Improved Vegetation LOD for American Truck Simulator
Quadruples the distance at which trees and roadside vegetation switch to their detailed models, with minimal performance impact. Free on Steam Workshop.
Download Improved Vegetation LOD
More screenshots on Steam Workshop ↗
What this mod does
Improved Vegetation LOD is a tweak by Dragolago that reduces the effect of trees «changing shape» in front of your truck. In ATS, vegetation uses simple models in the distance and switches to detailed ones as you get closer; this mod pushes that switch point four times farther away.
What you’ll notice
- Detailed trees and bushes from farther away.
- Fewer visible pops when models switch.
- Little to no performance impact, according to the author.
Limitations
It only affects vegetation near the road, roughly a 50-meter strip depending on the map. Distant trees off to the sides have a distance hard-coded in the game engine and don’t change.
Compatibility
The author says it should work on all versions; the latest update is from May 2026. One important point: the vegetation distance lives in the same file as the mirror field of view, so it conflicts with mirror FOV mods, like Real Mirror FOV. You’ll have to pick one of the two.
Fixed issues
One user noticed the large five-truck garage model didn’t appear with the mod enabled; the author fixed it in the May 2026 update.
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User rating
Highlights and things to keep in mind
- Fewer abrupt model switches in vegetation
- Practically no performance cost
- Tiny file (46 KB)
- Incompatible with mirror FOV mods
- Doesn't affect distant trees off to the sides
- The author doesn't list a specific game version
Requirements
- American Truck Simulator (compatible with all versions per the author)
- Steam account
- Don't use it together with mirror FOV mods
How to install it
- Open the "Improved Vegetation LOD" page on Steam Workshop and click "Subscribe".
- Launch American Truck Simulator and wait for Steam to finish downloading the mod.
- Go to your profile's Mod Manager and enable "Improved Vegetation LOD".
- Disable any mod that changes the mirror field of view, since it uses the same file.
- Drive through a wooded area to check the change.
Version history
-
22 May 2026Current
Fix for the large five-truck garage (3 change notes in total)
Common problems
Does it lower FPS?
The author says the impact is little to none.
Why don't distant trees change?
Their distance is hard-coded in the game engine; the mod only affects a strip of about 50 meters along the road.
Is it compatible with mirror mods?
Not with those that change the mirror FOV, because they modify the same file.
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