Euro Truck Simulator 2 received a new rendering feature with update 1.60, and SCS Software has now explained how the Improved Material System was built. The behind-the-scenes breakdown appeared in the developer’s Steam announcement, which covers the work done for selected trucks in both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator.
The system first grew out of development on the upcoming Road Trip project for American Truck Simulator. Passenger-car cabins are smaller and darker than truck interiors, which made the limits of the previous rendering setup easier to spot. SCS later designed the technology so it could support trucks as well.
Why SCS needed a new material system
The older setup handled direct light but did not reproduce indirect or reflected light inside vehicle cabins. That left surfaces such as fabric, leather, plastic, painted trim, metal, and glass looking too similar, especially in darker areas.
Daniel, SCS Software’s Vehicle Technical Leader, worked with programmers to add engine and shader support. Senior 3D Graphic Designer Martin then helped prepare and tune the individual surfaces, using a 1967 Ford Mustang as one of the main test vehicles for the Road Trip project.
The team researched real vehicles through magazines, photographs, documentation, trim-level references, and an in-person inspection. Material type was only the starting point. They also studied texture, gloss, reflectivity, color, and wear so the in-game surfaces could react more like their real-world counterparts.
Reflections without ray tracing
SCS chose to build on data the game was already processing instead of adding a resource-heavy lighting simulation. The system uses reflective textures, with different mipmap levels producing reflections that range from sharp and glossy to soft and diffuse.
That approach lets chrome keep a crisp reflection while leather and fabric use progressively softer results. The game already generated the mipmaps, so accessing them for this purpose had little extra performance cost. The updated setup also replaces the previous Iradience map’s role in projecting surrounding colors onto materials.
Unlike the old system, which mainly used reflective textures for metals, the revised version gives every interior material a reflective component. The strength and softness vary by surface. As a result, plastics and other low-gloss materials can pick up reflected light and subtle color from the world outside. Passing trees, for example, can cast a faint green tint near the windows.
SCS also adjusted contrast and lighting across the game to reduce overly dark sections. Every material needed its color and specular settings rebalanced, and the team created a material library to make future vehicle work more consistent.
Performance remained a priority
The developer said it repeatedly profiled the system because players use a wide range of hardware. At medium and low settings, reflections are not rendered in real time and some surrounding color effects are absent, but the materials can still retain their separate visual qualities.
The work has not been a one-click conversion. Trucks were created at different times with different source data, textures, and rendering methods, so each cabin needs its own adjustments. SCS checks every variant in daylight, at night, in rain, and under cloudy skies before moving on.
More trucks will follow
The Improved Material System currently covers four trucks across Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator. SCS is continuing the work gradually instead of waiting for the entire fleet to be ready, giving players access to the visual changes on selected vehicles while the remaining conversions continue.
The same technology is also planned for cars in the upcoming Ford Car Pack and RAM & Dodge Car Pack for American Truck Simulator. Neither pack has a release date in the announcement, but the system is intended to support those vehicles when they arrive.
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Euro Truck Simulator 2
Developed by SCS Software
Euro Truck Simulator 2 is a vehicle simulation game and a direct sequel to the 2008 game Euro Truck Simulator. Travel across Europe as king of the road, a trucker who delivers important cargo across impressive distances! With dozens of cities to explore from the UK, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and many more, your endurance, skill and speed will all be pushed to their limits. If you’ve got what it takes to be part of an elite trucking force, get behind the wheel and prove it!
- Genre: Racing, Simulator
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Mac, Xbox One
- Modes: Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release: 2012-10-19
- Publisher: SCS Software
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Age Rating:
ACB G / GRAC ALL / PEGI 3 / USK 0
- IGDB Rating: 78.9/100
