Author Handoff Point in WolvenKit

This walkthrough expands the supplied Lab 4 start checkpoint into the exact 12-node parent and 10-node child. The start project already contains every world, journal, localization, registration, and phase resource so the work can focus on the native composition boundary.

Required environment

Use an untouched save created before any Lab 4 candidate was installed for runtime testing. A manually edited _Start project is useful for learning and comparison, but only the unmodified completed checkpoint is the canonical acceptance candidate.

1. Open and isolate the checkpoint

1. Download and extract the start ZIP.
2. Open CQA_Lab04_HandoffPoint_Start.cpmodproj with File > Open Project.
3. Make an untouched backup of the extracted directory.
4. Confirm source\archive and source\raw each contain the seven depot resources listed in the overview.
5. Confirm CQA_Lab04_HandoffPoint_Start.archive.xl is under source\resources.
6. Do not install the start and completed checkpoints together.

The start parent is [0] Input -> [13] Phase -> [1] Output. The start child is [0] Input -> [1] Output. Both output nodes use socketName: Out1 and type: Terminating.

2. Audit registration before graph work

Open the ArchiveXL file and retain these four sections:

quest:
  phases:
  - path: mod\cqa\cqa004\phases\cqa004.questphase
    parent: base\quest\cyberpunk2077.quest

journal:
- mod\cqa\cqa004\journal\cqa004.journal

localization:
  onscreens:
    en-us:
    - mod\cqa\cqa004\localization\en-us\onscreens\cqa004.json

streaming:
  blocks:
  - mod\cqa\cqa004\world\cqa004_handoff.streamingblock

Do not add cqa004_boundary.questphase to quest.phases. It is an archived child resolved by the parent, not a second root. Do not add the two sectors to a guessed top-level registration list; the block descriptors reach them.

3. Audit all seven native resources

Before changing either graph, identify each supplied owner:

The checkpoint includes cooked resources for direct WolvenKit editing and raw CR2W-JSON for focused review. Do not edit the JSON as the tutorial workflow.

4. Audit journal and localization ownership

Open cqa004.journal and confirm this typed tree:

gameJournalRootFolderEntry
└── quests                         gameJournalPrimaryFolderEntry
    └── minor_quest                gameJournalFolderEntry
        └── cqa004                 gameJournalQuest
            └── cqa004_01          gameJournalQuestPhase
                ├── cqa004_01_obj_reach
                │   └── cqa004_01_qmp_handoff
                ├── cqa004_01_obj_leave
                └── cqa004_01_obj_confirm

The map pin’s reference is #cqa004_mp_handoff. Open the localization resource and confirm:

The child later changes reach, pin, and leave state. The parent later changes quest, phase, and confirmation state. Neither phase owns the strings.

5. Audit prefab scope and world resources

Open the root phase’s top-level phasePrefabs and retain exactly one questQuestPrefabEntry:

#cqa004_pr_handoff

Open the child and confirm phasePrefabs: []. Open parent phase node 13 and confirm phaseInstancePrefabs: []. Do not duplicate the root into either empty list.

The streaming block’s Quest descriptor uses full root:

$/mod/cqa/cqa004/#cqa004_pr_handoff

The two sector resources supply these full child refs:

$/mod/cqa/cqa004/#cqa004_pr_handoff/#cqa004_tr_reach
$/mod/cqa/cqa004/#cqa004_pr_handoff/#cqa004_tr_leave
$/mod/cqa/cqa004/#cqa004_pr_handoff/#cqa004_mp_handoff

The trigger geometry and marker placement intentionally match Lab 3. Confirm their values against the Lab 4 overview instead of changing location and phase ownership in the same experiment.

6. Audit the existing external phase node

Open cqa004.questphase, select node 13, and inspect its serialized properties:

Open the child and confirm input node 0 exposes socketName: In1, output node 1 exposes socketName: Out1, and output type is Terminating.

The figure shows both interface layers and the present-but-unwired CutDestination. Do not connect cut to the terminating output as a shortcut.

7. Add and number parent nodes

Keep parent nodes 0, 1, and 13. Add these nine nodes:

WolvenKit may assign lower automatic IDs. Renumber safely in two passes: move new nodes to temporary IDs 100–108, then move them to the targets. Never overwrite an ID still owned by another node. Save, close, reopen, and confirm the inventory before wiring.

8. Configure the parent guard and fact write

At parent ID 10, add questFactsDBCondition, then questVarComparison_ConditionType:

At parent ID 18, choose questSetVar_NodeType:

The exact write occurs only after child return and confirmation. Do not add a second fact to the child.

9. Configure parent journal operations

For parent Journal nodes, add questJournalQuestEntry_NodeType and a typed gameJournalPath. Keep these common values:

Incoming state sockets choose the requested journal state. The repeated path does not make the nodes redundant.

10. Configure the parent confirmation delay

At parent ID 15, add questTimeCondition, then questRealtimeDelay_ConditionType:

The 30-second realtime window makes the returned parent owner observable and provides a dedicated post-return reload case. It is not child cleanup.

11. Wire the exact parent graph

Right-click nodes and use Show Unused Sockets, then create these twelve ordinary edges:

The decisive handoff edge is 13.Out1 -> 14.Active. Leave every CutDestination unwired.

Save, close, reopen, then compare against the exact parent graph. Canvas position and handle IDs are not behavior.

12. Add and number child nodes

Open cqa004_boundary.questphase. Keep nodes 0 and 1, then add:

Use temporary IDs 100–107 before assigning final IDs. Save and reopen the child before adding connections.

13. Configure child journal operations

Use the same common journal values as the parent. Configure:

Child node 17 succeeds its local objective before the terminating output. It does not succeed the parent phase or root quest.

14. Configure child map-pin operations

Both Mappin Manager nodes use:

Node 11 receives Active; node 13 receives Inactive. They address the same journal map pin. This isolated lab has no deliberate prior route to replace.

15. Configure child trigger waits

At each Pause Condition, add questTriggerCondition:

Set isPlayerActivator: 1. Leave activatorRef as the ordinary empty gameEntityReference. These are state-shaped waits, not Entered/Exited transition events.

The refs are local to #cqa004_pr_handoff, which is declared by the parent root. Keep child phasePrefabs empty for this lab.

16. Wire the exact child graph

Use Show Unused Sockets, then create these nine ordinary edges:

Leave every CutDestination unwired. Save, close, reopen, and compare with the exact child graph.

17. Review the two resources together

Confirm all of the following before building:

1. parent node 13.In1 matches child input socketName: In1;
2. child output socketName: Out1 is terminating;
3. parent node 13.Out1 connects only to parent 14.Active;
4. phaseResource is soft and matches the archived child path exactly;
5. phaseGraph is null;
6. parent phase-node instance prefabs and child root prefabs are empty;
7. only the root declares #cqa004_pr_handoff;
8. no edge uses CutDestination;
9. the child is absent from ArchiveXL quest.phases.

The exact contract figure should now match the resources:

18. Validate, build, and install

With every tab saved:

1. run Project > Scan for broken file references;
2. run Project > Scan for broken files;
3. run Project > Run File Validation on the entire project;
4. resolve all project-owned errors;
5. close Cyberpunk 2077;
6. choose Build > Install and wait for packing and installation;
7. inspect WolvenKit’s Log panel and both installed files.

Use the normal ArchiveXL project install, not Install as REDmod. A packed archive without its loose .archive.xl cannot attach the root, merge the journal/localization, or register the world block.

The authored start project installs _Start-named files. To test the supplied completed project, open CQA_Lab04_HandoffPoint.cpmodproj, remove the start project’s installed files, and install the following pair:

archive\pc\mod\CQA_Lab04_HandoffPoint.archive
archive\pc\mod\CQA_Lab04_HandoffPoint.archive.xl

Common authoring failures

Lab sequence: All labs · Previous: Lab 4: Handoff Point · Next: Test Handoff Point.