How to create meta files without unity / unity api

Hi,
so a meta file is something like this:

    fileFormatVersion: 2   --> magic 2, think its just a version number of meta format

    guid: --> is this just a guid like from visual studio without the - ? MAIN Question here!

    folderAsset: yes --> ya, if its a folder

    DefaultImporter:   --> some blabla

      externalObjects: {}

      userData: 

      assetBundleName: 

      assetBundleVariant: 

Is it possible to just create such a textfile an generate a guid in visual studio (removing the - ) ?? Or does Unity do some magic to generate the guid ?

why: Its for creating custom registry npm packages. Where every file/folder has to have a meta but is not part of a unity project...

Greetings
Philipp

 

1) yes the GUID is just a 128 bit hex-encoded value. important: ensure it is unique
2) beware that the DefaultImporter only applies to folders. other asset types (e.g. textures) have their own importers and their .meta is wildly different.
e.g: this is for a script:

Spoiler: meta file

Code (CSharp):

1. fileFormatVersion: 2
2. guid: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
3. MonoImporter:
4.   externalObjects: {}
5.   serializedVersion: 2
6.   defaultReferences: []
7.   executionOrder: 0
8.   icon: {instanceID: 0}
9.   userData:
10.   assetBundleName:
11.   assetBundleVariant:
12.  

texture:

Spoiler: huge meta file with all the import settings

Code (CSharp):

1. fileFormatVersion: 2
2. guid: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
3. timeCreated: 1435262664
4. licenseType: Pro
5. TextureImporter:
6.   fileIDToRecycleName: {}
7.   serializedVersion: 2
8.   mipmaps:
9.     mipMapMode: 0
10.     enableMipMap: 0
11.     linearTexture: 0
12.     correctGamma: 0
13.     fadeOut: 0
14.     borderMipMap: 0
15.     mipMapFadeDistanceStart: 1
16.     mipMapFadeDistanceEnd: 3
17.   bumpmap:
18.     convertToNormalMap: 0
19.     externalNormalMap: 0
20.     heightScale: .25
21.     normalMapFilter: 0
22.   isReadable: 0
23.   grayScaleToAlpha: 0
24.   generateCubemap: 0
25.   cubemapConvolution: 0
26.   cubemapConvolutionSteps: 8
27.   cubemapConvolutionExponent: 1.5
28.   seamlessCubemap: 0
29.   textureFormat: -3
30.   maxTextureSize: 2048
31.   textureSettings:
32.     filterMode: 2
33.     aniso: 16
34.     mipBias: -1
35.     wrapMode: 1
36.   nPOTScale: 0
37.   lightmap: 0
38.   rGBM: 0
39.   compressionQuality: 50
40.   spriteMode: 1
41.   spriteExtrude: 1
42.   spriteMeshType: 1
43.   alignment: 0
44.   spritePivot: {x: .5, y: .5}
45.   spriteBorder: {x: 0, y: 0, z: 0, w: 0}
46.   spritePixelsToUnits: 100
47.   alphaIsTransparency: 1
48.   textureType: 8
49.   buildTargetSettings: []
50.   spriteSheet:
51.     sprites: []
52.   spritePackingTag:
53.   userData:
54.   assetBundleName:
55.   assetBundleVariant:
56.  

etc...

it also depends on the Unity version

 

So for complex assets like textures, prefabs... i go the unity way, but for simple folders, changelog... its possible to simply create one...

Thanks!