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Frequently Asked Questions

🧑‍🌾 Player Questions

The tablet doesn't open when I press T

  1. Make sure FS25_FarmTablet.zip is in your mods folder and the mod is enabled in the mod manager for this savegame.
  2. Reload the savegame after enabling it — the mod initialises at mission load time.
  3. Open the developer console (` key) and type TabletEnable. If it says "Farm Tablet not initialized", the mod didn't load — check log.txt for errors.
  4. If it says "Farm Tablet enabled", press T again.
  5. Still nothing? Try TabletToggle in the console to force-open it.

I changed the key with TabletKeybind but pressing the new key doesn't work

The key string must be exact. Check the supported key list in general/console-commands.md. Common mistakes:

  • tabletKeybind f5 — letters in the key name must be uppercase: TabletKeybind F5
  • TabletKeybind numpad1 — use TabletKeybind NUM1
  • Binding to a key already used by the game (e.g. E, F, H) — the game may intercept it before the mod sees it

The tablet is off-screen / I can't see it

Open the console and run:

TabletResetSettings

This resets position and scale to centre/default. Alternatively, open the tablet (it will open even if partially off-screen), navigate to the Settings app by typing TabletApp settings, and click RESET POSITION & SCALE.

The balance shows $0 or wrong numbers

The Dashboard reads from farm.stats which is updated by the game engine. On a fresh savegame it may show $0 until the first transaction is recorded. If it shows an unexpected value, try opening and closing the tablet once to force a cache refresh.

Fields aren't showing in the Field Status app

The Field Status app shows farmland parcels that have a linked crop field. Purchased land that has never been ploughed or planted may not have a field object yet — cultivate and seed it first. Fields owned by other farms in multiplayer will not appear.

The Workshop app shows no vehicles

Walk to within 35 metres of a vehicle. The detection radius is intentionally local. The vehicle must be motorised (have an engine) — trailers and implements without a motor will not appear.

A companion mod app (Income, Tax, NPC, etc.) isn't appearing

  1. The companion mod must be active in this savegame's mod list, not just installed.
  2. The app only appears after the mission finishes loading. If you added the companion mod while the game was running, restart the game session.
  3. Enable debug mode (TabletApp settings → Debug Mode ON), reload the save, and check log.txt for [FarmTablet System] lines to see what was detected.

The forecast in the Weather app is empty

The forecast requires the game's weather system to have forecast data available. On some maps, in very early saves, or when using certain weather mods, forecast data may not be populated. The current conditions (temperature, rain, wind) are always available even without a forecast.

The tablet opened but it's completely black / blank

This usually means the FS25 overlay manager couldn't create overlays. Possible causes:

  • Extremely low graphics settings that disable HUD overlays
  • Conflict with another mod that also takes over the overlay manager
  • GPU driver issue

Try pressing T to close and reopen the tablet. If it persists, check log.txt for Could not create overlay warnings.

Can I use this in multiplayer?

Yes. The tablet runs independently on each player's client. Each player sees data for their own farm. There is no shared state between players. The mod is completely skipped on dedicated servers — there is no server-side overhead.

Will this break my savegame?

No. Farm Tablet only reads game data — it does not modify any savegame files. The only file it writes is FS25_FarmTablet.xml (in your savegame directory), which contains only tablet settings. Removing the mod leaves your savegame completely intact.

How do I uninstall?

  1. Remove FS25_FarmTablet.zip from your mods folder.
  2. Optionally delete FS25_FarmTablet.xml from your savegame directory for a clean removal.

Can I have different settings on different savegames?

Yes. Each savegame has its own FS25_FarmTablet.xml. You can have different keybinds, positions, startup apps, and sound settings per save.

How do I report a bug?

  1. Enable debug mode (Settings app → Debug Mode ON)
  2. Reproduce the bug
  3. Find the relevant lines in log.txt (search for [FarmTablet])
  4. Open a Bug Report on GitHub and paste the log lines

🧑‍💻 Developer Questions

How do I write a new app?

See developer/writing-an-app.md for a step-by-step guide from registration to a working drawer with buttons, help page, and data access.

How do I register my companion mod app so it auto-detects?

Add a detection block to AppRegistry:autoDetect() in src/core/AppRegistry.lua:

if g_currentMission and g_currentMission.myModManager then
    if not self:has("my_app_id") then
        self:register({ id = "my_app_id", ... })
    end
end

Or, if you're shipping a standalone companion mod (not modifying Farm Tablet's source), call AppRegistry:register() directly from your mod's mission-loaded callback after checking if AppRegistry then.

What's the global I use to access the tablet from my mod?

g_FarmTablet                          -- FarmTabletManager instance
g_FarmTablet.ui                       -- FarmTabletUI (nil on server)
g_FarmTablet.system                   -- FarmTabletSystem
g_FarmTablet.system.registry          -- AppRegistry
g_FarmTablet.system.data              -- FT_DataProvider
g_FarmTablet.settings                 -- Settings

Always guard with if g_FarmTablet then in case Farm Tablet is not installed.

How do I make my app refresh automatically?

For most apps, clicking a button calls self:switchApp(appId) which rebuilds the content area. For live data that needs continuous updates (like position in the Digging app), add your app ID to the update(dt) block in FarmTabletUI:update():

if appId == "my_app" then
    if self.updateMyApp then self:updateMyApp(dt) end
end

Then define FarmTabletUI.updateMyApp as a function that calls self.r:clearAppLayer() + self:_drawContent() on a timer. See DiggingApp.lua for the pattern.

Can I draw directly with FS25 rendering functions instead of the Renderer?

Avoid it. The Renderer handles layer ordering, clip culling, and overlay lifecycle. Calling renderOverlay() or renderText() directly from a drawer will draw in the wrong z-order (usually under the chrome) and leak resources (overlays won't be cleaned up on app switch or tablet close).

The Edit Mode border is the one exception — it uses native renderOverlay calls because it must render on top of everything, including cover strips.

Why do FT.px() and FT.py() return 0?

They return FT.LAYOUT.scaleX * v and FT.LAYOUT.scaleY * v. scaleX/scaleY are set by FarmTabletUI:_build(), which only runs when the tablet opens. If you call FT.px() at module-load time (outside a function), the layout hasn't been built yet and the values will be 0.

Always use FT.px() and FT.py() inside function bodies — drawer functions, onClick handlers, etc.

What events can I listen to from my mod?

FT_EventBus.EVENTS.TABLET_OPENED   -- no args
FT_EventBus.EVENTS.TABLET_CLOSED   -- no args
FT_EventBus.EVENTS.APP_SWITCHED    -- args: appId (string)
FT_EventBus.EVENTS.APP_REGISTERED  -- args: appId (string)

Register listeners during mission load:

if FT_EventBus then
    FT_EventBus:on(FT_EventBus.EVENTS.TABLET_OPENED, function()
        -- ...
    end)
end

The DataProvider doesn't have a method I need — can I add one?

Yes. Follow the caching pattern in DataProvider.lua:

function FT_DataProvider:getMyData(farmId)
    return self:_cached("mydata_"..farmId, 2000, function()
        if not g_myManager then return defaultValue end
        return g_myManager:getSomething(farmId)
    end)
end

If you're building a companion mod rather than modifying Farm Tablet, you can add your own data helper to the existing instance at runtime:

if g_FarmTablet and g_FarmTablet.system.data then
    g_FarmTablet.system.data.getMyData = function(self, farmId)
        -- ...
    end
end

How does the repair button work in the Workshop app?

  1. Locally it sets spec_wearable.totalAmount = 0 and zeroes all component amounts directly
  2. It also tries workshop:repairVehicle(vehicle) via pcall
  3. If the local client is not the server (pure client in multiplayer), it sends a VehicleRepairEvent network event via g_client:getServerConnection():sendEvent()

The Settings app has a scroll but my app doesn't — how do I add it?

Call self:setContentHeight(totalH) at the end of your drawer where totalH = startY - y (the total vertical extent of everything you drew). Then use self:getContentScrollY() at the top of your drawer and add it to your starting Y. The scroll wheel over the content area is handled automatically. See SettingsApp.lua for the full pattern.

How do I store per-app state that persists while the tablet is open?

Store it on self.system:

self.system.myAppFilter = self.system.myAppFilter or "all"

State stored on self.system survives app switches (the system object is not rebuilt). It is reset when the tablet closes if you add a nil assignment to FarmTabletSystem:onTabletClosed().

For truly persistent state (across tablet open/close), store it in a custom Settings field or a separate XML file.

Is there a way to test apps without a full FS25 install?

Not officially — the mod requires the FS25 Lua runtime, overlay manager, and game globals. However, you can use debugMode = true to get verbose log output, and structure your drawer functions so all FS25-dependent code is isolated in DataProvider methods (which you can mock with simple tables during development).