Sync 3 Mods

General

To be able to install any Sync 3 Mods, your Sync 3 system has to be jailbroken first!

To do this, download and apply the following basic Mods first in this order:

1. Sync 3 Jailbreak
2. FMods Installer (Daemon)
3. FMods Tools (ModsTools)

There is a guide on fmods.net with additional info how to jailbreak your Sync 3 unit.

Mod (short for Modification)

A mod is essentially a customized alteration or improvement of a factory feature within the Sync 3 system. It requires direct modifications to the original OEM Sync 3 files to function correctly. Here are the key points to remember:

• Mods build upon existing Sync 3 features, enhancing or tweaking them to suit specific needs.
• They often rely on modifying proprietary OEM files, which may require expertise in reverse engineering or understanding the inner workings of the system.
• In most cases, mods are applied using patches to avoid infringing on FoMoCo copyrights. This can lead to some challenges: - Mod authors may need to update their patches with each new Ford Sync 3 system update, which can be cumbersome. - Cross-mod compatibility can be tricky to navigate, especially if multiple mods modify the same files.

Mods are divided into several categories in the fmods.net database:

Mods are divided into several categories in the fmods.net database:

1. Basic
2. New Features
3. Graphics
4. Utilities
5. Miscellaneous
6. Tools

Just browse the categories and install the mods of your choice! Sometimes people make custom mods that are not suitable for the fmods.net database. They might be shared in the fmods.net forum or shared through the fmods.net Telegram channel.

How are Mods structured and ... made?

Mods are shared in the fmods.net database using the .zip format. Inside you will find a structure which can/will contain several files / folders:

1. README.txt or README.md: this is a text file which gives some basic info about the Mod. Always read it as it can help you install and use the mod.
2. DONTINDX.msa: this is a file which tells SYNC3 not to index the USB stick but to apply it.
3. SyncMyMod folder: this folder contains the contents of the mod.
4. autoinstall.sh: this is a bash/shell file which contains the commands that are executed. It can be read using any texteditor. Only make changes if you know what you are doing! Most Mods authors use more advanced TextEditors like NotePad++ or (even better) free Microsoft Visual Studio Code. sh" is a shorthand for "bash" which is the standard shell command language used by Unix (and also for Sync 3).
5. files: a folder containing several subfolders with specific filetypes:
6. bin: this subfolder of files contains binary files, like used for the Video Player or Rear View Camera Mods.
7. other: this subfolder of files can contain backup files/folders and new files/folders. Like qml files, images in the .png, .jpg or .gif format or other files.
8. patch: this subfolder of files contains the master.patch file(s). Basically, this file is used to patch and change existing (qml-).files. To generate a master.patch file, you will need to compare the original file with the modified one. A good tool is Winmerge.
9. shell: this subfolder of files contains other bash/shell files (.sh filetype). They can be added to the end of the Sync 3 startup_gf.sh file or called in another way.

In general a Mod is made by an author that knows a bit of bash/shell to change the autoinstall.sh file, and also knows about the language that is used to show the Sync 3 screens to us: QuickTime QML. QML or QuickTime Modelling Language is a user interface markup language, like HTML is for websites. Ford has made some own libraries that can be used/called inside the qml-pages. Typically qml files do not have 1.000 lines of codes each, but they call other qml files, so Sync 3 has a modular system. If you want to understand a bit of QML, there is a good online YouTube Tutorial by KDAB.