Your first goal is simple: open the GTA V world, select an object, and save a CodeWalker project. Leave editing game archives for later. You do not need to install CodeWalker inside a FiveM resource or replace anything in your GTA V directory.
Choose a download deliberately
Use dexyfex’s GTA5-Mods page or the release channels linked by the author. This site provides the specific v30_dev46 ZIP supplied on that page; it is not a claim that dev46 is the newest development build. The archive is listed with a January 29, 2024 date. Check the author’s current instructions before choosing a build for a new project.
The GitHub repository contains the source code. Downloading the repository as a ZIP is not the same thing as downloading a ready-to-run Windows release.
Extract the entire application archive into a dedicated folder. Do not run the executable from inside the compressed ZIP. Keep the accompanying files together, and do not replace individual application files with ones from an unrelated build.
Understand the published requirements
The README lists a PC installation of GTA V, an x64 processor, 4 GB of RAM with 8 GB or more recommended, and DirectX 11 / Shader Model 4.0 capable graphics. Its historical Windows requirement is Windows 7 or later. That is the author’s published compatibility information, not a recommendation to use an unsupported operating system.
There is a small difference in the supplied sources: the README says .NET Framework 4.5 or newer, while the GTA5-Mods description specifies 4.5.2. Follow the requirements of the release you actually install. Do not treat an old minimum specification as a guarantee for current game assets or every development build.
Point CodeWalker at GTA V
On first launch, select the folder containing your GTA V installation when prompted. The README describes automatic discovery for one historical default Steam path. Your installation may live somewhere else; choose its real location rather than recreating that example path.
The world view loads by default and may take time to populate. Before concluding that something is missing, check the chosen game folder and the application’s loading state. Keep the initial test simple: no custom assets and no large existing mod project.
Choose your target edition now. Legacy and Enhanced are separate asset targets. An older archive link is not evidence of Enhanced compatibility. Read the edition planning note before exporting work for an Enhanced server.
Make the first session a navigation test
Use WASD to move, hold Shift to move faster, and drag with the left mouse button to turn the camera. The wheel changes zoom and base movement speed. Press T to reveal the main toolbar. Enable entity selection, then right-click an object and inspect its details.
Do not move that object yet. Open the Project Window, create a project, and save it under your own working directory. A .cwproj is your editor project; it is not a FiveM map resource.
A useful workspace separates inputs and outputs:
cw-workshop/
source/ # Blender files and editable project files
exports/ # Interchange files and exported game assets
resource/ # Only the files intended for FiveM
notes/ # Tool versions, game build and test observations
The folder names are an organizational suggestion, not a CodeWalker requirement.
When the application does not start
Record the exact error, application version and selected game edition. Check the release’s requirements and the integrity of your extraction. A blank world and an application that fails before opening are different problems; describe which one you have when asking for help.
Do not fix a startup error by disabling security software, downloading a repacked executable, or replacing unrelated game archives. The author explicitly describes CodeWalker as work in progress, so crashes can be application bugs rather than proof that your installation is wrong.
Continue with navigation and editing controls, then build a small first YMAP.