[TUTORIAL] How to change (move or delete) Original (vanilla) Objects in GTA IV

[TKat]

[TUTORIAL] Changing (moving or deleting) Original Objects in GTA IV map

 

Overview

This guide shows how to modify original (vanilla) map objects in GTA IV by changing position and deleting objects. There are different ways uou can modify objects, and the most simple way is by using Shadow Mapper directly, and also you can do this by using WPL Manager, and OpenIV.

 

 

Method 1: Using Shadow Mapper (Recommended, version 1.0.4)

 

This is the simplest and most reliable method, because with this tool you will have a 3D map viewer that will allow you to modify original (vanilla) objects. To know how to use this tool, jump to section: How to use (that will be after the methods). For using shadow mapper you will need to have GTA IV 1.0.0, to 1.0.4 (patch 1.0.4.0). I recommend 1.0.4.
To use this method, all you need is Shadow Mapper itself. As, most times people will have newer version, if it is your case, you can downgrade it, I recommend downgrade to 1.0.4, because Shadow Mapper seems to only works this way. You can easily downgrade your game following the instructions from this guide:

https://ant-sh.blogspot.com/2020/09/easy-downgrade-gta-iv-to-1040.html

 

 

 

·  ·  Trainers (optional) — to check coordinates and object names in-game.

·         Recommended: Liberty Legacy Trainer or Simple Trainer v6.5.

▪ WPL Manager

An external .wpl editor for moving or repositioning map objects.
(Deletion isn’t always possible through it.)

 

Method 2: Using Shadow Mapper with newer GTAIV version

This method is for those who don’t want to downgrade their game and prefer to keep a newer version (for example, 1.0.7.0 or Steam/Complete Edition).

In this case, it seems that Shadow Mapper will not work directly with your current installation, but you can still use it indirectly by providing it with a copy of a downgraded game (1.0.4 or lower). To do this, just copy the installation folder from your GTA IV to another location (like desktop), and then, downgrade it (use 1.0.4 or lower). You can easily downgrade your game following the instructions from this guide:

https://ant-sh.blogspot.com/2020/09/easy-downgrade-gta-iv-to-1040.html

This downgraded copy doesn’t need to be functional, it means that the game doesn’t have to start by using this copy, in this case everything you will need is a downgraded copy for the Shadow Mapper read the files and let you do the changes you want.

You will need here the OPENIV tool to browse and replace .wpl map files.

Here’s how this works:

·         You use Shadow Mapper with your 1.0.4 (or lower) copy to modify the map (delete, move or hide objects).

·         Then, with OPENIV, you extract the modified WPL file (or files) from that copy (from where you copied and put the downgraded GTA IV copy).

·         Finally, with you extracted WPL file (or files), you are going to replace the corresponding WPL file (or files) into your current (newer) GTA IV version (the installed one, or the one you use).

·         That way, you keep your current game version, but still apply changes made through Shadow Mapper.

To know how to use Shadow Mapper, jump to section: How to use (that will be after the methods). You must know the location of the files you do the change in Shadow Mapper and the location of folders (directories) where the WPL file (or files) are… inside GTA IV folder (using OPENIV), and to know this jump to section: How to use.

 

Method 3: manual editing (advanced, without Shadow Mapper)

This is the most complex and time consuming method, but it’s necessary in specific cases, like, for example, when you want to modify an object not accessible through Shadow Mapper or when you prefer full manual control.

For this, you’ll need:

·         OpenIV (to access and replace WPL files in the game’s structure)

·         WPL Manager (or another wpl editor, to open and manually edit WPL coordinates)

·         A trainer such as Legacy Trainer (to display player coordinates)

·         A Simple Trainer (to identify hit or targeted objects)

Here’s the general process:

1.      Use a trainer to identify the object and its approximate coordinates in the world. Here, you just need to know the approximate coordinates of the object position.

2.      Use a trainer to identify the object name, there are simple trainers that do this, usually there is an option that allow to show the last damaged object object, for this just shoot the object you want to know the name and go to the last damaged object option.

3.      Now, you will locate the corresponding WPL file (or files) in OpenIV (based on the area/district of the map). Jump to Hot to use to know how to find the correct folders inside folders. Here you will need to locate where is the object that you want, based in its name and approximate coordinates (that you see with trainers tools), so you will search the WPL file by opening the file with OPENIV and do a search by find its name and approximate coordinate.

4.      Once you find the WPL file that contains the object that you want to edit in OPENIV, click Edit mode, and extract it. Open the extracted WPL in WPL Manager, and find the object by comparing the name and coordinates that you checked in OPENIV.

5.      Once found, edit the Z coordinate to a lower value to move the object below ground level (or adjust X/Y as needed). Usually WPL editor does not have deleting options, and anyway, here it is better to just move down the object.

6.      Save the file, open OPENIV, locate the same corresponding file and replace the original WPL in OpenIV with the one you edited.

This process gives you total control, but it requires patience and precision.To know and learn the correct directories that has the correct WPL file (or files), jump to Hot to use to know how to find the correct folders inside folders.

Advice: if you are noting issues avoid using two trainers at same time. If you have a newer version and a trainer is causing issue, probably it is because it is for older versions, but, depending of the trainer, I have noted that it is still possible to improvise sometimes: if the trainer is causing issue, try to first go to the object you want, then, only activate the trainer after you are next to the object you want to know the coordinates and the name.

 

 

How to use

 

1.WPL files location: the location of WPL files is usually at pc/data/maps/. Use OPENIV to explore it. You will see that folders: east, generic, interiors, jersey, leveldes, manhat, props, util. You will find different WPL files inside these folders.

The main folders that contains most map files are: east, jersey, manhat. The folders: generic, interior, leveldes, props, util… probably will countain others files, for example, interiors will probably contains interior files (like the ones that you will possible find inside houses). But, in general, east, jersey, manhat, are the folders that contains the most map objects (like poles, trees and boxes). You will note that these names: east, jersey, manhat… are not names displayed in games boroughs, that is because they are real names from where game boroughs are based on. Take a look below:

 

 

These are the real boroughs in game: Alderney, Algonquin, Bohan, Kings, Broker. Alderney is based on new jersey, so in game directory Alderney will be placed in nj folder (nj that means new jersey). Algonquin is based on Manhattan, so in game directory Algonquin will be placed in manhat folder (manhat means manhattan). Bohan is based on bronx, broker is based on Brooklyn and kings is based on queens… and bohan will be inside bronx folder, broker will be inside brook folder and kings will be inside queens folder… and all these three folders: bronx, brook, queens will be inside east folder together. Inside these folder you will find WPL files, and, also, many WPL files will be inside the .IMG files inside these folders (east, generic, interiors, jersey, leveldes, manhat, props, util), for example, I want to extract and after, replace this file: brook_s_stream6.wpl, in this case I will find it in: pc/data/maps/east/brook_s.img/brook_s_stream6.wpl

It seems that the WPL files that has …strbig… and … stream… in the names are placed inside .IMG files, but, other files will be in the main base folder itself (east, generic, interiors, jersey, leveldes, manhat, props, util).

 

2.Using Shadow Mapper: Shadow Mapper is a 3d viewer that allows you to edit map objects in GTA IV. It is somehow similar to Med (the map editor used for gta 3, gta vice city, gta san andreas), but, although, shadow mapper is a great and a very useful tool, it has some limitations when comparing to Med.

As already said, Shadow Mapper will work with these versions of GTAIV.exe: 1.0, 1.0.1, 1.0.2, 1.0.3, 1.0.4, 1.0.0.4.

To use Shadow Mapper you will need Java installed, and then, download Java Cryptography Extension Unlimited Strength Jurisdiction Policy Files 6. Then, go to where Java is installed and, if this folder path doesn't exist: Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\security, create this path. Example, the Program Files\Java path, then create the folder path, and then add local_policy.jar and US_export_policy.jar to this directory path (security folder). Make sure the read only option is not activated. If this is not activated, you should be able to run Shadow-Mapper.exe (jar).

NOTE: if the read only option is marked with a square or something that is not a "V" tick and it come back after you apply, don't worry, it is just to apply attributes and not an selected action in folder/file.

Now open shadow mapper and the installation selection window should appears, click Add Install, and navigate to your GTA IV folder installation, or … here, there is a important warning: if you chose to keep your newer GTAIV installation to play and chose just to make a copy to keep a downgraded copy of your GTAIV somewhere (like desktop), in this case, you must select the downgraded copy of your GTAIV (and NOT your current GTA IV installation)… so after you select the GTAIV correct directory add it. Then navigate and select GTAIV.exe, give it a name, select it, and click Select. The editor should now open and load.

To use Shadow Mapper, to move the cursor, hold down the right or left mouse button and drag up/down/sideways. Use the w, s, a, d keys as directional keys on the keyboard. To render a part of the map, in the tab in the scene, select the .wpl part you want and before rendering, check or uncheck what you need (water, cars, map), and then click render. In my case, when I click render, I need to navigate to the part of the map I loaded, so it can be a bit boring (take some time) to find the part of the map you loaded. To make it easier, after selecting a part of the map (.wpl), select also nearby files. To render nearby locations and make it easier to find the rendered part of the map.

You can double click to select an object. To check the object's name and coordinates, go to properties. You can delete objects by clicking delete on the keyboard. However, I recommend only doing this with small objects, that are possible not linked to LOD or linked to scripts. For larger objects, I recommend simply moving the object below the ground, changing the coordinates. I say this because I believe that deleting things with LOD can cause problems, and although there is supposedly an identification for LOD, this identification didn't appear to me in the tool, so a test is needed to confirm it if there is or not a linked LOD. To save the change, just close the shadow mapper. The save window should appear asking if you want to save. And just select Save if you want to save and No if you don't. Before saving, a warning: if you clicked more than one WPL filed to load, before saving, make sure you only keep the actual WPL file you edited, for a better control of your changes, and to avoid possible problems, to do this just uncheck the WPL files you don’t need and just keep checked the WPL file that contains the object (or objects) you edited.

Some tips here, usually small objects doesn't has LOD, while large objects usually has LOD. However, there may be exceptions. An idea to confirm it would be, while in game, go near the object you want to know if has LOD and, then, make a code to take a helicopter in game, then, move away from the object to check if it disappears completely, because if it disappear, then it doesn’t have a LOD. Also avoid deleting objects with scripted actions, such as the observation scope and the phone, and also possibly objects that can be picked up or lifted (Random Pickable Objects). In these cases, just move and not delete. Apparently, the tool isn't capable of identifying collisions. Therefore, if you delete or move an object and a collision remains afterward, it may be that the collision of the object you changed isn't linked to the file you removed/moved, and because of this an invisible colision will be there, just because it will not be linked to the object you changed (in this case the collision will be linked to another object).

If you chose to keep your GTAIV with the newer version, and chose to keep a GTAIV copy version copied to somewhere out (like desktop), you will need to use OPENIV to extract the WPL file from the downgraded GTAIV copy and replace the same corresponding WPL file into your current GTAIV game installation. After you do the change in the shadow mapper, you should see that at the panel in the Shadow Mapper there will be listed the WPL files, so write down the name of the WPL file you edited somewhere (to remember), for example, if you changed the: brook_s_stream6.wpl, note it and write it… because you will need this to extract the WPL file you edited from the downgraded copy of GTAIV and replace the corresponding WPL file in your current GTAIV installation.

Now you are going to open OPENIV, so open it, and click File > Open Folder. Go to the folder where the downgrade was done (the one you copied and pasted). Then select the map folder (PC/Data/Maps...). You are going to select the folder where the WPL file that you changed in shadow mapper is located. To localize, you must have an idea about how the WPL map files are placed, it seem it is placed in PC/Data/Maps... like I have already said before, go to WPL files location above to understand. Everything you need here is identify the WPL file that you edited in Shadow Mapper (by taking a look at the WPL file that you are editing in the tool) and then finding the corresponding WPL in the GTA IV directories. To better find where the WPL file you edited in Shadow Mapper is placed you can search in the GTA IV directories using OPENIV, for example, you want to find: brook_s_stream6.wpl                                                                                                                                            So in the search filter, for example, you will search this: brook_s_stream6.wpl, or this: brook_s_stream6… and after this click search “…”, you will find it next to the magnifying glass icon. After you find the WPL file you edited in the downgraded GTAIV copy, click Edit mode and extract it. Now, with OPENIV, you will go to your current GTAIV installation (the newer version that you play), and will find the same corresponding WPL, and once you find, click Edit mode and replace, then, select the extracted WPL to replace.

It seems that GTAIV only uses main base files for the WPL map files (it seems it doesn’t have DLC directories for this), so you can use the same base files instructions I mentioned, so you can go based on what I mentioned without any problems.

 

 

Edited October 10, 2025 by TKat
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