CrystalWorkshop

CrystalWorkshop

v0.1.0-alphaAlphaAppXIIIXIII-2LR2026-10-21

SteamMicrosoft Storeexperimental

Windows

File

crystalworkshop-0.1.0-alpha-windows-x86_64.zip

Size

50.3 MB

Platform

Windows 10/11 x64 · Steam, Microsoft Store (experimental)

SHA-256

82d80b4730c4b960b7004aaffb4a1ac60ab3958f0e75fed0ca579df3c944ea57Copy

Virus scans

VirusTotal 0/67 MetaDefender 0/21 Kaspersky: no verdictSecurity and scans

Requirements

• CrystalWorkshop previews: Bundled DXVK 3.1.1; a GPU and driver with Vulkan 1.3
• Script mods and script editing: A JDK 17 or newer (not bundled), e.g. Eclipse Temurin

Download for WindowsDocumentationChangelog

Linux

File

crystalworkshop-0.1.0-alpha-linux-x86_64.zip

Size

51.6 MB

Platform

Linux x86_64 · Steam, Microsoft Store (experimental)

SHA-256

c454d2ecd6535c1ae7d85a0a6633bbec6350b7cf059ea08ec87e029ded51dabfCopy

Virus scans

VirusTotal 0/66 MetaDefender 0/21 Kaspersky: no verdictSecurity and scans

Requirements

• CrystalWorkshop previews: The system's DXVK-native (libdxvk_d3d9.so, e.g. Arch libdxvk) with SDL3 or SDL2; Vulkan 1.3
• Script mods and script editing: A JDK 17 or newer from your distribution (not bundled)

Download for LinuxDocumentationChangelog

Report a problemSuggest a featureOpens a form on GitHub, prefilled for CrystalWorkshop v0.1.0-alpha.

Learning path

1. 1StartInstallWindows or Linux, and what the previews need.
2. 2StartFirst runOpen your game and find your way around.
3. 3BeginnerBuild your first modFive steps from an edit to a mod you play.
4. 4BeginnerSheets and SQLChange data in a sheet or with a query.
5. 5BeginnerText (ZTR)In-game text with its control tags.
6. 6IntermediateCrystariumNodes, stages and roles (XIII).
7. 7IntermediateModelsTextures, materials and a glTF round trip.
8. 8AdvancedVFXEffect trees, fields, swaps and playback.
9. 9AdvancedScenes (LYB)Move, add and delete placements in a zone.
10. 10AdvancedScripts, actions, soundJava scripts, schedules, events and audio.
11. 11AdvancedAI clients (MCP)Let an AI client use the same editors.

CrystalWorkshop is a modding editor for the PC (Steam) releases of FINAL FANTASY XIII, XIII-2 and LIGHTNING RETURNS. It reads your installed game, lets you change its data, text, models, effects, scenes and scripts, and packs your changes into a CrystalWorkshop Shard (.cws). Players install that shard with PulseDepot.

ALPHA 0.1.0

Expect rough edges. Pages mark Experimental features and per-game limits. Keep backups of your mod projects. CrystalWorkshop never writes save files. It writes into the game folder only when you export loose files, and only to mod_data and ff13_studio.

Getting started

1. Installing: Windows and Linux packages and what they need.
2. First Run and Game Setup: open your game.
3. Try a task:
   • Simple DB Edit: change an item price in a sheet and with SQL.
   • ZTR Text Edit: change in-game text, with its control tags.
   • Model Edit: inspect a character model, its textures and materials.
   • VFX Edit: browse an effect, change a field, swap a reference, play it.
   • Scene Edit: move, add and delete placements in a zone (LYB).
   • Crystarium Edit: change Crystarium nodes (XIII).
   • Scripts Actions and Sound: CLB Java scripts, ACB schedules, events, sound.
4. Simple Mod Export: turn your changes into a .cws shard and install it with PulseDepot.
5. Enabling MCP: let an AI client (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex) use the same editors.

Native extensions (developers)

A shard can also carry extension units: small native DLLs that Crux loads into the game, for hooks, in-game settings pages and state that follows your save slot. Write them in Rust with the open-source extension SDK (workshop-extension-sdk on GitHub, MIT or Apache-2.0), then add the DLL on the Project page and export the shard as usual. The Extension SDK guide covers it step by step.

Reference

• FAQ and Troubleshooting
• Glossary: shard, Crux image, Crux, PulseDepot, LYB, ZTR, WDB, VFX terms.

What works where

Area	XIII	XIII-2	LR
Sheets (WDB) + SQL	yes	yes (record packs)	yes (record packs)
Text (ZTR)	yes	yes	yes
Models (inspect, textures, render)	yes	yes; writes unverified	yes; writes unverified
VFX tree, playback, reference swaps	yes	read-only fields	read-only fields
Scene editor (View, gizmo, add/duplicate/delete)	yes	Experimental	Experimental
Crystarium	yes	—	—
Scripts (CLB Java)	yes	browse	browse
Battle page	yes	—	—
Shard export verified in game	yes	unverified routes need consent	unverified routes need consent

The feature status page lists each feature as Completed, Experimental or Known gap.

Licence

CrystalWorkshop is freeware, all rights reserved (LICENSE). Mods you make with it belong to you, subject to the game’s own terms. Third-party components are listed in THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt. See FAQ and Troubleshooting.