FiveM Scaleform

Scaleform is GTA V’s built-in Flash-based overlay renderer. It draws the game’s native HUD elements — mission text, big feed messages, leaderboard panels, instructional button prompts — and FiveM resources can request and drive those same movies from script.

Scaleform reuses assets already shipped with the game and renders through the native pipeline, so it has near-zero overhead compared to a browser frame. It cannot load arbitrary web content or run your own HTML/CSS/JS: for a custom interface, use NUI instead. Reach for Scaleform when you want a GTA-native look (mission text, big feed banners, leaderboards) with minimal cost, and NUI when you need a fully custom UI.

Scaleform vs NUI

The Scaleform lifecycle

Every Scaleform movie follows the same four steps: request, wait for load, push function calls to configure it, draw it every frame while it should be visible, then release it when done.

Request and wait for load

local scaleform = RequestScaleformMovie('MIDSIZE_SHARD')
 
local timeout = GetGameTimer() + 5000
while not HasScaleformMovieLoaded(scaleform) do
    if GetGameTimer() > timeout then
        scaleform = nil
        break
    end
    Wait(0)
end

RequestScaleformMovie returns a handle immediately, but the movie streams in asynchronously. Always poll HasScaleformMovieLoaded before pushing function calls or drawing — an unloaded handle silently does nothing.

Push functions and parameters

Scaleform movies expose an ActionScript function table. Call a function by name, push its parameters in order, then pop to execute:

local function showMidsizeShard(title, subtitle)
    if not scaleform or not HasScaleformMovieLoaded(scaleform) then
        return
    end
 
    PushScaleformMovieFunction(scaleform, 'SHOW_SHARD_WRAPPER_TITLE_MESSAGE')
    PushScaleformMovieFunctionParameterString(title)
    PushScaleformMovieFunctionParameterString(subtitle)
    PopScaleformMovieFunctionVoid()
 
    PushScaleformMovieFunction(scaleform, 'SHOW_SHARD_WRAPPER')
    PopScaleformMovieFunctionVoid()
end

Parameter push order must match the movie’s expected argument order. Use PushScaleformMovieFunctionParameterInt, ...ParameterFloat, ...ParameterString, or ...ParameterBool depending on the argument type the movie expects.

Draw every frame

A Scaleform movie only renders while you draw it. Drive it from a render thread while it should be visible:

local shardActive = false
 
CreateThread(function()
    while true do
        local waitTime = 5
 
        if shardActive and scaleform then
            DrawScaleformMovieFullscreen(scaleform, 255, 255, 255, 255, 0)
            waitTime = 0
        end
 
        Wait(waitTime)
    end
end)

Use DrawScaleformMovieFullscreen(scaleform, r, g, b, alpha, unk) for full-screen overlays like mission text or big feed messages. Use DrawScaleformMovie(scaleform, x, y, width, height, r, g, b, alpha, unk) to position and size a movie within a normalized 0.0–1.0 screen area, useful for HUD elements that live in a corner rather than covering the screen.

Raise the loop’s wait interval back up when nothing needs drawing that frame — polling DrawScaleformMovieFullscreen at Wait(0) unconditionally wastes frame time.

Clean up

Release the movie once you no longer need it, and drop your reference to the handle:

local function hideMidsizeShard()
    if not scaleform then
        return
    end
 
    SetScaleformMovieAsNoLongerNeeded(scaleform)
    scaleform = nil
    shardActive = false
end
 
AddEventHandler('onResourceStop', function(resourceName)
    if resourceName ~= GetCurrentResourceName() then
        return
    end
 
    hideMidsizeShard()
end)

An un-released Scaleform handle keeps the movie streamed in memory. Release it on close and on resource stop.

Common built-in movies

These GTA-shipped movie names are commonly reused from script:

• MIDSIZE_SHARD — title/subtitle banner, used for mission-pass-style text
• INSTRUCTIONAL_BUTTONS — the button-prompt legend shown in the corner of the screen
• MP_BIG_MESSAGE_FREEMODE — the large centered “mission passed” / big feed-style message

Function names and expected parameters differ per movie. Confirm the exact function signature for a given movie in the official native reference  before relying on it, since undocumented movies vary by GTA build.

Common problems

Nothing draws

• Confirm HasScaleformMovieLoaded returns true before drawing.
• Confirm the draw call runs every frame the movie should be visible — a Scaleform movie renders only on the frame it’s drawn.
• Check the movie name is spelled and cased exactly as the game expects.

The movie loads but the content is wrong

• Confirm parameters are pushed in the order the movie’s function expects.
• Confirm the parameter push function (Int/Float/String/Bool) matches the argument type.
• Call PopScaleformMovieFunctionVoid once per pushed function, immediately after its parameters.

Memory or streaming warnings

• Call SetScaleformMovieAsNoLongerNeeded when the UI closes, not only on resource stop.
• Do not call RequestScaleformMovie repeatedly in a loop — request once, reuse the handle, and release it when finished.

Related guides

• NUI messages and callbacks
• Advanced NUI
• Official native reference