It has only been a short time since we last released an update for our truck simulator titles, however we are happy to share with you that a new testing cycle for the Open Beta branch for American Truck Simulator has started.

This first iteration of the Open Beta only has a few of the handful of updates we wanted to bring with 1.43. Because of busy production schedule before Christmas, quite a few of the other features and/or updates did not make it in time for this first release. However, we plan on bringing these later on during the Open Beta. We will be sure to let you know when they do arrive.



Please keep in mind that this Open Beta is a work-in-progress build. If you plan on participating in this Open Beta, you can contribute by reporting any bugs you may encounter in the appropriate section(s) of our official forums. Your feedback and reports are extremely valuable for our team and we thank you in advance for taking the time to help us out.

So, without further ado, let's take a look at what the first iteration of the 1.43 Open Beta has in store!

Ownable Dumpers

We are happy to announce that Dumpers Trailers are now ownable and fully customizable! These trailers are used for transporting bulk materials such as coal, soil, gravel, stone, sand and much more.



In American Truck Simulator, Dumper Trailers will have 3 customizable body types. These are End Dumpers, Side Dumpers and Livefloor Dumpers. Each of them are available in different lengths (30ft or 36ft) and in two or three axel configurations. Side Dumpers are available as a B-double, Turnpike or Single trailers, and all other body types come with just a single trailer configuration.

[table][tr][td][/td]
[td][/td][/tr][/table]

Want to customize your Dumper Trailer? You will be able to add and modify some of the accessories on them, including, markers, rear bumpers, front and rear mudflaps, front and rear fenders, and paint jobs.



We can't wait to see you hauling these new Dumper Trailers in your company and how you will customize them! Be sure to share with us your photos of your newly owned trailers on our Social Media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)

Interior Cabin Sound Update

In this update, we have also implemented a new sound effect which simulates sound attenuation from surrounding environment noises, as well as the sound of the truck engine and wheels. Since each truck has a different sound insulation, our sound team has simulated this with the use of sound equalization and reverb effects.

Put simply, interior truck cab sounds have been updated to better simulate how engine, wheel and other exterior sounds are dampened when driving from a first person view.

This is just the first iteration of this update, as in the future we plan to bring more accurate attenuation simulation by the size of the truck cab. This update has been applied to all trucks in both American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2.

New SDF Fonts

Another new feature coming along with 1.43 is the use of SDF (Signed Distance Fields) fonts in-game. So how exactly does this affect the game? This font technique allows texts and fonts to be displayed perfectly in any resolution, scale, or from any distance.



Instead of fonts being displayed like a picture, which can become distorted when on a smaller resolution or zoomed in on from a far distance, SDF fonts can be adjusted to any size and remain perfectly clear and sharp for the user.

[table][tr][td][/td]
[td][/td][/tr][/table][table][tr]
[td][/td]
[td][/td][/tr][/table]
In the first iteration of this update, we are bringing this new font technique to the game's UI, Convoy name tags, GPS, License Plates and Truck Dashboards. We hope you can clearly see the difference when you see them.

Changelog:

Map:

• General Bugfixes
  

• Ownable Dump Trailers
  

• Implemented Sound Attenuation
  
• MSDF Font Implementation