Corrupted VMS Sign - Broken Digital Gantry
I’ve always felt that environmental storytelling is crucial for immersion. When I saw this broken variable message sign (VMS) on the Romanian roadside, I knew I had to recreate it from scratch for RoMapProject.
Getting the corruption pattern on the LED matrix to look exactly like the real-world reference was a unique challenge. I used Gimp to hand-paint the emissive mask, making sure the glitching effect feels random yet structurally grounded on the grid.
The gantry itself was built in Blender, focusing on realistic metal weathering and rust on the support beams. This is a game-ready asset, fully optimized for ETS2 with clean topology and custom baked Ambient Occlusion to make sure it looks grounded under different lighting conditions.
Main view of the corrupted VMS sign. A perfect example of environmental storytelling for the simulation.
Real-world reference image used to match the exact pattern of the broken LED matrix.
Alternative front angle showcasing the depth of the metal gantry.
Implemented in the ETS2 engine. The glitching emissive mask gives it life.
Rear view showing the structure and weathered metal support columns.
Final perspective render. Focused on realistic materials even on the back panels.
Clean topology view of the main structure. Designed with game performance in mind.
Side profile wireframe demonstrating the lean and proportions of the gantry.