Instaport

disclaimer This mod was made using AI (GPT-6 Astra)* the mod is still experimental and under development but I deemed it stable enough to share with the world please make a backup of your world before you install this mod (just in case :))

**Update 1.4 adds the preloading also to dungeons. Now you can enter and exit dungeons instantly!**

**Also added further improvements to tackling the lag spike when another player logs off from the server**

**Update 1.3 is released! It needs to be installed on both client and server side**

**Further optimising portal preload for faster loading**

**Decreased time it takes to join a world/server**

**Trying to tackle the short lag burst Valheim experiences when one of the players logs off**

Update 1.2 fixes a valheim bug where it can take up to 30 seconds before the map shows the correct player position after a teleport Also improved preloading of big bases, which should hopefully make those portals load faster

1.2 must be installed on both server and client side

Update 1.1 improves portal preloading and should also improve the initial fps drop you get just after joining a world

Description

I wanted to be able to run through a portal with my friends and carry on moving on the other side. We have a pretty big base, so even after the loading screen went away we could sometimes stand there watching the house build itself wall by wall. That’s what got me started on InstaPort. It works with the wood and stone portals you already have. Just walk toward one like you normally would. InstaPort starts preparing the other side as you approach, and the portal glows when it’s ready for you to run through. No button to press on keyboard or controller. If you’re heading somewhere nobody has visited for a while, you can still get a loading screen. The mod checks that the exit is clear and there’s a real floor to stand on before letting you through. I like a fast portal, but I’d also like to arrive on the floor of my base :)

Installation instructions

BepInEx is required.

Close Valheim and place InstaPort.dll in your Valheim\BepInEx\plugins folder. If you use r2modman, use the BepInEx\plugins folder inside your active profile. If you play on a dedicated server, stop the server and put the same DLL in its BepInEx\plugins folder. Each player should install the same version. If you host from inside the game, one copy on the host is enough. Start the game and use your existing portals. If you’re updating, replace the old DLL so you only have one copy. You can keep your world and config.

Main features

Run straight through a ready portal. When the destination is ready and the exit is safe, you keep your movement as you cross. Your world’s normal item restrictions still apply.

Faster return trips. InstaPort can reuse recently prepared terrain and scenery. If you go back through the same portal to grab that hammer you forgot, there’s less work to do the second time.

Smoother arrivals at big bases. Nearby ground and objects get priority, and the mod spreads some of the heavier loading work across frames. How much difference you see will depend on the size of your base and how much is already loaded.

Big builds take fewer pieces to draw. InstaPort can draw groups of compatible walls, floors and beams together. You can still repair, paint or take down each individual piece, and Valheim still calculates its support.

See your builds from farther away. The default outdoor view distance is 2 km. InstaPort can keep a distant view of eligible buildings you’ve visited during the session, so you can look back toward home and still see what you built.

Clearer views while sailing. Outdoor distance fog is off by default, including over the ocean. The thick local mist in the Mistlands still works. If you like the foggy sailing weather, set "RemoveDistanceFog = false" under BepInEx\config\com.easymods.instaport.cfg. You can keep the 2 km view either way.

Earlier loading for life around the base. When you log in, the mod gives priority to nearby chicks, hens, tamed animals and the gear on armor stands within 80 metres. On a busy server some can still appear after you gain control.

Shout outs A big thank you to the authors below. Looking at how their mods approach loading, rendering and teleporting helped shape InstaPort throughout development. I want to give them proper credit for the ideas we learned from :)

woodcchase — Valheim Enhanced Edition – Performance and Far View. This was the main inspiration for grouping the visuals of many building pieces together. I specifically wanted to learn from how it handles large buildings, because drawing thousands of separate walls, beams and floors is expensive. Its approach also inspired keeping distant views of buildings after their individual pieces unload. Those ideas helped shape InstaPort’s building renderer and extended building views. https://www.nexusmods.com/valheim/mods/4705

potto007 — OttoBifrost. A major reference for preparing the destination while you approach a portal. Its approach helped shape how InstaPort uses that time to get the other side ready, along with the later work on reusing terrain that has already been generated. That head start matters when you’re walking into a large base. https://github.com/potto007/OttoBifrost

Ivvty — SteadyFrame. An important reference for the performance work behind the portal trips. We looked at avoiding repeated terrain calculations, reusing information during grass and mist updates, and reducing unnecessary waits during terrain preparation. These ideas informed InstaPort’s terrain reuse and several of its optimizations for repeated work around busy bases. https://thunderstore.io/c/valheim/p/Ivvty/SteadyFrame/

TwistedModding — FastPortals. Its destination-first loading approach helped shape how InstaPort prioritizes the area immediately around the portal exit. Getting the nearby ground and objects ready before working through the wider scenery is particularly useful at high simulation distances. https://www.nexusmods.com/valheim/mods/4257

GemHunter1 — Fast Teleport. One of the early references for shortening Valheim’s fixed teleport waits and letting destination readiness determine when you can continue. This helped shape InstaPort’s faster travel when the other side is already loaded. https://www.nexusmods.com/valheim/mods/1774

Elg and the OdinPlus Team — QuickTeleport. Another early reference for reducing portal and dungeon transition delays. We examined its handling of teleport timing while developing InstaPort’s own transitions and comparing the behaviour of nearby, already-loaded and distant destinations. https://www.nexusmods.com/valheim/mods/2291

yakuzadeso — Instant Teleportation. We inspected this mod while comparing ways to remove teleport delays and loading screens. Thank you for providing another useful example of how Valheim’s teleport sequence can be changed. https://www.nexusmods.com/valheim/mods/2046

Thanks to the Jötunn team for their prefab documentation, Iron Gate for Valheim, and my friends for testing this on our server and telling me when the chickens are missing again.

And of course, AI and all the stoners out there :)