Workshop Uploader Guide

The Workshop Uploader is a small standalone program that lets you publish mods and scenarios for Imperium Sine Fine to the Steam Workshop. Once published, other players can subscribe to your work with one click, and the game downloads and loads it automatically. See Desktop Modding Manual for how to actually build a mod — this page covers getting a finished mod onto the Workshop.

The uploader is a separate download from the game itself. You don't need the Scenario Editor DLC to run the uploader — only to create .sce scenario files in the first place. Data mods and graphics mods need no DLC at all.

Steam Workshop page: https://steamcommunity.com/app/4826520/workshop/

System Requirements

Requirement	Details
Operating System	Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit)
Java	Java 21 or newer — a free download from adoptium.net
Steam	The Steam client must be installed and running when you upload
Game	You must own Imperium Sine Fine on Steam
Internet	Required during upload

Installation

Download the Workshop Uploader — the zip includes the program itself, along with a copy of this guide for offline reference. This wiki page is always the current, up-to-date version — if the bundled copy in an older download ever looks out of date, this page is the one to trust.

1. Download the zip from the link above.
2. Unzip it anywhere on your computer.
3. The folder should contain the .jar program, steam_api64.dll, and steam_appid.txt.

⚠ All three files must stay in the same folder. Moving steam_api64.dll or steam_appid.txt out of that folder will prevent the uploader from connecting to Steam at all.

Running the Uploader

Make sure the Steam client is running and you're logged in, then double-click the .jar file. If double-clicking does nothing, Java may not be associated with .jar files on your system — open a Command Prompt in the folder and run:

java -jar ISF-Workshop-Uploader-x.x.x.jar

Preparing Your Mod Folder

Every mod lives in its own folder containing a mod.json descriptor — see Desktop Modding Manual for the full field reference. What else the folder needs depends on the mod type:

Scenario mod:

My Scenario\
    mod.json
    my_scenario.sce       — scenario file created by the Scenario Editor
    preview.jpg           — optional, 512×512 px recommended

Data mod (CSV edits):

My Data Mod\
    mod.json
    data_troops.csv       — modified game data files
    data_factions.csv

Graphics mod:

My Graphics Mod\
    mod.json
    ui\
        icon_custom.png     — replacement image files
    icons_main1_100.png

Preview Image

Highly recommended — mods with screenshots receive far more downloads.

Property	Requirement
Format	JPG or PNG
Recommended size	512 × 512 pixels (Steam will rescale it)
Maximum file size	A few MB — smaller loads faster
Filename	preview.jpg or preview.png, placed in the mod folder root

Uploading a New Mod — Step by Step

1. Start Steam and make sure you're logged in.
2. Launch the uploader. The status bar at the bottom should read Ready.
3. Select your content folder — click Browse next to Content Folder and navigate to your mod folder (the one containing mod.json). A notice appears confirming whether this will create a new Workshop item or update an existing one.
4. Fill in the title — up to 128 characters, required.
5. Write a description — shown on your mod's Workshop page. Steam BBCode is supported:

BBCode	Result
[b]text[/b]	Bold
[i]text[/i]	Italic
[u]text[/u]	Underline
[url=https://...]link text[/url]	Hyperlink
[h1]Heading[/h1]	Large heading
[list][*]item[/list]	Bullet list

1. Add a preview image — click Browse next to Preview Image and select a JPG or PNG. A thumbnail confirms it looks right.
2. Choose tags — see Choosing Tags below.
3. Set visibility:

Option	When to Use
Public	Ready to share with everyone.
Friends Only	Testing with a small group.
Private	Not yet ready, or testing the upload tool itself.

1. Upload — click Upload to Workshop and watch the progress bar. A confirmation shows your Workshop item ID once complete.

First upload only: Steam may ask you to accept the Workshop Legal Agreement before your item becomes publicly visible — check the Workshop page for the game in the Steam client if this appears.

Choosing Tags

Tags are fixed categories. You can select multiple tags within most categories, except Content Type and Faction Count, which are single-select.

Content Type (required — choose one)

Tag	Use For
Scenario	A hand-crafted map and starting setup for a single game session.
Campaign	A series of connected scenarios with a narrative.
Total Conversion	Replaces most of the game's data and setting.
Graphics	Replacement images, unit icons, terrain art.
Data Mod	Modified CSV data — new units, changed stats, economy tweaks, and so on.

Selecting Graphics or Data Mod hides the Map Size, Difficulty, Faction Count, and Races sections automatically — they don't apply to those mod types.

Map Size (scenarios and campaigns)

Tag	Rough Map Size
Small Map	Quick game, few regions.
Medium Map	Standard-length game.
Large Map	Long game, many regions.
Huge Map	Very long game, continental scale.

Difficulty (scenarios and campaigns)

Tag	Description
Beginner	Straightforward, suitable for new players.
Normal	Balanced, assumes familiarity with the game.
Challenging	Requires good strategic play.
Expert	Very hard — punishing for any mistake.

Lore / Setting (always visible)

Tag	Description
Base Game	Uses the default world, factions, and lore.
Chronicles of Cardolya	Set in the Chronicles of Cardolya DLC universe.
Custom Lore	Entirely original setting, new faction names, custom history.
Historical	Inspired by real-world history.

Faction Count (scenarios — choose one)

Select the number of playable factions in your scenario, helping players find scenarios sized for their preferred session length.

Races Present (scenarios — choose all that apply)

Tick every race that appears as a playable faction in your scenario, helping players find scenarios featuring their preferred race.

Updating a Published Mod

1. Make your changes to the mod folder.
2. Launch the uploader and select the same content folder as before.
3. The notice "Existing Workshop item detected" confirms the uploader found your workshop.meta file and will update the existing item rather than creating a new one.
4. Update the title, description, and tags if needed.
5. Optionally fill in the Change Note field — this appears in the item's update history on Steam and helps subscribers know what changed.
6. Click Upload to Workshop.

⚠ Do not delete workshop.meta from your mod folder. This file stores your Workshop item ID — deleting it means the next upload creates a duplicate item instead of updating the existing one.

Visibility Settings

You can change an item's visibility at any time via the Steam Workshop website — the uploader itself isn't needed for this. Go to the game's Workshop page, click your item, then the gear icon → Edit, and change the visibility setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need the Scenario Editor DLC to use the uploader? Not to run the uploader itself. You'll need it to create .sce scenario files — data mods and graphics mods don't require it.

Can I upload mods made by someone else? Only upload mods you created yourself, or have explicit permission to upload. Publishing someone else's work without permission violates Steam Workshop rules.

My mod has multiple scenario files — do I upload them separately? No. Upload the entire mod folder as a single Workshop item; players subscribe once and get everything.

The uploader says "Steam Not Available." What do I do? The Steam client isn't running, or the required files aren't in place — check Installation above and Troubleshooting below.

Can players on Android play my Steam Workshop scenario? Yes — scenarios can be downloaded and played on Android too, provided the player has a way to transfer the .sce file to their device. Android can't subscribe to the Workshop directly.

I uploaded my mod as Private for testing. How do I make it public? Edit the item on the Steam Workshop website (see Visibility Settings above) and change visibility to Public.

I made a mistake with a tag — can I fix it? Yes — re-upload using the same content folder (workshop.meta will be detected), update the tags, and click Upload. The item updates in place.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Double-clicking the JAR does nothing	Java isn't installed or associated with .jar files. Install Java 21 from adoptium.net, then run from a Command Prompt: java -jar ISF-Workshop-Uploader-x.x.x.jar
"Steam Not Available" warning on startup	The Steam client isn't running. Start Steam, log in, then relaunch the uploader. Also check that steam_api64.dll and steam_appid.txt are in the same folder as the JAR.
Upload button is greyed out	Title or Content Folder is empty, or no Content Type tag is selected — all three are required.
"Content folder is not a directory" / folder turns red	The path doesn't exist. Use the Browse button rather than typing the path manually.
Upload fails with "CreateItem returned an invalid handle"	Steam is running but the Workshop connection failed. Check your internet connection and try again.
Progress bar stays at "Connecting to Steam..." for a long time	Large mods simply take time to process before the upload begins.

Upload failures can also return a Steam EResult error code — the specific meaning of each code isn't documented in the source material available for this wiki. Worth adding a proper EResult reference table here if you have one to hand.

See also

• Desktop Modding Manual
• CSV and JSON Reference