Quote from rane_nbg :

If you make small changes in vehicle geometry while downsizing it and name the car GTR RaceAllot, I'm sure no one would mind.

this would still be what I consider ripping. I can't take some model/mesh, add a wing, and call it my own creation. Added bonus of using the old car as basis is (currently, with the original UV mapping) that you can just use old RAC_ skins on my version.

@scania: In my experience you will have a lot of people not looking up what has already been done, and just throw out own interpretations regardless

..is the RaceAbout really included in that list? It is a 15 year old design study of students, and had no company behind it. There's this site (http://www.raceabout.fi) but looking a bit deeper show that that "Coming soon" has been there since 2011. There's no contact I could ask for permission.

I'm asking because (as some know) I basically have a GTR variant of that car ready here on my hard drive, but to make it work in these new limits would need quite a lot of work downsizing it.. I wouldn't go about that if it will not be allowed anyway.

Quote from Evolution_R :

This won't happen, because such mods will not be allowed on the servers in first place - the moderators must know which model is from Forza or another game and which is original work or with permission. Local usage is another thing.

I understood that, but I meant that people would still try to upload them, and whoever does the moderation has to sieve through it. Tho looking at the tri limits and other current requirements, it will be hard to upload those models anyway as they are often over those limits.

Quote from lfsrm :

You have to redo the texturing part (Uv'ing) into the LFS editor, because you can't import the UV data.

Not being able to import UVs would be a serious oversight. But looking closer at the videos, I doubt it would be in any way feasible to downgrade these models to work in the new Editor.

I mean, those of us that have worked with Blender/3DSMax for years now would not want to switch to something else.

Last edited by ACCAkut, Tue, 2 Nov 2021 12:51.

Ok, I will have to read up on everything in this thread here. As someone very active in another sim's modding scene for close to a decade now, it certainly reads like a great approach, especially the way mods need to be approved before they can be used online. My bunch could be ready rather soon. Apart from the tris count they fit your requirements rather well already. And ofc there's also the RaceAbout GTR resting on my HD for many years now.



Also can't state enough that you should not make it too easy, or else your servers will be flooded with 63485434843 Nissan Silvias ... ehm, "Nussian Sovokias", as in models ripped straight from Forza, Need For Speed and whatever games there are out there.

Damn, cancer, I was wondering what it was Been a few years since I had direct contact with him over some AC mod work, but he was a familiar face and name that's been around since I joined here a long time ago.
My condolences to friends and family.

Quote from Gunn :

I started making this skin back in 2005. Today I decided it was time to complete the task. Better late than never I suppose

looking good

Thanks, now I can finally start a project on making a RB4 GTR version

Don't know if anyone cares anymore, but I just got your tool to run on W10 following a related tutorial, copying the files needed from the "additional VB6 components" zip (some W10 will not allow to be copied or overwritten, ignore it) and then registering files one by one until it ran:
https://www.urtech.ca/2017/11/solved-mscomctl-ocx-download-register-64-bit-windows/

Its still a very handy tool to develop cars for other sims

As someone who's been rather active in another sim that's been open to modding for a long time, all the talk about copyright seems pretty premature... iirc in like 6 years the issue of a manufacturer going after the creator for "infringement" only came up twice, and both times it was only because there was official content from that manufacturer on the way anyway.
Most car makers seem to regard mod recreations as free advertising, sometimes they are even open to help you make it.

I haven't read all five pages, but its funny to see this discussion finally reach the ranks of the Devs

so some RAC Attack may find its way into LFS after all


tho most of the creative bunch are ofc long gone to other shores

Quote from Alexacarry :

I'm a newbie here. I would like to know more about fax online. Can you please help me to give more details?

you realise that this post is thirteen years old?

Quote from cargame.nl :

Haven't actively played LFS for years now but start/finish lights are hanging in the air, missing objects at chicane are one of the first things I can easily spot as 'wrong'.

Furthermore, car tires do not flex, something which LFS is famous of. Bodywork doesnt move an inch. Junk.

they do flex, in vanilla AC it's just not displayed visually.
AC with Custom Shaders Patch is a whole new sim basically, bringing it pretty much to what the LFS Devs aim for now as well, day-night cycle, weather, multiple light sources, all the bling modern engines offer. Physics are still great, maybe not absolute top, but contrary to other sims (*cough*Rf2*cough*) easy to work with and create content for if you've got some understanding of physics and data from real cars.

Quote from Scawen :

In the old system, there was some code that reduced the number of FF updates sent from LFS to the wheel drivers (to avoid overload which was a problem in the past, and may still be now, for some wheels) by making sure some number of frames had elapsed since the previous FF update. That number of frames depended on how different the current force was to the last force sent (more different, less frames needed to elapse). The relevant point is that it was related to a number of frames, so people discovered that having otherwise pointless frame rates like 1000 fps gave them more immediate force feedback. Now that code is gone, and you can set to allow 100 Hz FF updates, there is no need to use extremely high frame rates as you can't get higher then 100 Hz FF updates anyway.

Thanks, I love reading insights like this

Quote from bishtop :

I usually am negative about most custom made tracks as even the good ones are not perfect but these look amazing, will have to give them a try so something good has come from it
In defense of the LFS, the creators of the tracks have not had to do coding for the game itself takes time. Preference should be quality of service over quantity of content which is what scawen and others have given us

Oh I have nothing but respect for Scawen and his coding, my post there was rather aimed at the (silent) content creator of LFS. I've been am avid defender of LFS' development speed for many years, but now that I do this stuff myself (also some experimental tracks next to my cars), I can't defend the speed cars and tracks are made for it anymore, it just makes me sad.

But all this is OT, its still generally nice to see Scawen perfecting VR usage and an overall really efficient sim. Some aspects like behaviour over jumps or netcode are still top notch.

For comparison's sake, here's the released, scratch made sim racing tracks from two other guys, doing this for free as a hobby:

https://www.racedepartment.com/members/lilski.218202/#resources

https://www.racedepartment.com/members/fat-alfie.138572/#resources

Roughly a track each per year, excluding the extra time it took both for the first one (both started modding/modelling with these tracks only)

Guess that could mean LFS has like a dozen tracks hidden somewhere? Been so many years..

Quote from ADOLF1612 :

Gotta start somewhere to bring LFS's online activity back to life, current content has been proven to be fun IF it is actually ever used xD, I think it's a matter of spreading the voice, generating interest in racing again, Updates surely will, but we shouldn't keep on waiting without doing anything, the comunity itself can do that too! although not at the same rate obviously but surely it can be done... right?


Let's make That happen again shall we?

Most users decided that after over ten years on the same content it was time to move on. Either from gaming in general or just this old sim. You won't get them back, even a content update would not result in that. The simracing market grew and competition is fierce, a over ten year old sim on a ~15 year old graphics base won't attract new blood either, if not those that lack machines to run the contemporary titles.

I see what you did there

Licensing is one thing, but another you fail to mention is just that the Devs don't want people to buy the lowest license and then just enhance that version instead of upgrading to S1 or S3. It's business and makes total sense. VOB mods will still exist but not be in direct view of potential new customers.

Quote from Racer Y :

You make modeling a car sound simpler than what it really is. I've been a graphic artist for too long to not know that. You have to have a knack for doing what you're doing. It's not just a bunch of polygons with wheels coded to interact within a set of parameters. It's gotta look cool too.

Nah I'm aware of that, it was more like seeing the perspective of the LFS Devs. We know that they can do this, that they "threw out" a great bunch of cars in a relatively short time frame (S1 and S2 releases), and that they just decided against doing it after that. Threads like this emerge every few months, people post their hopes and dreams, but for no reason really. The Devs had cars and licenses handed to them on a silver plate but they were ignored. I absolutely respect Scawen for what he created, but at the same time he lost a lot of that from me for "recently" stating that LFS is still his 100% day job and passion.
I was one to defend Eric's work, but now that I went from not having ever opened a poly modelling tool to making these in four years I just can't, it's no magic to me anymore. I'm not bragging, I'm just one of many guys doing this due to a platform that welcomed this type of involvement with open arms instead of barricading against it.


... I think I drifted a little with this post... stupid nostalgia.

Quote from Racer Y :

That's nice. It really is. The car looks cool. Did you do that?
Unfortunately, that's not what I'm getting at. My point is when and if the developers decide to add more cars, to consider modeling alternative powered cars.
Most LFS cars are specifically modeled after a certain drive type. Like with the turbos, you have FWD, AWD and RWD car models. With the road cars the varieties are based on where the motor sits in the car - front engine, rear engine and mid engine cars. Why not keep going with that and include electric cars and so forth?

Yes that's one of mine (https://www.racedepartment.com/downloads/glas-gt-exo-rod.21779/), but the only car that is "100% fantasy". My point was that yes, especially if you'be got no real vehicle to copy, it's actually rather easy to make new cars from scratch and it does not take a PhD or ten years. I mean I don't know how exactly cars are defined in LFS, but at its core every engine it will be just a torque curve over an rpm curve, with a number of other parameters influencing it (turbo, inertias etc). Suspension is the same as with every existing car, tire physics are in the works. Its no witchcraft.
Scawen has at some point stated that he does not want any diesel cars in LFS. We have no idea what Eric wants as he does not interact with the community. I personally would welcome something electric.

It's not too hard and time consuming if you want to do it.. something you can do in your free time



just a question of making a concept, developing a drivetrain & suspension setup according to it and then build the rest upon it

Quote from delis :

This is awesome!

But I think for a race car I'd like for it to be a bit wider, bigger air intake for engine cooling on the sides and solid roof.

air intake for engine is rood intake and left side intake (right side has the transmission behind it). With the physics I chose "only" 300 hp peak, but at 10k rpm.. a high rpm N/A engine fits the general layout of the RAC way better.
Its a fully developed mod car but it has never left my harddrive, as there is some LFS mesh left in it, and I don't support rip based mods. Its just a test balloon for Blender modelling and AC scripting. And a bit of dreaming about what LFS could have been today, instead of the 10 year Test Patch period that rid it of the userbase.
4 years ago I had never touched a polygon 3D modelling program and I made that among other cars. In the double the timeframe a seasoned senior 3D artist made... - better not get down that road. It's a sad one.