vehicles.meta

The vehicles.meta file is the core file defining vehicle properties in FiveM. It contains the main configuration for how a vehicle behaves and appears in the game.

Structure

The vehicles.meta file uses binary XML format and requires conversion to text for editing. It contains a list of vehicle definitions with the following key elements:

<InitDataList>
  <residentTxd>vehshare</residentTxd>
  <residentAnims></residentAnims>
  <Item type="CVehicleModelInfo__InitDataList">
    <modelName>adder</modelName>
    <txdName>adder</txdName>
    <handlingId>ADDER</handlingId>
    <gameName>ADDER</gameName>
    <vehicleType>AUTOMOBILE</vehicleType>
    <plateType>0</plateType>
    <internalName>Adder</internalName>
    <class>8</class>
    ...
  </Item>
</InitDataList>

Key Attributes

Basic Properties

Attribute	Purpose	Example
modelName	Vehicle model identifier	"adder"
txdName	Texture dictionary name	"adder"
gameName	Game name/hash reference	"ADDER"
internalName	Display name in UI	"Adder"

Vehicle Configuration

Attribute	Values	Purpose
vehicleType	AUTOMOBILE, BIKE, QUAD, etc.	Vehicle classification
class	0-20	Vehicle class (compact, sedan, etc.)
plateType	0-5	License plate style
wheelType	0-x	Default wheel style

File References

Attribute	Purpose
handlingId	References handling.meta entry
audioNameHash	Audio configuration name
layoutHash	References vehiclelayouts.xml
sirenHash	Siren configuration

Physics & Performance

Attribute	Purpose	Range
estimatedMaxSpeed	Top speed estimate	0-300
bones	Damage and breakable parts	List of bone names
seats	Seat configuration	Passenger count

Common Vehicle Types

<vehicleType>AUTOMOBILE</vehicleType>  <!-- Cars -->
<vehicleType>BIKE</vehicleType>         <!-- Motorcycles -->
<vehicleType>QUAD</vehicleType>         <!-- ATVs -->
<vehicleType>PLANE</vehicleType>        <!-- Aircraft -->
<vehicleType>HELI</vehicleType>         <!-- Helicopters -->
<vehicleType>BOAT</vehicleType>         <!-- Boats -->

Vehicle Classes

Class	Type	Examples
0	Compact	Issi, Panto
1	Sedan	Oracle, Fugitive

vehicles.meta Breakdown

Core Identity Elements

Property	Purpose
`<modelName>`	Game model identifier used throughout the engine (e.g., `07gal`)
`<txdName>`	Texture dictionary file reference - must match YTD filename (e.g., `07gal`)
`<gameName>`	Game hash name for internal references - usually same as modelName (e.g., `07gal`)
`<vehicleMakeName>`	Display name shown in UI and menus to players (e.g., `2007 Ramborini Gillado`)
`<handlingId>`	Links to handling.meta entry for physics and driving characteristics (e.g., `07gal`)
`<audioNameHash>`	References audio configuration file for engine/vehicle sounds (e.g., `gallardov10`)

Layout & Positioning

Property	Purpose
`<layout>`	Seating layout type - defines bone structure and seat positions (e.g., `LAYOUT_LOW`)
`<coverBoundOffsets>`	AI cover point configuration - where AI takes cover behind vehicle (e.g., `VACCA_COVER_OFFSET_INFO`)
`<scenarioLayout>`	Scenario-specific bone configurations for special animations (empty for most vehicles)

Camera Configuration

Property	Purpose
`<cameraName>`	Default third-person camera behavior when driving (e.g., `DEFAULT_FOLLOW_VEHICLE_CAMERA`)
`<aimCameraName>`	Camera position during weapon aiming from vehicle (e.g., `DEFAULT_THIRD_PERSON_VEHICLE_AIM_CAMERA`)
`<bonnetCameraName>`	Hood camera view type for bonnet/hood view (e.g., `VEHICLE_BONNET_CAMERA_MID_HIGH`)
`<povCameraName>`	Point-of-view camera reference for driver view (e.g., `DEFAULT_POV_CAMERA`)
`<PovCameraOffset x="" y="" z="">`	X, Y, Z offset for POV camera position relative to driver seat (e.g., `0.0, -0.25, 0.6`)
`<FirstPersonDriveByIKOffset x="" y="" z="">`	Hand position during first-person drive-by animations (specific X, Y, Z coordinates)

Visual & Physics Properties

Property	Purpose
`<wheelScale>`	Front wheel size multiplier - scales wheel model size (Float 0.0-1.0+, e.g., `0.273700`)
`<wheelScaleRear>`	Rear wheel size multiplier - independent from front (Float 0.0-1.0+, e.g., `0.273700`)
`<HDTextureDist>`	Distance at which HD textures load instead of LOD textures (Float units, e.g., `5.0`)
`<dirtLevelMax>`	Maximum visible dirt/damage accumulation on vehicle (Float 0.0-1.0, e.g., `0.300000`)
`<damageMapScale>`	How visible damage appears on vehicle body (Float scale, e.g., `0.600000`)
`<defaultBodyHealth>`	Starting vehicle health/integrity value (Float HP, e.g., `1000.0`)

Performance & Spawning

Property	Purpose
`<swankness>`	Vehicle prestige level for traffic spawning (e.g., `SWANKNESS_5` - high prestige)
`<maxNum>`	Maximum vehicles of this type spawning in traffic simultaneously (Integer, e.g., `4`)
`<frequency>`	How often this vehicle spawns in traffic (0-100 scale, e.g., `30`)
`<visibleSpawnDistScale>`	Distance multiplier for when vehicle becomes visible (Float, e.g., `1.0`)
`<lodDistances>`	Level-of-detail render distances for each LOD level (Multiple float values)

Special Features & Behavior

Property	Purpose
`<flags>`	Behavioral flags controlling special features (Space-separated, e.g., `FLAG_SPORTS FLAG_RICH_CAR FLAG_AVERAGE_CAR`)
`<type>`	Vehicle type classification (e.g., `VEHICLE_TYPE_CAR`)
`<plateType>`	License plate style (e.g., `VPT_FRONT_AND_BACK_PLATES`)
`<dashboardType>`	Interior dashboard configuration (e.g., `VDT_ZTYPE`)
`<vehicleClass>`	Performance/class categorization (e.g., `VC_SUPER`)
`<wheelType>`	Default wheel style (e.g., `VWT_HIEND`)

Animation & Audio References

Property	Purpose
`<expressionDictName>`	Animation dictionary for NPC facial expressions and reactions
`<animConvRoofDictName>`	Convertible roof animation dictionary (null if not convertible)
`<ptfxAssetName>`	Particle effects asset reference for special effects
`<vfxInfoName>`	Visual effects configuration (e.g., `VFXVEHICLEINFO_CAR_GENERIC`)

Door & Interaction Configuration

Property	Purpose
`<driveableDoors>`	Which doors can be opened by players (List of door bone names)
`<doorsWithCollisionWhenClosed>`	Doors that have collision physics even when closed (List of door names)
`<extraIncludes>`	Extra model parts that load with vehicle (XML file references)

Weapon & Targeting

Property	Purpose
`<weaponForceMult>`	Damage multiplier from weapons (Float 1.0 = normal damage, e.g., `1.0`)

Example Complete Entry

<Item>
  <modelName>07gal</modelName>
  <txdName>07gal</txdName>
  <handlingId>07gal</handlingId>
  <gameName>07gal</gameName>
  <vehicleMakeName>2007 Ramborini Gillado</vehicleMakeName>
  <audioNameHash>gallardov10</audioNameHash>
  <layout>LAYOUT_LOW</layout>
  <cameraName>DEFAULT_FOLLOW_VEHICLE_CAMERA</cameraName>
  <wheelScale value="0.273700" />
  <swankness>SWANKNESS_5</swankness>
  <maxNum value="4" />
  <flags>FLAG_SPORTS FLAG_RICH_CAR FLAG_AVERAGE_CAR FLAG_NO_BROKEN_DOWN_SCENARIO FLAG_HAS_INTERIOR_EXTRAS</flags>
  <type>VEHICLE_TYPE_CAR</type>
  <vehicleClass>VC_SUPER</vehicleClass>
  <!-- Additional elements... -->
</Item>

Editing vehicles.meta

Extract vehicles.meta from your resource
Convert from binary to XML using CodeWalker
Edit the XML file with your code editor
Add your vehicle entries
Convert back to binary format
Test in-game

Best Practices

Keep vehicle names lowercase and unique
Match handlingId to your handling.meta entries
Use proper vehicle classes for sorting
Reference existing vehicles as templates
Test each new vehicle before adding more

Example: Adding a Custom Vehicle

<Item type="CVehicleModelInfo__InitDataList">
  <modelName>mycustom</modelName>
  <txdName>mycustom</txdName>
  <handlingId>MYCUSTOM</handlingId>
  <gameName>MYCUSTOM</gameName>
  <vehicleType>AUTOMOBILE</vehicleType>
  <plateType>0</plateType>
  <internalName>My Custom Car</internalName>
  <class>5</class>
  <audioNameHash>engine_v8_sound</audioNameHash>
  <layoutHash>VEHICLE_LAYOUT_STANDARD</layoutHash>
  <seats>4</seats>
  <estimatedMaxSpeed>200</estimatedMaxSpeed>
</Item>

Common Issues

Vehicle doesn't load - Check modelName matches actual model
Textures missing - Verify txdName matches texture file
Handling feels wrong - Check handlingId in handling.meta exists
Missing in spawner - Ensure vehicle is properly defined with gameName

Structure​

Key Attributes​

Basic Properties​

Vehicle Configuration​

File References​

Physics & Performance​

Common Vehicle Types​

Vehicle Classes​

vehicles.meta Breakdown​

Core Identity Elements​

Layout & Positioning​

Camera Configuration​

Visual & Physics Properties​

Performance & Spawning​

Special Features & Behavior​

Animation & Audio References​

Door & Interaction Configuration​

Weapon & Targeting​

Example Complete Entry​

Editing vehicles.meta​

Best Practices​

Example: Adding a Custom Vehicle​

Common Issues​