carvariations.meta and carcols.meta explained

	carvariations.meta	carcols.meta
Root element	CVehicleModelInfoVariation	CVehicleModelInfoVarGlobal
Scope	One entry per vehicle model	Shared definitions any vehicle can reference
Contains	Color combinations, liveries, kit names, light and siren index	Kits (tuning parts), Sirens, Lights, colors, wheels
FiveM data_file	VEHICLE_VARIATION_FILE	CARCOLS_FILE
Needed for an add-on?	Recommended for every vehicle	Only with custom tuning parts, sirens or lights

Each <Item> in variationData belongs to the vehicle named in modelName. It lists color combinations, the kits the vehicle can use, and two numbers that pick a light setup and a siren setup.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<CVehicleModelInfoVariation>
  <variationData>
    <Item>
      <modelName>mycar</modelName>
      <colors>
        <Item>
          <indices content="char_array">
            1
            4
            4
            156
            111
            111
          </indices>
          <liveries>
            <Item value="false" />
            <Item value="false" />
          </liveries>
        </Item>
      </colors>
      <kits>
        <Item>0_default_modkit</Item>
      </kits>
      <windowsWithExposedEdges />
      <plateProbabilities>
        <Probabilities />
      </plateProbabilities>
      <lightSettings value="1" />
      <sirenSettings value="0" />
    </Item>
  </variationData>
</CVehicleModelInfoVariation>

Field	Meaning
modelName	The vehicle this entry applies to. Must equal modelName in vehicles.meta.
colors	List of color combinations. One of them is picked when the vehicle spawns without a script setting colors.
kits	Names of the mod kits the vehicle uses, defined in carcols.meta.
windowsWithExposedEdges	Window names whose edges are visible.
plateProbabilities	Chances for each license plate style.
lightSettings	ID of a Lights entry in carcols.meta.
sirenSettings	ID of a Sirens entry in carcols.meta. 0 for vehicles without sirens.

Each color combination has six numbers. Every number is an index into the game's vehicle color list (0 is metallic black, 111 is metallic white and so on). The six slots are fixed:

Position	Slot	Game native that sets it
1	Primary color	SET_VEHICLE_COLOURS
2	Secondary color	SET_VEHICLE_COLOURS
3	Pearlescent	SET_VEHICLE_EXTRA_COLOURS
4	Wheel color	SET_VEHICLE_EXTRA_COLOURS
5	Interior color	SET_VEHICLE_EXTRA_COLOUR_5
6	Dashboard color	SET_VEHICLE_EXTRA_COLOUR_6

The liveries list under each combination says which liveries that combination may spawn with. A vehicle can have up to 30 liveries. The Coil S-Cooter, for example, ships nine color combinations in this file, and they can be edited freely because the metas are left open.

The classic livery system swaps one texture. The vehicle needs FLAG_HAS_LIVERY in vehicles.meta and textures named with the suffix _sign_1, _sign_2 and so on in its texture dictionary; the game counts them when the model loads. Scripts switch between them with the SET_VEHICLE_LIVERY native.

The second system is a tuning slot: mod kit parts of type VMT_LIVERY_MOD, with display names listed in liveryNames of the kit.

A mod kit is the list of tuning parts and performance upgrades a vehicle can receive. Kits live in the Kits section of carcols.meta. Each kit has a name, a numeric ID and a type.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<CVehicleModelInfoVarGlobal>
  <Kits>
    <Item>
      <kitName>mycar_modkit</kitName>
      <id value="850" />
      <kitType>MKT_SPECIAL</kitType>
      <visibleMods>
        <Item>
          <modelName>mycar_spoiler_a</modelName>
          <modShopLabel>MYCAR_SPL_A</modShopLabel>
          <linkedModels />
          <turnOffBones />
          <type>VMT_SPOILER</type>
          <bone>chassis</bone>
          <collisionBone>chassis</collisionBone>
          <cameraPos>VMCP_DEFAULT</cameraPos>
          <audioApply value="1.000000" />
          <weight value="0" />
          <turnOffExtra value="false" />
          <disableBonnetCamera value="false" />
          <allowBonnetSlide value="true" />
        </Item>
      </visibleMods>
      <linkMods />
      <statMods>
        <Item>
          <identifier />
          <modifier value="25" />
          <audioApply value="1.000000" />
          <weight value="0" />
          <type>VMT_ENGINE</type>
        </Item>
      </statMods>
      <slotNames />
      <liveryNames />
    </Item>
  </Kits>
</CVehicleModelInfoVarGlobal>

Field	Meaning
kitName	Name of the kit. This is what carvariations.meta references.
id	Numeric kit ID. It must be unique among all kits loaded on the server.
kitType	MKT_STANDARD, MKT_SPORT, MKT_SUV or MKT_SPECIAL.
visibleMods	Parts with a 3D model: spoilers, bumpers, skirts and so on.
linkMods	Models that only appear together with another part.
statMods	Performance upgrades with no model: engine, brakes, gearbox, suspension, armour.
slotNames	Renames a tuning slot in the mod shop menu.
liveryNames	Display names for the kit's liveries.

The game keeps one table of kit IDs. When a second kit arrives with an ID that is already taken, the loader logs a duplicate kit ID and gives it another free ID. This is the usual reason tuning parts go missing after adding more vehicles: two resources ship the same id. Give every kit its own number.

To connect the kit to the vehicle, name it in carvariations.meta:

<!-- carvariations.meta -->
<kits>
  <Item>mycar_modkit</Item>
</kits>

A vehicle with no custom parts can use the stock 0_default_modkit, which gives it the standard performance upgrades. An empty <kits /> removes tuning from the vehicle.

To find which kit, siren and light IDs clash across all your resources, drop the files into the carcols ID conflict checker.

Each item in visibleMods is one part. modelName is the name of the part's model file in the stream folder. type is the tuning slot it appears in, and bone is the vehicle bone it attaches to.

Field	Meaning
modelName	Model of the part.
modShopLabel	Text label shown in the mod shop.
linkedModels	Link mods that are attached together with this part.
turnOffBones	Stock pieces to hide when the part is fitted (for example the stock bumper).
type	Slot: VMT_SPOILER, VMT_BUMPER_F, VMT_BUMPER_R, VMT_SKIRT, VMT_EXHAUST, VMT_CHASSIS, VMT_GRILL, VMT_BONNET, VMT_WING_L, VMT_WING_R, VMT_ROOF and more.
bone, collisionBone	Bone the part attaches to, and the bone enabled for extra collision: chassis, bodyshell, bumper_f, bumper_r, bonnet, boot, misc_a and so on.
cameraPos	Where the mod shop camera goes: VMCP_DEFAULT, VMCP_FRONT, VMCP_REAR, VMCP_LEFT, VMCP_RIGHT, VMCP_TOP and others.
weight	Weight change from the part, 0 to 100 percent.
turnOffExtra	If true, the part hides extras on the same bone.

Stat mods use the slots VMT_ENGINE, VMT_BRAKES, VMT_GEARBOX, VMT_SUSPENSION, VMT_ARMOUR and VMT_HORN, with modifier as the strength of the upgrade.

lightSettings and sirenSettings in carvariations.meta are IDs. They select an entry with the same id in the Lights or Sirens section of a carcols.meta. If the number does not exist the game falls back to the first entry.

• A Lights entry sets intensity, falloff, cone angles and color for the indicators, tail lights, headlights and reversing lights, and the size and intensity of their coronas.
• A Sirens entry holds up to 20 siren lights. Each has a color, intensity, rotation and flash pattern (sequencer), and the entry sets the tempo with sequencerBpm.

Like kit IDs, siren and light IDs are shared across the whole server, so two emergency vehicles that both ship siren ID 1 will clash. Use a different ID per siren setup and put the same number in sirenSettings.

Both files are listed under files in fxmanifest.lua. carcols.meta gets a data_file 'CARCOLS_FILE' line and carvariations.meta a data_file 'VEHICLE_VARIATION_FILE' line. Put the carcols line first, since carvariations refers to kits by name. The complete manifest is in how to add an add-on vehicle to FiveM, and the order rules in the data_file reference. If parts or colors do not show up in game, check the tuning section of the troubleshooting guide.