TechCore Module Reference

Extension defined in lua/vehicle/extensions/tech/techCore.lua. This is the vehicle-side socket server for BeamNG.tech's external research API. It opens a TCP connection that allows external tools (Python BeamNGpy, MATLAB, etc.) to control the vehicle and poll sensor data via a request/response protocol.

See Also

• TechVehicleUtils: Helper functions for sensor data collection.
• AdvancedIMU: IMU sensor polled through this API.
• GPS: GPS sensor polled through this API.

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Exports

Connection Management

requestVehicleInfo()

• Description: Sends the vehicle's connection port and object ID back to the game engine via onVehicleInfoReady hook.

startConnection(ip, skipServer)

• Arguments:
  • ip (string): IP address to bind the server socket.
  • skipServer (boolean): If true, skips server creation (for reconnection scenarios).
• Description: Opens a TCP server socket for external tool connections and begins the client polling loop.

onSerialize() / onDeserialized(data)

• Description: Saves and restores the connection IP across vehicle reloads.

onDebugDraw()

• Description: Polls for incoming client connections and processes queued requests from connected clients. This is the main network tick, called every graphics frame.

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Protocol Handlers

All handlers receive a request table with protocol-specific fields and respond via request:sendResponse() or request:sendACK().

handleHello(request)

• Description: Responds with the protocol version for handshake validation.

handleControl(request)

• Description: Applies throttle, steering, brake, parkingbrake, clutch inputs and optional gear shift. Supports ADAS input routing.

handleSetShiftMode(request)

• Description: Sets the gearbox shift mode (manual/autoclutch/arcade/automatic).

handleCycleESCMode(request) / handleSetESCMode(request) / handleGetESCMode(request)

• Description: Cycles through, sets, or queries the current ESC/drive mode.

handleSensorRequest(request)

• Description: Batch-polls registered sensor handlers (IMU, GPS, electrics, etc.) and returns collected data.

handleSetColor(request)

• Description: Changes the vehicle's paint color via RGBA values.

handleSetVelocity(request)

• Description: Applies an instantaneous velocity in the vehicle's forward direction using thrusters.

handleSetAiMode(request) / handleSetAiLine(request) / handleSetAiScript(request) / handleSetAiSpeed(request) / handleSetAiTarget(request) / handleSetAiWaypoint(request) / handleDriveUsingPath(request) / handleSetAiSpan(request) / handleSetAiAggression(request)

• Description: AI control handlers - set mode, define waypoint paths or scripted trajectories, configure speed/aggression. Maps to the AI module API.

handleExecuteScript(request)

• Description: Executes arbitrary Lua code in the vehicle environment. Security-sensitive.

handleGetInitialSpawnPositionOrientation(request)

• Description: Returns the vehicle's original spawn position and rotation quaternion.

handleStartRecording(request) / handleStopRecording(request)

• Description: Controls recording of vehicle state data to file via the recorders subsystem.

handleSetDriveInLane(request)

• Description: Toggles AI lane-keeping behavior.

handleSetLights(request)

• Description: Controls all vehicle lighting states: headlights, signals, fog, lightbar, hazards. Accepts individual light keys.

handleQueueLuaCommandVE(request)

• Description: Queues a Lua command string for execution in the vehicle Lua environment. Returns the serialized result.

handleAddIMUPosition(request) / handleAddIMUNode(request) / handleRemoveIMU(request)

• Description: Manages IMU sensor instances - add at world position, add at JBeam node, or remove by name.

handleApplyVSLSettingsFromJSON(request) / handleWriteVSLSettingsToJSON(request) / handleStartVSLLogging(request) / handleStopVSLLogging(request)

• Description: Vehicle Systems Logger (VSL) control - apply settings, save settings, start/stop data logging.

handlePollAdvancedImuVE(request) / handlePollGPSVE(request) / handlePollPowertrainVE(request) / handlePollMeshVE(request) / handlePollIdealRADARVE(request) / handlePollRoadsSensorVE(request)

• Description: Direct sensor polling handlers. Each collects data from the corresponding sensor extension and returns it.

handleRecover(request)

• Description: Triggers vehicle recovery (respawn at last safe position).

handleGetCenterOfGravity(request)

• Description: Returns the vehicle's current center of gravity position.

handleDeflateTire(request)

• Description: Deflates a specific tire by wheel index.

handleBreakHinges(request) / handleBreakAllBreakgroups(request)

• Description: Triggers structural breakage for hinges or all breakgroups.

handleSetPartCondition(request) / handleGetPartCondition(request)

• Description: Gets or sets individual part condition data (integrity, visual damage) via beamstate.

handleTriggerCommand(request)

• Description: Invokes a named vehicle action (e.g., horn, lights toggle) by command string.

handleGetNodePositions(request) / handleGetNodeForces(request)

• Description: Returns physics node positions or force vectors for mesh/structural analysis.