How to Create Custom Menus Using LemonUI

Creating custom menus is an important part of building interactive applications and game mods, especially when you want a clean and user-friendly interface. One of the easiest ways to achieve this in .NET-based projects is by using LemonUI, a lightweight and flexible UI framework designed for mod developers. It allows you to quickly build menus, buttons, checkboxes, and interactive elements without writing complex UI code from scratch.

Whether you are working on a simple tool or an advanced mod menu, LemonUI provides all the essential components you need. In this guide, you will learn how to create custom menus step by step, add menu items, handle user actions, and customize your UI for a better user experience in a simple and efficient way.

What is LemonUI?

LemonUI is a lightweight UI framework designed for .NET applications. It is commonly used in game modding (such as GTA V mods) to create clean and responsive menus, buttons, lists, and notifications.

Instead of building UI elements from scratch, LemonUI provides ready-to-use components that you can easily customize.

Why Use LemonUI for Custom Menus?

Before jumping into the coding part, here’s why developers prefer LemonUI:

Easy-to-use API
Lightweight and fast performance
Works well with mod menus
Highly customizable UI elements
Supports keyboard and controller input

Step 1: Install LemonUI in Your Project

To get started, you need to install LemonUI into your .NET project.

Using NuGet Package Manager:

Install-Package LemonUI

Or you can add it manually through your project dependencies.

Step 2: Import Required Namespaces

In your C# file, include the following:

using LemonUI;
using LemonUI.Menus;

These namespaces give you access to menu components and controls.

Step 3: Create a Basic Menu

Now let’s create your first custom menu.

public class MenuExample
{
    private ObjectPool pool;
    private NativeMenu mainMenu;

    public MenuExample()
    {
        pool = new ObjectPool();
        mainMenu = new NativeMenu("My Menu", "Welcome to LemonUI");

        pool.Add(mainMenu);
    }
}

This creates a simple menu with a title and subtitle.

Step 4: Add Menu Items

Menus are useless without options. Let’s add some items:

var item1 = new NativeItem("Option 1", "This is the first option");
var item2 = new NativeItem("Option 2", "This is the second option");

mainMenu.Add(item1);
mainMenu.Add(item2);

You can add as many items as you want.

Step 5: Handle Menu Actions

Now make the menu interactive by adding click events:

item1.Activated += (sender, args) =>
{
    Console.WriteLine("Option 1 selected!");
};

item2.Activated += (sender, args) =>
{
    Console.WriteLine("Option 2 selected!");
};

This allows your menu to respond when a user selects an option.

Step 6: Update the Menu in Your Game Loop

To keep the menu working, you must update the pool:

public void OnTick()
{
    pool.Process();
}

Without this step, the menu will not appear or respond.

Step 7: Customize Your Menu

LemonUI allows you to personalize your menu easily:

Change colors and layout

Modify title colors
Adjust menu alignment
Add separators

Add advanced items

Checkboxes
Lists
Sliders

Example:

var checkbox = new NativeCheckboxItem("Enable Feature", true);
mainMenu.Add(checkbox);

Best Practices for LemonUI Menus

To make your menus more professional:

Keep UI simple and clean
Avoid too many options in one menu
Use meaningful labels
Organize items into submenus
Test controls on keyboard and controller

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting to call pool.Process()
Not initializing the menu properly
Adding too many items in one menu
Ignoring user input handling

Conclusion

Creating custom menus using LemonUI is straightforward once you understand the basics. With just a few lines of code, you can build fully functional and interactive menus for your .NET applications or game mods.

By using LemonUI, you save time and focus more on functionality instead of building UI systems from scratch.If you’re developing mods or tools, LemonUI is definitely one of the easiest and most powerful UI libraries to get started with.