Getting Started

Software required :

• 3D modeling software. Blender is by far the most commonly used as it is free and very good. DO NOT use CAD software, as the geometry they create is far from optimal for video game use. The vehicle modeling page is a decent starting point. Another advantage of choosing Blender is the availability of the Blender Jbeam Editor which can assist you with editing Jbeam structures.
• An enhanced text editor for Jbeam and Json files. Visual Studio Code is recommended, as the JSONC display mode will highlight syntax errors. The official Jbeam plugin is a great addition to this software. An alternative software is Cursor , which has the advantage of being able to use AI to help with some simple, boring tasks.
• A graphical editor, like Paint.Net or GIMP , to do textures and skins.

All of the above software is free to use.

General recommendations

• If you have no modeling knowledge, look at general beginner tutorials, doesn’t need to be about cars. There are plenty of tutorials on the web for pretty much all levels of knowledge.

• Start with small projects with few moving parts, as those are more forgiving of mistakes, and easier to fix when you do make them. JBeam is quite complex with a lot of different components, and it’s easier to start with projects that require less advanced notions like suspension or complex deformation.

• Try making some scratch JBeam when learning. While there is nothing wrong with re-using vanilla JBeam, you will gain a much better understanding if you make your own instead of just moving nodes around.

• Read our tutorials. They’re there to help beginners like you 😃

• Don’t be afraid to ask other modders for help!