Modding is a fundamental pillar of the Farming Simulator series, allowing players to personalize their gaming experience and create unique content. With the release of Farming Simulator 25 (FS25), Giants Software has introduced many improvements and innovations compared to the previous version, Farming Simulator 22 (FS22). During a conference at Farmcon 24, Stefan Maurus, gameplay programmer and head of vehicle integration at Giants Software, detailed these new features. This article summarizes the changes made to Farming Simulator 25.
Technical Developments and Improvements
Vehicle Materials System
Limitations of the Previous System
In previous versions like FS22 and FS19, the material system was limited by UV slots, which restricted customization, especially for vehicle interiors where each element might require a different color. (The system was limited to 64 material slots and 8 color slots.)
Introduction of a Multi-Material System
FS25 introduces support for a multi-material setup, allowing multiple materials to be applied to an object, provided that the base attributes are identical. This increased flexibility uses detail textures specified per shader rather than per UV slots. Base materials must have identical attributes (diffuse, normal, specular, W mask, shader, and shader variation). Shader settings and textures can be customized.
Coat of Varnish and Scanned Colors
A new “clear coat” has been added to vehicle shaders, adjustable for each material. Giants also uses a professional color scanner to obtain accurate colors directly from real vehicles, providing a more true-to-life manufacturer color library.
Lighting and Shadow Statistics
Shadow Fusion
Shadow blending allows a single shadow calculation to be used for multiple light sources, reducing the calculations required while still providing realistic shadows. For example, four front work lights share a single shadow calculation, reducing the total number of shadow calculations needed. The current system (FS 22) allows shadows to be enabled for up to 8 light sources, which limits performance when multiple lights need to cast shadows.
Vehicle Configurations
Simplifying Wheel Configurations
The wheel configuration system has been simplified to handle the many possible combinations with different tire manufacturers, reducing the complexity of vehicle XML files.
New Dashboards
FS25 introduces new features for shared dashboards for vehicles, providing more information and better interaction for players.
Animation configurations and actuators
Significant performance improvements by loading only the necessary moving tools.
I3D Integration and References
I3D references are now better handled for non-functional visual elements, such as fire extinguishers. They are loaded dynamically in-game, which improves performance and reduces the size of XML files. Shared lights and other functional elements are not yet included in this system.
New Tools and Features for Modders
Maya Improvements
Giants Software has developed a GLSL shader for Maya, enabling accurate previewing of materials and colors directly in Maya, simplifying the process of creating and adjusting models. Note that it is already possible to integrate these shaders currently, but at the cost of numerous manipulations.
Compatibility and Conversion of old mods
Old vehicle shaders are still supported, allowing modders to continue using their old models without having to convert them immediately. A conversion tool will be available to make the transition easier.
Tools and Tutorials
- Blender and Maya : Although Maya is the main tool used by GIANTS, the same features will be available in Blender. A modding book for Blender will be released in October, focusing on vehicle integration.
- Modding Tutorials : New tutorials, notably for the integration of combine harvesters, will be available. Old FS22 tutorials are now free on GDN.
Farming Simulator 25's innovations in modding represent a significant step forward from FS22. They offer modders greater flexibility, improved tools, and increased performance, while maintaining compatibility with older methods. These improvements promise to enrich the gaming experience and facilitate the creation of personalized content.
