Cocos CLI Build Automation Setup

Cocos Creator CLI Build Automation Setup

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• The user wants to stop using Cocos Creator GUI for builds entirely
• Setting up a "one command" build (e.g., npm run build) for a Cocos Creator 3.x project
• Cleaning up builder.json — removing stale/dead scenes from the scenes array
• Fixing project.json UUID mismatches (UUID set to placeholder strings like "main-scene")
• Creating a repeatable, documented build script for new developers or CI

Prerequisites

• Cocos Creator 3.8.x installed at /Applications/Cocos/Creator/3.8.x/CocosCreator.app/
• Project is a valid Cocos Creator 3.x project with .meta files
• Access to terminal on macOS

Step-by-Step: Setting Up CLI Build Automation

Step 1: Locate the Project

Cocos projects may live in various paths. Search commonly:

find /Users -maxdepth 4 -type f -name "project.json" 2>/dev/null

Or use session_search to find past project path references.

Step 2: Audit the Builder Config

cat profiles/v2/packages/builder.json

Check these items:

1. startScene — UUID must match MainScene.scene (or your actual main scene). Get the UUID from the .meta file:

   cat assets/scenes/MainScene.scene.meta | grep uuid
   

2. scenes array — Should contain ONLY the scene you want to build. Remove:

   • Any test/debug scenes (Test_MeritForest, etc.)
   • Scenes that no longer exist (files deleted but still referenced here)
   • Scenes that are not needed in the build output

3. outputName — Set to a clean name like "wechatgame" (not "wechatgame-001", "-005")

Step 3: Fix project.json UUID

Cocos Creator 3.x's project.json (at project root) may have placeholder UUIDs:

// ❌ BAD — "main-scene" is not a real UUID
"scenes": {
  "db://assets/scenes/MainScene.scene": {
    "uuid": "main-scene"
  }
}

Fix with the real UUID from the .meta file:

// ✅ GOOD
"scenes": {
  "db://assets/scenes/MainScene.scene": {
    "uuid": "1f597e16-a4fc-43e1-bfb0-d8c96e240617"
  }
}

Step 4: Create build-game.sh

Create a build script at the project root:

#!/bin/bash
set -e

PROJECT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
COCOS_APP="/Applications/Cocos/Creator/3.8.8/CocosCreator.app/Contents/MacOS/CocosCreator"

echo "=== Build Start: $(date) ==="

# Verify CLI exists
if [ ! -f "$COCOS_APP" ]; then
    echo "ERROR: Cocos Creator not found at $COCOS_APP"
    exit 1
fi

# Run build
cd "$PROJECT_DIR"
"$COCOS_APP" --project . --build "platform=wechatgame"

if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
    echo "BUILD FAILED (exit code: $?)"
    exit 1
fi

echo "=== BUILD SUCCESS: $(date) ==="

Make it executable:

chmod +x build-game.sh

Variations for other platforms:

• Web mobile: "$COCOS_APP" --project . --build "platform=web-mobile"
• Android: "$COCOS_APP" --project . --build "platform=android"
• iOS: "$COCOS_APP" --project . --build "platform=iphone"

Step 5: Configure npm scripts

Add to package.json:

"scripts": {
  "build": "bash build-game.sh",
  "build:wechat": "bash build-game.sh",
  "build:web": "bash build-game.sh web-mobile",
  "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
}

Step 6: Verify Everything Consistent

# Check builder.json
python3 -c "
import json
d = json.load(open('profiles/v2/packages/builder.json'))
print('startScene:', d['common']['startScene'])
print('scenes:', json.dumps(d['common']['scenes'], indent=2))
"

# Check project.json
python3 -c "
import json
d = json.load(open('project.json'))
print('startScene:', d.get('startScene'))
scenes = d.get('scenes', {})
if scenes:
    print('scenes UUID:', list(scenes.values())[0]['uuid'])
"

Step 7: Teach the User

Tell the user:

你以後只需要一行指令就搞掂：

  npm run build

呢行指令會自動做：
1. ✅ 確認 Cocos Creator CLI 存在
2. ✅ 自動讀取 builder.json 配置
3. ✅ 用 MainScene 做 startScene 建置
4. ✅ 完成後顯示最新 build 目錄路徑

然後喺微信 DevTools 只需要 Cmd+R 刷新就得 — 完全唔使再開 Cocos Creator GUI！

Pitfalls

🚩 Builder JSON has stale cached tasks

The BuildTaskManager.taskMap section in builder.json contains old build task records. These don't affect the build output but can be confusing. They're safe to leave; the build will use the common section.

🚩 wrong outputName can cause confusion old build folder

If outputName is "wechatgame-005" but user expects "wechatgame", the build output goes to a different folder. Always set outputName to a simple clean value.

🚩 Cocos Creator CLI requires the Cocos app to be a valid bundle

Always verify COCOS_APP path exists before attempting a build. The path differs by version (3.8.8 vs 3.8.3 etc.).

🚩 Hard Stop: Do NOT manually edit scene JSON arrays

If you need to fix a corrupted scene file, don't manually adjust __id__ array indices — Cocos uses them as internal pointers. Instead, rewrite the entire scene JSON or use the script-driven approach.

Verification Checklist

• builder.json: startScene UUID matches MainScene.scene.meta
• builder.json: scenes array has ONLY the main scene
• project.json: scene UUID is a real UUID (not "main-scene")
• build-game.sh exists and is executable
• package.json has "build" script
• npm run build works end-to-end (run at least once)