# What a .ytd file is, and how to edit one safely

> A .ytd is the GTA 5 texture dictionary. What it holds, how DXT compression and mipmaps work, and the rules that keep an edited one loading in FiveM.

Source: https://fam-tools.com/guides/ytd-texture-dictionary · FAM Tools · published 2026-10-25 · updated 2026-10-25 · about 7 min

**Short answer.** A .ytd is the GTA 5 texture dictionary. What it holds, how DXT compression and mipmaps work, and the rules that keep an edited one loading in FiveM.

A .ytd is an archive of textures, not a single image. Every weapon, vehicle and prop in GTA references its textures by dictionary name plus texture name, which is why editing one is less like opening a PNG and more like editing a zip whose filenames other files depend on.

## What is inside

- One or more textures, each with its own name - the name the model looks for.
- A compression format per texture, usually DXT1 for opaque surfaces and DXT5 where transparency matters.
- Mipmaps: progressively smaller copies used at distance. Without them, a weapon shimmers unpleasantly when the player moves.

The names are the important part. A model does not ask for 'the third texture' - it asks for a texture called something specific. Rename it and the model stops finding it.

## The rules that keep it working

- Keep every texture name exactly as it was. This is the rule that breaks most edits.
- Keep dimensions to powers of two - 512, 1024, 2048. Anything else may load and still not draw.
- Keep the same compression the texture already used. Replacing a DXT1 with an uncompressed image inflates the file and can push the dictionary past streaming limits.
- Regenerate mipmaps after editing. A dictionary without them looks fine up close and terrible at range.
- Do not add textures the model never asked for. They cost memory and are never drawn.

> **Worth knowing** — Texture memory is shared across everything streaming at once. Doubling every weapon texture to 4096 is a reliable way to make distant props flicker on players with less VRAM.

## Tools

- CodeWalker - opens .ytd files, shows each texture with its format and dimensions, and can import replacements. The usual choice for FiveM work.
- OpenIV - older, aimed at single-player modding, but reliable for inspecting a dictionary.
- Any image editor for the textures themselves, as long as you export back in the original format with mipmaps.

## The workflow that avoids surprises

1. Copy the .ytd somewhere else before touching it. There is no undo once it is written.
2. Open it and note every texture's name, dimensions and format. Write them down; you will need them.
3. Export the texture you want to change, edit it, and save it at the same dimensions.
4. Import it back over the original entry rather than adding a new one, so the name is preserved.
5. Regenerate mipmaps, save, and test in game before replacing the live file.

If that sounds like a lot of care for one logo, it is - which is why our studio does the whole loop for you: it reads the real dictionary, paints your artwork onto the correct texture, and writes it back in its original format with its mip levels rebuilt, leaving the names untouched.

## Questions

### Can I open a .ytd with Photoshop?

Not directly. You need CodeWalker or OpenIV to extract the textures first; then Photoshop can edit the extracted image, which you import back.

### What happens if I skip mipmaps?

The weapon looks correct in your hands and shimmers or sparkles at a distance, because the engine has no reduced-size copy to sample. It is the single most common giveaway of a hand-edited dictionary.

### Why is my edited .ytd suddenly enormous?

You saved uncompressed. A 2048x2048 uncompressed texture is around 16 MB where DXT5 would be 4 MB. Re-save in the original compression.

## Related

- https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-weapon-pink-textures
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/make-a-fivem-weapon-skin
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/add-custom-weapons-to-fivem
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/openiv-codewalker-sollumz