> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.czautoz.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Setup & Installation

> How to get CZ Autoz Helicopter running on your server — purchasing, IP whitelisting, installation, and first boot.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Join the CZ Autoz Discord">
    All purchasing and whitelisting is handled through the CZ Autoz Discord server. You must be a member before you can proceed.

    <Card title="Join the CZ Autoz Discord" icon="discord" href="https://discord.gg/7qWZzPUuTq">
      Click to join the CZ Autoz Discord server
    </Card>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Purchase CZ Autoz Helicopter Core System">
    Once you're in the Discord, head to the purchase channel and follow the bot's instructions to purchase the CZ Autoz Helicopter Core System.

    <Card title="Purchase Channel" icon="cart-shopping" href="https://discord.com/channels/768275677480353824/1400284311000846457">
      Open the purchase channel in Discord
    </Card>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Whitelist Your Server IP">
    After purchasing, navigate to the **IP whitelisting** channel and use the CZ Autoz Bot to register your server's public IP address. The mod will not function on non-whitelisted servers.

    <Card title="IP Whitelisting Channel" icon="shield-check" href="https://discord.com/channels/768275677480353824/1168185657672356011">
      Open the IP whitelisting channel in Discord
    </Card>

    <Note>
      Make sure you submit your **server's public IP address**, not your home/local IP. If your server IP ever changes (e.g. you switch hosts), return here and re-whitelist the new IP.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Download the PBOs">
    Navigate to the mod download channel in the CZ Autoz Discord and download the two PBO files.

    <Card title="Mod Download Channel" icon="download" href="https://discord.com/channels/768275677480353824/1473537683157680262">
      Open the mod download channel in Discord
    </Card>

    You will receive **2 PBO files**:

    * `CZAutozHelicopter_Scripts.pbo` — client and server scripts
    * `CZAutozHelicopters.pbo` — helicopter assets (models, configs, textures)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the PBOs to Your Server Mod Pack">
    Copy both PBO files into your server's mod pack. A server mod pack is a folder containing a collection of PBO files that gets loaded by your server — it typically already exists if you run other mods.

    Place the PBOs inside the `Addons\` folder of your mod pack:

    ```
    @YourModPack\
    └── Addons\
        ├── CZAutozHelicopter_Scripts.pbo
        └── CZAutozHelicopters.pbo
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sign the PBOs with DS Utils">
    DayZ servers require all PBOs to be signed with a private key before they are accepted. Use **DS Utils** to sign both PBO files with your server's private key.

    1. Open DS Utils
    2. Load your `.biprivatekey` file
    3. Sign both PBO files — this generates a `.bisign` signature file alongside each PBO

    <Warning>
      **Your `.biprivatekey` must never be shared with anyone.** It is your private signing key — anyone who has it can sign PBOs as if they were you. Keep it private and back it up securely.

      Your `.bikey` (public key) is safe to share and distribute — it is what players and servers use to verify signatures.
    </Warning>

    Copy your `.bikey` (public key) into the **`Keys\`** folder in the root of your server:

    ```
    DayZServer\
    └── Keys\
        └── YourKeyName.bikey
    ```

    Without the `.bikey` in the `Keys\` folder the server will reject the PBOs and the mod will not load.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish Your Mod Pack to Steam Workshop">
    Update or publish your mod pack to the **Steam Workshop** using the **Publisher** tool inside **DayZ Tools**:

    1. Open DayZ Tools → **Publisher**
    2. Select your mod pack folder (`@YourModPack`)
    3. Upload or update the Workshop item

    <Note>
      **If this is a brand new Workshop upload:** after the initial publish, you must run a second update immediately — select the same `@ModFolder` again in Publisher and push the update. This second upload generates the Workshop **Publisher ID**, which is required for the mod to function correctly across clients and servers. Without it, the mod may not be publicly downloadable, may fail to load on clients, or may not be recognised by the server correctly.
    </Note>

    Once published and the Publisher ID is confirmed, ensure the mod pack is loaded on both **client and server** side. How you load it depends on your setup — if you manage your server manually, add it to your `-mod=` startup parameter; if you use a server management panel (e.g. Nitrado, GTXGaming, PteroPanel, or **Architect Manager** by CF Tools), it will have its own mod management section where you can enable Workshop mods directly.

    <Check>
      **No Community Framework (CF) needed.** The helicopter mod is fully standalone — it does **not** require `@CF` or any other framework dependency. All integrations (DayZ Expansion, MuchCarKey, TraderPlus CarLock, VPP Admin Tools, Community Online Tools, RaG, Push) are **optional** and auto-detected.
    </Check>

    <Note>
      If you are updating an existing Workshop mod pack, players will automatically receive the updated PBOs the next time they launch the game with your server selected.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start the Server">
    Start your server. On the first boot the mod automatically generates all configuration files at:

    ```
    $profile:\CZAutoz_Heli\
    ```

    This includes one JSON config per helicopter type and `mod_config.json` for global settings.

    <Tip>
      Full configuration documentation lives on this docs site — see [Quick Start](/server-config/quick-start) and the per-helicopter settings pages for every option.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add Items to Your Loot Economy">
    Add the two required item classnames to your server's `types.xml` so they can spawn in the world.

    | Classname                | Purpose                         |
    | ------------------------ | ------------------------------- |
    | `CZ_HelicopterBattery`   | Required to start the engine    |
    | `CZ_HelicopterRepairKit` | Required to repair damage zones |

    See [Required Items](/server-config/required-items) for ready-to-use `types.xml` entries.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Persistence — No Setup Required">
    As of **v0.2.1** the helicopters inherit DayZ's **CarScript** base class, so they are covered by DayZ's native vehicle Central Economy root automatically — **no manual persistence setup is needed.** Helicopters persist across server restarts out of the box.

    <Note>
      **Upgrading from v0.2?** v0.2 was built on the **Transport** base class and required a manual `<rootclass name="CZAutoz_Helicopter_Script" act="car" reportMemoryLOD="no" />` entry inside the `<classes>` block of your mission's `cfgeconomycore.xml`. As of **v0.2.1** that entry is **no longer required** — you can safely remove it. You should also **wipe existing helicopter persistence once** when updating, as the save format changed with the base-class migration.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add Helicopters to Your Server">
    Add helicopter classnames to your server's events, trader, or loot config. All 19 spawnable classnames are listed on the [Helicopter Overview](/helicopters/overview#all-spawnable-classnames) page.

    For ready-to-use `types.xml` and `events.xml` entries covering every variant, door item, and wheel, see [types.xml & events.xml](/server-config/types-events-xml).

    **Example classnames:**

    ```
    CZ_MH60LBlackhawk
    CZ_UH1H_Nasa
    CZ_AW101Merlin_RoyalAirForce
    CZ_MD500_Civilian
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure & Tune (Optional)">
    Edit the JSON files in `$profile:\CZAutoz_Heli\` to tune flight physics, damage zones, fuel, and more to suit your server. In v0.2 the config keys are grouped into nested `CZAutoz_` sections — `mod_config.json` is split into `logging`, `features`, `gameplay`, `repair`, `refuel`, `extraModules` and `admin`, and each per-helicopter file into `flight`, `altitude`, `aerodynamics`, `control`, `autorotation`, `tailRotorFailure`, `damage`, `fuel`, `battery`, `audio` and `camera`.

    See [Quick Start](/server-config/quick-start) for a full walkthrough of the configuration system.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Already Purchased?

If you have already purchased and just need to whitelist a new or changed server IP, skip straight to step 3:

<Card title="IP Whitelisting Channel" icon="shield-check" href="https://discord.com/channels/768275677480353824/1168185657672356011">
  Whitelist your server IP via the CZ Autoz Bot
</Card>

***

## After Installation

* Since **v0.2.3**, a mod update **migrates your configs in place** — new keys are added, removed keys cleaned up, and all your custom values are kept (originals are still backed up first to `$profile:\CZAutoz_Heli\Backups\v<oldversion>_<date>\`). Only when first moving from v0.2.2-or-earlier onto a v0.2.3+ build might a one-time re-apply be needed
* Changes made in the in-game **Admin Panel** apply **live** — they update every spawned helicopter and connected player instantly, no restart or reconnect (since v0.2.3). Only **direct edits to the JSON config files** need a server restart, since those are read on startup
* If anything isn't working, see the [Common Issues](/getting-started/common-issues) page

<Warning>
  If helicopters appear in-game but controls are unresponsive or the mod behaves incorrectly, your server IP is most likely not whitelisted or the whitelisted IP doesn't match your current server IP.
</Warning>