Vehicle Meta Files

What is carvariations.meta?

carvariations.meta is the XML file that defines what a vehicle looks like when it spawns and which extra data it is linked to. For each model it lists the allowed colour combinations and liveries, the mod kit from carcols.meta that provides its tuning parts, the licence plate styles, and the light and siren settings it uses. In FiveM it is loaded with the VEHICLE_VARIATION_FILE data file type. A car without an entry still spawns, but with default colours and no tuning options.

Structure of the file

The root element is CVehicleModelInfoVariation, with one Item per vehicle inside variationData.

xml

<CVehicleModelInfoVariation>
  <variationData>
    <Item>
      <modelName>mycar</modelName>
      <colors>
        <Item>
          <indices content="char_array">
            0
            0
            0
            156
          </indices>
          <liveries />
        </Item>
      </colors>
      <kits>
        <Item>0_default_modkit</Item>
      </kits>
      <windowsWithExposedEdges />
      <plateProbabilities />
      <lightSettings value="1" />
      <sirenSettings value="0" />
    </Item>
  </variationData>
</CVehicleModelInfoVariation>

Abridged carvariations.meta entry

Key tags

Tag	Meaning
`modelName`	The vehicle this entry applies to. Must equal `modelName` in vehicles.meta.
`colors`	The colour combinations the car can spawn with. Each item lists colour indices for primary, secondary, pearlescent and wheel colour; some vehicles list additional values.
`liveries`	Which liveries are allowed with a colour combination.
`kits`	The `kitName` of the mod kit in carcols.meta, or `0_default_modkit` for the stock performance upgrades only.
`plateProbabilities`	Weighted chances of each licence plate style.
`lightSettings`	ID of a light setting in carcols.
`sirenSettings`	ID of a siren setting in carcols. 0 means the car has no siren.

The colour numbers are indices into the game's global paint list, the same numbers used by colour natives in scripts. The game picks one of the listed combinations at random when the vehicle is created without explicit colours.

Need this file for a car that came without one? The Vehicles.meta Generator writes it from a spawn name. Open the Vehicles.meta Generator

Loading it in FiveM

lua

files {
    'data/carvariations.meta',
}

data_file 'VEHICLE_VARIATION_FILE' 'data/carvariations.meta'

The conventional order of data_file lines in a vehicle manifest puts carcols before carvariations, since the variations refer to kits and settings defined there.

Common errors and fixes

Car always spawns in the same plain colour: there is no entry for the model, the modelName is misspelled, or the file is not loaded.
Car cannot be tuned at all: the kits list is empty. Add 0_default_modkit or the car's own kit.
Custom tuning parts missing: the name under kits does not exactly match a kitName in carcols.meta, or the kit's ID clashes with another vehicle.
Police car lights do not flash: sirenSettings is 0 or points at an ID that is not defined. This applies to non-ELS vehicles; see ELS vs non-ELS.
Renamed car lost its colours: the spawn name was changed in vehicles.meta but not here.

The Vehicles.meta Generator outputs a carvariations.meta that matches the vehicles.meta it creates, so the names always agree.

Frequently asked questions

Is carvariations.meta required for an add-on car?

The car can spawn without it, but it will use default colours and have no mod kit, so it cannot be tuned. In practice every add-on vehicle should ship one.

How do I change the colours a car spawns with?

Edit the colour indices inside the colors block of the car's entry. Add more Item blocks to give the game several combinations to choose from.

Which data_file type does carvariations.meta use?

VEHICLE_VARIATION_FILE. The file must also be listed under files in fxmanifest.lua.

Vehicles.meta Generatorvehicles.meta, carvariations.meta, display-name script and manifest from one spawn name.Car Pack BuilderMerge many cars into one resource with a single manifest, deduped textures and conflict checks.

carcols.metaTuning mod kits, siren settings and light settings, each with a numeric ID.vehicles.metaRegisters the vehicle: model name, textures, handling ID, audio, layout and class.Spawn Name & Model HashThe name you type to spawn a car, and the number the game turns it into.data_fileThe manifest directive that tells the game what each meta file is.ELS vs. Non-ELSScript-controlled emergency lights versus GTA V's built-in siren system.

More in Vehicle Meta Files: handling.meta, vehiclelayouts.meta

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