The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →To install a Torch plugin, stop the Space Engineers server, upload the plugin’s original .zip file to the active Torch Plugins folder, add the plugin’s GUID to that instance’s Torch.cfg (or select it in Torch’s plugin browser), then save and restart. Players do not automatically need the plugin: the author’s description determines whether it is server-side, client-side, or both.
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Torch plugins are executable third-party code with broad access to the server computer, files, network, and game world. Verify the source and compatibility before enabling one, and keep a backup so you can remove it if the server fails to start.
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What a Torch plugin is and what the installation changes
Torch is a server framework that runs alongside the Space Engineers dedicated server and provides a plugin system. A plugin is loaded by Torch at startup; it is not installed like a Steam Workshop mod. The installation has two separate parts:
- The plugin archive must be in the
Pluginsdirectory used by the running Torch instance. - The plugin’s GUID must be registered in that instance’s
Torch.cfg, either by editing the configuration, using Torch’s plugin browser, or using the documented-pluginsstartup option.
Putting a ZIP in an arbitrary server folder is not enough. Conversely, registering a GUID without placing the archive where Torch can find it leaves Torch unable to load the plugin.
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Prerequisites on the Windows host
Install these components on the Windows machine that will run Torch before diagnosing Torch or plugin errors:
- .NET Framework 4.8.
- Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for x64.
- High DPI compatibility package.
Use a Windows account with permission to read and write the Torch directory, the dedicated-server directory, and the instance configuration. If the server is managed by a hosting control panel, make sure the panel’s file manager or FTP account can reach the active Torch instance rather than a dormant copy.
Install Torch or identify an existing Torch installation
New Torch installation
- Download the Torch release you intend to run and extract it into its own directory. Do not scatter Torch files across unrelated game folders.
- Launch
Torch.Server.exe. Torch can download the Space Engineers dedicated server through SteamCMD during setup. - Complete the initial server configuration and start the instance once, then stop it. This creates the folders and configuration files you will edit.
Using an existing dedicated server
If a Space Engineers dedicated server is already installed, Torch can be extracted into the directory that contains DedicatedServer64. A normal installation contains DedicatedServer64SpaceEngineersDedicated.exe. SteamCMD identifies the Space Engineers Dedicated Server with app ID 298740.
Torch may also remain in a separate directory and download or update the dedicated-server files itself. The important detail is not the drive letter; it is which Torch instance actually launches the world. Install the plugin in that instance’s Plugins folder and edit its Torch.cfg.
Find the active Plugins folder and Torch.cfg
Stop the server and identify the files belonging to the instance that will load the plugin. Do not edit a backup, an old test instance, or a different world’s configuration.
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| Deployment | Plugin location | Configuration location | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical Windows Torch installation | The Plugins folder beneath the Torch installation or active instance |
The Torch.cfg belonging to that same instance |
The path is the one used by the shortcut, service, or panel that starts the server |
| Torch alongside an existing dedicated server | The Torch Plugins folder, not merely DedicatedServer64 |
The Torch instance’s Torch.cfg |
DedicatedServer64SpaceEngineersDedicated.exe is present, but Torch still controls plugin loading |
| Documented container layout | /games/spaceengineers/Plugins |
Instance files under /games/spaceengineers/instance/ |
These are image-specific mapped paths, not universal Windows paths |
On a host panel, open the file manager for the running instance rather than the host’s general game directory. If you have shell or FTP access, compare the modification time of Torch.cfg after a harmless configuration save; that helps distinguish the active copy from an unused one.
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Before you upload: source, version and rollback checks
Download from a source you can evaluate
Use the plugin author’s release page or a source you trust. One commonly used plugin directory is torchapi.com/plugins. Record the plugin GUID shown by the plugin page URL; you will need the exact value for registration.
As of 2026, the Space Engineers Wiki reports that there is no trusted, officially endorsed plugin repository. Plugins have unrestricted access to the PC, local files, network connections, and the game world. Treat an archive as executable software: review its author and release notes, scan the download with your security tools, and avoid a plugin whose origin or contents you cannot verify.
Check compatibility and make a rollback copy
- Read the plugin’s release notes for the Torch version, Space Engineers build, and any required companion plugins.
- Back up the active
Torch.cfg, the world save, and the currentPluginsfolder. - Note the original ZIP filename and GUID so you can remove exactly what you added.
- Plan a maintenance window: the server must be offline while files and configuration are changed.
There is no universal compatibility matrix covering every plugin and Torch release. If the author does not state supported versions, test the plugin on a copy of the instance before putting it on a public server.
Step-by-step: install a Torch plugin
1. Stop Torch and confirm the process has exited
Use Torch’s stop control or your host panel’s stop action. Wait until the Torch and dedicated-server processes have ended. Uploading while the server is writing configuration can produce a partial file or overwrite your change when the process exits.
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2. Open the active Plugins directory
Navigate to the Plugins folder associated with the instance you just stopped. In a container deployment, the documented example is /games/spaceengineers/Plugins; in a Windows deployment, the absolute path depends on where Torch and the instance were installed.
3. Upload the plugin archive unchanged
Upload the downloaded .zip file as-is. Do not extract it when following the archive-based Torch installation procedure. Do not rename internal files or place the ZIP inside another newly created subfolder unless the plugin author explicitly instructs you to do so.
After the transfer, check that the file size on the server matches the download and that the archive is not still being uploaded. An incomplete archive can look present in a file manager but fail during startup.
4. Register the GUID in Torch.cfg
Open the active instance’s Torch.cfg in the host panel’s configuration editor or a text editor. Preserve the existing XML structure and add one entry for each plugin. The value must be the exact GUID from the plugin page.
<guid>PLUGIN-GUID-HERE</guid>The line above illustrates the required element; keep it inside the plugin list used by your Torch version and do not delete neighboring entries. If you are adding several plugins, use one <guid>...</guid> element per plugin. A malformed XML character, an accidental duplicate section, or an edit to the wrong instance can prevent Torch from reading the configuration.
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5. Use the plugin browser when it is available
Torch documents a plugin browser that can select a plugin and write its GUID to configuration. This reduces typing errors, but it still does not remove the need to place the plugin archive in the correct Plugins directory. If your host panel hides the browser, direct Torch.cfg editing is the practical alternative.
6. Use the documented -plugins startup form only when appropriate
Torch also documents a -plugins command-line form for registering plugins. Use the syntax documented for your Torch build and startup wrapper; do not invent switches or assume that a panel passes command-line arguments unchanged. A command-line registration still needs the archive in the active Plugins directory.
7. Save, start and watch the log
Save Torch.cfg, close the editor, and start the server. Torch should attempt to load the registered plugin during startup. Keep the live Torch/server log visible until the world is online. Look for a successful plugin-load message, assembly or dependency errors, XML parsing errors, and repeated startup exceptions.
Once connected as an administrator, test the plugin’s documented command or open its settings in the running instance. A server that reaches the world screen is not proof that every plugin feature initialized; the plugin’s own command, menu, or setting is the useful confirmation.
Do players need to install the plugin?
The plugin description determines its scope:
| Plugin scope | Server administrator | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Server-side | Must install and register it on the Torch server | Normally no separate installation is required |
| Client-side | May not provide the feature by server installation alone | Each player may need the author’s client component or files |
| Both server and client | Install the server component and follow the author’s server instructions | Install the specified client component and matching version |
Do not infer scope from the plugin name. Follow the author’s multiplayer instructions, especially when a feature changes the HUD, controls, rendering, or client-only menus.
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Torch plugins versus native dedicated-server plugins
A Torch-managed server and a vanilla Space Engineers dedicated server do not use identical plugin registration. The dedicated-server documentation separately describes a native -plugin <filepath> option for DLL plugins. That filepath-based option is not interchangeable with Torch’s GUID registration and plugin browser.
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If you are running only the vanilla dedicated server, follow its own plugin documentation. If Torch launches the server, use the Torch Plugins folder and Torch configuration described above. Mixing the two methods can leave a plugin undiscovered or cause you to edit a configuration file that the running process never reads.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The plugin does not appear to load
- Stop the server and confirm the ZIP is in the active Torch
Pluginsfolder. - Confirm the archive was uploaded unchanged and completely; the archive-based procedure does not call for extraction.
- Compare the GUID in
Torch.cfgcharacter by character with the plugin page URL. - Check that the GUID entry is inside the correct plugin list and that the XML remains well formed.
- Verify you edited the configuration for the instance that the startup shortcut, service, or panel actually launches.
- Read the startup log for a missing dependency, incompatible version, or assembly-load error.
The configuration reverts or the GUID disappears
First check that the server was fully stopped before editing. Then verify that you saved the active instance’s Torch.cfg, not a template or another world’s file. If Torch rewrites the entry, compare the plugin’s documented configuration format with your Torch version and check the plugin’s release notes. There is no single format that can be assumed for every Torch release.
The server will not start after adding the plugin
- Stop the service or process if it is repeatedly restarting.
- Restore the backed-up
Torch.cfgor remove the newly added GUID. - Move the newly uploaded ZIP out of the
Pluginsfolder so Torch cannot load it. - Start the server and inspect the log to confirm the plugin caused the failure.
- Contact the plugin maintainer with the Torch version, Space Engineers build, exact error text, and a sanitized log excerpt.
Because plugins can access local files and the network, do not repeatedly restart an unknown plugin on a production machine while troubleshooting.
Players cannot use the feature
Check the plugin’s scope and client requirements. A server-side installation cannot supply a client-only HUD, input handler, or other local component. If a client download is required, every affected player must install the version specified by the author.
The host panel shows no Torch plugin browser
Use the panel’s file manager or FTP access to upload the ZIP, then edit the active Torch.cfg directly. If the panel starts Torch with a generated configuration, make the change through its supported editor or startup arguments so the panel does not overwrite it on the next restart.
Choosing an installation method
| Method | Best for | Advantages | Risks and checks |
|---|---|---|---|
Direct ZIP upload plus Torch.cfg edit |
Administrators with file or FTP access | Works even when a host panel exposes no Torch browser; easy to audit and back up | Manual GUID entry can contain typos; verify the active instance and XML structure |
| Torch plugin browser | Installations where the browser is enabled | Reduces GUID typing and writes the registration for you | You still need the correct archive and must confirm the browser changed the running instance |
-plugins startup registration |
Scripted or repeatable deployments | Can be reproduced in a startup script or service definition | Syntax varies with the Torch build and wrapper; command-line edits may be hidden by a host panel |
| Container-mapped paths | Container images with persistent volumes | Clear separation between Plugins and instance data when mapped correctly |
The documented paths are image-specific; verify that the volume is the one used at runtime |
Whichever method you choose, keep the same controls: stop before changes, use a trusted archive, preserve a rollback copy, register the exact GUID, and verify the startup log.
Safe removal and rollback
- Stop Torch and wait for the server process to exit.
- Remove the plugin’s GUID entry from the active
Torch.cfg, or disable it using the supported Torch interface. - Move the plugin ZIP out of the active
Pluginsdirectory rather than deleting your only copy. - Start the server and confirm that the previous error is gone.
- Keep the failed archive and log separately if you plan to report the problem to the maintainer.
Removing only the ZIP while leaving its GUID registered can produce a missing-plugin error on every startup. Removing the GUID while leaving the ZIP is safer for testing, because you can re-enable the plugin without downloading it again.
Quick Recap
Operational checklist
- Windows prerequisites are installed: .NET Framework 4.8, Visual C++ Redistributable x64, and the High DPI compatibility package.
- Torch launches successfully and the intended instance is identified.
- The server is stopped before file transfer and configuration editing.
- The plugin came from a source you trust, and its release notes match your Torch and game versions.
- The original
.zipis in the activePluginsfolder and was not extracted for the archive-based procedure. - The exact GUID is registered in the correct
Torch.cfg, with one<guid>element per plugin. - The configuration is saved, the server is restarted, and the log is checked.
- The plugin’s documented command or setting works in the running server.
- Client installation requirements are communicated to players when the plugin author requires them.
- A backup remains available for immediate rollback.
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