Zomboid Control Panel

⚠️ ALPHA RELEASE - This software is in early development. Expect bugs and breaking changes.

A web-based management panel for Project Zomboid dedicated servers on Windows.

Quick Start

Option 1: Standalone Executable (Recommended)

• Just double-click ZomboidControlPanel.exe - no installation needed!

Option 2: Development Mode

• Double-click Start.bat (requires Node.js)

The launcher will:

• ✅ Check if Node.js is installed (for dev mode)
• ✅ Install all dependencies automatically (first run only)
• ✅ Start the backend and frontend servers
• ✅ Open your browser to the panel

Alternative Launchers

File	Description
ZomboidControlPanel.exe	Standalone executable - No Node.js needed
Start.bat	Development mode - Best for development
Start-Production.bat	Production mode - Faster, single server
install.bat	Manual dependency installation

Features

• 🎮 Server Control - Start, stop, restart, and save your server
• 👥 Player Management - View online players, kick, ban, set access levels
• 📤 Character Export/Import - Export and import player XP, perks, skills, recipes
• 💬 RCON Console - Execute commands with a real-time terminal interface
• 📦 Mod Manager - Track Steam Workshop mods and auto-detect updates
• ⏰ Scheduler - Schedule automatic restarts and recurring tasks
• 🔄 Auto-Restart on Mod Update - Automatically restart when mods are updated
• 🌤️ Advanced Weather System - Trigger Blizzards, Tropical Storms, Thunderstorms, and customized weather stages
• 🌡️ Climate Manipulation - Direct control over Temperature, Wind Intensity, Fog, Cloud Density, and Ambient Light
• 🔊 Sound Events - Trigger gunshots, house alarms, and custom world sounds to create events or attract zombies
• 🧟 Event Triggers - Start helicopter events, hordes, and other game events
• 🤖 Discord Bot - Manage your server from Discord
• 🗑️ Chunk Cleaner - Remove old/unused chunks to reduce save size
• 🔌 PanelBridge - Server-side Lua script for advanced features (not a mod!)
• 🌐 Network Configuration - Configure server port and UPnP settings
• 🖥️ Multi-Server Support - Manage multiple PZ servers from one panel

Requirements

For Standalone Executable

• Windows 10/11
• A Project Zomboid dedicated server with RCON enabled

For Development Mode

• Node.js 18+ (download from https://nodejs.org/)
• A Project Zomboid dedicated server with RCON enabled
• Windows OS

First Time Setup

1. Run the panel - Double-click ZomboidControlPanel.exe (or Start.bat for dev mode)
2. Configure your server in the Settings page:
   • Set RCON password (must match your server's INI file)
   • Set server paths
3. Install PanelBridge (optional but recommended):
   • Go to Settings → Panel Bridge (Advanced) section
   • Click "Install to Active Server" for automatic installation
   • Make sure DoLuaChecksum=false is set in your server's .ini file
   • This enables advanced features like player teleporting, weather control, character export/import, and live map data

PanelBridge Installation

PanelBridge is NOT a workshop mod - it's a Lua script that runs directly on your server.

Features enabled by PanelBridge:

• Player Management: Teleport players, view detailed stats, heal players
• Character Export/Import: Backup and restore player XP, perks, skills, and recipes
• Advanced Weather: Trigger Blizzards, Tropical Storms, Thunderstorms with custom duration
• Climate Control: Manipulate Temperature, Wind, Fog, Clouds, and Light levels
• Sound Events: Play gunshots, screams, and alarms at any location
• Server Info: Get detailed server status, player lists with positions

Installing PanelBridge (Recommended Method)

1. Open the panel and go to Settings
2. Scroll to Panel Bridge (Advanced) section
3. Click "Auto-Configure from Active Server" or enter your server name
4. Click "Install to Active Server" - this copies PanelBridge.lua automatically
5. Set DoLuaChecksum=false in your server's .ini file (REQUIRED)
6. Restart your PZ server

Manual Installation (Alternative)

Copy pz-mod/PanelBridge/media/lua/server/PanelBridge.lua to:

YOUR_SERVER_INSTALL_PATH/media/lua/server/PanelBridge.lua

⚠️ Important:

• Do NOT add PanelBridge to your Mods= line - it's not a mod!
• Re-deploy PanelBridge after game updates (updates may overwrite the lua folder)

Project Structure

Dev1/
├── server/
│   ├── index.js           # Express server entry point
│   ├── database/
│   │   └── init.js        # SQLite database setup
│   ├── routes/
│   │   ├── server.js      # Server control endpoints
│   │   ├── players.js     # Player management endpoints
│   │   ├── rcon.js        # RCON command endpoints
│   │   ├── scheduler.js   # Task scheduling endpoints
│   │   ├── mods.js        # Mod tracking endpoints
│   │   └── config.js      # Settings endpoints
│   ├── services/
│   │   ├── rcon.js        # RCON connection service
│   │   ├── serverManager.js  # Server process management
│   │   ├── modChecker.js  # Steam Workshop API integration
│   │   └── scheduler.js   # Cron job management
│   └── utils/
│       ├── logger.js      # Winston logger
│       └── commands.js    # PZ command definitions
├── client/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/    # React UI components
│   │   ├── pages/         # Page components
│   │   ├── lib/           # API client & utilities
│   │   └── contexts/      # React contexts
│   └── ...
├── data/                  # SQLite database (created at runtime)
└── logs/                  # Application logs

Troubleshooting

Can't connect to RCON

1. Make sure your PZ server is running
2. Verify RCON is enabled in your server's .ini file
3. Check that the port isn't blocked by a firewall
4. Ensure the password matches exactly

PanelBridge not working

1. Verify PanelBridge.lua is in your server's media/lua/server/ folder
2. Make sure DoLuaChecksum=false is set in your server's .ini file
3. Restart the PZ server after installing PanelBridge
4. Check the panel's Debug page for PanelBridge status

Mod updates not detecting

1. Verify your Steam Web API key if using one
2. Check that mod Workshop IDs are correct
3. Try syncing mods from server configuration

Server won't start/stop

1. Make sure SERVER_PATH points to the correct folder
2. Run the panel as Administrator if needed
3. Check Windows Task Manager for zombie processes

Character export/import issues

1. Make sure PanelBridge mod is installed and running
2. Player must be online for export/import to work
3. Check the panel logs for specific error messages

License

MIT License - Feel free to modify and use as needed.

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Disclaimer

This project was created with the assistance of Claude Opus (Anthropic) and Visual Studio Code with GitHub Copilot.