Lua API reference

• Engine handlers reference
• User interface reference
• Built-in AI packages
• Built-in Setting Renderers
• Built-in events

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• Game object reference

• Cell reference

API packages

• Package openmw.util
• Package openmw.storage
• Package openmw.core
• Package openmw.types
• Package openmw.async
• Package openmw.world
• Package openmw.self
• Package openmw.nearby
• Package openmw.input
• Package openmw.ui
• Package openmw.camera
• Package openmw.postprocessing
• Package openmw.debug
• Package openmw_aux.calendar
• Package openmw_aux.util
• Package openmw_aux.time
• Package openmw_aux.ui
• Interface Activation
• Interface AI
• Interface Camera
• Interface Controls
• Interface MWUI
• Interface Settings
• Iterable types

API packages provide functions that can be called by scripts. I.e. it is a script-to-engine interaction. A package can be loaded with require('<package name>'). It can not be overloaded even if there is a lua file with the same name. The list of available packages is different for global and for local scripts. Player scripts are local scripts that are attached to a player.

Package	Can be used	Description
openmw.interfaces	everywhere	Public interfaces of other scripts.
openmw.util	everywhere	Defines utility functions and classes like 3D vectors, that don’t depend on the game world.
openmw.storage	everywhere	Storage API. In particular can be used to store data between game sessions.
openmw.core	everywhere	Functions that are common for both global and local scripts
openmw.types	everywhere	Functions for specific types of game objects.
openmw.async	everywhere	Timers (implemented) and coroutine utils (not implemented)
openmw.world	by global scripts	Read-write access to the game world.
openmw.self	by local scripts	Full access to the object the script is attached to.
openmw.nearby	by local scripts	Read-only access to the nearest area of the game world.
openmw.input	by player scripts	User input.
openmw.ui	by player scripts	Controls user interface.
openmw.camera	by player scripts	Controls camera.
openmw.postprocessing	by player scripts	Controls post-process shaders.
openmw.debug	by player scripts	Collection of debug utils.

openmw_aux

openmw_aux.* are built-in libraries that are itself implemented in Lua. They can not do anything that is not possible with the basic API, they only make it more convenient. Sources can be found in resources/vfs/openmw_aux. In theory mods can override them, but it is not recommended.

Built-in library	Can be used	Description
openmw_aux.calendar	everywhere	Game time calendar
openmw_aux.util	everywhere	Miscellaneous utils
openmw_aux.time	everywhere	Timers and game time utils
openmw_aux.ui	by player scripts	User interface utils

Interfaces of built-in scripts

Interface	Can be used	Description
Activation	by global scripts	Allows to extend or override built-in activation mechanics.
AI	by local scripts	Control basic AI of NPCs and creatures.
Camera	by player scripts	Allows to alter behavior of the built-in camera script without overriding the script completely.
Controls	by player scripts	Allows to alter behavior of the built-in script that handles player controls.
Settings	by player and global scripts	Save, display and track changes of setting values.
MWUI	by player scripts	Morrowind-style UI templates.