How the GTA V Minimap Is Built: Tiles, Sea Textures, LOD and Zoom Data

The files behind the FiveM minimap and pause map

A custom minimap looks like one picture, but the game assembles it from dozens of files: texture tiles for the land, separate textures for the sea, a low-detail version for the zoomed-out pause map, and geometry the textures are drawn onto. Knowing the pieces explains most installation problems.

Short answer: The map texture is 6144 × 9216 split into a 2 × 3 grid of land dictionaries (minimap_0_0.ytd … minimap_2_1.ytd), a matching set of minimap_sea_*.ytd files, a LOD texture for the fully zoomed-out view and .ydd geometry files the textures are drawn onto, plus zoom data. A client script calls SetMapZoomDataLevel so the radar zoom levels match the new art. Two resources streaming the same minimap_* names conflict — only one can win.

#The files

Files	Role
`minimap_X_Y.ytd` (land tiles)	The map artwork, 3072 × 3072 per tile
`minimap_sea_X_Y.ytd`	The ocean textures
*`minimap_lod.ytd`**	Used when the pause map is fully zoomed out
`minimap_X_Y.ydd`	The geometry the textures are drawn onto
`minimap.ymt`, zoom data	Map metadata and zoom configuration
`client.lua`	`SetMapZoomDataLevel` calls for the radar

Layout of our resources; other packs may name or split files differently.

Full specification: minimap technical specification.

#Zoom levels

client.lua

SetMapZoomDataLevel(0, 0.96, 0.9, 0.08, 0.0, 0.0)
SetMapZoomDataLevel(1, 1.6,  0.9, 0.08, 0.0, 0.0)
SetMapZoomDataLevel(2, 8.6,  0.9, 0.08, 0.0, 0.0)
SetMapZoomDataLevel(3, 12.3, 0.9, 0.08, 0.0, 0.0)
SetMapZoomDataLevel(4, 22.3, 0.9, 0.08, 0.0, 0.0)

Without matching zoom data the art loads but looks blurry or misaligned on the radar. Radar zoom while driving is covered in radar zoom settings.

#Conflicts

Every minimap replacement uses the same file names. If two resources stream minimap_* files, whichever loads last wins — often a mix of both. Keep exactly one minimap resource and remove old ones — see minimap not showing.

#How custom minimaps are made

Artwork is rendered at full resolution, split into the tile grid, compressed with mipmaps and packed with the geometry and zoom data. Branding — server names, logos, postal codes — is composited into the textures before splitting, which is why it costs nothing at runtime. Our studio does exactly this — see branding your server map.

Questions

Which files make up the GTA V minimap?

A 2 × 3 grid of land texture tiles, sea textures, a LOD texture, .ydd geometry and zoom data, plus a client script for zoom levels.

Why does my custom minimap look blurry?

Zoom data does not match the art. The resource’s SetMapZoomDataLevel script must run.

Can I run two minimap resources?

No. They stream the same file names; keep one.

Do logos on the minimap cost performance?

No. They are baked into the textures.

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