Minor question about tires.

I'm just curious about something: Are the traction patterns in the tires in BeamNG actually in the model itself, or are the tires physically flat, but just appear to have groves from a texture (or lack of accurate collision mesh)?

 

the tires (nodes and beams) are currently flat to the ground surface in game they are cylinder in shape forming only 90 degree angles across the tread, but they do simulate tire pressure and have contact surface simulation and they even bow inward or outward during a slide. They don't follow the tread pattern of the texture but do come close, for them to completely match the shape of the tire and tread in the texture would require much more nodes and beams which would overwhelm a computer, even a powerful one, also instead of the wheels jbeam being universal for all tires it would have to be adapted for each tire type, tons of extra work, the tires do seem low quality but are surprisingly good at simulating real world tires! even the tread grip is adjustable.

 

Well, yeah, pixel accuracy would be going too far, but I thought it may be the case that they did low poly groves to compromise between simulation and CPU taxing.

Good to know what the reality is though. I was thinking about putting actual slick tires on a modded car of mine (I already gave them the appropriate Cf and pressure values), but I didn't know if making them "slick" would make any amount of difference or not compared to the current model.

 

The tyre meshes themselves are flat with normal mapped grooves giving the illusion of 3d. To actually model them is a pretty big waste of resources.

 

To simulate tire slicks you may just need to adjust the tire grip.

 

Check this:

http://wiki.beamng.com/PressureWheels