Compile Project Overview

The Compile Project tool builds your SKSE plugins using the xmake build system.

What It Does

Auto-detects projects in your projects folder
Configures xmake with your build settings
Compiles your plugin to a DLL file
Optionally copies output to your mods folder

Prerequisites

VS Build Tools installed via Install Toolchain
xmake installed via Install Toolchain
A project created via Create Project

Build Options

Option	Description
Project	Select the project to build from the dropdown
Configuration	Debug, Release, or RelWithDebInfo
Runtime	SE only, AE only, SE + AE (dual), or VR only
Clean	Remove previous build artifacts before building
Version	Override the version number for this build
Description	Override the plugin description for this build

Header Actions

Button	Action
Compile	Configure and build the project
Clean	Remove all build artifacts and configuration files
Open	Open the build output folder in file explorer
Stop	Stop a running build process

Build Output

Terminal Output

Build progress and any errors are shown in the terminal panel at the bottom of the window.

Output Location

After a successful build, your DLL is located at:

%PROJECT%/build/%PLATFORM%/%CONFIG%/%PROJECT%.dll

For example:

C:\Dev\Skyrim\projects\MyPlugin\build\windows\x64\release\MyPlugin.dll

Mods Path: If you've configured a Mods Path in Set Paths, the DLL can be automatically copied there after a successful build.

Build Configurations

Configuration	Description	Use Case
Debug	No optimization, full debug symbols	Development, debugging with a debugger
Release	Full optimization, no debug symbols	Final release builds
RelWithDebInfo	Optimization with debug symbols	Profiling, debugging crashes in release

Recommended Workflow

Use Debug during active development
Use RelWithDebInfo for testing performance
Use Release for final distribution

Runtime Targets

SKSE plugins can target different Skyrim versions:

Runtime	Description	Game Version
SE only	Skyrim Special Edition (pre-AE)	1.5.97 and earlier
AE only	Skyrim Anniversary Edition	1.6.x
SE + AE (dual)	Both SE and AE in one plugin	All versions
VR only	Skyrim VR	VR version

Dual Runtime: The "SE + AE (dual)" option creates a plugin that works with both SE and AE versions. This is the recommended choice for maximum compatibility.

xmake Runtime Flags

# SE only
xmake f -m release --skse_runtime=se

# AE only
xmake f -m release --skse_runtime=ae

# Dual (SE + AE)
xmake f -m release --skse_runtime=dual

# VR only
xmake f -m release --skse_runtime=vr

Troubleshooting

Build Fails Immediately

Ensure VS Build Tools is installed
Verify XSE_MSVCTOOLS_ROOT is set in Set Paths
Try running Clean before building

Compiler Errors

Check the terminal output for specific error messages
Verify your code compiles correctly
Ensure all dependencies are present in the project

Linker Errors

Check for missing libraries
Verify CommonLibSSE dependencies are configured
Ensure the correct runtime is selected

xmake Not Found

Install xmake via Install Toolchain
Verify XSE_XMAKE_ROOT is set in Set Paths
Restart ClibDT after installation

MSVC Not Found

Run xmake f -c to reset configuration
Verify VS Build Tools installation
Try: xmake f --toolchain=msvc

Clean Build Doesn't Help

Manually delete the build folder in the project
Delete .xmake folder in the project
Run xmake f -c to clear configuration cache

Antivirus Warning: Some antivirus software may flag compiled DLLs. Add your build folders to your antivirus exclusions if you encounter false positives.

Compile Project

Reference