Install and configure Basic Map on a DayZ server

By VYKIX

Updated 7 October 2026

Install CF and Basic Map on the server and joining clients, then edit the generated BasicMap folder inside the server’s active profiles directory. Server markers and player markers are saved differently, so decide whether personal marks should belong to the player’s client or to a physical map before players start using them.

Use DaemonForge’s original Basic Map, item 2270215132, with CF, item 1559212036. The Workshop release is dated 21 July 2021. The configuration details below were checked against the author’s public source at revision f22b897, dated 9 February 2022; that source hasn’t been matched to a current installed package.

Load the mod and find its files

Stop the service and back up the server, including its mission, profiles, saved world, packages, signing keys and startup settings. Use a separate server copy for the first installation.

In VXPanel Mods, select the original items and include both in the client-required mod list, with CF before Basic Map. For manual installation, copy both packages and their public signing keys, then add their actual folders to the normal -mod= list. Keep signature verification enabled. The mod installation guide covers those shared steps.

Start the test server once, check the logs, then stop it before editing. In the checked source, the server creates:

• BasicMap/ServerSettings.json, containing map and marker controls.
• BasicMap/ServerMarkers.json, initially containing Green Mountain and Kumyrna examples.

These paths are relative to the directory selected by -profiles. If they don’t appear, confirm the active profiles path and loaded packages before creating files elsewhere. The optional ServerCircleMarkers.json isn’t generated automatically; the author supplies an example in the package’s Profile folder.

Choose map, pen and compass requirements

Edit the generated settings rather than replacing them with an old complete file. The author’s wiki explains the fields, but its annotated examples contain // comments. Remove comments from JSON you upload and validate the complete file.

• AllowPlayerMarkers lets players create personal marks.
• Allow3dMarkers allows markers on the HUD, subject to other display controls.
• RequireMapItemInInventory requires a map item before opening the map through the keybind, which defaults to M.
• OnlyOnOpenAction uses the held map’s Open Map action, subject to the interaction below.
• RequirePenToMark requires a pen for personal marker creation and editing.
• SaveMarkersToMapItem saves personal marks on the selected map item. It requires one of the map-item opening conditions.
• ShowSelfOnMap shows the player’s own position when the compass requirement is off.
• RequireCompassToSeeSelf requires a compass to show the player’s position.
• RequireCompassToSee3d requires a compass for HUD markers.

Two combinations need care. In the checked opening logic, the inventory-map requirement is evaluated first. To require the held-map action, set OnlyOnOpenAction to 1 and RequireMapItemInInventory to 0. Setting both to 1 still permits the keybind when a map is in the inventory.

The position-display logic checks for a compass before falling back to ShowSelfOnMap. To hide the player’s position entirely, set both ShowSelfOnMap and RequireCompassToSeeSelf to 0. Confirm these combinations in your installed release with and without the required items.

Keep ConfigVersion at the value generated by the installed mod. In this source it is the string "1"; changing it causes several gameplay settings to reset on load. It isn’t a counter to increment after an edit.

Add server markers

ServerMarkers.json contains a JSON array. Each marker names a location, its position, icon and display conditions. This example adapts the author’s Chernarus location, keeps the default marker icon and uses a single distance limit:

[
  {
    "Name": "Green Mountain",
    "Pos": [
      3703.5,
      404.712,
      5985.11
    ],
    "Is3DMarker": 1,
    "Colour": [48, 181, 255],
    "Alpha": 240,
    "HideOnPanel": 0,
    "HideOnMap": 0,
    "MaxRenderDistance": 1000,
    "MinRenderDistance": -1
  }
]

Replace the example with locations measured on your active terrain. Pos is [x, y, z], including height. Retain the outer array and separate multiple objects with commas. To remove all server markers, use an empty array []; deleting the file causes the default examples to return in the checked source.

In the marker class, a configured minimum distance takes precedence over the maximum. Keep one limit at -1 when using the other until you’ve checked your release’s behavior. If a HUD marker is missing, also check Allow3dMarkers, the compass requirement, the marker’s Is3DMarker value and the player’s group/HUD toggles.

For circles, start with the package’s separate example and adjust Radius, ShowCenterMarker and HideIntersects. A drawn circle doesn’t enforce damage or access rules. The checked circle code clips its edge points to coordinates between 0 and 15,360, so verify boundaries on custom terrains rather than assuming every map size works.

Preserve personal markers

With map-item storage disabled, the checked code saves personal markers under BasicMap in the client’s profiles directory. A server-only backup won’t include those files. Map-item storage instead writes them to the selected physical map; the inspected item integration extends ChernarusMap.

Before changing storage mode, keep the client marker files and a consistent server backup. On the test copy, create a mark, reconnect, restart and reopen the same map. When using physical maps, repeat with two maps in one inventory and with a map passed to another player. This checks which item receives the marks and whether they survive transfer. Custom map items need their own compatibility check.

If marks disappear, check the opening mode, selected item and storage location before changing files. The two storage modes aren’t a documented automatic migration path. Restore the matching configuration and saved data from your backup if a trial change loses marks.

Source and verification scope

This guide used AI-assisted research and drafting. On 7 October 2026, we read the original description, all 18 change entries, the wiki’s settings examples and 13 complete files from the pinned repository, including settings, marker storage, opening actions and menu controls. The saved files match their Git blob hashes. Other source files, current binaries, custom-map addons and gameplay were not tested. Use the original package and retain its authors’ notices if making an authorized modification.