Saga Lens - Photo Mode 0.1.7

Your Viking deserves more than a screenshot of the back of their helmet.

Saga Lens gives Valheim a dedicated photo mode for character portraits, settlement panoramas and the view that made you stop rowing. Orbit your character or move the camera freely, find your angle, and save a clean PNG. The controls sit along the bottom in Valheim-style key hints, with no settings panels covering the scene.

Screenshot fix in 0.1.7

Screenshots now save as opaque PNGs, fixing black or nearly transparent images caused by rendering-effect alpha. Captured colours and resolution are preserved, including Lumaheim adjustments. The fix passed author gameplay testing. Existing photos are not modified.

Frame the shot

• Switch between character-centred orbit and free camera movement.
• Move in for close-ups, adjust camera height, tilt the horizon and change the lens from a narrow view to an expansive 130-degree field of view.
• Show or hide your own character and the gameplay HUD independently.
• Use slow movement for careful framing or faster movement to find an angle.
• Save screenshots directly to disk without relying on Steam's screenshot capture. Photo controls and status messages are excluded from the saved image.

Find the light

In offline single-player, freeze the world while you compose. Move the sun towards sunrise, sunset or night, and cycle through the available clear, misty, rainy, stormy and snowy weather presets.

Chosen conditions stay in place between photos. Restore natural conditions with one key, or leave photo mode to return automatically. The photographic time control does not advance the world clock. Selected weather particles continue animating during freeze so rain and snow can populate the scene.

Time, weather and world freezing are unavailable in multiplayer, including an open host with no other players connected. Camera positioning, local character visibility, HUD controls and screenshot capture remain available. The world stays live and your character remains vulnerable; find somewhere safe first. Hiding yourself is local to your view, not invisibility to other players.

Installation

1. Install BepInExPack_Valheim.
2. Exit Valheim completely.
3. Extract SagaLens.dll into BepInEx/plugins/SagaLens/ inside your Valheim installation. Create the folder if necessary.
4. Start the game, enter a world and press F12.

Client-side only. No server installation is required. If you used the earlier Valheim Photo Mode test builds, remove the old test DLL; do not keep duplicate copies. Remove the old ValheimPhotoMode.dll before installing SagaLens.dll. The configuration retains its original filename so existing bindings continue to work.

Default controls

Keyboard actions are configurable, apart from Escape which always exits. Mouse look and wheel remain mouse controls. Photo shortcuts are blocked while typing in chat, portal/sign labels and other text fields, or while menus are open.

Your screenshots and configuration

Screenshots save as PNG files at the current screen resolution to Pictures/Valheim Photo Mode. A brief filename notification confirms a successful save. The mod does not add pictures to Steam's screenshot library.

After the first run, settings are in BepInEx/config/au.tyvalheim.photomode.cfg. You can remap keys, choose an absolute screenshot folder, adjust movement and mouse sensitivity, change the camera tether distance, and choose whether offline photo mode freezes on entry.

Exit the game before editing the configuration, then restart it. Changes are not applied live. Updating the DLL does not require replacing your existing configuration. If your Valheim movement keys differ from WASD, match them in this mod's configuration.

F12 may also be used by Steam or other overlays. Rebind either shortcut if both respond. The mod does not intercept external global hotkeys; Print Screen can also invoke Windows capture.

Limits and compatibility

• Camera movement stays near your character: 40 metres by default, configurable from 5–60 metres. It does not load distant areas.
• The camera can pass through scenery; avoid placing it inside walls or terrain.
• Most canvas-based mod HUDs are hidden with the gameplay HUD. Some IMGUI overlays, including the clock overlay reported during testing, may remain visible.
• Other mods that take control of the camera or input may conflict. Simultaneous use has not been comprehensively tested.
• Weather appearance can still be influenced by shelter and native biome effects.
• Keyboard and mouse controls only. No controller support, pose editor, filters or depth-of-field controls in this version.
• Death, teleportation, cutscenes and loss of window focus leave photo mode and restore its temporary settings.

Credits

Concept, direction and playtesting: Gomisan. Coded with the assistance of ChatGPT 6.0.

Built using BepInEx and Harmony, with thanks to their contributors and Andreas Pardeike. Valheim's camera, environment, fonts and keycap artwork are supplied by Iron Gate AB and referenced at runtime; extracted game assets are not bundled. Promotional illustrations were created with OpenAI image generation under the author's direction. They are artwork, not in-game screenshots, and the instant photograph is a visual joke rather than a craftable item.

Inspired by accessible game photo modes, including Cyberpunk 2077. No CD Projekt assets or code are included.

Version 0.1.5 — inventory and crafting capture

Open your inventory or a crafting bench, then press F12 to enter photo mode. H includes or hides those panels together with the gameplay HUD; Enter saves the PNG. F12 or Escape exits so you can resume inventory/crafting interaction. UI input is suppressed during photo mode to prevent photo shortcuts activating buttons. Text entry, console, menus and store safeguards remain in place.

Version 0.1.6 — map screenshots

Open the large map, then press F12. Saga Lens now enters photo mode with the HUD visible, keeping the map and Compass Waypoints and Clock overlays in the shot. Press Enter to save the PNG. F12 alone opens photo mode; it does not save an image. Press H to hide/show the map and gameplay HUD together. F12 or Escape exits and restores normal interaction.

Position the map and choose filters before entering photo mode: UI input is deliberately blocked while composing. Finish any pin-name entry first. Photo-mode hints are excluded from capture. Screenshots use your configured output directory (default: Pictures/Valheim Photo Mode). Notices and saved paths are logged.

Map/HUD checks passed in isolation, and author gameplay captures confirmed large-map and compass capture on 9 October 2026. ZIP delivery only; no installed DLLs were modified.

Thunderstore installation and disclosure

Install using a Thunderstore-compatible mod manager, or close Valheim and merge this package's BepInEx folder into your game folder. Keep only one SagaLens.dll. Client-side only; no server installation. Existing configuration is preserved.

Coded with the assistance of ChatGPT 6.0. Store packaging and documentation use OpenAI Codex; the adapted store icon uses OpenAI image generation. This release uses the same version and DLL as Nexus.

Artwork and gameplay

AI-generated promotional illustration from the Nexus gallery, not gameplay. The instant photograph is an illustration, not a craftable item.

Actual gameplay capture from Gomisan's Nexus gallery: standing stones in snowy weather.

Actual gameplay capture from Gomisan's Nexus gallery: a Viking beside the water.

Browse all 19 Nexus gallery images.

Discord and feedback

Feedback and bug reports are equally welcome on Nexus or Gomisan's Mods Discord. Use whichever is easier; no need to cross-post. New members should join using the invite first, then open the Saga Lens feedback and bug reports post.

More From Gomisan

Valheim

• Reliable Cooking — Cooking conveniences that preserve Frost Foundry controls.
• Single Berserkir — One-handed Berserkir axes with a shield and all three gem upgrade paths.
• Compass Waypoints and Clock — Compass, clock and map waypoint planning.
• Reliable Crafting — Craft using materials from nearby permitted chests.
• Lumaheim - Gamma and Brightness Controls — Adjust in-game gamma and brightness.
• Usain's Belt — A configurable movement-focused utility belt. Coming soon to Thunderstore
• Crow's Nest — Climb to a ship-mounted lookout on Longships and Drakkars. Coming soon to Thunderstore
• Saga Lens - Photo Mode — Capture Valheim screenshots with photo-mode controls.
• The Fifth Beacon — Place coloured navigation beacons and lighthouse signals. Coming soon to Thunderstore
• Smuggler's Pouch — Carry a limited quantity of portal-restricted items through portals. Coming soon to Thunderstore
• Crude Chemistry — Craft throwable alchemical bombs. Coming soon to Thunderstore
• Scalpel's Skelly Staff — A staff for summoning skeleton companions. Coming soon to Thunderstore
• RPG Equipment — Additional equipment slots for your Viking.
• Reliable Smelting — Automate smelter supplies using nearby containers.
• Magic Hammer — Building assistance using nearby materials. Coming soon to Thunderstore
• Light Azeez Light — Keep selected decorative candles, sconces, braziers and lanterns fuelled. Coming soon to Thunderstore

Going Medieval

• Faster Repairs — Speed up building repairs. Coming soon to Thunderstore
• Wild Crop Recovery — Restore independent wild cabbage, carrot and beet populations. Coming soon to Thunderstore
• Wild Growth — Increase natural plant regrowth. Coming soon to Thunderstore
• Wild Orchards — Wild fruit and nut trees with harvests and saplings. Coming soon to Thunderstore

0.1.7 — 17 October 2026

• Fix screenshots appearing black, blank or nearly transparent in image viewers when rendering effects leave low alpha values in the completed frame.
• Export opaque RGB PNGs while preserving captured colour values and full screen resolution, including Lumaheim adjustments. No additional gamma correction is applied.
• Existing screenshots, configuration, camera controls and HUD behaviour are unchanged. Previously affected images are not automatically rewritten.
• Screenshot fix confirmed in author gameplay testing with Lumaheim; 37 native image checks verify opaque output and exact RGB preservation.

0.1.6 test — 9 October 2026

• Allow F12 photo-mode entry and capture with the large map open.
• Keep HUD visible when entering from the map, including compass and map controls.
• Retain H visibility toggling, UI input suppression and restoration on exit.
• Log photo-mode status notices as well as saved screenshot paths.
• Keep typing, popup, console, menu and store guards.

0.1.5 — 3 October 2026

• Allow photo mode and PNG capture while inventory or crafting panels are open.
• H continues to hide/show all gameplay canvases, including inventory and crafting panels.
• Suppress Unity UI input during photo mode and the exit grace period so photo shortcuts cannot submit crafting buttons or interact with inventory.
• Preserve existing camera, character, freeze, lighting/weather, capture and text/menu safeguards.

0.1.4 test — 29 September 2026

• Clear retired weather particles on preset changes, natural-condition reset and exit. Native emission shutdown alone leaves old rain/snow suspended while time is frozen.
• Preserve particle systems shared with the incoming weather and unrelated portal/fire/spell effects.
• Resume manually simulated weather particles when switching photo mode back to live time.

0.1.3 test — 29 September 2026

• Single-player photographic sun positioning and weather cycling with configurable keys and native-style hints.
• Preserve chosen conditions between captures; End and exit restore natural conditions.
• Multiplayer hard-disabled, with an explanatory notice and no override setting.
• Render environment visuals without advancing world time or changing gameplay environment selection; animate selected weather particles during freeze.
• Exclude directional sunlight from frozen point-light preservation so photographic lighting can change.

0.1.2 test — 29 September 2026

• Replace plain-text control lines with action labels and individually boxed keys using native KeyHints artwork and font materials at runtime.
• Reflect configured keyboard chords, separate modifier keys, and wrap hint groups across the bottom for the current aspect ratio.
• Hide hints and notices during captures; do not modify the original native hint objects or bundle extracted artwork.
• Time/weather controls discussed but not included in this build.

0.1.1 test — 29 September 2026

• Distinct A/D orbit and free-strafe controls, explicit current/next mode labels, and free-to-orbit framing that retains camera position.
• Mouse wheel supports normalised and 120-unit input, with a native scroll fallback and finer proportional distance changes near the subject.
• Orbit close-up distance down to 0.12m, near clipping down to 0.01m, and configurable Left Alt precision movement.
• Lens range extended to 130 degrees with current FOV shown in the control strip.
• Preserve nearby playing particles and light values during offline freeze; restore particle playback on resume/exit. Portal effect behaviour still requires in-game retesting.
• Record remaining clock overlay compatibility limitation.

0.1.0 test — 29 September 2026

• Client-only orbit and free camera with mouse look, movement, roll and lens adjustment.
• Configurable F12 entry and Enter capture, with configurable keyboard actions and a bottom control strip.
• Independent local-character and HUD visibility, with capture excluding the control strip.
• Direct screen-resolution PNG capture, unique filenames and atomic final-file creation.
• Offline single-player freeze with a live toggle; multiplayer remains live.
• Nearby camera tether, text/menu entry guards, gameplay input suppression and exit cleanup.
• No settings panels or bundled game assets. No installation or publication performed.