Ah, that is the old problem with the headset having 75 Hz frame rate, while LFS has a 100 Hz physics update rate. Nothing we can do about that in the near future (eventually I'd like to do physics and graphics on separate threads and that would be part of the solution). Unfortunately the Vive and Rift customer versions have 90 Hz frame rate, so this problem still exists. It would have been great if they could run at 100 Hz!

Quote from matze54564 :

The Upgrade to M7 works not. The exe and zip, both are damaged.

Thanks, I've fixed them now.

Quote from QATAR948 :

When are we able to get Arabic translate ?
Edit : we can help to translate

I am interested in this but can't do it now. The main complication is the reverse direction text and I still need to research and code for this. But I must keep it lower priority than the tyre physics.

Quote from yaper :

TIP on Polish keyboard.
Most national characters are typed by combining AltGr with Latin equivalent. The only one exception is źŹ (Z with apostrophe) it is made from AltGr+X beacuse AltGr+Z is occupied by żŻ (Z with dot above).

Does that work correctly in the LFS virtual keyboard? LFS calls Windows functions that should be handling all these character conversions.

Yeah, I don't know why they display a chaperone if the program asks for seated mode. And why it's offset in front and to the left, after setting it up at the actual seated position. Seems buggy to me.

Yes, I am working on VR features. As both Vive and Rift are shipping within a month, this has become the most important thing. Tyre physics can wait another month.

A good VR implementation with all the wrinkles ironed out will help bring in more users and that will be good for everyone. It's not possible to be in Steam, for reasons discussed before, but Valve have kindly supported us by sending Vives and we can be fully up to date with the software. On the Rift side, I have been in touch with Oculus and there is still a possibility of having LFS in the Oculus store. This is ongoing and I won't be able to say any more because if there was any more information, it would be under NDA. You'll just have to leave that to me, I'm working on it.

One requirement is that it must be possible to operate the game with a controller only. For the last two days I have worked on a system that draws a crosshair in the view centre and allows you to click buttons using the space bar. Obviously this "Click" function needs to be assignable to a controller button. At first I thought this task would be a few hours but the complexity is quite surprising. Various adaptations and improvements have become necessary. I think the only other buttons that are needed are "Escape" and "Show Virtual Keyboard". These will soon be available in a compatible test patch.

WARNING : THIS IS A TEST

NOTE : THIS DOES NOT CONTAIN NEW TYRE PHYSICS OR ANY NEW CONTENT

PLEASE TEST BEFORE YOU POST

PLEASE AVOID : OFF-TOPIC FEATURE REQUESTS / UNRELATED COMMENTS


Hello Racers,

Here is a new TEST PATCH : 0.6M9

- New siren sound and doppler effect on all car sounds
- A long requested feature, to filter out demo servers, has been added
- Virtual Keyboard (press backspace) so you don't need to use the keyboard
- Look and Click feature (for VR) so you don't need to use the mouse
- An improvement to the steering input of remote cars
- Input smoothing for multiplayer replays

This test patch is mainly compatible with 0.6M
- You can connect online with 0.6M
- You can play replays from 0.6M
- An M9 guest's horn or flash will not be seen on pre-M8 guests
- The host must be M8 or later to allow a guest to use a siren

You cannot upload hotlaps made with this test patch because it is only a test patch, not an official patch.

Please keep a backup of your LFS.exe from 0.6M so you can easily go back if there are any problems.


Changes from 0.6M8 to 0.6M9 :

More translation updates! Thank you translators!

Audio :

Reduced the minimum volume to play a sound (can hear further away)
Added doppler effect to all car sounds that didn't have it already
Removed doppler effect resulting from SHIFT+U mode camera velocity
Updated commands.txt with commands /cansiren /siren /ujoin /uai

Siren sound :

Command /cansiren now works on players that have not joined race
Command /cansiren username 0 now switches off username's siren

Fix :

Fixed a recently introduced bug in the /key and /button commands


Changes from 0.6M7 to 0.6M8 :

Multiplayer :

More accurate horn and flash with shorter transmission delay

Siren sound :

Text command /siren=off/fast/slow
Only allowed on cars with a horn and if allowed by host
Allow a multiplayer guest to use siren : /cansiren username 1

InSim :

New ISS state flags to notify if local PC is in dialog / text entry
New packet SMALL_LCS - set local car switches (lights, horn, siren)


Changes from 0.6M6 to 0.6M7 :

VR :

Crosshairs auto-hide in game when buttons visible (e.g. N or InSim)

Virtual keyboard :

Added Serbian / Croatian / Slovenian keyboard (QWERTZ)
Added Slovak, Turkish, Bulgarian and Romanian keyboards


Changes from 0.6M5 to 0.6M6 :

Multiplayer :

New Demo filter at bottom of List of Hosts screen

Virtual keyboard :

Czech and Hungarian keyboard layouts are now supported
Mouse button function (e.g. throttle) disabled if clicking keyboard

Look and click :

Crosshairs did not work with vertical scroll bar


Changes from 0.6M3 to 0.6M5 :

Virtual keyboard :

Can now operate assigned keys - Speed Limiter, Reset, etc.
Most Latin keyboards and Greek and Cyrillic are now supported
The key to toggle the keyboard is now backspace (or controller)
Virtual keyboard is now drawn in front of overlapping buttons
Shift and Alt Gr keys now affect the characters on keyboard
Dead keys (for diacritics / accents) are displayed in red
Virtual keyboard position moved above text entry dialog

VR :

Crosshairs can now go past the interface edge and fade out
Talk function (T key) can now be assigned to a wheel button

Fixes :

LFS could crash if interrupted while generating track
The Alt Gr key + a number could cause the text colour to change
Simultaneous Left + Right view keys were not working properly


Changes from 0.6M2 to 0.6M3 :

VR :

Look and click (with space or button) can be used instead of mouse
OpenVR SDK now 0.9.17 and supports live IPD adjustment (Vive Pre)
Removed interface aspect ratio 1:1 and added 14:9 (default)
New click and type buttons in place of some slider bars

Virtual keyboard :

Automatically displayed in VR mode below text entry dialog
Can be toggled by controller button or backslash key (VK_OEM_5)

Misc :

Input and sound are now enabled by default when LFS is not focussed
Mouse click on demo exit screen now exits LFS or opens www.lfs.net

Fixes :

Out-of-path start warning incorrectly showed local player name
Dedicated server did not search for path after out-of-path start
Non-dedicated server could crash if guest driver drove off track


Changes from 0.6M to 0.6M2 :

Multiplayer :

Reduced steering wobble each time a position packet is received
Smoothed steering / brake / throttle inputs in multiplayer replays
MPR smoothing is disabled by switching on network debug (SHIFT+F8)
Passwords hidden on Start New Host and Join Specific Host screens

Training lessons :

Previous and best times are shown during the lesson replay
SHIFT+R now restarts the lesson without returning to instructions
SHIFT+X exits from replay or lesson back to the instructions screen
Press 1 to watch or restart replay without finishing the lesson
ESC once starts the replay / another time to exit lesson

Lesson editor :

Reverse and open configurations may now be selected
Lesson image filename no longer needs to start with zzz_
Image does not need to be square (but is still shown in a square)
On entry to lesson editor the current track and config are selected
You can now select the lighting (weather) for a lesson

Misc :

Layout editor now allows unmovable objects to intersect

Fixes :

LFS could crash if a shadowed object near a paused car was deleted


INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS :

A FULL version of LFS 0.6M must already be installed

To install the PATCH using the SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE :

1) Move or save the patch into your main LFS folder
2) Double click the patch to extract it to that folder
3) When you see "Confirm File Replace" select "Yes to All"
4) Now you can start LFS in the normal way

NOTE : You can see if the patch is correctly installed when you run
the program (LFS.exe). At the bottom of the entry screen : 0.6M9


DOWNLOADS :

PATCH 0.6M TO 0.6M9 (SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE) (if you already have 0.6M) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6M_TO_6M9.exe (1.6 MB)

PATCH 0.6M TO 0.6M9 (ALTERNATIVE ZIP) (if you already have 0.6M) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6M_TO_6M9.zip (2.0 MB)


FOR HOSTING ONLY

DEDICATED HOST 0.6M9 (non-graphical version for hosting only) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_S3_DCON_6M9.zip (1.8 MB)

Last edited by Scawen, Wed 23 Mar 2016, 18:22.

Quote from vitaly_m :

Thanks for sharing the plans.

If Eric finishes a track sooner than tyre physics are ready, will the track be released sooner than tyres?

Yes, now that we made the decision to sell S3 licenses, there is no reason to hold back tracks because of tyre physics. The quicker we can get a track out there, the better, as the S3 license upgrade will look like twice as good value. But it will take a while as Eric is working to a high detail level as you can see in Westhill and Rockingham.

Originally the tyre physics delays held up some things, and still holds up the Scirocco. As most people know - and this has never changed - tyre physics was and still is the reason for the delay in the Scirocco.

The tyre physics update is the best thing that can happen to LFS on the code side. On the content side, new tracks are the best thing.

It will also allow us to simulate more different types of vehicles because the tyre model should scale correctly from small tyres to large tyres. There are so many possibilities from having a better tyre model, not only that it feels better and more fun to drive as you put the power on coming out of a bend and so on. A physics model based on real physical principles that produce the mathematical functions that produce the slip curves and the way of combining lateral and longitudinal forces (they aren't 'combined' as such, they just come out of the model naturally).

And no, I'm not going into details now. Right now I'm trying to get this quick update out of the way. And as I said then I'm working on functions for Eric and at last I'll be back on the tyre physics. If there's something interesting to say about it in a few months, then perhaps I will.

I noticed that my previous post could be misread, so I just want to make it clear there will be no tyre physics updates in the coming patch.

1) Test patch in a few days with crash fix, a few small lesson editor fixes, possibly an MPR smoothing.
2) Not going to get into a massive patching session. I've just come off one. Just release the full version with a few minor updates.
3) Do some editor functions that Eric has asked for.
4) Work on tyre physics.

Disclaimer: That's the plan, but plans change...

I didn't want to get into a new full version at this point, but a crash bug is enough to change my plans. We can't leave a crash bug out there in the official version. So I'd like to do a few small fixes and improvements to make it more worthwhile. I won't be getting into any monster graphical updates now, as that has far lower priority than the tyre physics which I must get back onto without delay, after doing some editor functions to help Eric with the track he is working on.

I have managed to reproduce it using vitaly's method. Thank you for this report and reproduction. It's a bit mysterious, something to do with accessing memory after it was freed. But I'll track it down as top priority.

EDIT: Now I know the cause of it.

EDIT2: It seems to me this bug is not new, and has been there ever since shadows could be cast on layout objects, I think when the concrete objects were introduced.

EDIT3: Now I've found a seemingly more reliable way to get the crash, and in this case it takes place in the new code that selects the correct draw lists depending on your height above ground. In this method, you do not wait for the car to go out of physics. Just use in car view and pause the game before entering SHIFT+U mode. Then delete the object the car is sitting on. You should get a crash when you exit SHIFT+U mode.

EDIT4: Fixed in my version. There are a few quick things on my list that have come up so there should be a test patch out sooner than expected.

Last edited by Scawen, Wed 17 Feb 2016, 21:01.

Quote from PeterN :

Seems that if you remove an object from underneath a frozen car (engine off, physics stopped), when the car does eventually get updated LFS now crashes. Previously the car would fall as expected.

Please can you give me a step by step explanation how to reproduce this, or a layout?

Also, if it did crash, do you have the crash address? In case it's hard to reproduce...

If LFS really crashes, this is very bad and we need to release a new full version without delay.

My failed attempt to reproduce a crash - I put a start point on a high piece of concrete, restarted the race to put the car up there, switched off the engine so it goes out of physics, went back into the editor, removed the concrete, exited the editor, car goes back into physics and falls to the ground as expected.

I suppose it's to avoid intersecting physics objects that fly apart madly when touched. That problem doesn't really apply to unmovable objects. But then the question is, why would you want ordinary objects to intersect?

Physics update rate is always 100 Hz.

Deleted two posts trying to 'remind' me about tyre physics. We are releasing an incompatible patch this weekend (new Rockingham). Obviously, an incompatible patch s a good time to add a long awaited multiplayer packet that allows many possibilities. Please don't start telling me that two days on a new packet is delaying the tyre physics.

Think about it. Would I really be developing the tyre physics, right now, two days before we release a new update?

Last edited by Scawen, Thu 28 Jan 2016, 09:46.

Quote from cargame.nl :

Whats the use of this? People who are not allowed to join get spectated by InSim software already?

Only benefit is that there are no join/spec/join/spec messages anymore for specific situations (not based on car stuff because that info is missing). Am I wrong?

1) If they want to join with a specific car, they can be rejected with a message, instead of joining then spectated.
2) A specific player can spawn in a particular place. E.g. a designated safety car player could be made to spawn somewhere.
3) An existing player can be teleported to somewhere else.

Quote from Flotch :

Rockingham/AI related remark (very minor), I have made some AIs to race, and saw that the parking in the pits when the race is ended is a bit difficult for them. FZR ones are keen to destroy the rear tires by engaging frankly the reverse gear (and it does not make them parking better after )

Yes, I have AI parking on my list. Actually they are a bit better on the new tyre physics but they still need work on their parking. I think I am running out of time for that on this patch.

Quote from RC-Maus :

When i shift F11 full screen full hd then shift F4 2 windowed mode all okay but when i shift f4 back too full screen it's 1024x768 think thats not the meaning

Sounds like the previous time you were in full screen mode, you were in 1024x768. First try pressing SHIFT+F10 to go full screen at desktop mode, then you will not see 1024x768 when you use the SHIFT+F4 toggle.

If you want to toggle between SHIFT+F11 and a window, don't press SHIFT+F4. Just press SHIFT+F11.

Quote from sicotange :

Thanks a bunch for working on this! I'm not sure I understand how it works though. Suppose you want to spawn someone driving. Do you send an IS_RQJ followed by an IS_RQR reply with Allow set to 1 and the corresponding ObjectInfo? I see IS_RQJ as a packet to notify LFS that a player is about to be spawned. Or is IS_RQJ triggered only when a player clicks Join (or does /join) and IS_RQR specifies where the player has to be spawned? I'm confused.

Yes, the last part.

IS_RQJ is sent by LFS when the player tries to join (if your InSim program set that option).
The InSim program must reply with a IS_RQR : disallow / allow / allow+position

That leaves the question of where the car will appear if the existing player enters the pits and comes back. I think that should use the same position specified in the previous IS_RQR sent for that player.

We also need one more packet (say IS_OSP - Override Spawn Position) that simply specifies or zeroes the spawn position for a given player. Zero it to return that player to default spawning behaviour.

The IS_OSP also allows the ability to teleport an existing player.
- Send IS_OSP with PLID and spawn position
- /pitlane username
- Send IS_OSP with PLID and zero position (if required)

And the final thought is maybe these positions, instead of being just one override position per player, maybe there should be two override positions per player. One to override the grid start position (on a restart) and the other to override the pit start point (for mid race join and /pitlane).

Last edited by Scawen, Wed 27 Jan 2016, 23:29.

Quote from DarkKostas :

I guess these work with 0-1 values of the axis, so between 2 frames it will be, zero clutch-> full engaged clutch axis. I don't think that's possible irl, unless it works some other way.

But i believe a check like that (if it really works like this), would work.

There is a maximum speed but it is very fast. You can see if you slow down the replays, the clutch disengages over 5 hundredths of a second and the same when released.

It's not good that people can exploit this but I think the time to sort this out is when the new tyre physics is introduced.

I'm still interested to have a look at the handbrake usage in single seaters and see if it can be disabled at any speed above the 'lock on' speed. At the moment, this is the only hotlap thing on my list of things to do for K3.

Quote from Stölzel :

I have one Question/Suggestion...
Is it Possible to add an Option to Disable the Mouse Cursor in the AU Editor?

SHIFT+Z does hide the mouse cursor, if you have pressed space to hide the buttons.

This does not work during a replay, because of the replay control slider.

Quote from Kova. :

Dunno if it's the right topic to post this and if it has already been posted but, since there is the 0.6K updates (i'm running on the 0.6K2), on displays settings for the open wheels car's dash, and others dash stuff for road cars, the coulours are totally working wrong.

Good find, thanks.

Quote from vitaly_m :

The clutch problem has pretty easy solution.

The solution is simple to code.

What is not simple is the decision to introduce code that makes many of the existing hotlaps go OOS. Maybe it's not just 'many' but ALL of the ones without auto-clutch. I suppose all the hotlaps where someone pressed their axis clutch quickly would be invalidated.

It's exactly the sort of thing which I normally think is best avoided until the new physics comes out which will invalidate all hotlaps.

Quote from aanrus :

Sorry for offtop, this is was previously.
LFS number plate (bug)

I have tried to reproduce this but I see my number all the time. I don't see the blank plate.

Quote from sinbad :

It will be a good opportunity to fix all of these little loop-holes. I also think Button Clutch needs sorting (there should be no advantage over Auto Clutch).

I'm not really planning to work on many hotlap exploits at the moment. I can take a look to see the the handbrake could be disabled in single seaters if you are above the "lock on" speed.

Can you describe exactly what the button clutch issue is? I know it's an old thing, but if I ever knew what it was, I've forgotten.

I suspect any fix without a proper physics update might cause all the hotlaps to go OOS. The code in the middle of physics processing is very sensitive to any changes, though some things can be done.

Quote from UnknownMaster21 :

Pretty random, but I give a shot...

Any support or plans to make a section about how fast can a time can be driven with all possible shortcuts, but without hitting objects?

I'm not sure what you mean.

Quote from Flotch :

There is a "shortcut" on the hairpin of Aston North Reverse that is not detected. This is a snapshot of the lap uploaded on LFSWorld, and 0.6K2 does not see it as "out of the bounds" stuff.

What is the replay name? So I can find it easily.

It's only the Rockingham ones that would go OOS, because it's only Rockingham that will be updated in this patch - we aren't planning a car physics change at the moment. I've edited the original post to make that clear.

Many different types of change that Eric could make might make the replays go OOS. Most obviously if he changes any road surface.

I don't think we will archive the 0.6K replays in that case as one month isn't a long enough era to archive the results. But maybe a timing archive would be a nice to have when the new tyre physics update is out.

WARNING : THIS IS A TEST

NOTE : THIS DOES NOT CONTAIN NEW TYRE PHYSICS OR ANY NEW CONTENT

PLEASE TEST BEFORE YOU POST

PLEASE AVOID : OFF-TOPIC FEATURE REQUESTS / UNRELATED COMMENTS


Hello Racers,

Here is a new TEST PATCH : 0.6K26

An updated Rockingham track with various fixes and improvements.
Many new functions added to InSim and the multiplayer system.
New borderless window system which is very useful for multiple monitor setups.
Fixes and improvements including better hotlap validity checking (HLVC).
Corner cutting in some places is no longer possible.
For example, cutting was possible at FE6 and various Kyoto and Rockingham configs.
Traction control can no longer be switched on if disabled in the setup.
Handbrake can no longer be used in single seater cars while moving.
Hotlaps which do not comply with the new rules are now being removed.

This test patch is partially compatible with version 0.6K.
- You CAN NOT connect online with 0.6K
- Single player replays from Rockingham will go OOS in 0.6K26

HOTLAPPING NOTE : You cannot upload hotlaps with 0.6K26 because it has an updated version of Rockingham that is now being tested. If you want to upload hotlaps, please use the 0.6K6 version (link below) and do not install 0.6K26. The Rockingham update makes Rockingham hotlaps go OOS so the Rockingham tables will need to be reset when the official version is released.

Please keep a backup of your LFS.exe from 0.6K so you can easily go back if there are any problems.


Changes from 0.6K25 to 0.6K26 :

Translations :

More translation updates. Thank you translators!

Paths :

If car starts outside path it will keep searching to find the path

InSim :

Pit speed limiter now switched off if car is moved out of pit lane


Changes from 0.6K23 to 0.6K25 :

Interface :

Text command /setlap now works in practice and qualifying
Lap number is no longer shown if lap timing is not available

InSim :

Packet IS_CSC to report changes in car state (start or stop)
Zbyte added to CarContObject structure to report car's altitude
Avoiding sending IS_SLC packets to old version InSim guests


Changes from 0.6K22 to 0.6K23 :

Rockingham :

Incompatible version - Rockingham update including Sunset lighting

VR :

LFSOpenVR.dll updated to use OpenVR SDK 0.9.15


Changes from 0.6K9 to 0.6K22 :

Layout editor :

You can now set an identifier for a start lights object
Temporary start lights (in layout editor) middle light is now amber
InSim checkpoints and circles can be placed in the autocross editor
New button "place on ground" to restore ground check to objects
Maximum number of autocross circles increased from 150 to 180
Multiple object selection is now available in marshall mode

InSim :

INSIM_VERSION increased to 7 to support new incompatible packets
Backward compatibility system - send INSIM_VERSION in the IS_ISI
New join request system if ISF_REQ_JOIN is set - see InSim.txt
New system to reset a car at a location with or without repair
Zbyte added to IS_OBH so the layout object can be identified
IS_MSO / IS_III / IS_ACR message out packets now have variable size
IS_BFN can now be used to delete a range of buttons with one packet
New packet IS_OCO can be used to override some or all start lights
New IS_AXM option PMO_SELECTION to set the layout editor selection
Added TTC_SEL to request an IS_AXM with layout editor selection
Added TINY_AXM to request IS_AXM packets for the entire layout
IS_SSH documentation updated as it is no longer only for bmp files
New packet IS_UCO sends info about InSim checkpoints and circles
New packet IS_SLC reports a connection's currently selected car
Packet TINY_SLC to request an IS_SLC for all connections
Added TINY_ALC and SMALL_ALC to get and set allowed cars

Interface :

Start grid clear button is now available in multiplayer for admins
Add to grid buttons for admins beside names in list of connections
New arrows to move grid positions - removed "swap position" button
New admin commands /ujoin username and /uai username

Misc :

Translations updated - thank you translators!
In game spectate then SHIFT+P and type /join - message is now shown
No longer stored in message history : /press /ctrl /shift /alt

Fixes :

FF was not initialised when "Input when window is inactive" was set


Changes from 0.6K8 to 0.6K9 :

Rockingham :

The Rockingham track is updated with fixes and improvements


Changes from 0.6K7 to 0.6K8 :

Misc :

Moved ABS option in car setup above the Traction Control option
TCP position packets option now also sends TCP packets to host

Borderless window system :

Cleaner switch between (borderless) windowed and full screen modes
Full screen vertical sync option now affects borderless window mode

VR :

Warning if Rift headset is opened using the OpenVR system
Text command /rift changed to /vr (but /rift still works)
New parameters for the /vr command : /vr=rift and /vr=openvr

Fixes :

User interface elements should now be perfectly aligned with screen
Rare MP bug could cause LFS to enter world before track was loaded
AI path drive limits were wrong at one corner of Kyoto National


Changes from 0.6K6 to 0.6K7 :

Rockingham :

The Rockingham track is updated with fixes and improvements

Misc :

F9 to F12 keys now toggle between their mode and a window
Borderless window modes are now restored on restarting LFS

Fixes :

LFS sometimes selected a low resolution when updating to 0.6K6
The SHIFT+F9 key assignment defaulted to "unknown" screen mode
Controls Options - buttons were not displayed under Shifter tab


Changes from 0.6K to 0.6K6 :

Borderless window system :

New SHIFT+key functions are displayed on right of Screen Options
Borderless modes allow ALT+TAB to other programs without minimising
Multiple monitor support is greatly improved by a borderless window
New command /window min/max/monitor/virtual (no parameter=restore)

Hotlapping :

In hotlapping mode there is a new HLVC check for cutting cornerS
Corner cutting HLVC check is also reported in InSim IS_HLV

Controls :

Traction control can no longer be switched on if disabled in setup
Handbrake can no longer be used in single seater cars while moving

VR :

LFSRiftVR.dll updated to use Oculus SDK 0.8
LFSOpenVR.dll updated to use OpenVR SDK 0.9.14

Interface :

LFS can now restart in a window on a side monitor as expected
Option "Input when window is inactive" keeps controllers working
New button on game setup screen to clear single player start grid
Hold CTRL+SHIFT to show viewed car's player name beside time / fps

Misc :

AI drivers can now drive in low wind (but not high)
View shift maximum settings increased to 0.1 m per g
A warning is now shown if a car starts outside the path
Hidden object removal is disabled when car is high above the track

Fixes :

The text "S3" is now correctly sent in the InSim IS_VER packet
Colour adjusters looked wrong in Interface and Display options
InSim IS_HLV packet no longer reports car contacts as wall hits
Floating text above a lagging car was drawn without transparency
One button look amount was doubled in axis, mouse and TrackIR look
The /track and /ws commands now accept double digit config numbers
Tracks file for /tracks command now works with double digit configs
Blank number plate on joining race after watching an instant replay


INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS :

A FULL version of LFS 0.6K must already be installed

To install the PATCH using the SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE :

1) Move or save the patch into your main LFS folder
2) Double click the patch to extract it to that folder
3) When you see "Confirm File Replace" select "Yes to All"
4) Now you can start LFS in the normal way

NOTE : You can see if the patch is correctly installed when you run
the program (LFS.exe). At the bottom of the entry screen : 0.6K26


DOWNLOADS :

FIRST UPDATE K TO K23 :

PATCH 0.6K TO 0.6K23 (SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE) (if you already have 0.6K) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6K_TO_6K23.exe (55 MB)

THEN UPDATE K23 TO K26 :

PATCH 0.6K23 TO 0.6K26 (SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE) (if you already have 0.6K23) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6K23_TO_6K26.exe (1.1 MB)


TO RUN A SERVER :

DEDICATED HOST 0.6K26 (non-graphical version for hosting only) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_S3_DCON_6K26.zip (1.8 MB)


FOR HOTLAPPERS - DO NOT INSTALL 0.6K26 IF YOU WANT TO UPLOAD HOTLAPS :
PATCH 0.6K TO 0.6K6 (SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE) (if you already have 0.6K) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6K_TO_6K6.exe (1.3 MB)

Last edited by Scawen, Fri 12 Feb 2016, 19:48.

Quote from joordy599 :

Scawen thanks for the update but where is the VWS? In the video we should get it for free but i cannot find it. Is it still in development?

The VWS will be S1 content as originally stated.

It depends on the new tyre physics being completed. As soon as the new tyre physics is ready, the VWS can be released.

For me the tyre physics is now a very high priority.

Quote from nacim :

I thought you were trying to future proofing a bit more LFS on the graphical side while you catch up with modern graphical engines ?
...

Quote from Keiichi_Tsuchiya :

...
I don't know the way you going to push LFS graphics, I'm just trying to point on things that already used in game industry. Anyway, keep it up, Scawen!
...

Thank you for your comments and I just want to say that I don't have anything against cube maps (and other, more than 1 hemisphere methods). I am interested in doing things like that in future, possibly starting with doing that for the nearest car, and using hemispheres for the other cars. It seems to me that for the case of a car (or any shiny painted object standing outside on dark ground) the hemisphere method is just a good optimisation, because the ground is dark and the sky is bright. The sky reflection is important for the general look of a car in many circumstances.

I would say that omnidirectional environment mapping has a lower priority than a better shadow system, reflections on roads and some methods of blending textures that Eric has been waiting for. Along with the shadows I am interested in going for physically based lighting if possible and perhaps a generated sky which paves the way for changing weather. Aside from graphics, I am keen to get the tyre physics done so I can escape the curse of working with two separate versions and merging the changes. That will allow the possibility of separate graphics and physics threads and so on which would be inconceivably complicated to implement into two separate versions.

WARNING : THIS IS A TEST

NOTE : THIS DOES NOT CONTAIN NEW TYRE PHYSICS OR ANY NEW CONTENT

PLEASE TEST BEFORE YOU POST

PLEASE AVOID : OFF-TOPIC FEATURE REQUESTS / UNRELATED COMMENTS


Hello Racers,

Here is a new TEST PATCH : 0.6J5

Nearby objects are now visible in the reflections on cars.
Building reflections have also been improved.
The HTC Vive VR headset is now supported through OpenVR.

To enter VR mode if you have an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive :
Options... View... 3D button at the top of the screen.
Select VR headset. Select Oculus Rift or OpenVR.

This test patch IS compatible with version 0.6J
This test patch CAN play replays from version 0.6J

You cannot upload hotlaps made with this test patch because it is only a test patch, not an official patch.

Please keep a backup of your LFS.exe from 0.6J so you can easily go back if there are any problems.


Changes from 0.6J4 to 0.6J5 :

AI :

Now avoid ramming other cars when in the pit lane or lap of honour
FIX : Could go wrong when entering BL pit lane for a pit stop


Changes from 0.6J3 to 0.6J4 :

Fixes :

Render target problem in HTC Vive when changing tracks
AI driver names can no longer be blank

Misc :

Max drivers in single player increased to 24 (online max still 40)


Changes from 0.6J to 0.6J2 :

Graphics :

New reflections system and shaders for cars and buildings
Nearby objects are visible in new dynamic reflections on cars
Option to set number of dynamic reflections in main view and mirror
Misc option to enable a programmable post-processing shader

Misc :

New command /rsh to reload shaders (e.g. after editing externally)
Maximum number of controllers increased to 10 (was previously 8)

VR :

HTC Vive headset is now supported through OpenVR
Oculus Rift support now requires runtime 0.7 or later
Improved dialog sequence after any error entering VR mode

Training lesson editor :

SHIFT+T on main entry screen to access lesson editor or list editor
Layouts for lessons must be copied from layout to training folder
SHIFT+T on training screen to view and test newly added lessons

Fixes :

Alpha sorting issue on bricks at base of a South City building
Improved validity check when loading car colour settings


INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS :

A FULL version of LFS 0.6J must already be installed

To install the PATCH using the SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE :

1) Move or save the patch into your main LFS folder
2) Double click the patch to extract it to that folder
3) When you see "Confirm File Replace" select "Yes to All"
4) Now you can start LFS in the normal way

NOTE : You can see if the patch is correctly installed when you run
the program (LFS.exe). At the bottom of the entry screen : 0.6J5


DOWNLOADS :

PATCH 0.6J TO 0.6J5 (SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE) (if you already have 0.6J) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6J_TO_6J5.exe (1.3 MB)

PATCH 0.6J TO 0.6J5 (ALTERNATIVE ZIP) (if you already have 0.6J) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6J_TO_6J5.zip (1.6 MB)

Last edited by Scawen, Fri 18 Dec 2015, 16:58. Reason : J5 update

Yes, I'll report the faulty base station (after testing it once more) and comment on the noise of the one that works. Maybe it's only twice the volume of a refrigerator but that depends on which fridge you have! I had to stop using a stupid Whirlpool one that ran nearly the whole time and sometimes sounded like a lorry with a Diesel engine idling in the kitchen. Now I have a nice quiet Bosch. But yes it is too much in a quiet home office like mine.

I'll prepare an email with observations, feedback and a few questions. But first I'll see I can figure out any answers and do some more testing. Main issues are about how to calculate the best possible timing and why SetGamma doesn't seem to do anything.

I don't know what tracking range the consumer Rift will have but it's really noticeable how the Vive is superior on that point. Even with only one base station working, I can get up from my chair and move over to the left and back. At that point I'm standing (as if on a hoverboard) right outside my car looking at it rolling along the road with a headless driver. I know that's pretty pointless but the Rift DK2 camera doesn't allow that freedom. I think the Vive would be fun if you set it up in a living room and you could play table tennis with someone over the internet. The Vive can definitely handle room scale VR better right now. But as Palmer Luckey said, the cable is a problem for standing VR...

I guess the consumer Rift will have better tracking than the DK2 so that point may not be relevant. Also it's not relevant if you only want to use seated simulators. Then you will be more interested in image quality, frame rate and field of view. I'll try to comment on image quality and FOV when I can really see the same LFS in both headsets. On frame rate, both the Rift at 75Hz and the Vive at 90Hz are not really ideal for LFS. Ideal for LFS would be a 100 Hz headset. But that too could be come irrelevant if we move LFS to 1000Hz physics or run the graphics on a separate thread which I would like to do eventually.

Thank you all very much for the testing.

0.6J is now available.
https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/88217

hetner, the improvement of the synchronisation between physics frames and vertical sync had to wait for another update, along with a few other things inspired by this patch. Thanks for the feedback!

Hello Racers,

We are pleased to announce a new update of Live for Speed with some very good performance improvements. Various systems have been updated to reduce the work done by the graphics card and the CPU. The simulator runs more smoothly and you can choose a higher frame rate or run your computer more efficiently and consistently with a limited rate. This is a great help at the highly detailed Westhill environment released in the 0.6H update. We have improved the frame rate limiter (in Misc Options) so Live for Speed can run very accurately at the rate you set. There is a new live frame timing graph to help you see what's going on if you like that kind of thing!

For Oculus Rift users, we are supporting Direct mode and the 0.6 runtime. You can now enter or leave 3D mode at any time without restarting LFS. Just click the 3D button in View Options. In the LFS window that remains on your monitor you can see what the person wearing the Rift is looking at.


Four ways to get Version 0.6J :

1) AUTO UPDATER - If you already have version 0.5V or later :

- Click on "Multiplayer" then "List of Hosts" in LFS and choose a download mirror.

2) MANUAL PATCH (1.5 MB) - If you already have version 0.6H or later :

- Click HERE and save the patch installer.
- You can run the patch installer from its download location or from your LFS folder.

3) MANUAL PATCH (156 MB) - If you already have version 0.5Z or later :

- Click HERE and save the patch installer.
- You can run the patch installer from its download location or from your LFS folder.

4) FULL VERSION (273 MB) - If you are new to LFS or making a fresh installation.

- Click HERE to visit the download page and get the full version installer.


Changes from 0.6H to 0.6J :

Optimisations :

Static vertex buffers reorganised to reduce DirectX instructions
Frames buffered (default 1) to allow next frame to start rendering
More efficient car distance sorting system for sound and graphics
Dynamic vertex buffers now set to use hardware vertex processing
Better frame rate in places where many objects may be visible

Graphics :

Sky texture is now drawn in mirrors
Layout editor object selection buttons are sorted by distance
Z-buffer depth setting can now be changed without restarting LFS
Mirror now uses 24 bit Z buffer if Z buffer setting is more than 16

Frame rate limitation system :

Frame rate limitation system is now accurate and has better values
New frame info display shows sleep / physics updates / gpu waiting
Now using an event query instead of a lock for input lag prevention
Minimum sleep setting changed to "Sleep every frame" (yes / no)

Misc :

Now using Direct3D 9Ex if available (Windows Vista and later)
Reduced glitch when autocross objects are optimised (e.g. on load)
Reduced min / max values for "Sound lag" setting - default now 0.08
New Audio Option "Sound when window is inactive" (off / on)

3D view modes :

Added a 3D level slider option to adjust monitor-based 3D views
Reduced CPU / GPU usage by sharing scene preparation for both eyes

Oculus Rift :

Now using Oculus SDK version 0.6.0.1 which includes timewarp
You can now enter and leave Rift mode without restarting LFS
Smooth display (if you do not use SLI or force vertical sync)
Monitor window view options : blank / one eye / two eyes

Oculus Rift compatibility mode :

For users who cannot use the Oculus 0.6 runtime, you can still use
the 0.5 runtime. Simply rename the ORDIRECT.dll to some other name
and LFS will then use LFSORDLL.dll instead (extended mode only).

Fixes :

Some buildings at Westhill track were drawn using a slow method
Mouse clipped to window (CTRL+C) now works properly with ALT+TAB
Using mouse wheel to change gear did not work properly at high fps
Layout editor object selection buttons used interface button slots
Crash changing texture resolution with two or more objects selected
Anisotropic filtering did not work on car textures (including skin)


TIPS on using Live for Speed with an Oculus Rift DK2 :

NOTE : Oculus runtime 0.6.0.1 (or later) is required

1) How to enter Rift mode in LFS :
- Start LFS and click 3D on the View Options Screen
- Select Oculus Rift and click OK

2) To reset your seating position, the text command /rift reset is assigned by default to the F8 key.
- When a new driver takes over, ask them to look straight ahead then press F8
- Key assignments can be edited in Options - Game - F1 to F8

3) Accessing your desktop while LFS is on the Rift.
- You will find that your mouse cursor is confined to the Rift's virtual monitor
- Press CTRL+C to free the mouse and now the mouse can go onto the desktop

4) Optional command line options /rift=on and /rift=off
Use e.g. in a shortcut to make sure Rift mode is entered or not
LFS.exe /rift=on - try to go straight into Rift mode
LFS.exe /rift=off - do not go into Rift (ignores previous mode)


- LFS Developers

Last edited by Scawen, Sat 15 Aug 2015, 12:43.