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Project Zomboid guide

Install and play Project Viewpoint on a multiplayer server

Yes, Project Viewpoint works in multiplayer: each player installs ZombieBuddy, the server lists the mods, and 3D add-ons make furniture, fences and trees 3D.

Updated

Project Viewpoint draws Project Zomboid in 3D, in first or third person. Yes, it works in multiplayer, on a dedicated server too. It runs on each player's PC through ZombieBuddy, a loader for Java mods, so every player installs ZombieBuddy once. The server only lists the two mods, and each player picks their own view.

Project Viewpoint in first person: a motel parking lot with 3D doors and a parked car
First person (O), with 3D Doors. Screenshot from its Workshop page.
Project Viewpoint in third person: a survivor on a rain-soaked path between 3D trees
Third person (Shift + O), with 3D trees. Screenshot from its Workshop page.

Both are community mods, not made by The Indie Stone or HostForge. Viewpoint is in early development.

1. Each player installs ZombieBuddy

Find the game folder in Steam: right-click Project Zomboid, then Manage › Browse local files.

Windows

  1. Download ZombieBuddy.jar and zbNative.dll and copy both into the game folder: 
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ProjectZomboid\
  2. In Steam, open Project Zomboid's Properties and set Launch options to this, including the two dashes: 
    -agentlib:zbNative --

Or use the Windows installer on ZombieBuddy's releases page.

macOS and Linux

  1. Download ZombieBuddy.jar and copy it into the game folder. On macOS: 
    ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/ProjectZomboid/Project Zomboid.app/Contents/Java/
    On Linux: 
    ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/ProjectZomboid/projectzomboid/
  2. Set the Steam launch options to this, including the two dashes: 
    -javaagent:ZombieBuddy.jar --

Start the game: the main menu shows ZombieBuddy loaded in the top-left corner. More in ZombieBuddy's install guide.

2. Add the mods to the server

Stop the server and add both items to its .ini, ZombieBuddy first: 

WorkshopItems=3619862853;3809306528
Mods=ZombieBuddy;Viewpoint

Nothing else is needed on the server: Viewpoint's code only runs on the players' PCs. Workshop pages: ZombieBuddy, Project Viewpoint. More in adding Workshop mods.

3. Join and approve

When you join, the game downloads Viewpoint and ZombieBuddy asks to load its Java code. Choose Yes and remember the choice.

Java mods have full access to your PC. Only approve mods you trust. Hold Shift while the game loads to be asked again.

Controls

  • O: first person on or off
  • Shift + O: switch between first and third person
  • Middle mouse button: cursor on or off
  • Insert + O: free camera
  • Delete: settings (presets, shader packs, mouse, field of view)

3D add-ons

Viewpoint turns the map into 3D, but many objects stay the game's flat sprites: furniture, fences, windows, doors and trees. Community add-ons swap them for 3D models. Like Viewpoint, they only change what players see, so they draw on each player's PC, and the game downloads them when a player joins.

A grocery store in Viewpoint: empty shelves on the left, stocked shelves with Visible Loot on the right
Visible Loot. Store shelves show what is left on them. Screenshot from its Workshop page.
A wrought iron garden fence, flat in plain Viewpoint and 3D with 3D Fences
3D Fences. Plain Viewpoint on the left, the add-on on the right. Screenshot from its Workshop page.
A sunlit road through a forest of 3D pine trees
Trees in 3D. Animated trees that change with the seasons. Screenshot from its Workshop page.
A house porch in first person with a 3D wooden front door
3D Doors, Gates & Garages. Doors that show their damage, gates and garage doors. Screenshot from its Workshop page.
A double-hung window in a brick wall, flat in the game and 3D with 3D Windows
3D Windows. The game's flat window on the left, the add-on on the right. Screenshot from its Workshop page.
Curtains beside a window, flat in the game and 3D with 3D Curtains & Blinds
3D Curtains & Blinds. Curtains, blinds and nailed bedsheets, flat in the game on the left. Screenshot from its Workshop page.

These add-ons work well together. None adds items, recipes or map changes, so you can remove one later without harming the world. List them after Viewpoint, in this order: the Workshop ID in WorkshopItems= and the mod ID from its Workshop page in Mods=.

Fixes

Fixes for doors, walls, barricades and lights in the 3D view, and one-key looting. Each player downloads a few MB.

3D World

Real 3D furniture, fences, windows, curtains, doors and trees, and shelves that show their loot. Each player downloads about 1.1 GB.

Gore

Zombies get 3D wounds you can see into, dismemberment and better ragdolls. Each player downloads a few MB.

3D Doors needs Door Fix loaded before it, and Living Props loads after the other model add-ons.

Troubleshooting

  • No "ZombieBuddy loaded": the files are not in the game folder, or the launch option is missing its two dashes. Windows needs both files.
  • Viewpoint doesn't start: you answered No. Hold Shift while the game loads.
  • Stopped working after a game update: copy the files into the game folder again.
  • Can't join after a Viewpoint update: restart the server so it downloads the update.
  • Low frame rate: Viewpoint and its add-ons draw on your PC, not the server. Pick a lighter preset in Viewpoint's settings (Delete), or leave out the 3D models.
On HostForge

One checkbox for the server

In the Mods tab, or when you create the server, tick Enable Project Viewpoint. HostForge adds ZombieBuddy and Viewpoint in the right order and shows every player the install steps for their system on the server page. Third person comes with Viewpoint: players switch with Shift + O.

The add-ons above are HostForge's Viewpoint packs: tick Fixes, 3D World or Gore, and HostForge loads their mods in order and keeps the list current as add-ons come and go. Servers run on fast CPUs with plenty of memory, so Viewpoint and its 3D packs are handled with ease, alongside the rest of your mod list.

HostForge's Project Viewpoint panel: Enable Project Viewpoint ticked and the player steps for Windows with download links, the game folder and the launch option to copy.
The Viewpoint panel in the Mods tab, with the steps players see.

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