CodeWalker has several workflows inside one application. The world view lets you inspect the map. The Project Window organizes the files you are editing. RPF Explorer lets you browse archives. Knowing which window owns the work is more useful than memorizing every button.
Learn the camera before editing
In the default world view, WASD moves the camera. Shift increases movement speed. Left-drag rotates the view; the mouse wheel adjusts zoom and base movement speed. If movement feels unusually slow after zooming in, the wheel may have changed that base speed.
Press T to show the toolbar. The toolbox can also be opened with the button in the upper-right corner. Its selection options control what you can inspect. These bindings come from the author’s README; customized bindings or newer builds can differ.
A short practice exercise is enough: circle a building, move down to an entrance, and return to a wide view. Do this before selecting a transform widget.
Select deliberately
Enable entity selection using the toolbox or toolbar, then right-click an object. The selection details expose the entity, archetype and drawable. Those are not interchangeable concepts: the entity is a placement, while the archetype describes what is being placed.
Write down the selected entity’s archetype name and YMAP name. This connects something visible in the world to its data. When a later change affects the wrong object, those two names are better evidence than a screenshot alone.
Understand the two meanings of WASD
The controls change in edit mode. After selecting an entity, E enters edit mode. W chooses the position widget, E chooses rotation, and R chooses scale. Q exits edit mode. Movement in edit mode requires holding the left mouse button while not interacting with the widget.
| Action | Default control |
|---|---|
| Move the camera in world view | WASD |
| Accelerate camera movement | Hold Shift |
| Rotate the camera | Left mouse drag |
| Select an entity | Right-click with entity selection enabled |
| Enter edit mode | E after selecting an entity |
| Position / rotation / scale | W / E / R in edit mode |
| Leave edit mode | Q |
| Undo / redo an entity transform | Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y |
Undo is not your backup strategy. The README specifically describes undo and redo for entity transformations. Do not assume every file operation or archive edit participates in the same history.
Make the Project Window your home base
Create and save a project before making changes. When the Project Window is open, editing an entity can bring its YMAP into the project. That is helpful, but it also means an accidental edit to a vanilla object can add a file you did not intend to modify.
After every small experiment, inspect the project tree. Confirm which files are present and which ones you changed. Saving the project and exporting the game files are separate responsibilities: your FiveM server will not interpret .cwproj files.
Use Explorer when you do not need the world
The application can launch without loading the entire world. From a terminal opened in the application folder:
CodeWalker.exe menu
For the archive browser:
CodeWalker.exe explorer
Explorer has viewers for many file types and a hex fallback for others. Start by reading and exporting reference material. Do not use an exploratory session to overwrite original archives.
You are ready for the next tutorial when you can name the object you selected, identify its source YMAP, switch between camera and transform modes, and locate your saved project. Continue with your first FiveM YMAP.
CodeWalker shortcuts depend on the current mode
The author’s README distinguishes normal world navigation from entity editing. Treat a shortcut table as mode-specific rather than pressing a key repeatedly until something moves.
| Context | Default action | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| World navigation | WASD moves the camera; Shift increases speed | The viewport has focus |
| World navigation | Left-drag rotates the view; wheel changes movement speed | You are not manipulating an edit widget |
| Toolbar/selection | T opens the toolbar; right-click selects when enabled | Entity selection is the intended mode |
| Selected entity | E enters edit mode; Q leaves it | The intended entity is selected |
| Edit mode | W / E / R chooses move / rotate / scale | Camera movement uses the documented mouse interaction |
| Entity transforms | Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y undo/redo transforms | Do not assume every file operation is covered |
Practice on the three-prop example or a copied project. Make one transform, undo it and confirm the original values. If a shortcut behaves differently, inspect focus, selection and your build’s settings before diagnosing an installation failure.
For a newly selected object, record its archetype and owner before modifying it. The prop-name guide explains that reference chain; object removal explains why deleting a placement is not the same as removing every layer of a building.