Stream add-on peds and custom characters

Custom peds bring your server to life - police officers, shopkeepers, gang members, unique NPCs. The streaming pattern is simpler than vehicles (fewer metadata files), but there is one rule that trips people up: without a registered peds.meta, the ped commonly spawns invisible or T-posed and loses its component variations.

You'll build: An add-on ped resource with custom model, textures, and peds.meta, ready to spawn by model name.
Time: ~20 minutes
You need: A local FiveM server, an add-on ped download (.yft/.ytd files), and basic fxmanifest knowledge.
You'll learn: Ped asset types, the ped streaming pattern, registering peds.meta, and spawning a custom ped by model name with a trainer.

BEFORE YOU START

Build it

Prepare the resource

The ped files are in the right place.

code

resources/my_ped/
fxmanifest.lua
peds.meta
stream/
ped_model.yft
ped_model.ytd
ped_model.ydd

Ped files typically include the model (.yft), the textures (.ytd), and often a drawable dictionary (.ydd). The reliable, documented add-on method also needs a peds.meta registered in the manifest. A bare .yft/.ytd sometimes loads, but without peds.meta the ped commonly spawns invisible or T-posed and is missing its component variations. Register peds.meta unless you are replacing a GTA ped by exact model name.

Write fxmanifest and register the ped

The ped model is streamed and known to the game.

code

fx_version 'cerulean'
game 'gta5'

files {
'peds.meta',
'stream/*.yft',
'stream/*.ytd',
'stream/*.ydd',
}

data_file 'PED_METADATA_FILE' 'peds.meta'

The stream/ files auto-register and PED_METADATA_FILE registers peds.meta, so the game knows about your ped's model and its component variations. The model name is the .yft filename without its extension (for example ped_model.yft gives the model name ped_model).

Spawn and test

The ped appears in-game.

Spawn and test the ped with a trainer or an in-game admin menu, using the model name from your .yft file (for example ped_model). No code needed.

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Common failures