How to install an MLO on a FiveM server: stream, fxmanifest, ensure

You downloaded a map pack with files such as .ymap, .ytyp, .ybn and .ydr, and you want it on your server. This guide shows the folder layout, the fxmanifest.lua, the server.cfg line and a quick way to test it in game.

#What is inside a map pack

An MLO (a custom interior) or a map is a normal resource. The usual files are:

• .ymap: where the objects and the interior sit in the world.
• .ytyp: the definition of the interior and of its custom props (their "archetypes").
• .ybn: the collisions. Without them you fall through the floor or walk through walls.
• .ydr and .ydd: the 3D models of props and parts.
• .ytd: the textures.

All of these go in a folder named stream. FiveM sends everything in stream to the players on its own, so you do not list those files in the manifest.

#The folder structure

resources/[maps]/my_mlo/
  fxmanifest.lua
  stream/
    my_mlo.ymap
    my_mlo.ytyp
    my_mlo.ybn
    my_mlo_props.ydr
    my_mlo.ytd

Many packs come with another level, such as my_mlo-master/my_mlo/. Move the folder that holds fxmanifest.lua into resources, or the server cannot find the resource.

#The fxmanifest.lua

If the pack comes without a manifest, create one:

fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'

this_is_a_map 'yes'

this_is_a_map 'yes' tells FiveM the resource holds map data. If the pack has a .ytyp file, add the line that registers it:

fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'

this_is_a_map 'yes'

data_file 'DLC_ITYP_REQUEST' 'stream/my_mlo.ytyp'

Use one data_file line per .ytyp file. The path is the real path in the folder, so check the name and the case of the letters.

Tip: if the pack already came with a manifest, keep it. The author wrote it for these exact files, and it often lists several .ytyp files or extra options you do not want to guess.

#Add it to server.cfg

ensure my_mlo

The name after ensure must be the folder name. To start a whole group, put the maps in a bracket folder and use ensure [maps]. Maps do not depend on your framework, but start them after your other base resources so a map error cannot block the important ones. More on that in server.cfg resource order.

Restart the server, or type ensure my_mlo in the txAdmin live console. A new .ytyp is more reliable with a full restart.

#Game build requirement

Some maps use props or models from a newer GTA V DLC. On the default game build, those props are missing: you see empty rooms, a white box or no interior at all. The pack's page usually says the build it needs. Set it in server.cfg and restart:

set sv_enforceGameBuild 3095

The number above is only an example: use the one the pack asks for. The full list and the side effects are in sv_enforceGameBuild and DLC.

#Test it in game

1. Read the txAdmin console on start. Errors such as a missing file in data_file show up there. If the resource does not start, see couldn't start resource.
2. Join the server. Go to the coordinates in the pack's readme, with the txAdmin menu's teleport or a coordinate command from your admin script.
3. Walk through the door. A custom interior often loads only when you are close, so arrive on foot and not from far away at high speed.
4. Check the floor and the walls. If you fall or pass through, the .ybn files are missing or did not load. See falling through the map.

#Common problems

• The interior does not appear. The resource is not started, the coordinates are wrong, or a newer game build is needed. Also check that the files are inside stream and not one level deeper in a subfolder that the resource does not use.
• Props are missing, but walls are there. The .ytyp is not registered. Add the DLC_ITYP_REQUEST line, with the right file name.
• Part of the room flickers or walls are gone. Another map covers the same area. See map conflicts.
• Textures look wrong or heavy. Large textures cost streaming memory. See oversized assets.
• It worked, then broke after an update. Clear the client cache and try again: clear the FiveM cache.

#Many maps on one server

Every map adds streamed files that each player downloads and keeps in memory. Install only the maps you use, put each one in its own resource and name it clearly. When something breaks, you can then stop one resource at a time and find the cause.

#Checklist