Configuration

2dog uses MSBuild properties for configuration. Set these in your .csproj file.

Build Configurations

2dog supports three build configurations that map to different Godot native library builds:

Configuration	Godot Build Type	TOOLS_ENABLED	Use Case
Debug	`template_debug`	❌ No	Development with debug symbols
Release	`template_release`	❌ No	Optimized runtime (games, apps)
Editor	`editor`	✅ Yes	Import pipeline, editor APIs, tools

Build Configuration Usage

bash

# Development with debug symbols
dotnet build -c Debug
dotnet test -c Debug

# Optimized release build
dotnet build -c Release

# Editor build with TOOLS_ENABLED
dotnet build -c Editor
dotnet run -c Editor

What is TOOLS_ENABLED?

TOOLS_ENABLED is a Godot compile flag that enables the full editor toolchain:

Resource Import Pipeline: Process and import assets (textures, models, audio)
Editor APIs: Access to EditorInterface, EditorPlugin, EditorScript
Import Plugins: Custom importers like ResourceImporterTexture
Scene Tools: Advanced scene manipulation and validation
Export Tools: Game export and packaging APIs

Performance Impact

Editor builds are larger and slower than template builds. Use them only when you need editor-specific features.

When to Use Editor Configuration

Building asset import/conversion tools
Creating custom Godot editor plugins
Processing game assets in CI/CD pipelines
Validating scene files programmatically
Extending Godot's editor functionality

Native Library Options

TwoDogBuildType

Selects the Godot build variant. This is automatically set based on your build configuration, but can be overridden.

Value	Description	TOOLS_ENABLED
`template_release`	Optimized release build (default)	No
`template_debug`	Debug build with symbols	No
`editor`	Full editor build with tools	Yes

xml

<PropertyGroup>
  <TwoDogBuildType>editor</TwoDogBuildType>
</PropertyGroup>

Automatic Configuration

When building from the solution, TwoDogBuildType is automatically set:

Debug configuration → template_debug
Release configuration → template_release
Editor configuration → editor

TwoDogDevBuild

Controls whether to use dev builds (with additional debugging features).

Value	Description
`true`	Use dev build (default for `editor`)
`false`	Use non-dev build (default for `template_release`)

xml

<PropertyGroup>
  <TwoDogDevBuild>true</TwoDogDevBuild>
</PropertyGroup>

TwoDogNativesLocalPath

Use a local native library instead of downloading.

xml

<PropertyGroup>
  <TwoDogNativesLocalPath>C:\godot\bin\libgodot.dll</TwoDogNativesLocalPath>
</PropertyGroup>

TwoDogSkipNativeDownload

Skip automatic native library download. Useful for CI with pre-cached files.

xml

<PropertyGroup>
  <TwoDogSkipNativeDownload>true</TwoDogSkipNativeDownload>
</PropertyGroup>

TwoDogNativesCacheDir

Override the native library cache location. Defaults to ~/.twodog/natives/{version}/.

xml

<PropertyGroup>
  <TwoDogNativesCacheDir>$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)/.natives/</TwoDogNativesCacheDir>
</PropertyGroup>

Download Options

TwoDogGitHubRepo

GitHub repository for downloading releases.

xml

<PropertyGroup>
  <TwoDogGitHubRepo>outfox/2dog</TwoDogGitHubRepo>
</PropertyGroup>

TwoDogPackageVersion

Package version for download URLs and cache paths.

xml

<PropertyGroup>
  <TwoDogPackageVersion>0.1.0-pre</TwoDogPackageVersion>
</PropertyGroup>

Platform Detection

These are automatically detected but can be overridden:

Property	Description
`TwoDogIsWindows`	`true` on Windows
`TwoDogIsLinux`	`true` on Linux
`TwoDogIsOSX`	`true` on macOS
`TwoDogArch`	Architecture: `X64` or `Arm64`

Example Configurations

Multi-Configuration Project

Support all three build types in one project:

xml

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <!-- Debug: template_debug build -->
  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Debug'">
    <TwoDogBuildType>template_debug</TwoDogBuildType>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <!-- Release: template_release build (optimized) -->
  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Release'">
    <TwoDogBuildType>template_release</TwoDogBuildType>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <!-- Editor: editor build with TOOLS_ENABLED -->
  <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Editor'">
    <TwoDogBuildType>editor</TwoDogBuildType>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="2dog" Version="0.1.0-pre"/>
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

Asset Import Tool

Build a tool that uses Godot's import pipeline:

xml

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    <!-- Always use editor build for import tools -->
    <TwoDogBuildType>editor</TwoDogBuildType>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="2dog" Version="0.1.0-pre"/>
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

bash

# Run your import tool
dotnet run -c Editor -- --import-all

CI/CD Build

xml

<PropertyGroup>
  <TwoDogSkipNativeDownload>true</TwoDogSkipNativeDownload>
  <TwoDogNativesLocalPath>$(CI_CACHE)/libgodot.dll</TwoDogNativesLocalPath>
</PropertyGroup>

Local Godot Development

When building Godot from source alongside 2dog:

xml

<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Editor'">
  <TwoDogSkipNativeDownload>true</TwoDogSkipNativeDownload>
  <TwoDogBuildType>editor</TwoDogBuildType>
  <TwoDogNativesLocalPath>../godot/bin/godot.windows.editor.x86_64.shared_library.dll</TwoDogNativesLocalPath>
</PropertyGroup>

<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Debug'">
  <TwoDogSkipNativeDownload>true</TwoDogSkipNativeDownload>
  <TwoDogBuildType>template_debug</TwoDogBuildType>
  <TwoDogNativesLocalPath>../godot/bin/godot.windows.template_debug.x86_64.shared_library.dll</TwoDogNativesLocalPath>
</PropertyGroup>

GodotSharp API Assemblies

The GodotSharp API assemblies are automatically copied to your output directory. The configuration (Debug/Release) is determined by the native library build type, not your .NET configuration.

INFO

All libgodot shared library builds use Debug GodotSharp assemblies due to the LIBGODOT_HOSTFXR code path.

Directory Structure Requirements

Godot's native code has specific expectations for where the GodotSharp API assemblies must be located. This depends on how the native library was compiled.

Editor Builds vs Template Builds

Build Type	Compile Flags	Expected Directory Structure
`editor`	`TOOLS_ENABLED` + `LIBGODOT_HOSTFXR`	`GodotSharp/Api/Debug/` subdirectory
`template_debug`	`LIBGODOT_HOSTFXR` only	Flat (same directory as libgodot)
`template_release`	`LIBGODOT_HOSTFXR` only	Flat (same directory as libgodot)

Why This Matters

When Godot initializes its .NET runtime, it checks for the GodotSharp assemblies in a specific location determined at compile time:

Editor builds (TOOLS_ENABLED):

your-app/
├── your-app.exe
├── libgodot.dll
└── GodotSharp/
    └── Api/
        └── Debug/
            ├── GodotSharp.dll
            ├── GodotPlugins.dll
            └── GodotPlugins.runtimeconfig.json

Template release builds (LIBGODOT_HOSTFXR without TOOLS_ENABLED):

your-app/
├── your-app.exe
├── libgodot.dll
├── GodotSharp.dll
├── GodotPlugins.dll
└── GodotPlugins.runtimeconfig.json

Directory Must Exist

If the assemblies are in the wrong location, Godot will fail with:

Unable to find the .NET assemblies directory.
Make sure the '...GodotSharp/Api/Debug' directory exists and contains the .NET assemblies.

How 2dog Handles This

2dog automatically copies the GodotSharp API assemblies to the correct location based on your TwoDogBuildType:

TwoDogBuildType=editor: Copies to $(OutputPath)GodotSharp/Api/Debug/
TwoDogBuildType=template_debug: Copies directly to $(OutputPath)
TwoDogBuildType=template_release: Copies directly to $(OutputPath)

This happens automatically via the TwoDogCopyGodotApi MSBuild target.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter the "Unable to find .NET assemblies directory" error:

Check your build type matches your native library:
- Using godot.*.editor.*.dll? Set TwoDogBuildType=editor or build with -c Editor
- Using godot.*.template_debug.*.dll? Set TwoDogBuildType=template_debug or build with -c Debug
- Using godot.*.template_release.*.dll? Set TwoDogBuildType=template_release or build with -c Release
Verify the directory structure in your output folder matches the expected pattern above.

Clean and rebuild:

bash

dotnet clean
dotnet build -c Debug  # or Release or Editor

Check that the source assemblies exist:
- For local development: godot/bin/GodotSharp/Api/Debug/
- For NuGet package: The package's contentFiles/any/any/GodotSharp/Api/Debug/

Configuration ​

Build Configurations ​

Build Configuration Usage ​

What is TOOLS_ENABLED? ​

Native Library Options ​

TwoDogBuildType ​

TwoDogDevBuild ​

TwoDogNativesLocalPath ​

TwoDogSkipNativeDownload ​

TwoDogNativesCacheDir ​

Download Options ​

TwoDogGitHubRepo ​

TwoDogPackageVersion ​

Platform Detection ​

Example Configurations ​

Multi-Configuration Project ​

Asset Import Tool ​

CI/CD Build ​

Local Godot Development ​

GodotSharp API Assemblies ​

Directory Structure Requirements ​

Editor Builds vs Template Builds ​

Why This Matters ​

How 2dog Handles This ​

Troubleshooting ​

Configuration

Build Configurations

Build Configuration Usage

What is TOOLS_ENABLED?

Native Library Options

TwoDogBuildType

TwoDogDevBuild

TwoDogNativesLocalPath

TwoDogSkipNativeDownload

TwoDogNativesCacheDir

Download Options

TwoDogGitHubRepo

TwoDogPackageVersion

Platform Detection

Example Configurations

Multi-Configuration Project

Asset Import Tool

CI/CD Build

Local Godot Development

GodotSharp API Assemblies

Directory Structure Requirements

Editor Builds vs Template Builds

Why This Matters

How 2dog Handles This

Troubleshooting