main.lua - GE Lua Entry Point & Game Loop

Reference for main.lua. The root entry point for the Game Engine Lua VM - sets up the runtime environment, loads core modules, defines the main update loop, and handles all lifecycle callbacks from C++.

Key Global Functions

Lifecycle

Frame Updates

Level Loading

Vehicle Events

Extension Management

Internals

Startup Sequence

1. package.path set to include lua/ge/, lua/gui/, lua/common/, etc.
2. Core requires: luaCore, mathlib, utils, ge_utils, json, guihooks, extensions, map, settings.
3. onGameEngineStartup() creates MainEventManager, parses CLI args, loads client core and physics.
4. init() loads startup extensions, initializes settings, connects online services.
5. updateFirstFrame() finalizes settings, handles CLI arguments, waits for UI ready.

Extension Categories

• startupExtensions: ~60 core extensions (camera, input, vehicles, UI, career, etc.) - manually unloaded.
• presetExtensions: ~50 gameplay extensions (traffic, missions, weather, etc.) - auto-unloaded between levels.
• editorExtensions: editor_main, editor_veMain - loaded if editor is enabled.

World Ready State Machine

• worldReadyState = -1: Not in a level
• worldReadyState = 0: Level loading
• worldReadyState = 1: Waiting for vehicle materials to render
• worldReadyState = 2: Fully ready

Key Globals Set

• vmType = 'game'
• gameConnection - backward compatibility (not a real scene object)
• levelLoaded - path of loaded level or nil
• sailingTheHighSeas - piracy detection flag
• editor - editor interface table

How It Works

The update() function is the heart of the game loop, called every frame. It ticks settings, processes input bindings, updates sim time authority, then fires onUpdate and onGuiUpdate hooks across all extensions. luaPreRender() handles map updates, draw debug hooks, and the world-ready state transition.

-- The main update loop (simplified)
function update(dtReal, dtSim, dtRaw)
  settings.settingsTick(dtReal, dtSim, dtRaw)
  extensions.core_input_bindings.updateGFX(dtRaw)
  simTimeAuthority.update(dtReal)
  extensions.hook('onUpdate', dtReal, dtSim, dtRaw)
  if be:getUpdateUIflag() then
    extensions.hook('onGuiUpdate', dtReal, dtSim, dtRaw)
  end
end