Lua scripting for creators

What does a script look like?

A resource is a server script, a client script and meta.xml. Below: a car on command with an RGB colour and plate, time of day, weather, Definitive Edition slow motion and a client-side dialog box.

-- Car on command: RGB colour, headlights, custom plate
addCommandHandler("auto", function(player)
    local x, y, z = getElementPosition(player)
    local car = createVehicle(536, x + 3, y, z)  -- Blade
    setVehicleColor(car, 255, 122, 34, 20, 20, 20)
    setVehicleHeadLightColor(car, 255, 180, 90)
    setVehiclePlateText(car, "GROVE 4L")
    warpPedIntoVehicle(player, car)
end)

-- Sunset over Los Santos
setTime(19, 30)
setWeatherBlended(1)

-- Weapon wheel slow motion from Definitive Edition
setSlowMotionEnabled(true, "wheel")

-- UI theme, notification and dialog box
guiSetTheme("sunset")

addEventHandler("onClientResourceStart", resourceRoot, function()
    guiNotify("Welcome to Los Santos!", "success", 4000)
end)

bindKey("F2", "down", function()
    local box = guiMessageBox("Faction", "Join Grove Street?", { "Yes", "No" })
    addEventHandler("onClientGUIAccepted", box, function(label)
        if label == "Yes" then triggerServerEvent("faction:join", localPlayer) end
    end, false)
end)

<meta>
    <info author="You" name="grove" version="1.0" type="gamemode" />
    <script src="server.lua" type="server" />
    <script src="client.lua" type="client" />
</meta>

What works the same as in MTA?

• A bad argument does not stop the script. The function returns false and logs a Bad argument @ 'setPlayerMoney' warning.
• Coordinates as x, y, z or a Vector3.
• Custom events with addEvent, client-to-server events with addEvent('name', true).
• Exports: exports.resource:function() and call().
• Numbering: GUI list rows from 0, columns from 1, weapon slots 0 to 12.

What is ready out of the box?

• setSlowMotionEnabled: slow motion on the weapon wheel and during stunts, from Definitive Edition.
• Built-in UI themes switched with one function: guiSetTheme, guiRegisterTheme.
• Ready-made elements: a guiNotify notification, a guiMessageBox dialog, a guiCreateSlider slider.
• setLoadingScreen: image, name and tips on the server loading screen, with one function.

What does the API cover?

• Players
• Peds
• Clothes
• Vehicles
• Weapons
• Projectiles
• Objects
• Pickups
• Markers
• Blips
• Collision shapes
• World
• Lights
• Fire
• Effects
• Camera
• Audio
• Interface (GUI)
• Drawing (dx)
• Text displays
• Cursor
• Input and controls
• Chat and console
• Teams
• Accounts
• Permissions (ACL)
• Admin and bans
• Database
• Files
• XML
• Resources
• Events
• Timers
• Maps
• Math and vectors

Every function is described in the Lua documentation.

Tools

The collision generator makes a .col file from an FBX, OBJ, glTF, DFF or 3DS model: you set the triangle count, the mode and the surface, and see the result in 3D before it goes into your resource.

Questions