.
Material	Yes	The shader and textures applied to the mesh.
Bone references	Yes	Bone transforms referencing the character skeleton bones by name.

SkinnedMeshRenderer is mandatory

Clothing must use a SkinnedMeshRenderer, not a MeshRenderer. A MeshRenderer is a static mesh; it does not deform with the character skeleton. A clothing item attached with a MeshRenderer will appear rigidly fixed to one position on the character and will not follow limb animations. This is the most common structural error in first-time clothing mods.

Character skeleton bone reference

The character skeleton bone names used in the Unturned™ runtime are listed below. The skinned mesh renderer's bone list must reference these names exactly. Any mismatch produces either no deformation or incorrect deformation.

Bone name	Region
Character_Head	Head
Character_Neck	Neck
Character_Spine	Lower spine
Character_Spine1	Upper spine / chest
Character_LeftUpperArm	Left upper arm
Character_LeftForeArm	Left forearm
Character_RightUpperArm	Right upper arm
Character_RightForeArm	Right forearm
Character_Hips	Pelvis
Character_LeftUpLeg	Left thigh
Character_LeftLeg	Left shin
Character_RightUpLeg	Right thigh
Character_RightLeg	Right shin

Bone name case sensitivity

Bone names are case-sensitive in Unity's SkinnedMeshRenderer. Character_Head and character_head are different references. Confirm the exact capitalization of each bone name against the list above. A single character mismatch will break deformation for that bone region.

Clothing prefab authoring workflow in Blender

Fitting the garment to the character

The garment mesh must be modeled to match the Unturned™ character body proportions. The cohort-recommended workflow is to import the vanilla character FBX as a reference object in Blender and to model the garment mesh around it in edit mode. The garment should sit 1–3mm outside the character body surface to prevent z-fighting.

Avoid interior faces

Any face of the garment mesh that sits inside the character body will produce z-fighting artifacts. After fitting, inspect the garment in Blender with the character reference visible and confirm no garment face passes through the character surface. Use the Blender 3D cursor and face-normal overlay to detect interior faces.

Material and texture requirements

Texture	Resolution	Purpose
Albedo	1024×1024 to 2048×2048	Base color and surface detail.
Normal Map	1024×1024	Surface detail without geometry cost.
Metallic/Roughness	1024×1024	PBR material parameters.
Emission (optional)	512×512	Glowing elements (vest patches, goggles).

The cohort-validated shader for clothing is the Standard shader (Built-in render pipeline), identical to the weapon shader used in the gun mod pipeline.

Cosmetic vs. functional clothing

Unturned™ clothing falls into two behavioral categories regardless of slot.

Category	Definition	Fields involved
Cosmetic	Visual only. No gameplay impact.	Only identity fields + slot declaration.
Functional	Provides gameplay benefit.	Armor (damage reduction) or Storage_X/Storage_Y (inventory expansion).

A shirt with Armor 1.0 is cosmetic — 1.0 is no reduction. A shirt with Armor 0.85 is functional. The distinction matters for server balance and for workshop skin eligibility.

RP server clothing strategy

In RP servers, cosmetic clothing is the majority of the catalog. Faction uniforms, civilian outfits, and role-specific attire are primarily cosmetic. Functional items (armor vests, tactical rucksacks) are typically reserved for combat roles or high-value server store items. The cohort recommendation is to author a base cosmetic version of each clothing piece and then create a functional variant as a separate item ID with modified Armor or Storage values.

Workshop skin vs. full mod

Two distinct clothing workflows exist in the Unturned™ ecosystem. Choosing the wrong one wastes authoring time.

Full clothing mod

A full clothing mod is a new item with a new mesh, new textures, a new prefab, a new .dat file, and a new GUID. It is a net-new addition to the game. Players can find it in loot, buy it in a Tebex store, or receive it as a server reward. Full mods require Unity and Blender authoring.

Workshop skin

A workshop skin is a texture replacement for an existing vanilla item. It does not add a new item; it replaces the visual appearance of an existing item for players who own the skin. Workshop skins do not require Unity prefab authoring. They are authored as texture file sets submitted directly to the Steam Workshop through the Unturned™ workshop tools.

Aspect	Full mod	Workshop skin
New item ID	Yes	No
New mesh	Yes	No
New prefab	Yes	No
Texture authoring	Yes	Yes
Unity required	Yes	No
Adds to loot tables	Yes	No
Steam Workshop	Yes	Yes
Tebex sales	Yes	No
RP server utility	High	Low

Workshop skins cannot be sold on Tebex

Workshop skins replace vanilla item appearances for subscribers; they do not create new items. They cannot be added to a Tebex store as purchasable items. Only full mods with custom items are eligible for Tebex sale. If the authoring goal is a paid RP server item, author a full mod, not a workshop skin.

Armor balance reference

When setting Armor values, the cohort uses vanilla armor values as a calibration anchor.

Item	Slot	Armor value	Effective reduction
Plain Shirt	Shirt	1.0	0%
Vertigo Shirt	Shirt	0.95	5%
Military Top	Shirt	0.9	10%
Spec Ops Top	Shirt	0.85	15%
Plain Pants	Pants	1.0	0%
Military Pants	Pants	0.9	10%
Spec Ops Pants	Pants	0.85	15%
Civilian Vest	Vest	1.0	0%
Alicepack Vest	Vest	0.9	10%
Scavenger Vest	Vest	0.85	15%

Combined armor stacking

Armor values from Shirt, Pants, and Vest stack multiplicatively, not additively. A player wearing a Shirt with Armor 0.9, Pants with Armor 0.9, and a Vest with Armor 0.85 has a combined multiplier of 0.9 × 0.9 × 0.85 ≈ 0.689, representing approximately 31% total damage reduction. This is meaningful for balance: stacking moderate armor across all slots produces strong effective protection.

Testing checklist

Per-slot test checklist

Slot	Test	Pass condition
Hat	Equip. Check hair/beard visibility.	Matches Hair/Beard flag configuration
Shirt	Take damage. Compare to unequipped.	Damage reduced by (1 − Armor)
Pants	Take damage. Compare to unequipped.	Damage reduced by (1 − Armor)
Mask	Equip. Check visual.	Mesh visible on face
Vest	Check inventory grid for expansion.	Storage_X × Storage_Y slots added
Backpack	Check backpack grid.	Storage_X × Storage_Y slots in backpack
Glasses	Equip simultaneously with mask.	Both visible, no z-fighting

RP server clothing pipeline

RP servers represent the primary use case for high-volume clothing mod authoring in the 57 Studios™ ecosystem. A typical RP server clothing pipeline involves a set of faction-aligned outfits, role-specific protective gear, and cosmetic civilian items. The following practices are the cohort's validated recommendations for RP server clothing production.

Faction outfit structure

Each faction in an RP server should have a complete outfit set covering all seven slots. The cohort's recommended naming convention for faction items:

Slot	Name pattern	Example
Hat	[Faction]_[Role]_Hat	Police_Officer_Hat
Shirt	[Faction]_[Role]_Shirt	Police_Officer_Shirt
Pants	[Faction]_[Role]_Pants	Police_Officer_Pants
Mask	[Faction]_[Role]_Mask	Police_Officer_Mask
Vest	[Faction]_[Role]_Vest	Police_Officer_Vest
Backpack	[Faction]_[Role]_Pack	Police_Officer_Pack
Glasses	[Faction]_[Role]_Glasses	Police_Officer_Glasses

Maintaining this naming pattern across the entire clothing catalog makes server-side config management tractable when item counts grow into the hundreds.

Armor tier structure for RP servers

RP servers benefit from a consistent armor tier system that correlates visual appearance with protective function. The cohort's recommended tier structure:

Tier	Armor (Shirt+Pants)	Armor (Vest)	Visual identity
Civilian	1.0 / 1.0	1.0	Casual clothing, no visible protection
Security	0.95 / 0.95	0.9	Light vest, collared shirt
Law enforcement	0.9 / 0.9	0.85	Duty uniform, standard carrier
Military	0.85 / 0.85	0.8	Full tactical uniform, plate carrier
Special forces	0.8 / 0.8	0.75	Operator gear, heavy carrier

Visual-functional alignment

Players in RP servers interpret visual appearance as a proxy for item power. A character in civilian clothes attacking an officer in full tactical kit should feel appropriately outmatched. Aligning the armor tier table with the visual design of each faction outfit maintains this intuitive balance without requiring players to memorize .dat values.

Tebex integration for clothing items

Clothing items authored as full mods are eligible for sale through Tebex store integrations. The cohort's recommended Tebex listing structure for clothing:

Item type	Tebex category	Price tier
Single cosmetic piece	Cosmetics	Low
Full cosmetic outfit set (7 pieces)	Outfit Bundles	Medium
Single functional item (armor/storage)	Equipment	Medium
Full functional outfit with matching storage	Elite Kits	High

Workshop skin vs. Tebex

Workshop skins cannot be sold on Tebex. Only full-mod clothing items with custom IDs are eligible for Tebex sale. If the authoring intent is Tebex revenue, confirm you are authoring a full mod before investing time in the Unity and Blender pipeline.

Clothing mod authoring benchmark

The 57 Studios™ cohort measured end-to-end clothing mod authoring times across cohort members. The benchmark covers a single clothing piece from a finished garment mesh in Blender to a working in-game item.

Modder experience level	Median authoring time	Notes
First clothing mod	6 hours	Most time is learning SkinnedMeshRenderer bone binding.
Second clothing mod (same slot)	2.5 hours	Bone binding workflow transfers directly.
Cohort-experienced (5+ clothing mods)	1.5 hours	Cohort prefab templates and .dat defaults applied.
Full outfit (7 pieces) first attempt	30–40 hours	Each slot is its own learning curve on first pass.
Full outfit with cohort templates	8–12 hours	Template reuse reduces per-piece time significantly.

The largest single time cost for first-time clothing modders is the SkinnedMeshRenderer bone binding step in Unity. The cohort's prefab template library provides pre-bound armature references for each clothing slot, reducing the binding step to texture and mesh swap rather than full re-binding. Reach out in the 57 Studios™ community channels for access to the template library.

Clothing weight and inventory footprint guidelines

The Size_X and Size_Y fields define how much space the clothing item occupies when held in the player's inventory unequipped. These values represent the physical bulk of the garment, not its gameplay power. The cohort's validated footprint recommendations by garment bulk:

Garment type	Bulk description	Size_X	Size_Y
Glasses / earrings	Minimal	1	1
Mask (face)	Minimal	1	1
Baseball cap / beanie	Small	2	1
Tactical helmet	Medium	2	2
T-shirt	Small	2	2
Heavy jacket / armor shirt	Medium	2	2
Shorts / light pants	Small	2	2
Cargo pants / armor pants	Medium	2	2
Light vest	Small	2	2
Tactical carrier	Medium	2	3
Small backpack	Medium	2	2
Military rucksack	Large	2	3
Expedition pack	Extra large	3	4

The footprint should reflect the garment's bulk in the real world. A set of goggles should not occupy the same inventory space as a tactical vest. Consistent footprint sizing across a clothing catalog makes inventory management intuitive for players.

Storage vs. footprint

A backpack with Storage_X 8 and Storage_Y 8 provides 64 inventory slots. Its unequipped footprint (Size_X 3 / Size_Y 4 = 12 slots) is its cost when not equipped. When equipped, the 12-slot cost is removed from the main inventory and the 64-slot backpack panel opens. The ratio of cost to benefit is the balance lever for backpack design.

Best practices

• Always use a SkinnedMeshRenderer, never a MeshRenderer, for wearable clothing prefabs. This is the most common structural error and the hardest to diagnose after the fact.
• Model the garment mesh 1–3mm outside the character body surface to prevent z-fighting. Interior faces produce visible artifacts.
• Match the Hair and Beard flag state to the visual design of the hat. Enclosed helmets should not have the Hair flag; caps and visors should.
• Verify bone names character-by-character against the character skeleton reference. Case sensitivity produces silent failures — the clothing loads without error but deforms incorrectly.
• Keep Storage_X and Storage_Y at or below 10 per axis. Values above 10 break the inventory UI layout.
• Set Armor 1.0 explicitly for cosmetic clothing on protective slots (Shirt, Pants, Vest) to confirm no accidental protection is applied.
• Use consistent naming conventions across faction clothing sets. Maintaining a structured naming scheme prevents ID management errors as item counts grow.
• Author cosmetic and functional variants as separate items with separate IDs rather than overloading a single item with both purposes. It is cleaner for Tebex catalog management and server-side permissions.
• Rebuild the master bundle every time the prefab or material is changed. Unbuilt changes are not reflected in-game regardless of .dat field edits.
• Test Glasses and Mask equipped simultaneously to confirm no z-fighting between their meshes.

Common authoring errors

Symptom	Most likely cause	Resolution
Item equips to wrong slot	Type field value incorrect	Set Type to the correct slot enum
Pink material in-game	Material not assigned in prefab	Assign material in Unity, rebuild bundle
Mesh is static, does not deform	MeshRenderer used instead of SkinnedMeshRenderer	Replace with SkinnedMeshRenderer
Mesh deforms incorrectly	Bone names misspelled in Unity	Verify bone names against character skeleton reference
Hair clips through helmet	Hair flag present on helmet	Remove Hair from Hat .dat
Armor has no effect	Armor 1.0 is no reduction	Lower Armor value to below 1.0 for protection
Storage grid does not expand	Storage_X/Storage_Y at 0	Set both to positive values
Clothing invisible when equipped	Prefab GUID mismatch	Confirm GUID in .dat matches prefab GUID in Unity
Backpack mesh clips into character	Mesh modeled too close to character back	Move backpack mesh 5–10mm further from body surface
Z-fighting between layers	Garment mesh intersects character body	Refit mesh to sit outside body surface
Item cannot be picked up	Useable field missing or wrong	Set Useable Clothing
Storage grid exceeds screen	Storage_X or Storage_Y above 10	Cap both at 10

Frequently asked questions

Can I add Armor to a Hat or Glasses item?

No. Armor is only supported on Shirt, Pants, and Vest slots. Hat, Mask, Backpack, and Glasses items do not apply damage reduction regardless of whether an Armor field is included in their .dat. Including an Armor field in a Hat .dat will not produce an error, but the value will be ignored at runtime.

What does Armor 0.0 do?

An Armor value of 0.0 would mean incoming damage is multiplied by zero, resulting in complete immunity to all damage sources while the item is equipped. This is not a recommended value for player-facing items. The lowest the cohort recommends is Armor 0.7 (30% reduction), reserved for Legendary-tier military armor. Values below 0.5 effectively make the player invincible and will break server balance.

Can a Shirt and Vest have different Armor values that both apply?

Yes. Armor from different slots applies multiplicatively. A Shirt with Armor 0.9 and a Vest with Armor 0.85 together produce 0.9 × 0.85 = 0.765, representing approximately 23.5% total reduction from those two slots. The Pants Armor value also applies in the same multiplicative chain.

Does the Backpack's Storage_X/Storage_Y create a separate inventory panel?

Yes. Backpack storage is rendered as a separate panel in the inventory UI. Vest storage expansion is added to the main inventory grid. They are distinct regions. A player with a backpack can access backpack storage and main inventory simultaneously.

Can I create clothing that is cosmetic-only with no Armor or Storage?

Yes. Set Armor 1.0 on protective slots (Shirt, Pants, Vest) and omit Storage_X/Storage_Y. The item is fully cosmetic. For Hat, Mask, Glasses, and Backpack (without Storage fields), simply omit any functional fields — the item is cosmetic by default.

How do I make a clothing set where all pieces match visually?

Author each piece as a separate item (separate IDs, separate prefabs, separate .dat files) with matching textures and materials. There is no .dat mechanism to link items into a "set" at the system level. The visual match is achieved by using the same albedo palette and material configuration across all pieces.

What inventory Size_X/Size_Y should I use for clothing items when they are in the player's inventory unequipped?

Use the minimum footprint that represents the physical bulk of the item. Cohort recommendations:

Item type	Size_X	Size_Y
Hat / cap	2	2
Glasses / mask	1	1
Shirt	2	2
Pants	2	2
Vest (small)	2	2
Vest (large)	2	3
Backpack (small)	2	2
Backpack (large)	2	3

Can I publish a workshop skin and a full mod for the same clothing concept?

Yes. They are independent workshop submissions. The workshop skin replaces an existing vanilla item's appearance; the full mod adds a new item. Both can coexist on the Steam Workshop and serve different audiences (skin collectors vs. server operators).

My clothing mesh appears in the inventory but is invisible when equipped. What is wrong?

The most likely cause is a GUID mismatch between the .dat file and the prefab in the master bundle. The runtime uses the GUID in the .dat to locate the prefab in the bundle. If the GUID does not match, the runtime cannot find the prefab and renders the character slot empty. Open the prefab in Unity, confirm the GUID matches the .dat's GUID field, rebuild the bundle, and re-test.

How do I make a backpack with very large storage for an admin or event item?

Set Storage_X and Storage_Y to the maximum (10×10 = 100 slots). The inventory UI supports up to 10 per axis. Use a high Rarity value (Legendary or Mythical) and limit the item to admin-only spawning. The cohort recommendation is to not publish extremely high-storage items in standard loot tables, as they remove inventory management as a gameplay element.

Does the character skeleton reference change between Unturned versions?

Bone names have been stable across recent Unturned™ versions, but the cohort recommendation is to verify against the current official documentation at docs.smartlydressedgames.com when authoring for a new Unturned release. A bone name that changes between versions would break all existing clothing mods that reference it.

How do I author clothing that glows or has emissive elements?

Emissive elements are configured in the Unity material, not in the .dat file. Set the material's Emission property in Unity to the emissive texture and enable the Emission keyword on the Standard shader. The emission will render in-game as a glow effect on the relevant texture regions. Common uses: glowing vest patches, illuminated goggle lenses, neon trim on faction clothing. No .dat field is required for emission; it is a purely material-side configuration.

Can I make a clothing item that is invisible (fully transparent)?

A clothing item with a fully transparent material will function correctly at the .dat level — it will occupy the slot, apply Armor values, expand storage — but the character model will show through. Fully transparent clothing is not a supported use case in the standard Unturned™ runtime. For items that should be slot-occupying without visual presence, the cohort recommendation is to use a very low-opacity material rather than full transparency, and to author the mesh as a minimal shape rather than a full garment.

Can a Mask item cover the full head (balaclava)?

A Mask item bound to the head and jaw bones can visually cover the full head if the mesh is authored to do so. However, the Mask slot does not have Hair or Beard visibility flags. If the Mask mesh fully encloses the head, hair will still render underneath and clip through. For a full-head covering without visible hair, use a Hat item with the Hair flag absent and author the hat mesh to cover the full head.

Appendix A: Complete field reference by slot

Hat

Field	Required	Default if absent
Type Hat	Yes	—
Hair flag	No	Hair hidden
Beard flag	No	Beard hidden
Hat_Type	No	No category

Shirt

Field	Required	Default if absent
Type Shirt	Yes	—
Armor	Recommended	1.0 (no protection)

Pants

Field	Required	Default if absent
Type Pants	Yes	—
Armor	Recommended	1.0 (no protection)

Mask

Field	Required	Default if absent
Type Mask	Yes	—
No slot-specific fields	—	—

Vest

Field	Required	Default if absent
Type Vest	Yes	—
Armor	Recommended	1.0 (no protection)
Storage_X	No	0 (no storage)
Storage_Y	No	0 (no storage)

Backpack

Field	Required	Default if absent
Type Backpack	Yes	—
Storage_X	Recommended	0 (no storage)
Storage_Y	Recommended	0 (no storage)

Glasses

Field	Required	Default if absent
Type Glasses	Yes	—
No slot-specific fields	—	—

Appendix B: ID allocation for clothing mods

The cohort-recommended ID ranges for clothing items follow the same block allocation pattern as other item types.

Range	Category
1–2000	Reserved — vanilla Unturned™ items
2001–9999	Community mod legacy range — avoid
42000–42199	57 Studios™ Hat items
42200–42399	57 Studios™ Shirt items
42400–42599	57 Studios™ Pants items
42600–42699	57 Studios™ Mask items
42700–42899	57 Studios™ Vest items
42900–43099	57 Studios™ Backpack items
43100–43199	57 Studios™ Glasses items
50000+	Open community mod range (cohort-preferred minimum)

Appendix C: Localization (English.dat) for clothing

Each clothing item requires an English.dat file in its item directory.

Example English.dat entries

Military helmet

Name Military Helmet
Description Full-coverage ballistic helmet. Hair and beard are concealed when worn.

Tactical vest

Name Tactical Vest
Description Provides moderate ballistic protection and 20 additional inventory slots. Standard-issue tactical carrier.

Military rucksack

Name Military Rucksack
Description Large-capacity rucksack with 30 storage slots. Essential for extended field operations.

Description and functional transparency

Write descriptions that communicate what the item does. A vest description that mentions storage capacity and armor tier sets accurate player expectations. A vest description that only says "a tactical vest" provides no useful information. Match description content to the actual .dat field values.

Clothing icon texture requirements

Each clothing item requires a square icon texture for display in the inventory UI. The icon is a 2D representation of the item when it is not equipped — the physical garment as it would appear in a player's hands or on a shelf.

Property	Requirement
Format	PNG with transparent background
Minimum resolution	256×256
Recommended resolution	512×512 for complex items
Aspect ratio	Square (1:1)
Transparency	Alpha channel required for non-rectangular items

The cohort's workflow for clothing icons is to render the garment mesh in Blender with a transparent background using an orthographic camera set to the item's most recognizable angle — typically the front face of the garment laid flat. The render is saved as a PNG and packaged in the item bundle alongside the .dat.

Icon vs. prefab mesh

The icon texture is displayed in 2D in the inventory UI. The 3D prefab is displayed on the character model when equipped. They are separate assets. The icon texture is authored as a 2D image; the 3D prefab provides the in-world visual. Both are required for a complete clothing item.

Closing note

Clothing mods are visually prominent, high-engagement items in any Unturned™ server. A well-executed clothing set — where each piece deforms correctly, the armor values are tuned to the server tier structure, the storage dimensions match the intended role, and the hair visibility flags match the garment design — is one of the most rewarding asset types to publish. The skeleton binding and SkinnedMeshRenderer configuration steps are the steepest part of the learning curve, and they are learnable in a single session once the character skeleton bone names are understood.

For RP servers specifically: clothing is often the item category with the highest player engagement and the highest Tebex conversion rate. Players form identity around their character's visual appearance more than around any other item category. A faction uniform set that is visually distinctive, correctly armored for the faction's combat role, and consistently themed across all seven slots is the baseline for a professional RP server clothing catalog. The cohort's faction outfit template structure exists precisely to make that baseline achievable without authoring every detail from scratch.

The 57 Studios™ cohort template library provides pre-built prefabs with correct SkinnedMeshRenderer bone binding for each slot, reducing full-outfit authoring time from 30–40 hours to 8–12 hours for a first-time clothing modder. Templates are available in the 57 Studios™ community channels. Once the first outfit is shipped cleanly, subsequent outfits using the same template approach take a fraction of the time as the bone binding step is replaced with mesh and texture swapping only.

Cross-references

• Food, Water, and Medical Items — the previous article in the items series.
• Storage Asset — the next article; storage containers share the Storage_X/Storage_Y mechanic.
• Project Folder Structure and GUIDs — item folder layout and GUID authoring.
• How to Export an FBX — the FBX export workflow for clothing meshes.
• How to Install Unity Editor — Unity install prerequisite.
• Steam Workshop Submission — publishing workflow for both full mods and workshop skins.
• Smartly Dressed Games Modding Documentation — the authoritative asset field reference.
• Unturned on Steam — the base game page; install and version history.

Document history

Version	Date	Author	Notes
1.0	2025-05-18	57 Studios™	Initial publication. Full clothing asset reference covering all seven slots.
1.1	2026-05-18	57 Studios™	Added RP server pipeline, clothing weight guidelines, icon texture requirements, authoring benchmark.