Vortex Development Bridge

Vortex Development Bridge

Keep building your mods while the bridge handles the Vortex busywork.

Vortex Development Bridge is for mod authors who test their own builds through Vortex. Send a finished build from the bridge page or your build script, keep earlier versions for rollback, and update your profiles without changing which mods are enabled. You can queue builds while Vortex is closed.

Features

• []Less manual copying: Send your finished mod folder to Vortex from the bridge page or a command-line script.[/]

  []Keep your profile choices: Enabled mods stay enabled, disabled mods stay disabled, and mods you have not added to a profile stay absent.[/]

  []Update when ready: Automatic updates wait until the target profile is active and the game is closed.[/]

  []Keep older builds: Return to a retained version when you need to compare or undo a mod update.[/]

  []Check the files: Verify stored builds and check deployed files, including differences caused by another mod winning a conflict.[/]

  []Choose how much to update: Update all game profiles, target one profile, or use Stage only to store a build without enabling or deploying it.[/]

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  Install and Update

  Install this ZIP through Vortex's Extensions screen, enable it and restart Vortex. Open Development Bridge from the sidebar. Install future updates the same way. Your registered projects, retained builds and results are stored separately from the extension files.

  The ZIP also includes a command-line client, setup examples and the user guide. For command-line use, extract the ZIP to a convenient folder and use its client/vdb.cjs. Update that extracted copy when you update the extension.

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  Requirements

  Windows and a game already managed by Vortex. Your mod's output folder must match the layout expected by that game's Vortex support. The bridge accepts finished files; your existing tools still compile and package your mod.

  Command-line use needs Node.js 22 or newer. The Vortex page needs no separate Node.js installation. Local use needs no Nexus API key.

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  Getting Started

  • []Connect your project: Copy an example as vdb.json, fill in your game and package details, and register it on the bridge page. The included docs/workflow.md walks through a complete example.[/]

    []Send your finished build: Enter the project, package, output folder and version, then choose an update mode. Use a new version number when the files change.[/]

    []Enable a new mod once: With the game closed and your intended profile active, use Activate and deploy beside its build. Repeat only for profiles where you want it enabled. Later automatic updates preserve those choices.[/]

    Queued means the build is saved for Vortex to process. Check Recent operations for the result. A waiting update resumes when Vortex is open, the target profile is active and the game is closed. The bridge never switches profiles for you.

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    Versions and Rollback

    Newer submissions replace overlapping pending updates. Older builds remain available for explicit rollback; automatic updates do not downgrade a selected newer version. Different files cannot share an existing package version when using Finish.

    Keep the game closed when manually using Activate and deploy or rollback. These are immediate actions; the automatic waiting behavior applies to Finish updates. See docs/finalization.md for batch updates and cancellation.

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    Compatibility and Testing

    The tested setup is Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon with prepared mod folders on Windows. Checks covered updates, disabled-state preservation, rollback, queue waiting, cancellation and conflict winners.

    Other game layouts, complex multi-package/conflict cases and native failure recovery have not all been tested. The included Elden Ring example is a starting point, not confirmed compatibility. Version 1. 0. 0 retains this limited testing scope; check your game's folder layout before using it with your regular profiles. See docs/test-matrix.md for the detailed record.

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