XML to YMAP is a format-specific conversion, not a filename change. A Menyoo placement save, a Guadmaz Map Editor save and CodeWalker YMAP XML can all end in .xml, but they describe different structures. Identify the producing tool before choosing an importer.
This guide covers static prop placements. It does not promise to preserve scripts, moving entities, peds, pickups, attached objects or an entire MLO interior. Keep the original save and work on a copy. A converted placement cannot supply a custom model, texture or collision file that was never included.
Identify the XML you have
Open a copy in a plain-text editor without executing anything. Check the root element and the application that saved it; do not infer the format from the extension alone.
| Input | What it represents | Appropriate next step |
|---|---|---|
CodeWalker XML with a CMapData root |
A textual representation of YMAP data | Use the compatible CodeWalker XML import/compile workflow |
| Menyoo placement XML | A saved Object Spooner scene | Use an importer that explicitly supports that Menyoo format |
| Guadmaz Map Editor XML | That editor’s map-save schema | Use a converter that explicitly supports Map Editor XML |
Native .ymap |
Compiled map data, not text XML | Open it as a game file rather than renaming it to XML |
| A Map Studio project JSON | This website’s editable planning project | Open in Map Studio, then export supported source |
The browser importer accepts supported CodeWalker CMapData XML, not arbitrary Menyoo or Map Editor XML. It also rejects parent-linked maps rather than presenting a partial edit as a safe full round trip. The file-format guide explains the native/source distinction.
Prepare a small conversion candidate
Save a scene containing only three static props whose names you can resolve in your own game installation. Record each model name, position, rotation and scale. Avoid objects that depend on another mod for this first test. Keep a separate list of features you deliberately excluded; silent loss is not successful conversion.
Save the source under a new name. A full scene with hundreds of placements is a poor first diagnostic because a missing dependency, a transform error and an unsupported entity can look like the same problem. Three known placements let you compare every object after each stage.
Menyoo and Map Editor conversion routes
First inspect the import options in the specific CodeWalker build you installed. Use a format-specific importer only when it identifies your source format. Do not use a generic XML action as evidence that every XML schema is accepted. Record the build and chosen import option alongside the source save.
The original Map Editor & Menyoo to YMap Converter provides a documented historical fallback: open the supported map XML, export its openFormats .ymap.xml, then import that output into OpenIV to produce a native file. Its author also documents excluded entities and old runtime requirements. These instructions are evidence for that tool’s workflow, not a compatibility guarantee for every modern Menyoo release.
Use only the author’s distribution and the dependencies linked by the publisher. Do not install random replacement DLLs or disable security software to force an old utility to start. When it rejects your format, preserve the error and test a smaller save rather than repeatedly renaming files.
The maintained Menyoo author page distinguishes release/build behavior. A current Menyoo scene may contain features absent from an older converter. Keep these version boundaries in your test record.
Inspect and save the resulting YMAP
Open the resulting native map in a CodeWalker project for the same target edition. Confirm the three archetype references and compare the saved coordinates with your source record. Check rotation from more than one angle; a scene that looks correct from above can still contain a tilted or mirrored placement.
Recalculate the YMAP extents and flags using actual loaded assets. Save the native map, close that copy and reopen it. Reopening tests the file you will deliver rather than an unsaved state in the editor. The first-YMAP lesson provides the placement workflow.
For a browser-source exercise, download our three-prop CodeWalker XML and JSON. These are examples of the output-side source structure, not a certified Menyoo conversion fixture or an in-game-tested native map.
Package and test in FiveM
Use a fresh resource folder and the fxmanifest generator. Put the compiled map in stream/; keep the working XML elsewhere. Register custom YTYP files only when the map actually depends on definitions you supply. Follow the streaming guide before adding the resource to a live server.
Check the object count, position, distance behavior and physical collision in a development session. Repeat after reconnecting. Record a failure at the stage where it appears: source parse, conversion, CodeWalker reload, resource startup or gameplay.
Conversion problems to isolate
A parser error usually calls for checking the XML schema and converter support first. Correct positions with missing models call for dependency and edition checks. Large offsets call for comparing local/world transforms. Missing behavior on peds, vehicles or scripts calls for checking whether that behavior belonged to the source runtime rather than the map data.
Do not certify the whole scene because one object appeared. Use missing-map diagnostics for a native map that loads but fails in FiveM, and keep the original source available for a different supported conversion route.