AC_Plugin_Template - AiComi Plugin Template

This is a template for developing BepInEx plugins for AiComi using IL2CPP and .NET 6.0.

Caution

THIS TEMPLATE IS KINDA - WORK IN PROGRESS -
I WILL VERY LIKELY DO SOME MAYOR CHANGES TO THE TEMPLATE AT SOME POINT.
THE CURRENT TEMPLATE IS FAR FROM PERFECT, BUT SHOULD BE USABLE NONETHELESS!
THE PLUGIN STRUCTURE USED FOR THE TEMPLATE AT THE MOMENT IS FAR TOO COMPLEX.
80% OF THE STUFF IS JUST BLOATING THE TEMPLATE AND WOULD NOT BE NEEDED FOR A WORKING PLUGIN!
WHENEVER I WILL UPDATE THE TEMPLATE - IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT SIMPLER AND EASIER FOR BEGINNERS TO UNDERSTAND.

Quick Start

1. Rename the project folders and files from ExamplePlugin → AC_YourPluginName
2. Update the namespace in ExamplePlugin.cs from AC_ExamplePlugin to AC_YourPluginName AY S3. Update the GUID and PluginName constants
3. Update the output path in PluginCode.csproj if needed
4. Build and the plugin will auto-deploy to bin/BepInEx/plugins/

Tech Stack

• Engine: Unity IL2CPP
• BepInEx: 6.x (Unity)
• Base Class: BepInEx.Unity.IL2CPP.BasePlugin
• Target Framework: .net6.0
• Harmony: HarmonyLib (Postfix/Prefix Patches)
• Packages: IllusionLibs.Aicomi.AllPackages (2024.10.3)

Plugin Structure

AC_YourPluginName/
├── ExamplePlugin.cs      # Main plugin class (rename as needed)
├── PluginCode.csproj     # SDK-style project file
├── packages.config       # (no longer needed with SDK style)
└── Properties/
    └── AssemblyInfo.cs   # Assembly metadata

Plugin Skeleton

using BepInEx;
using BepInEx.Unity.IL2CPP;   // not BepInEx alone!
using HarmonyLib;

[BepInPlugin(GUID, PluginName, Version)]
public class Plugin : BasePlugin   // not BaseUnityPlugin!
{
    public const string GUID = "com.author.myplugin";
    public const string PluginName = "My Plugin";
    public const string Version = "1.0.0";

    internal static BepInEx.Logging.ManualLogSource Logger = null!;

    public override void Load()    // not Awake()!
    {
        Logger = Log;
        Harmony.CreateAndPatchAll(typeof(MyPatch));
    }
}

Key Differences from Standard BepInEx

Inheritance

• Use BasePlugin (not BaseUnityPlugin) from BepInEx.Unity.IL2CPP
• Entry point is Load() method (not Awake())
• Static logger must be initialized: Logger = Log;

IL2CPP Reflection

• Standard .NET reflection won't work for native game types — only wrapper fields (isWrapped, pooledPtr) will be visible
• Real fields/methods → look them up in BepInEx/interop/ via dnSpy
• Private methods in interop assemblies are often public (IL2CPP wrapper makes everything accessible)
• GetComponentInChildren<T>() works normally ✅
• Use Il2CppInterop.Runtime.Il2CppType.Of<T>() instead of typeof(T).GetFields() for IL2CPP reflection

Harmony Patches

[HarmonyPatch(typeof(TargetClass))]
internal static class MyPatch
{
    [HarmonyPostfix, HarmonyPatch(nameof(TargetClass.TargetMethod))]
    private static void AfterMethod(TargetClass __instance)
    {
        // __instance = the object the method was called on
    }
}

ANSI Colors in BepInEx Console

ANSI escape codes are natively supported in the BepInEx console window:

private const string GREEN = "\u001b[32m";
private const string RESET = "\u001b[0m";

Logger.LogInfo($"{GREEN}Success!{RESET}");

Debugging

1. Log in game: UnityEngine.Debug.Log(...) → appears as [Message: Unity] in BepInEx log
2. Find fields: RuntimeUnityEditor (F7) → Object Browser → click on component
3. Find methods/types: dnSpy → open BepInEx/interop/ DLLs → search for class
4. IL2CPP Reflection: Il2CppInterop.Runtime.Il2CppType.Of<T>() instead of typeof(T).GetFields()

Configuration

// Normal setting
Config.Bind("Section", "Key", defaultValue, "Description");

// Advanced/Debug setting (only visible when Debug mode enabled)
Config.Bind("Debug", "Key", false,
    new ConfigDescription("Description", tags: new[] { "Advanced" })
);

ScrollRect / LoopGridView

// LoopGridView works with rows, not flat item indices
int row = selectedIndex / columns;

var scrollRect = win.GetComponentInChildren<UnityEngine.UI.ScrollRect>();
float scrollable = scrollRect.content.rect.height - scrollRect.viewport.rect.height;

// 1.0 = top, 0.0 = bottom → invert!
float normalized = 1f - Mathf.Clamp01((row * itemHeight) / scrollable);
scrollRect.verticalNormalizedPosition = normalized;

Gotchas & Pitfalls

• BasePlugin not BaseUnityPlugin — plugin won't load otherwise
• Load() not Awake() — the entry point has a different name in BepInEx 6 IL2CPP
• Log is an instance property → store it statically so patch classes can access it
• \u001b vs \\u001b — double backslash means no ANSI escape, colors won't appear
• GetComponentIndex() on LoopGridView returns UI hierarchy depth, not item index → look for a game-specific method instead (e.g. GetCurrentIndex())
• GenerateAssemblyInfo — set <GenerateAssemblyInfo>false</GenerateAssemblyInfo> in the csproj when using Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs, otherwise you'll get duplicate attribute errors

Building & Deployment

Build the project and the plugin DLL will automatically copy to bin/BepInEx/plugins/AC_YourPluginName/

For releases, use the included release.ps1 script.