SFSE-MCP

Add an in-game settings menu to your C++ SFSE mod with SFSE Menu Framework. Based on SkyrimThiago's SKSE-MCP.

1. Add the SDK

Use an existing C++23, Windows x64 SFSE project. Choose either the header or vcpkg; you don't need both.

Standalone header

Download the SDK from the framework's Nexus page under Miscellaneous Files. Copy its SFSEMCP folder into your project's include directory, keeping the included license notices. You can then include:

#include <SFSEMCP/SFSEMenuFramework.hpp>

Vcpkg

1. Copy both port folders from cmake/ports into your project's cmake/ports.

2. Add these entries to the dependencies array in your vcpkg.json:

   "sfse-mcp",
   { "name": "clib-utils-qtr", "default-features": false }

   Keep default-features: false so your Starfield project doesn't pull in QTR Utils' Skyrim dependencies.

3. Add "overlay-ports": ["cmake/ports"] to vcpkg-configuration.json.

4. Run vcpkg install --triplet x64-windows.

5. In your CMake project, replace my_plugin with your target name:

   find_package(SFSE-MCP CONFIG REQUIRED)
   target_link_libraries(my_plugin PRIVATE SFSE-MCP::SFSE-MCP)

You don't need to compile or link your own ImGui library for this menu.

2. Add your menu

Create Menu.h:

#pragma once

namespace Menu
{
    void Register();
}

Create Menu.cpp and add it to your build:

#include "Menu.h"
#include <SFSEMCP/SFSEMenuFramework.hpp>

namespace
{
    bool enabled = true;
    float strength = 1.0f;

    void __stdcall DrawSettings()
    {
        ImGuiMCP::TextUnformatted("Hello from my mod!");
        ImGuiMCP::Checkbox("Enabled", &enabled);
        ImGuiMCP::SliderFloat("Strength", &strength, 0.0f, 2.0f);

        if (ImGuiMCP::Button("Reset"))
        {
            enabled = true;
            strength = 1.0f;
        }
    }
}

void Menu::Register()
{
    if (!SFSEMenuFramework::IsInstalled())
    {
        return;
    }

    SFSEMenuFramework::SetSection("My Mod");
    SFSEMenuFramework::AddSectionItem("Settings", &DrawSettings);
}

My Mod is the name in the left panel. Settings is the page underneath it. The framework calls DrawSettings each frame while that page is visible.

The checkbox and slider change the variables you pass to them. Button returns true when pressed. Replace these example variables with your mod's settings; saving them to disk is up to your mod.

3. Register it with SFSE

The page won't appear until your plugin calls Menu::Register().

If your plugin already has an SFSE message listener, include Menu.h and add this to its existing kPostLoad handler:

Menu::Register();

If it doesn't have a listener, add this to plugin.cpp:

#include "Menu.h"
#include <SFSE/SFSE.h>

namespace
{
    void OnSFSEMessage(SFSE::MessagingInterface::Message* message)
    {
        if (message &&
            message->type == SFSE::MessagingInterface::kPostLoad)
        {
            Menu::Register();
        }
    }
}

Then register that listener in your existing plugin entrypoint, after SFSE::Init(...):

const auto* messaging = SFSE::GetMessagingInterface();
if (!messaging || !messaging->RegisterListener(OnSFSEMessage))
{
    return false;
}

Keep the rest of your entrypoint and its final return true. Don't add a second entrypoint or a second registration if you already have a listener. See the example mod's complete plugin.cpp for this wiring in a working project.

4. See it in game

1. Install SFSE and SFSE Menu Framework in your game setup.
2. Build your mod and install its DLL under Data/SFSE/Plugins (or that path inside your mod manager's mod folder). Enable both mods.
3. Launch the game through SFSE.
4. Press F1 and select My Mod > Settings.

You should see the text, checkbox, slider and Reset button. If you changed the framework's menu binding, use that key instead.

If the panel opens but your mod is missing, check that your DLL loaded and that your kPostLoad handler actually calls Menu::Register().

More examples

• Menu registration, settings pages and separate windows
• Input listeners and persistent HUDs
• Fonts
• API reference and porting from SKSE-MCP

License

MIT. Using the SDK does not require your mod to adopt the framework's GPL license. Keep the included third-party notices.