GodotVim

Vim emulation for Godot's built-in script editor.

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Installation

Godot Asset Library (Recommended)

1. Open your Godot project → AssetLib tab
2. Search "GodotVim" → Download
3. In the install dialog, click Install
4. Project → Project Settings → Plugins → Enable GodotVim
5. Restart the Editor (required for full initialization)

Manual (from Releases page)

1. Download godot-vim-vX.Y.Z.zip from the Releases page
2. Extract the archive — you'll get a godot-vim-vX.Y.Z/ folder containing addons/, LICENSE, and README.md
3. Copy the addons/godot_vim/ folder (from inside the extracted folder) into your Godot project's root, so the final path is <your-project>/addons/godot_vim/
4. Project → Project Settings → Plugins → Enable GodotVim
5. Restart the Editor (required for full initialization)

Upgrading from v0.x

This is a complete rewrite — settings, config format, and internals are all new.

1. Remove the old addons/godot_vim/ folder from your Godot project before installing
2. Clear old EditorSettings (optional): old GodotVim keys in editor_settings-4.tres are harmless — the new version ignores them — but you can delete lines starting with plugins/GodotVim in that file for a clean slate. The file is located at:
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Godot\editor_settings-4.tres
   • Linux: ~/.config/godot/editor_settings-4.tres
   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Godot/editor_settings-4.tres
3. Recreate key mappings: v0.x stored mappings in EditorSettings; v1.0 uses a .godot-vimrc config file instead (see Configuration)

Quick Start

Open any script.

Keys	What happens
i	Enter Insert mode (type normally)
Escape	Return to Normal mode
dd	Delete the current line
ci"	Change text inside quotes
/pattern	Search forward
:w	Save the file
:run	Run the project (F5)
Ctrl+h/j/k/l	Navigate between Godot panels

Features

Full Composable Vim Grammar

d2w, ci", gUiw, >ap — operators compose with motions and text objects exactly like real Vim. Counts multiply, registers route output. Dot repeat (.) replays any edit faithfully, including complex multi-key sequences.

[count] [register] operator [count] motion/textobject

Motions, operators, text objects — including advanced text objects like ib (any bracket), iq (any quote), ii (indent), im (symbol), and ie (entire buffer). Visual block mode supports I/A for multi-line insert/append. Undo tree with time-based navigation. Full list →

Built for Godot

Not just Vim in an editor — Vim that speaks Godot:

• :run / :runcurrent — launch scenes without leaving the keyboard
• :GodotBreakpoint — toggle breakpoints, step through with :next / :stepin
• Ctrl+h/j/k/l — spatial panel navigation (script editor, scene tree, inspector, filesystem)
• j/k/h/l in docks — browse the scene tree, filesystem, and output with Vim keys; / to search
• File explorer — a create file/dir, d delete, r rename, y yank path, R refresh (nvim-tree style)
• gd — go-to-definition; K — hover docs
• Code completion — Ctrl-N/Ctrl-P/Ctrl-Space trigger and navigate completions
• Cross-buffer jump list — Ctrl-O/Ctrl-I switch tabs when the jump is in another buffer
• :zen — distraction-free mode

All Godot commands →

Navigate between docks with Ctrl+h/j/k/l — browse files, scenes, and inspector without the mouse

K for hover docs, gd for go-to-definition

Search and Replace

Incremental search highlighting as you type. :s/old/new/g highlights every match region in yellow as you type the pattern — see exactly what will be affected before you press Enter.

Live match highlighting as you type the substitution pattern

Custom Cursor

A GLSL difference-blend shader renders the cursor above Godot's native caret. Block, beam, and underline shapes with smooth animation, per-mode colors, and adjustable blink speed. Cursor settings →

Configuration

Create a .godot-vimrc at your project root or user directory:

let mapleader = " "
set timeoutlen=500

nnoremap <Leader>w :save<CR>
inoremap jk <Esc>
vnoremap < <gv
vnoremap > >gv

Hot-reloads on save. 20 built-in presets togglable via the :mappings dialog. Config syntax → · All presets →

Toggle built-in presets and manage custom mappings with :mappings

Macros, Registers, and Marks

Record with qa, replay with @a. Named registers "a-"z, system clipboard via "+. Local and global marks, jump list with Ctrl-O/Ctrl-I. Full details →

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Plugin not appearing	Ensure addons/godot_vim/ contains plugin.cfg, .gdextension, and the compiled library. Enable in Project Settings > Plugins.
addons/ folder missing after Asset Library install	"Ignore asset root" was unchecked. Re-install from AssetLib with the box checked, or manually copy addons/godot_vim/ from the release zip.
Key not working	Check passthrough_keys setting — the key may be bypassing Vim. Check :mappings for conflicts.
.godot-vimrc not loading	Verify the file is at res://.godot-vimrc or user://.godot-vimrc. Run :source to force reload.
Clipboard not working	Enable editor/clipboard_enabled in EditorSettings. Both y/p and "+y/"+p sync with the system clipboard when enabled.
Cursor not rendering	The custom cursor uses a GLSL shader. Set cursor/enabled = false to fall back to native caret.
macOS: held keys don't repeat	macOS's "Press and Hold" accent picker can interfere with key repeat. Run defaults write com.godotengine.godot ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool false in Terminal and restart Godot. GodotVim includes a built-in fallback, but disabling Press and Hold gives the most reliable experience.

For bug reports: Set Log Level to Debug in Editor Settings > GodotVim, reproduce the issue, then copy the Output panel into GitHub issue. The debug log shows every keystroke and what command was executed.

Architecture

+----------------+     +----------+     +----------+
| Godot CodeEdit | <-> |  Bridge  | <-> | vim-core |
|                |     |  (gdext) |     | (Rust)   |
+----------------+     +----------+     +----------+

vim-core is a standalone Vim engine — pure Rust, zero Godot dependencies. It processes keystrokes and returns Effect values that the host applies. The same engine could power any editor.

All settings · All commands · Full reference

License

MIT