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Point

Points (accessed via the global POINTLIST) are named spatial anchors in the game world.
They represent things such as:

  • Spawn locations (e.g., where a mission NPC or vehicle appears).
  • Teleport targets (used in AreaTransitionPoint).
  • Restart positions (for respawning after arrest, knockout, or cutscenes).
  • Environmental anchors (such as where leaves spawn, or shop items appear).

Unlike TRIGGER, which defines areas/volumes, POINTLIST entries define single or multiple coordinates that serve as specific positions.

Why You Can't Iterate POINTLIST with pairs()​

Just like TRIGGER, the POINTLIST object cannot be iterated with pairs().

  1. Engine-managed container
    The list is stored internally by the game engine. Lua only receives integer handles when .dat files are loaded.

  2. Non-stable IDs
    Each entry in POINTLIST is just an engine-assigned handle. IDs change between play sessions and are not guaranteed to be stable.

Instead of iterating, you must directly reference the desired point by name (e.g., POINTLIST._PLAYER_START).

Note on Key Access

Keys in POINTLIST and TRIGGER are case-insensitive.

For example, the following will all work and return the same value:

DATLoad("Chapt1Trans.DAT", 2)
print(POINTLIST._PLAYER_START)
print(POINTLIST._player_start)
print(POINTLIST._PlAyEr_StArT)
tip

However, best practice is to always use UPPERCASE keys to match the game's internal style and avoid confusion.

Example Usage​

Some internal Lua code shows how POINTLIST entries are used:

-- Teleport the player to a point in the world
AreaTransitionPoint(0, POINTLIST._BUS_POLICEDROPPLAYER, 1, true)

-- Spawn a vehicle at a defined point
shared.veh1 = VehicleCreatePoint(295, POINTLIST._BUS_POLICEDROP, 1)

-- Set restart positions
SetDefaultArrestPoint(POINTLIST._RESTART_B_PS, 0)
SetDefaultArrestRestartCameraPos(POINTLIST._RESTART_B_PS_CAM)

AddArrestRestartPoint(POINTLIST._KO_SCHOOL_INFIRMOUT, 0, 8, 19, POINTLIST._ARREST_RESTART_1, 2)
AddArrestRestartPoint(POINTLIST._KO_SCHOOL_INFIRMOUT, 0, 19, 8, POINTLIST._BOYSDORM_BEDWAKEUP, 14)

-- Interior restart points
AddInteriorArrestRestartPoint(2, POINTLIST._ARREST_RESTART_1, 2, 8, 19)
AddInteriorArrestRestartPoint(2, POINTLIST._BOYSDORM_BEDWAKEUP, 14, 19, 8)

-- Get coordinates from a point
local schoolx, schooly, schoolz = GetPointList(POINTLIST._PLAYER_START)

-- Special effect anchors
EffectAddLeavesInArea(POINTLIST._LEAVESRICHAREA, 0)

-- Shop system referencing a point
ShopAddItem(0, 502, POINTLIST._STORE_DT_GENERAL_ITEM3, 100, 0, callbackFunction, 1)

-- Spawn an NPC at a point
Players[1].Player = PedCreatePoint(130, POINTLIST._CM_GARYSTAND, 1) -- 130: Gary Smith model ID

Minimal example:

-- Move player instantly to dorm restart point
AreaTransitionPoint(0, POINTLIST._BOYSDORM_BEDWAKEUP, 1, true)

Points Dump​

For the full list of points (including how many positions each contains), see the Points Dump page.

Notes & Best Practices​

  • Always load the correct .dat file with DATLoad before referencing a point. Otherwise, the value will stay -1.
  • Some points contain multiple sub-coordinates (like an array). Use GetPointList to retrieve them, and use GetPointListSize to get the number of sub-coordinates.
  • Point handles are not stable; always reference by constant name.
  • Use points to avoid hardcoding coordinates in scripts — it keeps your mod compatible with mission logic.