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HELIX is in Early Access Preview. Some features and documentation may be non-functional or out of date.

Create & Publish Your First World#

A guide to creating, editing, and publishing Worlds in HELIX

1. What is a World?#

  • A World is a special type of package in HELIX.
  • Like packages, worlds follow the same rules for:
    • Viewing, filtering, downloading, and deleting.
    • Handling dependencies and caching.
  • Key Difference:
    • Packages are building blocks.
    • Worlds are bundles of multiple assets that form a playable, editable experience.

2. Contents of a World#

A World typically contains:

  • A dynamic map — editable in build mode.
  • Lua scripts — bundled with the map to define game logic.
  • (Future) Imported assets — textures, meshes, or other user-imported resources.

3. Worlds vs. Packages#

Feature Package World
Purpose Modular building block Playable, bundled experience
Playable No Yes
Editable No Yes (via workspace)
Publishing As package As world (and optionally as map)
Dependencies Yes Yes (same rules)

4. Workspaces#

  • A Workspace is a local folder that stores all files for a world you are editing.
  • Created automatically when:
    • You create a new world.
    • You join a world for editing.
  • Purpose:
    • Store unpublished changes locally.
    • Allow revision control and local file access.
  • Two types:
    • Draft Workspace — saved locally and listed in your drafts.
    • Transient Workspace — temporary, deleted if not saved.

5. Creating a World#

  1. Press Create World.

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  2. A local workspace is created.

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  3. The workspace is editable in build mode.

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  4. Save changes to keep them locally.

  5. Drafts tab shows saved workspaces.
  6. Publish to make the world available on the HELIX server.

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6. Editing & Publishing#

  • Local Draft:
    • Editable.
    • Can be published at any time.
  • Server World:
    • Static copy on HELIX backend.
    • To edit, create or open a workspace.
  • You can have multiple drafts for the same world.

7. Map vs. World Publishing#

  • Publish as Map:
    • Only the map data is published.
    • Scripts and other bundled assets are excluded.
  • Publish as World:
    • Publishes the complete bundle (map + scripts + assets).

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8. Lua Script Integration#

  • Worlds can include Lua scripts to add game logic.
  • Editing flow:
    1. Open Lua editor (planned: auto-open VS Code or similar).
    2. Modify or add .lua files.
    3. Update manifest.json to define script execution context:
      • shared → runs on both client and server.
      • server → runs on server only.
    4. Reload in HELIX to apply changes.
  • Example: Spawn vehicles from a script and see them appear instantly in your workspace.

9. Transient Workspaces#

  • Created when joining or creating a world but not yet saved.
  • Stored in a temporary folder.
  • Deleted automatically if not saved.
  • Once saved, becomes a draft.

10. Creating a World from a Package#

  • From Vault package details, press Create World:
    • Creates a local workspace.
    • Spawns the package asset into the workspace.
    • Can be saved/published as a world.
  • Works with maps, Lua scripts, or other asset packages.

11. Best Practices#

  • Save frequently to avoid losing work in transient workspaces.
  • Use separate drafts for major variations of a world.
  • Keep scripts organized and clearly scoped (server/client/shared).
  • Publish both as Map and World when you need both reusable level geometry and a full game experience.