ChestHelper

Client-side mod for Valheim that adds a live 3D chest locator, an item search bar, and one-click container sorting.

Features

Item Search Bar

• Adds a search input field directly above the player inventory window.
• Typing any item or material name (supports English and Russian) highlights all matching chests around your base and dims non-matching items in your inventory.
• Character movement (WASD, sprinting, jumping) and hotbar slots are paused while typing to prevent accidental inputs. Pressing Enter restores full movement while keeping the found chests highlighted.
• Clear the search at any time by pressing Escape or clicking the clear button.

Chest Locator (Hover Highlight)

• Hovering your cursor over any item in your inventory highlights all nearby chests containing that item.
• Found chests are marked with a rotating golden beacon and a subtle glow.
• Includes a soft line-of-sight check (MaxWallObstacles = 1) so chests behind a door, beam, or partition are still visible, while chests buried deep behind multiple solid walls are filtered out.
• Default search radius is 25 meters (configurable).

3D Mirage Chest Preview (New in v1.2.0)

• Look at any chest or storage container within interaction distance to project an ethereal 3D mirage tooltip displaying its items without opening it.
• Organic Smoky Aesthetic: Semi-transparent dark mist plate with blurred, uneven edges and a subtle breathing ripple animation.
• Adaptive 3D Billboarding: Projecting ~5 cm in front of the container's closest face, softly tilting (35%) towards your camera for an authentic holographic feel.
• Universal Storage Support: Works for wooden/iron/blackmetal chests, carts, longships, karves, obliterators, and modded containers.
• Security & Privacy: Automatically respects ward and key protections (silently hides if access is denied).
• Empty Storage Handling: Displays a faint, wispy smoke cloud with localized text ("Storage is empty" / "Хранилище пусто").
• Ergonomic Hotkey: Press H (free by default in Valheim) to toggle preview mode On/Off. Configurable to Hold key or Always on.

Direct 3D Chest Deposit

• Drag any item stack from your inventory and hover directly over a nearby chest in the 3D world (within reach distance, default 4.5m).
• The dragged item icon smoothly scales down (perspective depth effect) and displays a deposit prompt.
• Releasing the mouse button deposits the stack directly into the chest with a wooden lid sound and floating feedback (+X ItemName), without opening the chest UI.
• If the chest is full, a warning appears and the item remains held under your cursor (never dropped on the ground).
• Dragging onto empty ground retains normal vanilla drop-to-ground behavior.

Container Sorting

• Adds a "Sort" button directly below the vanilla "Take All" and "Stack All" buttons in the chest UI.
• Merges incomplete stacks automatically.
• Groups items by category: Weapons & Tools -> Armor & Ammo -> Food & Potions -> Crafting Materials -> Trophies -> Misc.
• Secondary sorting orders items alphabetically by localized name, quality tier, and durability.
• Safe to use: does nothing while an item is actively being dragged.

Configuration

A config file is generated on first launch at:
Valheim/BepInEx/config/com.awuushy.chesthelper.cfg

Compatibility

• Multiplayer: 100% client-side. Works on dedicated servers and vanilla multiplayer without needing the server or other players to install the mod.
• Quick Stack Mods: Compatible with mods like TidyChests or QuickStackStore.
• Save Safe: Does not add custom items, prefabs, or world data. Safe to install or remove on existing worlds at any time.

Installation

Via Mod Manager (Recommended)

Install through r2modman or Thunderstore Mod Manager.

Manual Installation

1. Install BepInExPack Valheim.
2. Download this package and extract ChestHelper.dll into your Valheim/BepInEx/plugins/ directory.
3. Launch the game.

Changelog

2.0.2

• Smooth Highlight Transitions:
  • Chest highlights, shroud, and wisp now fade in and out with a smooth 120ms transition instead of popping instantly.

2.0.0

• Visual Redesign:
  • Replaced the bright box highlight with an atmospheric misty shroud that conforms to the chest's shape.
  • Replaced the floating crystal with a glowing Nordic wisp and orbiting embers.
  • Highlighting now moves smoothly with ships and carts instead of detaching in the air.
• Improved Line of Sight:
  • Chests on shelves or behind beams, doorframes, and partitions now stay properly highlighted.
• Multiplayer & Safety Fixes:
  • Dragging items into an occupied chest no longer forcibly closes the other player's inventory.
  • Added real-time warnings when hovering over chests, carts, or ships currently in use by others.
  • Item deposits are now fully protected against item loss.
• Search Bar Fixes:
  • Pressing 'E' or movement keys while typing in the search bar no longer closes your inventory or moves your character.
• Performance:
  • Significant FPS optimizations for large bases with hundreds of containers.

1.2.0

• 3D Mirage Chest Preview:
  • View storage contents in the 3D world without opening the container.
  • Atmospheric semi-transparent smoky mist with soft organic animated edges.
  • Displays item icons, stack counts, and star quality levels.
  • Dynamically projects onto the closest vertical chest face with soft camera billboarding.
  • Ward/key access protection and ethereal empty storage state.
  • Toggle on/off with H key (configurable to Hold or Always on).
• Multiplayer Drag & Drop Fixes:
  • Prevented item loss by blocking deposit when a chest is in use by another player.
  • Added network ZDO ownership claim and instant peer synchronization on deposit.
  • Fixed font initialization error in deposit prompt.
• Search Bar Input Fix:
  • Prevented 'E' (Use) and 'Tab' (Inventory) keys from closing inventory while typing in the search box.

1.1.0

• Added direct 3D drag-and-drop item deposit into chests without opening container UI.
• Added drag perspective scale animation (icon shrinks to 0.72x over nearby chests).
• Added contextual deposit prompt and floating feedback above chests (+X ItemName).
• Added full chest protection (keeps item held under cursor with warning text).

1.0.2

• Removed external repository link.

1.0.1

• Updated documentation and package description.

1.0.0

• Initial release.
• Item search bar above player inventory with live filtering and item dimming.
• Movement and hotbar input blocking while actively typing in search bar (Enter unlocks movement).
• 3D chest locator with beacon and glow on item hover.
• Line-of-sight obstacle filter (configurable wall tolerance).
• Container sort button with stack merging and category ordering.
• English and Russian localization.