How to Have Skinbox on Your Rust Server (Free Plugin) + Ready to go config

This guide will walk you through setting up a free skinbox on your Rust server using the Skins plugin on umod.

Before you download any plugins, ensure you have Oxide installed on your server. To quickly check, type o.version in your server console. If a message pops up saying your server is running an Oxide version, you're ready to go!

Step 1: Download the Skins Plugin

Head over to https://umod.org/plugins/skins.
Download the Skins plugin by misticos.

Step 2: Install the Skins Plugin and Configure Permissions

Navigate to your Rust server's root directory.
Locate the folder named Oxide, then click into the plugins folder.
Drag and drop the downloaded Skins.cs file into this plugins folder.

Once you drop it in, you should see it being compiled in your server console (if you have plugin watchers enabled in your Oxide configuration). If it doesn't show, simply type o.load Skins in the console.

Permissions

This plugin utilizes Oxide's permission system. Granting permissions allows players to use the skinbox.

To assign a permission, use:

oxide.grant <user or group> <name or steam id> <permission>

To remove a permission, use:

oxide.revoke <user or group> <name or steam id> <permission>

Here are the available permissions:

skins.use - Permission for basic plugin usage (e.g., opening the skinbox to change skins). Grant this to players who should be able to use the skinbox.
skins.admin - Permission for advanced admin-only plugin usage (e.g., adding or removing skins directly through commands).

Example: To grant the skins.use permission to all players: oxide.grant group default skins.use

Step 3: Configure the Skins Plugin

Once the plugin is loaded, it will generate a skins.json configuration file located at Oxide/Config. You will edit this file to define which skins are available.

Default Configuration

This is the default configuration you will be greeted with:

{
  "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"
    }
  }
}

Understanding the `"Skins"` Array

This is where you define which items can be skinned and with which skin IDs. Each object within the "Skins" array represents a type of item and its associated skins.

"Item Shortname": The internal short name for the Rust item.
"Permission": (Optional) A specific Oxide permission required to access these particular skins. If left empty (""), the skins.use permission (or no specific permission) will apply.
"Skins": An array containing the Steam Workshop IDs of the skins you want to make available for that item. 0 typically represents the default (no) skin.

Finding Item Shortnames and Skin IDs

Item Shortnames: You can find a comprehensive list of Rust item shortnames at RustLabs Item List.
Skin Workshop IDs: A list of skin IDs is available at RustLabs Skin List.

Adding a New Skin (Example: Alien Red AK)

Let's add the Alien Red skin for the Assault Rifle (rifle.ak). You will modify the "Skins" array in your skins.json file.

Original (default):

"Skins": [
  {
    "Item Shortname": "shortname",
    "Permission": "",
    "Skins": [
      0
    ]
  }
],

To add the Alien Red skin (ID: 859845460), your configuration for the Assault Rifle will look like this:

"Skins": [
  {
    "Item Shortname": "rifle.ak",
    "Permission": "",
    "Skins": [
      0,          // Default skin option
      859845460   // Alien Red AK skin ID
    ]
  }
],

Note: If you want to add skins for multiple items, you would add more objects to the "Skins" array, separated by commas.

Example for multiple items (AK and Metal Facemask):

"Skins": [
  {
    "Item Shortname": "rifle.ak",
    "Permission": "",
    "Skins": [
      0,
      859845460, // Alien Red AK
      889710179 // Glory AK skin
    ]
  },
  {
    "Item Shortname": "metal.facemask",
    "Permission": "",
    "Skins": [
      0,
      784316334 // Big grin Metal Facemask skin
    ]
  }
],

Step 4: Reload the Plugin and Enjoy!

Save your skins.json file after making changes.
Go back to your server console.
Run o.reload Skins to reload the plugin with the new configuration.
Check the console for any formatting issues (e.g., "Failed to load Skins config"). If it's clear, you're good to go!
In-game, make sure you have the skins.use permission, then run /skins. Drag your desired item into the skinbox UI, select your new swag, and enjoy!

Get All The Latest Skins Automatically!

For an easy way to get a comprehensive list of all current Rust skins, check out this automatically updated Git repository: https://gist.github.com/TheDevMinerTV/6d17e87daad727789c152c3544e44b45 Repository by TheDevMinerTV

Simply copy the content of this config and paste it into your skins.json file (replacing its current content). Then proceed to run o.reload Skins in your server console. This will give you access to a massive array of skins without manual entry.