Installation

Install Sonoran Notepad with the required Sonoran CAD tablet dependency.

Before you begin

You need:

• A current FXServer
• The current SonoranCADFiveM integration
• Its tablet resource enabled and working
• Access to the server's resource directory and server.cfg
• Access to the Cfx.re account that owns the Notepad package

The standard SonoranCADFiveM configuration already enables tablet. Complete that integration's setup before installing Sonoran Notepad.

Download the resource

1. Sign in to the Cfx.re Portal with the account that owns the package.
2. Download and extract Sonoran Notepad.
3. Place both complete folders, sonoran-notepad and sonoran-notepad_helper, in the same server resources directory. The helper handles resource restarts after updates; do not add it to server.cfg.

The resource manifest must be directly inside the folder:

resources/
└── [sonoran]/
    ├── sonoran-notepad/
    │   ├── fxmanifest.lua
    │   ├── config/
    │   ├── client/
    │   ├── server/
    │   └── html/
    └── sonoran-notepad_helper/
        ├── fxmanifest.lua
        └── s.lua

Do not leave an extra nested folder such as sonoran-notepad/sonoran-notepad/fxmanifest.lua, and do not rename the resource.

Prepare the configuration

Before the first start, rename:

config/config.CHANGEME.lua

to:

config/config.lua

Then review the command, keybind, updater, and safety limits in Configuration. If the template is still present on first start, the resource attempts to rename it once, but preparing the file yourself makes the deployed configuration explicit.

Configure the start order

Keep the Sonoran CAD integration's existing start configuration, then start Notepad afterward:

exec @sonorancad/sonorancad.cfg
ensure sonoran-notepad

Do not add a second ensure tablet line when sonorancad.cfg already starts it. If your server manually lists individual Sonoran CAD resources instead, keep your existing list and confirm tablet starts before sonoran-notepad.

First test

1. Fully restart the server and confirm tablet starts before sonoran-notepad.
2. Join with a player account linked to Sonoran CAD.
3. Open the in-game tablet and sign in to CAD.
4. Run /notepad or press F7.
5. Enter a title and body, move to the next page, and return to the first page.
6. Close and reopen the notepad and confirm the local note remains.
7. Confirm the CAD sync warning is not visible while the tablet is linked and signed in.
8. Sign out or test with an unlinked player and confirm the warning appears without blocking editing.

Local-only notes use a memory cache. Restarting the resource or server clears that cache, so restore CAD synchronization before relying on local-only notes for a later session.

Configuration

Edit sonoran-notepad/config/config.lua, save the file, and restart the resource after making changes.

General settings

Setting	Default	Purpose
Config.Command	notepad	Command name without a leading slash.
Config.DefaultKeybind	F7	Default keyboard binding registered with FiveM.
Config.KeybindDescription	Open the Sonoran paper notepad	Description shown in FiveM key binding settings.

Players can change their own binding under Settings → Key Bindings → FiveM after the resource has started.

Automatic updates

Setting	Default	Purpose
Config.AutoUpdate	true	Enables periodic update checks.
Config.UpdateCheckIntervalMinutes	60	Minutes between update checks.
Config.RestartUpdateWithPlayers	false	Controls whether an installed update may restart the resource while players are connected.

Keep Config.RestartUpdateWithPlayers disabled unless you have planned for an in-session resource restart. A restart clears the memory-only FiveM note cache.

Safety limits

Setting	Default	Purpose
Config.MaxNotes	100	Maximum notes accepted in one full-list save.
Config.MaxTitleCharacters	2000	Maximum characters accepted in a note title.
Config.MaxBodyCharacters	20000	Maximum characters accepted in a note body.
Config.MaxIdCharacters	128	Maximum characters accepted in a note ID.
Config.MaxMetadataBytes	65536	Maximum encoded metadata size for one note.
Config.MaxPayloadBytes	524288	Maximum encoded size of a complete note-list save.