Skip to main content
The Live Map feature provides real-time visualization of player positions, unit locations, and active calls on an interactive map interface.

​
Overview

The Live Map displays:
  • Player positions from connected FiveM servers
  • Active units (LEO, EMS/FD) with their current status
  • Active 911 calls and incidents
  • Smart signs and motorway signs
  • Custom map tiles for specific game maps

​
Prerequisites

  • SnailyCAD v4 installed and running
  • FiveM server with SnailyCAD integration (for player tracking)
  • Admin access to SnailyCAD

​
Configuring Live Map URLs

Connect your FiveM servers to the live map.
1

Navigate to Live Map Settings

Go to Admin > Manage > CAD Settings > Live Map.
2

Add Server URL

Click Add URL and configure:
  • Name: Friendly name for your server (e.g., “Main Server”, “Test Server”)
  • URL: WebSocket URL of your FiveM server
Example URLs:
http://192.168.1.100:30120
https://fivem.yourdomain.com
ws://your-fivem-server:30120
3

Save Configuration

Click Save to add the server. You can add multiple servers for different game servers.
4

Test Connection

Navigate to Dispatch > Live Map and:
  1. Select your server from the dropdown menu
  2. Verify connection status shows as “Connected”
  3. Confirm players appear on the map (if any are online)

​
Multiple Server Configuration

You can configure multiple FiveM servers for different purposes:
  • Main Server: Primary roleplay server
  • Training Server: For training new members
  • Development Server: For testing new features
Dispatchers can switch between servers using the server selector dropdown on the Live Map interface.

​
Custom Map Tiles

Customize the map appearance by uploading custom tiles for different game maps (e.g., custom cities, maps beyond default GTA V).

​
Understanding Map Tiles

SnailyCAD uses a tiled map system with 6 tiles arranged in a 2x3 grid: 
minimap_sea_0_0.png  minimap_sea_0_1.png
minimap_sea_1_0.png  minimap_sea_1_1.png
minimap_sea_2_0.png  minimap_sea_2_1.png

​
Preparing Map Tiles

1

Extract Game Map

Use a tool like GTAUtil or similar to extract your game’s minimap:
  1. Extract the minimap files from your game resources
  2. The files should be named minimap_sea_X_Y.png where X and Y are grid coordinates
  3. All 6 tiles are required (0_0, 0_1, 1_0, 1_1, 2_0, 2_1)
2

Verify Tile Format

Ensure your tiles meet these requirements:
  • Format: PNG or JPG
  • Naming: Exactly minimap_sea_X_Y (without extension)
  • Count: All 6 tiles must be present
  • Size: Recommended 1024x1024 or 2048x2048 per tile
3

Upload Tiles

In the Live Map settings:
  1. Scroll to the Map Tiles section
  2. Click the file input to select all 6 tile files
  3. The system will validate file names
  4. Click Save to upload
4

Wait for Processing

The tiles will be:
  1. Uploaded to the server
  2. Converted to WebP format for optimization
  3. Saved to the client’s public directory
This may take a few minutes. Do not close the page during upload.
Important: Uploading new map tiles will overwrite existing tiles. Make sure to backup your current tiles before uploading new ones.

​
Tile File Permissions

The SnailyCAD server needs write permissions to the client’s public directory: 
# For Docker installations
chmod -R 755 /path/to/snailycad/apps/client/public/tiles/

# For standalone installations
chmod -R 755 ./apps/client/public/tiles/
If you encounter permission errors, verify the SnailyCAD process has write access to this directory.

​
Using the Live Map

​
Dispatcher Interface

1

Access Live Map

Navigate to Dispatch > Live Map from the main navigation.
2

Select Server

If you have multiple servers configured, select one from the dropdown at the top.
3

View Players

  • Player Icons: Show all connected players from FiveM
  • Color Coding: Different colors for LEO, EMS/FD, civilian
  • Click for Details: Click any player to see their information
4

Monitor Units

  • Active units show with their callsign
  • Unit status is indicated by color
  • Click a unit to see full details
5

Track Calls

  • Active 911 calls appear as markers
  • Click a call to view details
  • Assigned units show routing lines

​
Map Controls

  • Zoom: Mouse wheel or +/- buttons
  • Pan: Click and drag
  • Center: Double-click to center on a player/unit
  • Filter: Toggle player types, units, calls on/off
  • Search: Search for specific players or units

​
WebSocket Connection

​
Connection Status

The Live Map shows connection status in the top-right:
  • Connected (Green): Successfully connected to FiveM server
  • Connecting (Yellow): Attempting to establish connection
  • Disconnected (Red): Not connected to server

​
Reconnection Behavior

The Live Map automatically attempts to reconnect if the connection drops:
  1. Initial connection attempt
  2. If failed, retry every 5 seconds
  3. Maximum 10 retry attempts
  4. Manual reconnection available via “Reconnect” button

​
Data Synchronization

​
Player Data Updates

Player positions update based on FiveM server configuration:
  • Position: Updated every 500ms (default)
  • Vehicle: Updated when changed
  • Identifiers: Updated on connection

​
Unit Linking

Players are automatically linked to their active units:
  1. FiveM sends player identifiers (Steam ID, Discord ID)
  2. SnailyCAD matches identifiers to user accounts
  3. Active units for that user are displayed on the map
  4. Unit information updates in real-time via SnailyCAD websockets

​
Troubleshooting

​
Connection Issues

Cannot Connect to Server
  1. Verify the server URL is correct
  2. Check that the FiveM server is running
  3. Ensure WebSocket port is accessible (not blocked by firewall)
  4. Test connectivity: telnet your-server-ip 30120
Connection Drops Frequently
  1. Check network stability between CAD and FiveM server
  2. Verify FiveM server isn’t under heavy load
  3. Increase WebSocket timeout in FiveM resource config
  4. Check for firewall rules blocking WebSocket connections

​
Players Not Showing

No Players Appear
  1. Verify FiveM integration resource is running
  2. Check resource is sending player data (review FiveM console)
  3. Ensure at least one player is connected to FiveM server
  4. Verify API URL in FiveM resource config is correct
Players Show But Not Linked to Units
  1. Check players have linked their Discord or Steam accounts in SnailyCAD
  2. Verify identifiers are being sent from FiveM
  3. Ensure users have active units in the CAD
  4. Check that unit status is not “Off Duty”

​
Map Tile Issues

Tiles Not Loading
  1. Verify tiles were uploaded successfully
  2. Check file permissions on apps/client/public/tiles/
  3. Clear browser cache and reload
  4. Inspect browser console for 404 errors on tile files
Tiles Appear Distorted
  1. Verify all 6 tiles are present
  2. Check tiles are same resolution
  3. Ensure tiles are in correct order (0_0, 0_1, etc.)
  4. Re-upload tiles if corruption suspected
Upload Fails
  1. Check server has write permissions to tiles directory
  2. Verify all 6 tiles are selected
  3. Check tile file names match exactly: minimap_sea_X_Y
  4. Review server logs for specific error messages
  5. Check available disk space on server

​
Performance Issues

Map Loads Slowly
  1. Optimize tile file sizes (use WebP or compressed PNG)
  2. Reduce tile resolution if too large
  3. Check server bandwidth
  4. Enable CDN for static assets if available
High CPU Usage
  1. Reduce player update frequency in FiveM config
  2. Limit number of concurrent players displayed
  3. Disable unnecessary map features (e.g., smart signs if unused)
  4. Use hardware acceleration in browser settings

​
API Endpoints

For developers integrating with the Live Map:
  • PUT /admin/manage/cad-settings/live-map - Update live map settings
  • PUT /admin/manage/cad-settings/live-map/tiles - Upload map tiles
  • POST /dispatch/players - Fetch player/unit data for map display

​
Security Considerations

  • Ensure WebSocket connections use WSS (secure) in production
  • Limit access to Live Map based on user permissions
  • Do not expose internal server IPs publicly
  • Use reverse proxy for WebSocket connections if possible

​
Restricting Access

Configure which roles can access the Live Map:
  1. Go to Admin > Manage > Permissions
  2. Configure “View Live Map” permission
  3. Assign to Dispatch, LEO, EMS/FD roles as needed

​
Best Practices

  1. Test with Development Server: Set up a test FiveM server before production
  2. Monitor Performance: Watch server load when many players are connected
  3. Backup Tiles: Keep backups of custom map tiles
  4. Document Server URLs: Maintain a list of all configured servers
  5. Use HTTPS/WSS: Always use secure connections in production
  6. Optimize Updates: Balance update frequency with performance needs
  7. Regular Testing: Periodically verify all servers connect properly

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us