RUST Skins Plugin (How to Install, Configure & Use)

What is the Skins plugin?

Skins is a RUST plugin that allows players to alter their in-game deployables, armor, and weapons with in-game skins using identifiers that they may not own. Patched and supported by misticos, Skins is a free-to-use plugin available for download on uMod. This plugin is a favorite amongst the RUST modding community to offer their patrons skins that might otherwise be out of their price range.

Note: This mod will require the server status to be changed from Community to Modded when used. For more information on this, check out Facepunch’s guidelines on plugin use here.

Potential reasons to use the Skins plugin

Part of the mainstay draw of most modded servers is the capacity to offer something to the player base that a typical community vanilla server cannot. That being said, a considerable amount of newer players are drawn to servers that offer ‘skinbox,’ allowing them to deck out their gear and deployables without investing hundreds in actual game skins. 

You can also use this plugin to provide access to customized skins exclusive to the server.

How to install the Skins plugin

As with all uMod plugins, the server you intend to install them on requires uMod (Oxide) to be installed to facilitate their function. For a step-by-step perspective on how to install this plugin, please reference the following list:

1. First, you must have uMod/Oxide installed on your server. Use our Installing uMod (Oxide) on Your RUST server guide if you need help; otherwise, if you use a third-party hosting, their user interface will have instructions on how to get started. It may be tooled explicitly to their platform, so reach out to your host for details.
2. Acquire the latest version of the plugin from uMod’s Skins plugin page, or download the CS file directly.
3. Locate the downloaded Skins.cs file and install the plugin on your RUST server, or follow your host-specific instructions.
4. Once Skins is installed in the plugins folder, and if the server is actively running, uMod will immediately create an alternate Skins.json file in your config folder. It is essential to differentiate these files and not mistake them, as you must make configuration changes in the .json file in the config folder.  

Permissions

As with all plugins you might try to install, Skins has a small list of permissions. Make sure you reference our Oxide Permissions guide to understand the oxide.grant permission system better. Permissions bearing a warning indicate that adding this permission gives unilateral removal decision-making to any authorized group—exercise extreme caution. 

Specific permission command lines include:

General Chat commands (prefaced with / ):

Admin Chat commands (prefaced with / ):

Recommended plugin configurations

By default, the configuration of the Skins.json file should be adequate for most server owners’ purposes. To better understand potential option changes, this guide will go through the configuration file line by line as it pertains to the most commonly changed settings:

This is an example configuration file for the Skins plugin – It has been altered slightly to better explain setting change impact – DO NOT copy and paste this example into your configuration.

Corrosion Hour does not recommend altering this config file from default, as most pertinent information and configurations are done within the command line summary.

{
  "Commands": [
    "skin",
    "skins"
  ],
  "Skins": [
    {
      "Item Shortname": "shortname",
      "Permission": "",
      "Skins": [
        0
      ]
    }
  ],
  "Container Panel Name": "generic",
  "Container Capacity": 36,
  "UI": {
    "Background Color": "0.18 0.28 0.36",
    "Background Anchors": {
      "Anchor Min X": "1.0",
      "Anchor Min Y": "1.0",
      "Anchor Max X": "1.0",
      "Anchor Max Y": "1.0"
    },
    "Background Offsets": {
      "Offset Min X": "-300",
      "Offset Min Y": "-100",
      "Offset Max X": "0",
      "Offset Max Y": "0"
    },
    "Left Button Text": "<size=36><</size>",
    "Left Button Color": "0.11 0.51 0.83",
    "Left Button Anchors": {
      "Anchor Min X": "0.025",
      "Anchor Min Y": "0.05",
      "Anchor Max X": "0.325",
      "Anchor Max Y": "0.95"
    },
    "Center Button Text": "<size=36>Page: {page}</size>",
    "Center Button Color": "0.11 0.51 0.83",
    "Center Button Anchors": {
      "Anchor Min X": "0.350",
      "Anchor Min Y": "0.05",
      "Anchor Max X": "0.650",
      "Anchor Max Y": "0.95"
    },
    "Right Button Text": "<size=36>></size>",
    "Right Button Color": "0.11 0.51 0.83",
    "Right Button Anchors": {
      "Anchor Min X": "0.675",
      "Anchor Min Y": "0.05",
      "Anchor Max X": "0.975",
      "Anchor Max Y": "0.95"
    }
  }
}

How to update the Skins plugin

Updating the RUST Skins plugin is simple and quick.

1. Visit the uMod Skins plugin page
2. Download the latest version of the Skins plugin
3. Overwrite the existing Skins.cs file in your Oxide plugins folder.

It is best practice not to uninstall the mod, as you do not need to alter the JSON file. It will remain with your existing settings (unless the developer otherwise suggests a complete reinstall).

How to remove the Skins plugin

As the Skins plugin does impact the player experience and game features, removing the plugin will take a few extra steps.

1. Prepare and properly shut down the RUST server
2. Open the Oxide plugins folder in your server directory
3. Locate and delete the Skins.cs file
4. Open the Oxide config folder in your server directory
5. Locate and delete the Skins.json configuration file
6. Restart the RUST server

Suppose you want to disable the Skins plugin for a short period. You can use the oxide.unload Skins command, which you may also run in the F1 console, RCON, or Web Console. 

Disclaimer and seeking assistance

Corrosion Hour does not maintain the RUST Skins plugin, nor do we assist with modifying the plugin outside the config scope. Visit the plugin’s uMod page directly to support the plugin creators, report bugs, or propose feature requests. Please get in touch with an admin in our Discord community for help with the steps and instructions in this guide.