Learn how to 3d model in either 3ds Max or Blender or anything that can export to fbx and has skinning to bones and uv mapping. Then learn Unreal Editor, download version 4.17.2 of it (not the newest version) and the Automation modding dev kit. From there you can use the modding wiki https://automation.gamepedia.com/Modding to learn stuff. And you can ask stuff in the #modding-devwork channel on the game's Discord server.

Originally posted by accent:

Learn how to 3d model in either 3ds Max or Blender or anything that can export to fbx and has skinning to bones and uv mapping. Then learn Unreal Editor, download version 4.17.2 of it (not the newest version) and the Automation modding dev kit. From there you can use the modding wiki https://automation.gamepedia.com/Modding to learn stuff. And you can ask stuff in the #modding-devwork channel on the game's Discord server.

sounds much more complicated than modding beamng, never mind

Why not the newest version?

Because it just doesn't work on the newest version. The modding kit project file is made for the 4.17.2 version and opening it with the newest version will give you an error. The modding wiki written by the devs themselves says to use that version even if a newer one is available. I don't know why it's not backwards compatible.