Model Swaps

A model swap replaces one Pal, character or object model with another. The established community workflow uses Unreal Engine (via the Palworld Modding Kit) to set up a mod folder, cook the content, and pack it into a mod .pak.

The canonical walkthrough is Smoovers’ video tutorial, shared in the guides channel (linked in Credits). It is the reference other guides build on - the custom animation guide, for example, assumes you have followed the model-swap tutorial first to get a working mod folder structure.

The shape of the workflow

1. Set up the Palworld Modding Kit so you can cook content.
2. Get the correct mappings file and the packing tool.
3. Prepare your replacement model against the target’s skeleton in the modding kit.
4. Cook the content, then pack the cooked output into a _P mod .pak - see Packaging & Pak Pipeline.
5. Drop the .pak into the game’s mod folder and test.

Skeletons and bones

Swapping onto an existing skeleton is the least fragile approach. If you need new bones or physics, see Kawaii physics; if you need new animations without breaking the existing ones, see Custom animations.

Credits

• Model-swap video tutorial shared by Sleepyhead08; the video “How To Mod Palworld - Model Swaps” is by Smoovers on YouTube and is the reference many later guides build on.

  Source: Sleepyhead08 - original message

• Video: How To Mod Palworld - Model Swaps by Smoovers.