# Developer

> Developer API reference for ML Autocapture

Category: AUTOCAPTURE · Source: https://miciomods.it/docs/ml-autocapture-developer · Last updated: 2026-09-21

## Overview

ML Autocapture exposes server helpers for opening the studio and resolving generated images. The full edition also exposes a client capture function for existing entities.

## Server exports

### Open the studio

- `OpenStudio(source)` — Opens the full studio for a real player source. Returns `true` when the request is accepted or `false` when the resource is locked or the source is invalid.

```lua
local opened = exports['ml_autocapture']:OpenStudio(source)
```

### Resolve generated images

- `getImage(key)` — Returns a `nui://` URL for the first matching PNG, JPG or WebP in the self-contained output and then `ox_inventory`. Returns `nil` when no image exists.
- `getImages(keys)` — Resolves an array of keys and returns a table keyed by the original values.

```lua
local url = exports['ml_autocapture']:getImage('model_windowway_metal')
local urls = exports['ml_autocapture']:getImages({ 'adder', 'sultan', 'model_windowway_metal' })
```

### Vehicle configurator output

- `getConfiguratorManifest(model)` — Returns the decoded configurator manifest for a model or `nil`.
- `getConfiguratorImage(model, file)` — Returns the `nui://` URL for a generated configurator layer or `nil`.

```lua
local manifest = exports['ml_autocapture']:getConfiguratorManifest('adder')
local layer = exports['ml_autocapture']:getConfiguratorImage('adder', 'front_bumper_0.png')
```

## Client exports

### Admin menu integration

- `MLAdminPanel()` — Returns the admin-menu label and icon when the command is enabled.
- `MLAdminOpen()` — Executes the configured studio command.

```lua
local entry = exports['ml_autocapture']:MLAdminPanel()
exports['ml_autocapture']:MLAdminOpen()
```

### Capture an existing entity

- `CaptureEntity(entity, key, options?)` — Moves an existing vehicle or ped into the studio, creates a transparent image in the self-contained output, restores the entity and returns its `nui://` URL. Returns `nil` if the studio is busy, the entity is invalid or capture fails.

```lua
local url = exports['ml_autocapture']:CaptureEntity(entity, 'preview_vehicle', {
    width = 512,
    height = 512,
    format = 'png',
    quality = 92,
    yaw = 35.0,
    pitch = -8.0,
    fov = 40.0,
    margin = 1.25,
    returnData = false,
})
```

Supported options are `width`, `height`, `format`, `quality`, `yaw`, `pitch`, `fov`, `margin` and `returnData`.

## Client event

- `ml_autocapture:entityCaptured` — Fires locally after `CaptureEntity` completes. Parameters are the sanitized key and the resulting URL or `nil`.

```lua
AddEventHandler('ml_autocapture:entityCaptured', function(key, url)
    if not url then return end
    print(key, url)
end)
```

## File naming

Capture keys are converted to lowercase and stripped to letters, digits, underscores and dashes. Prop batches use each entry's `item` value as the key and use `model` only for spawning the object.