Why GTA V Uses Custom Formats
Rockstar Games uses proprietary file formats to optimize loading performance and manage the massive open world that GTA V renders in real time. These formats are designed for streaming — the game loads and unloads assets dynamically as you move through the map, and the file formats are built to support that workflow.
Understanding these formats is essential for modding. Every car replacement, texture edit, or map modification requires working with one or more of these file types.
RPF — RAGE Package File
RPF files are archive containers, similar in concept to ZIP files but optimized for the RAGE engine. They hold the majority of GTA V's game assets — textures, models, audio, and configuration files are all packed inside RPF archives.
As a modder, you'll interact with RPF files constantly. They're organized as a file tree with directories and files inside, and you need a tool like ModWorks to browse and extract their contents. ModWorks automatically handles compressed and encrypted archives so you can focus on the files inside.
YTD — Texture Dictionary
YTD files contain collections of textures (images) used by the game. A single YTD can hold multiple textures — for example, a vehicle's YTD might contain the body paint, interior textures, dashboard details, and light textures all in one file.
Working with YTD Files
To edit textures, you need to extract the YTD, modify the individual texture images, and repack them. ModWorks handles YTD extraction and lets you preview textures before exporting.
When replacing textures, match the original resolution and format. Using oversized textures where the game expects smaller ones can cause performance issues or crashes on some systems.
YFT — Fragment Type (Vehicle Models)
YFT files contain 3D model data for fragmentable objects — primarily vehicles. The "fragment" part refers to the fact that these models can break apart (damage deformation, detachable parts like doors and bumpers).
Vehicle Modding
Replacing a vehicle typically requires both the YFT (model) and YTD (textures). The two files must be compatible — the model references specific texture names from the dictionary, so they need to match.
YDR — Drawable
YDR files are similar to YFT but for non-fragmentable objects — world props (street lights, benches, signs), character models, clothing, weapons, and static world objects. They're simpler than YFT because they don't need damage and fragmentation data.
YMAP — Map Placement
YMAP files define where objects are placed in the game world — positions, rotations, and visibility distances for every entity on the map.
YMAP and XML Conversion
YMAP files are binary, but they can be converted to human-readable XML for editing. This is one of the most common conversion tasks in GTA V modding — edit placements in XML, then convert back to YMAP for the game.
ModWorks includes built-in YMAP to XML and XML to YMAP converters, so you don't need separate tools for this workflow.
AWC — Audio Wave Container
AWC files contain audio data used by the game — sound effects, ambient sounds, radio station tracks, and vehicle engine sounds.
Audio Modding
Replacing sounds requires matching the original audio format and sample rate. ModWorks can open AWC containers for inspection and editing, making it easier to identify which clip corresponds to which in-game sound.
META and XML Files
These are configuration files that control game behavior without requiring code changes:
- vehicles.meta — Vehicle properties (speed, handling references, spawn settings)
- handling.meta — Physics and driving behavior for each vehicle
- weapons.meta — Weapon damage, fire rate, recoil
- peds.meta — Pedestrian definitions and behavior
- dlclist.xml — List of DLC content packs to load
These are plain XML and can be edited with any text editor. They're usually stored inside RPF archives, so you'll need to extract, edit, and repack them.
Tools for the Job
Working with these formats used to require multiple specialized tools — one for RPF browsing, another for texture editing, another for format conversion. ModWorks combines these workflows into a single application, handling RPF7 archives, YTD textures, AWC audio, and format conversions in one place.
Check out our beginner's guide if you're just getting started with GTA V modding.