Map Editor FAQ
Before you buy
Do I need a framework?
No. Permissions work through server ACEs, which exist on any RedM server. VORP groups are supported as an alternative if you run VORP.
What do I actually need?
oxmysql, started before this resource. That is the only hard requirement.
Do I need to import SQL?
No. The five tables are created on first start.
How many props are there?
17,473 catalogue entries — props, prop groups, people, animals, wagons, boats and train cars. Plus any of your own you list in Config.CustomProps.
Does it work on FiveM?
No. RedM only.
Does the editor have to run on my live server?
No, and often it should not. Build on a staging server, export as a resource, and ship only that to production. An exported resource runs on a server that has never heard of the editor.
Running it
Who can use it?
Whoever you grant it to. There are six separate capabilities — open and place, delete objects, remove world props, export, import, and manage maps — and each can go to a different group. See Permissions.
Anything you do not set falls back to rm_mapeditor.use
Grant someone use and nothing else, and they can also delete, export, import and remove world props. Name the other five explicitly if you want a builder who cannot destroy things.
What does a map cost my players?
They load the enabled maps as they move. The defaults spawn objects within 250 m, capped at 900 objects at once across everything loaded.
A dense build in a small area will hit that ceiling and look incomplete to players while looking complete to you. See Troubleshooting.
Do players need the editor to see what I build?
No. Enabled maps load for everyone. The editor is only for the people building.
Why are the prop thumbnails blank?
The preview images are fetched from GitHub at runtime rather than shipped. On a server without outbound access the grid is blank and everything else works — names, search, categories and the live in-world preview.
Can I build without players seeing it?
Config.Maps.AutoEnableNew = falseNew maps then arrive disabled. Switch one on when it is ready. Disabling an existing map hides it from players while keeping every object.
Building
What is the difference between hiding a prop and removing one?
Hiding takes something out of view and is yours. Removing a game world prop deletes it for every player on the server, permanently, and is recorded in rm_mapeditor_removed.
The second is the one to keep on a small group.
Can I move the game's own props?
Yes — take world prop adopts one into your map, after which it behaves like anything you placed.
Can I place NPCs?
Yes, with scenarios. A person with no scenario stands and stares; one with a scenario reads as a person. It is the cheapest way to make a built area feel inhabited.
How do I make a door that opens?
Place it, tick This is a door on the Entity tab, and export as ymap or resource. Use Capture and Align to get it square to the wall first. See Doors.
How do I cover a large area quickly?
Brush paints as you move; Scatter drops up to 500 objects in a radius at once. Both default to random yaw and snap-to-ground, which is what stops scattered rocks looking stamped.
How precise can I get?
Nudge steps go down to 1 mm, and the Entity tab takes typed coordinates and angles. That is how you close a seam that looks fine from a distance and wrong from the doorway.
Can I undo?
J, 60 steps.
Export and import
Which export format should I use?
resource, unless you have a reason not to. It carries everything and runs standalone.
| Format | Carries |
|---|---|
resource | Everything |
ymap | Props natively, plus a script for what a ymap cannot hold |
objectloader | Props only |
json | An exact copy, for moving between servers |
Why does my ymap export come with a script?
Because a ymap cannot describe people, animals, wagons, removed game props, or see-through, hidden and no-collision props. Those go in a small script in the same folder. Ship both — the folder is meant to be copied whole.
Can I move a map to another server?
Export as JSON, put the file in rm_mapeditor/imports/ on the target, and import. Everything comes across.
Can I import a ymap from another tool?
Yes, as props. Bring it in, adjust it, add people and scenarios, re-export as a resource.
Models still have to be streamed
Anything your server does not have lands in rm_mapeditor_unavailable.
Where do exports go?
rm_mapeditor/exports/ on the server, not on the client of whoever pressed the button.
Administration
Is there a log?
Two. The rm_mapeditor_audit table is on by default with 45-day retention. A Discord webhook is available separately with thirteen switchable events.
world_delete and permission_denied are the two worth watching.
Why is nothing appearing in Discord when I place props?
object_create and object_update are off by default — a builder working for an hour would otherwise produce thousands of messages. Test with something that is on, like creating a map.
Can I turn features off?
Every major feature has a switch in Config.Features. Set one to false and it leaves the interface and is refused on the server.
On a live roleplay server, removeWorldProps = false is a reasonable default even for staff you trust.
Can I rename the commands?
Config.Command = 'build'
Config.CommandAliases = { 'mapedit' }Can I open it from my admin menu?
exports.rm_mapeditor:open()or trigger Config.OpenEvent. Both honour the same permission check — neither is a way around it.
Can I rename the resource folder?
No. Exports are namespaced by folder name.
How do I back it up?
mysqldump the five tables, keeping maps and objects together. For a single map you care about, a JSON export is the more portable backup. See Server setup.