[Question] How can i increase draw distance?

So all I mostly need Is at least far trees, because tbh the tree lod Is ugly, transition is like from year 1998 to 2008. So any advice on how can I achieve that?

 

https://wiki.beamng.com/Creating_static_objects

 

That link doesn't tell you how to increase draw distance, only how to model trees from what I can see. I've also looked for this option in the graphics menu but there's no such thing. There's a draw distance for reflections and that's it. The graphics engine is rather old for this game. It could use some updating.

 

the tree's that show up at a long distance, with the ugly LOD, is modelled that way. so modelling a new one with a better LOD is why that link was provided. The view distance is pretty much infinite, at least extremely far away.

 

It is exactly like SHOme1289 wrote, there is no setting for the user, you need to mod the trees to have longer drawing distance.

Technically you need to change numbers in name of meshes, so it might be possible to do with notepad by editing dae file of the trees, anyway link has information how LOD are chosen and what you need to change to achieve longer drawing distance.

Place altered model to same path in user documents as which path you took it from in game files and you should be able to do such mod relatively easily, however some experience from modding certainly helps a lot.

Example

From
steamapps\common\BeamNG.drive\content\levels\east_coast_usa.zip\levels\east_coast_usa\art\shapes\trees\trees_douglasfir

To
Documents\BeamNG.drive\levels\east_coast_usa\art\shapes\trees\trees_douglasfir

All stuff from folder and every dae needs edits to those numbers in mesh names. Same of everything else that you need to increase drawing distance.

Also performance will then take hit as your hardware will not be enough, even if your GPU might handle it, your CPU will not, but that depends from many variables.




Now of course it would be nice to have slider in graphics option that does simple multiplier to that drawing distance defined by model file, but maybe there can be unforeseen complications why it is not as simple as adding one variable, slider and * to drawing distance code, maybe it can break things in multiple other places, like in reflections etc. idk. Still it would be nice to have vehicle and separate other model drawing distance adjustable if possible.

rtx2080Ti and gtx1070 are surely different beasts, but 1070 handles high details already quite well, afaik. When map maker does a map, he might then make map to run on gtx1060 and that leaves quite bit of visual quality untapped for top of the line hardware, so these detail levels alone are not enough.

Then there is also 4K 2K 1K and even 720p and all varying screen sizes, which all get different results so it would really make sense to have adjustable drawing distance, but there is added complexity and potential issues and load to support when people don't understand that their iGPU or APU is not meant to run high details on max drawing distance.

 

You can't change tree LOD distance in level editor.

Oh and don't mock 720p, it is perfectly usable even today and what iGPU crowd can use as highest if wanting any performance

For example, Yellav valley has super low render cutoff distance for trees, but you can't change even that in editor AFAIK.


You can set point where rendering of everything is cut off, you can set grass rendering distance, but not those for trees.
If there is way to do that I would like to see screenshot of it.

Only way I know for fixing such super low tree render cutoff or LOD popping up is to change numbers in mesh names as those numbers set what game engine uses to determine which lod to use.

 

There are few buttons in editor you should not ever touch, object editor and material editor, never push those buttons, you will end up with broken files and map that is not working. Also have no idea if you can alter forest items with those buttons you are not supposed to never ever touch.

4K screens.... pffff...