Scaleform Functions

Scaleform Functions is a reference of GTA V scaleform movies and the functions you can call on them, with their parameter names. Pick a function, fill the parameters, and copy a Lua snippet that loads the movie, calls it and draws it.

What it is for

Scaleform movies are the Flash UI files GTA V uses for big “mission passed” shards, instructional buttons, phones, computer screens, the minimap and more. Using one from a script means knowing the movie name, the function name and the order of its arguments. This page lists all of that and writes the boilerplate so you can try a message in seconds.

Quick start

1. The page opens on MIDSIZED_MESSAGE with SHOW_SHARD_MIDSIZED_MESSAGE selected.
2. Search movie names in the Movies tab, or switch to Functions to search function names across every movie (type at least 2 characters, for example SET_TITLE).
3. Click a movie, then a function in its list.
4. In the Snippet builder, check the type of each parameter and type a value.
5. Copy scaleform.lua.

Browsing

Each movie shows its category, its name (click to copy) and the function count. Functions are listed with their parameter names, for example SHOW_SHARD_MIDSIZED_MESSAGE(bigText, msgText, colID, useDarkerShard, useCondensedShard). The selected movie and function are kept in the URL (?movie= and ?fn=), so you can link someone straight to a function.

Snippet builder

For every parameter you get a type dropdown and a value field. The type is pre-filled from the parameter name (useDarkerShard becomes a bool, colID an int, bigText a string). Change it if the movie expects something else.

Use the text type when you want ~r~ style colour codes or long strings, since the plain string natives do not format.

Example

What the builder writes for a green midsized shard:

local function LoadScaleform(name)
    local handle = RequestScaleformMovie(name)
    local timeout = GetGameTimer() + 5000
    while not HasScaleformMovieLoaded(handle) do
        if GetGameTimer() > timeout then return nil end
        Wait(0)
    end
    return handle
end

CreateThread(function()
    local scaleform = LoadScaleform("MIDSIZED_MESSAGE")
    if not scaleform then return print("Could not load MIDSIZED_MESSAGE") end

    BeginScaleformMovieMethod(scaleform, "SHOW_SHARD_MIDSIZED_MESSAGE")
    ScaleformMovieMethodAddParamTextureNameString("MISSION PASSED") -- bigText
    ScaleformMovieMethodAddParamTextureNameString("You delivered the car") -- msgText
    ScaleformMovieMethodAddParamInt(2) -- colID
    ScaleformMovieMethodAddParamBool(false) -- useDarkerShard
    ScaleformMovieMethodAddParamBool(false) -- useCondensedShard
    EndScaleformMovieMethod()

    local untilTime = GetGameTimer() + 5000
    while GetGameTimer() < untilTime do
        DrawScaleformMovieFullscreen(scaleform, 255, 255, 255, 255, 0)
        Wait(0)
    end
    SetScaleformMovieAsNoLongerNeeded(scaleform)
end)

Tips

• A scaleform only shows while you draw it every frame.
• Call functions after the movie has loaded, or they are dropped.
• Release a movie you no longer need with SetScaleformMovieAsNoLongerNeeded.
• colID style parameters take HUD colour ids. The Draw Text Colors page lists the common HUD colours by name.

Limitations

• Not every listed function does something in game. UPPERCASE functions are the movie’s public API and usually work; lowercase ones are internal but sometimes work too.
• Only parameter names are known, not their types or allowed values. Test in game.

Data: Vespura (tomgrobbe.com).

Related tools

• Draw Text Colors
• Warning Screen Buttons
• Controls Reference
• Sound Browser