Glossary
Every word you'll meet while setting up the game, in one or two plain lines, with where to find things on your PC.
Steam › Library › Assetto Corsa › gear › Manage › Browse local files opens it.
appsIn-game apps: lua and pythoncacheTemporary files, safe to deletecfgSome game defaults (your own settings are in Documents)contentCars, tracks, weather, driver modelsextensionCSP, Pure and filter scripts (appears after CSP)systemGame system files, incl. cfg\ppfilters for filtersacs.exeThe game itself (CM starts it for you)C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\assettocorsa
In-game apps (HUDs, tools). Split into "lua" and "python".
A Lua app folder (it contains a .lua file) goes into apps\lua, a Python app folder (it contains a .py file) into apps\python.
assettocorsa\apps\luaassettocorsa\apps\pythonAlso: .zip, .7z, .rar
A packed file that holds folders. Almost every mod comes as one.
You "extract" (unpack) it first, then copy the folders where they belong. Windows opens .zip on its own; for .7z and .rar you need 7-Zip.
In the guide: Before you startSteam menu entry that opens your root folder in File Explorer.
The quickest way to find the root folder, even if the game is on another drive.
Temporary data the game builds to load faster. Safe to delete if something acts up.
The game rebuilds what it needs on the next start (the first load is a bit slower).
assettocorsa\cacheAlso: car folder name
The folder name of a car, like ks_mazda_rx7_spirit_r. Never rename it.
Skins, setups and online servers find a car by this name. Renaming the folder breaks all of them. Tracks work the same way (track ID).
assettocorsa\content\cars\<car id>Folder inside "extension" with settings files for CSP features, Pure and filter scripts.
A filter download often contains extension\config-ext\…. If those files are missing, the filter loads but looks wrong.
assettocorsa\extension\config-extInside the root folder. Holds every car, track, driver model and weather.
The two folders you use most are content\cars and content\tracks. Each car or track is one folder in there.
assettocorsa\contentAlso: CM
The launcher everyone uses instead of the original one. You start races, change settings and set up CSP here.
Free from acstuff.club. The free Lite version is all you need; the paid Full version (a donation to the developer) adds extras like custom championships and server tools.
In the guide: Content ManagerA model brought over from another game (Forza, Gran Turismo…) and rebuilt for Assetto Corsa.
Quality varies a lot. We list the origin on every car so you know what you get.
Newer CSP versions from the developer's Patreon. They add rain and the latest features.
Some new mods need a preview version; their page says so. Public versions are free and fine to start with.
In the guide: Custom Shaders PatchAlso: CSP, "lights patch"
A big engine upgrade: modern lighting, day and night, weather, better performance and Lua apps.
Nearly every modern car and track expects it. The download is called lights-patch-v0.x.x.zip, which is why some people call it the lights patch.
A car's packed physics and settings. Its folder is the car folder.
Some cars have a data folder instead. Either way, the folder that holds it goes into content\cars.
Also: Documents\Assetto Corsa
Your personal Assetto Corsa folder with settings, replays, screenshots and logs. Mods never go here.
Easy to mix up with the root folder because both are called "Assetto Corsa". Content Manager writes its logs to Documents\Assetto Corsa\logs, which helps when you ask for support.
C:\Users\<you>\Documents\Assetto CorsaCreated by CSP. Holds everything CSP-related, plus the files of Pure and most filters.
If this folder exists in your root folder, CSP was installed at least once. Pure and modern PP filters add files here, which is why they must be copied in by hand.
assettocorsa\extensionCSP module for screen-space effects like reflections and better ambient light.
A big part of the modern look. Only turn it off as a last resort when you need frames.
In the guide: Our CSP settingsFrames per second, and how evenly they arrive. Even frames feel smoother than high but uneven ones.
That's why our settings start with CSP's DXGI options (frame pacing) before anything else.
In the guide: Our CSP settingsAlso: Lua apps, Python apps
Small windows in game: tachometers, delta timers, Pure Config, camera tools.
Lua apps run on CSP and are usually lighter than the older Python apps. Turn them on from the app bar on the right side of the screen.
In the guide: Installing modsAssetto Corsa's 3D model file. A car or track folder always has at least one.
Handy for spotting the right folder: the folder that contains the .kn5 is the car or track itself.
In the guide: Installing modsBuilt from a laser or LiDAR scan of the real track: centimetre-accurate bumps and kerbs.
One track can have several versions (full circuit, short, reverse). Each is a layout.
In Content Manager you pick the layout under the track name.
Simpler versions of a car model, shown far away so the game stays fast.
Cars without LODs make big grids or online servers slow. Our curators check for them.
Also: look-up table
A small colour table. Filters use LUTs for their colour grading; wheels use them to correct force feedback.
If a filter comes with LUT files, they are part of its look: copy them with the rest.
In the guide: PP filtersAnything made by the community: cars, tracks, skins, apps, filters, sounds.
On this site every mod links to its creator's own download page. We never re-upload.
Smooths jagged edges. 2x or 4x is enough; 8x costs a lot for little.
In the guide: Our CSP settingsSold by its creator (Patreon, Gumroad, own shop). Marked "Paid" on this site.
Buying from the creator's own page is the only legit way. Re-uploads of paid mods are stolen work.
The game's image effects after the 3D scene is drawn. Must be on for filters to work.
Content Manager › Settings › Assetto Corsa › Video › Post-processing. Off = no filter, no matter what you installed.
In the guide: Our CSP settingsAlso: post-processing filter
Sets the final look of the image: colours, contrast, exposure, bloom.
A filter is an .ini file, often with extra scripts and Pure settings. Install it by hand, otherwise parts are missing and it looks wrong.
Where the .ini files of post-processing filters live.
Every filter in Content Manager's Filter list is one .ini file in this folder.
assettocorsa\system\cfg\ppfiltersWeather and lighting mod by Peter Boese for CSP: realistic sky, light, fog and night.
Available on Peter Boese's Patreon. Most modern PP filters are made for it. Install it by hand, never with Content Manager's drag-and-drop.
In the guide: PureThe in-game app where you adjust Pure (brightness, presets, reset buttons).
Open it from the app bar on the right side of the screen in game. "Reset weatherFX" there fixes many odd-looking skies.
In the guide: PureAlso: game folder, "assettocorsa" folder
The folder Assetto Corsa is installed in. Almost every mod, CSP, Pure and filters are installed here.
When a guide says "extract into the root folder", it means this folder: the one that contains acs.exe and the folders apps, content, extension and system.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\assettocorsaModelled from scratch by the creator, not taken from another game.
Every car has its own skins folder; one folder per paint job.
A skin download is a folder with pictures (often .dds) and a preview.jpg. It goes into the skins folder of the car it was made for.
assettocorsa\content\cars\<car id>\skinsThe old predecessor of Pure. Outdated: don't install it.
Older videos and guides still tell you to install Sol. Skip those steps and use Pure. Never install both.
In the guide: PureThe CSP module that runs weather and the sky. Pure plugs in here.
In CM: Settings › Custom Shaders Patch › WeatherFX. It must be active and set to Pure.
In the guide: PureFree program that opens every archive type mods come in.
Right-click an archive › 7-Zip › Extract to "name\" unpacks it into a folder next to it.
In the guide: Before you startNo term matches. Missing one? Tell us on Discord.