Its finally here! official in-game prop modding!
With this new system you can create your own props from 3D models and textures and share them on the Steam Workshop! All of this is done in-game (aside from making the actual 3D model assets) which means you dont need to do any file management or editing values in text files.
Simply put all your 3D models and textures into the new "custom assets" folder and then you can access them inside the modding menus.
You can make props paintable, and customize all sorts of data for the mod (including a new tag system).
Please note: this is not "prop grouping" as some people have misunderstood. These mods are made from 3D models, not from making shapes out of in-game props. You need to make 3D models in external software.
Please make sure you understand how the modding system works before uploading to the workshop! There are already many empty mods showing up.
You can even see a real-time copy of your mod while you are editing it!
This "preview model" works exactly the same as any normal prop in the game, so you can clone it, paint it, place it etc... all while still creating your mod.
My main focus of development for a while now has been towards building this new modding system, and bringing mods to the steam workshop.
This has been a major goal of mine, and the first step of this new modding system (props) is finally ready for release!
This same system will eventually be used to make train mods (replacing the old "QuickMods") but that will still be a while away as there is tons of work still to do.
Steam Workshop
The best part about this new modding system is that it is completely handled through the Steam workshop. Which means you can upload/share and download mods all entirely through Steam.
I can't wait to see the kind of stuff people can make with these new tools
(and many people have already started!)
You can find heaps of new categories and tags on the Steam Workshop to accommodate for the new mods:
Prop mods are divided up in to categories (e.g. Terrain, Vehicles, Trackside) to help organize them.
They are also divided into regions of the world (e.g. North America, Europe).
On top of this you can also define your own custom tags when creating a mod.
These can be whatever you want, but you can include more specific countries (e.g. New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, Iraq) or just more specific categories for your mod (e.g. Boat, Car, Plane, Rock, Tree).
Please tag your items correctly!
If you leave your mod with default tags it will be much less likely to be seen by people.
Downloading mods
Downloading props to use is incredibly simple, just subscribe to them on the Steam Workshop (just like you would with any livery/layout) and then you will be able to access them in-game.
There is now a new drawer category for mods:
And inside this drawer category you can find a drawer which displays all of your downloaded (and created) mods.
Simply click on the mod you want and it will spawn in just like any other prop!
You can also store these props in custom drawers if you want to organize them more.
Creating mods
Creating mods in Rolling Line is much simpler than in most games, but you will still need to have experience with creating 3D models in external software like Blender (or Maya, 3DsMax, etc). But once you have your assets ready then setting them up in-game is easy!
Unlike the vast majority of games with modding, in Rolling Line you can now set up and edit your mods entirely in-game.
Simply go to the modding menu "Pause menu -> modding" to get started:
This list will show all of the mods your have created yourself as well as any mods you have downloaded from the workshop.
Keep in mind that you cannot edit mods you have downloaded! But you can make a copy of them which can then be edited.
Be careful though with editing other peoples mods as you should ask the original creator of the mod if they are ok with you doing so. In general you should not upload anything you didn't personally create to the Steam Workshop without permission from the owner.
To learn about the full process of making mods, have a read of this amazing guide made by Coconut_pie here on Steam:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2139292988
Future improvements
This isn't the fully-featured version of prop modding yet and i still have many more features to add. There are likely going to be several more updates in the future that add more functionality to prop modding including things like snapping, animations, audio, and all sorts of little improvements along the way.
Once prop modding is complete, train modding is the next major step!
The old "QuickMod" system is going to be replaced by this new in-game modding UI and will be very similar to how prop modding works.
And of course train mods will be coming to the workshop as well!
Other features
Alongside prop modding, this update also includes a bunch of other fixes and features:
- There is now a reminder when uploading a workshop item about the rules on copying and re-uploading other peoples content. This is becoming quite a problem at the moment (people just straight-up re-uploading other peoples work) So hopefully this reminds people if they didn't know otherwise.
- Moved the quickMod and quickTerrain drawers into the new "modding" category alongside propMods.
- Split the "track" category into two separate ones, "track" and "track tools". you can now find things like track detail painters and signals in the "track tools" drawer category.
- Fixed issue with missing props in custom drawers causing errors.
- Fixed a bug with custom colors where adding new colors would not set the correct drawer page.
And that's all for now!
This update has been in the works for a while now and its so great to finally release it.
Prop modding is going to absolutely revolutionize layout building, and add more content into the game than i could ever hope to make myself one-by-one.
It's incredible to see just how much enthusiasm and creativity is already on the workshop.
Even though this update has only just been released, i highly recommend going and having a look on the workshop at all the stuff people have already started uploading.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/754150/workshop/
The possibilities of a passionate community and good modding tools are endless!
Enjoy!