Bringing Restoration Simulator to Life!
November was a huge month for Restoration Simulator, filled with technical breakthroughs, animation upgrades, and even a social media milestone. Here’s a look at what we accomplished—and what’s coming next.
Smarter Items, Better Interactions
Early in the month, I squashed an issue where items weren’t correctly finding their layout position after being detached or falling. This small but important fix tightened up the entire restoration workflow and made the world feel more intentional and responsive. Now, when you dismantle an item, if you are close to your workbench, the parts will fly over to it and neatly arrange themselves. If you choose to carry your tools with you and pull things apart where you find them, you risk losing parts or screws as they simply drop where they are.
A dismantled TV with its parts neatly arranged on the work bench
I also introduced a fully simulated power cable system—complete with physics, plugs, and sockets. Items can now be connected with realistic cable tension, and cables will even connect to other cables (or themselves!) for more intricate setups. Plus, a rendering bug was fixed so cables display correctly during item inspection. This system will allow you to plug in and test your restored appliances, but could also be used for other things like hoses, air tools, and even Christmas lights.
Cable physics system in action. Players can pick the cable from either end, carry it, and plug it in!
Character Animation Breakthroughs
This month was all about pushing character interaction quality.
I explored using a third-party Interactor asset, but ultimately doubled down on FinalIK, integrating it deeply into the character system. The payoff?
- Characters now grab and hold items with proper hand placement.
- The animation system reacts dynamically to item weight.
- Different body types and avatars are now supported with unique animation profiles
- The game can now switch player character art, opening the door to full player customisation.
- And Thanks to a new visibility system, the character's head hides automatically in first-person mode. Avoiding visual clipping.
Character dynamically holding a heavy TV. The character's animation reacts according to the item's weight
Looking Ahead: December Plans
December will focus on some big-ticket features:
- Cars and bikes are coming to the workshop—larger, more complex projects that take full advantage of the item breakdown and assembly pipeline, and also allow you to get around the neighbourhood faster!
- A dedicated cleaning system to bring dirty or damaged items back to life will be the next big system to tackle.
- More Items to test with, including furniture, small toys and large appliances
November brought animation improvement, polish, and personality to Restoration Simulator. December? It’s shaping up to be the most exciting month yet.
Stay tuned, sign up for the mailing list!—and thanks for following the journey!