You can see near the start of deb.log
Aug 05 21:23:33 started Direct3D 9Ex
The real way to have graphical frames independent of physical updates is to use one thread for physics and another for graphics. The physics thread must store snapshots of the entire game state (car positions, wheel rotations, suspension extension, tyre deflections, smoke particle positions, etc) and the graphics thread can then read these and render frames in even steps between the last two physical frames. Very interesting but a truly massive task and for various reasons already described, not a good idea to do it now.
I didn't see that in a quick test. Can you give any more info, like if you were online or in a replay, with many cars there, etc?
OK, I have been through the thread since the H5 release note and made notes of bugs that I need to fix and issues I need to investigate. Thank you for the feedback.
Some things I want to answer or ask more about...
This is now fixed in H5.
The "Sleep" column is the sleep milliseconds that are used for frame rate limitation. This takes place at the start of the game loop, before the physics updates. Also if "Sleep every frame" is set and there is no other Sleep or Wait then there will be 1 ms Sleep shown in this column. If you use frame rate limiting then you will normally see something in this column. Sleep is time deliberately given up to the operating system each frame because LFS doesn't need to do anything.
The "Phys" column shows the number of physics steps calculated in the frame, before moving onto drawing the visible representation of the game state. These are the physics steps that represent 0.01 seconds of game time. So if you have frame rate limited to 100 Hz and you are not paused then you should see one physics step per frame, which will look like a solid vertical orange line. (This column does *not* show milliseconds)
The "Wait" column is the number of milliseconds of Sleep while LFS is waiting for the GPU to finish rendering. If you do not limit frame rate then you may see something in this column. In that case you are more likely to see something if you set "Maximum buffered frames" to zero. LFS is then waiting for the GPU to finish before starting to render a new frame. If you use buffered frames then it may be you do not see anything in the Wait column. You should not add more buffered frames if there is no waiting, because it that case you would just be adding lag. If you use full screen vertical sync and you are in full screen mode then you will see Wait. In this case you are waiting for the GPU to present the image to the screen, just in time for the monitor refresh.
Just a count of game updates, as described above.
I don't get that stutter. It seems to seamlessly switch to LFS. I see a slight lack of Sleep in the graph but I don't get a visible stutter or lag. Could there be circumstances that produce the lag, like being online or having a lot of AI?
Yes, that is a known problem when you take certain lines on Open Configurations, it doesn't always switch quickly enough to the most appropriate path that knows which objects you should see from your location.
That is because of generating the Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters which must be cached on textures.
Looks like a crash address outside of LFS. Is there any way to reproduce this bug and get a call stack at the time of the crash, so I can track it back to LFS?
One thing I think you didn't mention - what is the frame rate in the new patch compared with the old? As some people said, LFS can draw using less CPU now and this means your graphics card can work harder as it's not just sitting around waiting for instructions. I guess you have a higher frame rate and this is why your card is getting hot. With the latest changes, I now recommend a limited frame rate. Better you decide what the frame rate should be and let the card have a little time off each frame, instead of just having the highest frame rate possible at all times (which will always vary depending on what you can see).
As mentioned, I can reproduce high CPU usage when minimised, after ALT+TAB from full screen vertical sync.
But this last one you have described is mysterious. If LFS remains in a window and you move to another window, LFS CPU usage really should not go up. I wonder if this is a Windows 10 thing? Is this visible in any way using the frame info graph in Misc Options?
Some things I want to answer or ask more about...
This is now fixed in H5.
The "Sleep" column is the sleep milliseconds that are used for frame rate limitation. This takes place at the start of the game loop, before the physics updates. Also if "Sleep every frame" is set and there is no other Sleep or Wait then there will be 1 ms Sleep shown in this column. If you use frame rate limiting then you will normally see something in this column. Sleep is time deliberately given up to the operating system each frame because LFS doesn't need to do anything.
The "Phys" column shows the number of physics steps calculated in the frame, before moving onto drawing the visible representation of the game state. These are the physics steps that represent 0.01 seconds of game time. So if you have frame rate limited to 100 Hz and you are not paused then you should see one physics step per frame, which will look like a solid vertical orange line. (This column does *not* show milliseconds)
The "Wait" column is the number of milliseconds of Sleep while LFS is waiting for the GPU to finish rendering. If you do not limit frame rate then you may see something in this column. In that case you are more likely to see something if you set "Maximum buffered frames" to zero. LFS is then waiting for the GPU to finish before starting to render a new frame. If you use buffered frames then it may be you do not see anything in the Wait column. You should not add more buffered frames if there is no waiting, because it that case you would just be adding lag. If you use full screen vertical sync and you are in full screen mode then you will see Wait. In this case you are waiting for the GPU to present the image to the screen, just in time for the monitor refresh.
Just a count of game updates, as described above.
I don't get that stutter. It seems to seamlessly switch to LFS. I see a slight lack of Sleep in the graph but I don't get a visible stutter or lag. Could there be circumstances that produce the lag, like being online or having a lot of AI?
Yes, that is a known problem when you take certain lines on Open Configurations, it doesn't always switch quickly enough to the most appropriate path that knows which objects you should see from your location.
That is because of generating the Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters which must be cached on textures.
Looks like a crash address outside of LFS. Is there any way to reproduce this bug and get a call stack at the time of the crash, so I can track it back to LFS?
One thing I think you didn't mention - what is the frame rate in the new patch compared with the old? As some people said, LFS can draw using less CPU now and this means your graphics card can work harder as it's not just sitting around waiting for instructions. I guess you have a higher frame rate and this is why your card is getting hot. With the latest changes, I now recommend a limited frame rate. Better you decide what the frame rate should be and let the card have a little time off each frame, instead of just having the highest frame rate possible at all times (which will always vary depending on what you can see).
As mentioned, I can reproduce high CPU usage when minimised, after ALT+TAB from full screen vertical sync.
But this last one you have described is mysterious. If LFS remains in a window and you move to another window, LFS CPU usage really should not go up. I wonder if this is a Windows 10 thing? Is this visible in any way using the frame info graph in Misc Options?
Joining servers should not be affected, maybe a coincidental internet glitch at your end?
Yes, there will be tearing at 60 FPS because the frame update is not synced with the screen. The only way to avoid tearing is vertical sync, but if you do use vertical sync, don't use buffered frames as they will cause lag. It seems to me that 100 Hz is the best limit, because there is one physics update per frame.
Sleep every frame probably isn't needed except for people using unlimited frame rate and maybe things like having a single core CPU. Basically I don't think it is needed unless you get problems like Windows forgetting to pass messages, update internet, controllers etc... and this may not happen at all with modern OS or dual core CPU.
Has anyone tried the frame info graph? You can switch it on in Misc Options and if you click the car icon you can see it in game.
There is a good case for setting the frame rate to 100 Hz. This way, there is a read from the steering wheel for every physics calculation. Some people like higher frame rates for their own reasons. Anyway, it's interesting to see in the new moving bar chart which works well.
I had hoped to release test patch H5 this weekend but that issue with the transparent autocross objects not being visible until the optimise button is clicked has taken longer than expected. Rather than a quick fix I am working on a worthwhile improvement.
I had hoped to release test patch H5 this weekend but that issue with the transparent autocross objects not being visible until the optimise button is clicked has taken longer than expected. Rather than a quick fix I am working on a worthwhile improvement.
The entry screen music option is enabled when you first run this version because the audio options are stored in a more compact way and it doesn't read the old setting when it starts. Normally that music is switched off when you unlock.
Most of the benefit of the H4 restructure is seen in stereoscopic 3D modes, where around 5% to 10% of CPU time is saved in the render, due to sharing calculations between the two eye views. I think the main benefit from H3 to H4 in non-stereo views was the bug fix - those few buildings that were drawn a slow way. That may help a little with the frame rate drop in the 3 places, but not much as it was only a few of the buildings.
But still, so much is visible at those locations that it does still slow down. I have one more thing to try. I think for the objects with a low triangle count, the CPU is still wasting too much time deciding if those objects should be drawn, and sending a request to the card for their specific vertices and triangles to be drawn. I think it is worth trying a test of just grouping these lower detail objects into a mesh that is drawn complete every frame. This would certainly help CPU usage. I will need to experiment with the number of vertices that is the threshold between these smaller objects, and the larger objects that it is worth not drawing when they are not visible.
Physics is computed in single player replays.
The reason multithreading is not at the top of the imaginary priority list (although as you quoted, I did say "I'd like to do physics and graphics on separate threads at some point") is because it is very difficult and requires a huge restructure of the graphics and physics systems. It could take months, after dealing with the can of worms it would open. It simply has lower priority than the S3 content, track object shaders, the dynamic reflections on the cars, the tyre physics and rift support.
As far as I know, LFS has higher frame rate than other games, and it just isn't a serious problem at the moment.
Not only could it take months, but due to a historical mistake, I have two separate versions of LFS, a development version and a public version. I have to manually merge in all the changes from one into the other. Separate physics and graphics thread requires some complicated things like multiple, interpolatable, snapshots of previous physics states. It is so difficult and complicated that embarking on such a project, in full knowledge that I would have to merge the two versions at a later point, would be worse than insanity. So it seems like a thing for after the new tyre physics is released and I have a single code base to work with.
Last edited by Scawen, .
I get a frame rate drop at those same three places. Normally it doesn't affect things but for example in the Rift it will drop below 75 fps and that means stuttering.
I've written it down to take a close look if there's anything strange / buggy going on there. But it may not turn out to be anything really strange... a lot of scenery can be seen from those locations.
Those missing antialiasing functions... strange. In the code I see this means the D3D function "CheckDeviceMultiSampleType" is not indicating that there are any valid AA settings. When you set it in cfg.txt does it have any effect? Do you remember a version which did have these settings available in the options screen?
Well... in a sense they are not properly utilized... if you mean that LFS isn't taking advantage of multiple cores? I'd like to do physics and graphics on separate threads at some point, but it's a big restructure and is some way down the (imaginary) priority list.
On the other hand if we accept that this is a single thread program for now, it does seem that a lot of CPU is used at some points and this can use all available CPU power, so limiting the frame rate without fully loading the GPU. Seems to be related to the large number of objects at Westhill and LFS doesn't yet have the optimisations to deal with that. I'll have that closer look again at those specific places.
In your case, is there any noticeable change from H to H2 / H2 to H3 or does it all seem much the same?
TEST PATCH 0.6H2 (now H11)
NOTE : FULL VERSION 0.6J IS NOW AVAILABLE!
www.lfs.net/forum/thread/88217
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 : 0.6H11
It contains a good performance increase which is helpful at the new Westhill track.
Also there are more fixes and improvements including support for the Oculus Rift 0.6 runtime.
Entering Rift mode is now very simple : Options... View... 3D button at the top of the screen.
Do not force vertical sync in Rift mode as it would limit frame rate to monitor refresh rate.
SLI in Rift mode will probably cause a stuttering image - please disable SLI.
This test patch IS compatible with version 0.6H
This test patch CAN play replays from version 0.6H
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 0.6H so you can easily go back if there are any problems.
Changes from 0.6H10 to 0.6H11 :
Removed some debug code from the exe
Combined the test patch 0.6H2 to 0.6H6 change logs
More updated translations - thanks again translators
Changes from 0.6H6 to 0.6H10 :
Misc :
One more graphical optimisation for slightly higher frame rate
Z-buffer depth setting can now be changed without restarting LFS
Reduced some of the Z-buffer issues when using a 16 bit Z-buffer
Fixes for Windows 10 :
High CPU/GPU on ALT+TAB from full screen with vsync in Windows 10
Pause when exiting from replay or reaching end of List of Hosts
Changes from 0.6H to 0.6H6 :
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
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)
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS :
A FULL version of LFS 0.6H 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 : 0.6H11
DOWNLOADS :
NOTE : FULL VERSION 0.6J IS NOW AVAILABLE!
www.lfs.net/forum/thread/88217
PATCH 0.6H TO 0.6H11 (SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE) (if you already have 0.6H) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6H_TO_6H11.exe (1.3 MB)
PATCH 0.6H TO 0.6H11 (ALTERNATIVE ZIP) (if you already have 0.6H) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6H_TO_6H11.zip (1.5 MB)
www.lfs.net/forum/thread/88217
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 : 0.6H11
It contains a good performance increase which is helpful at the new Westhill track.
Also there are more fixes and improvements including support for the Oculus Rift 0.6 runtime.
Entering Rift mode is now very simple : Options... View... 3D button at the top of the screen.
Do not force vertical sync in Rift mode as it would limit frame rate to monitor refresh rate.
SLI in Rift mode will probably cause a stuttering image - please disable SLI.
This test patch IS compatible with version 0.6H
This test patch CAN play replays from version 0.6H
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 0.6H so you can easily go back if there are any problems.
Changes from 0.6H10 to 0.6H11 :
Removed some debug code from the exe
Combined the test patch 0.6H2 to 0.6H6 change logs
More updated translations - thanks again translators
Changes from 0.6H6 to 0.6H10 :
Misc :
One more graphical optimisation for slightly higher frame rate
Z-buffer depth setting can now be changed without restarting LFS
Reduced some of the Z-buffer issues when using a 16 bit Z-buffer
Fixes for Windows 10 :
High CPU/GPU on ALT+TAB from full screen with vsync in Windows 10
Pause when exiting from replay or reaching end of List of Hosts
Changes from 0.6H to 0.6H6 :
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
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)
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS :
A FULL version of LFS 0.6H 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 : 0.6H11
DOWNLOADS :
NOTE : FULL VERSION 0.6J IS NOW AVAILABLE!
www.lfs.net/forum/thread/88217
PATCH 0.6H TO 0.6H11 (SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE) (if you already have 0.6H) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6H_TO_6H11.exe (1.3 MB)
PATCH 0.6H TO 0.6H11 (ALTERNATIVE ZIP) (if you already have 0.6H) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6H_TO_6H11.zip (1.5 MB)
Last edited by Scawen, .
TEST PATCH 0.6G18 - New Westhill Circuit
WARNING : THIS IS A TEST
NOTE : THIS DOES NOT CONTAIN NEW TYRE PHYSICS
PLEASE TEST BEFORE YOU POST
NO OFF-TOPIC FEATURE REQUESTS
NO UNRELATED COMMENTS
Hello Racers, here is a new TEST PATCH : 0.6G18
It includes the new Westhill Circuit with additional configurations.
This test patch IS NOT compatible with version 0.6G
This test patch CAN play hotlap replays from version 0.6G
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 0.6G so you can easily go back if there are any problems.
Changes from 0.6G17 to 0.6G18 :
FIX : Bug in 90 degree versions of the concrete wedge objects
Changes from 0.6G14 to 0.6G17 :
Misc :
New Westhill track update with various fixes
Maximum multiplayer car draw distance up from 300 to 500
Off path side messages only shown with Network Debug enabled
More translations updated. Thank you translators!
Layouts :
Maximum autocross objects increased to 1800
New concrete objects Wedge and Short Slab Wall
Car shadows now appear on the concrete objects
Raised start positions now work with concrete objects
Up/down buttons beside checkpoint width / circle diameter
Custom pit stop box can now be used to repair car and refuel
Custom pit stop box disables pit lane and default pit stops
Interface buttons now drawn in front of the object buttons
InSim :
ISP_NCI packet added to give host more info about new guest
Fixes :
Coloured concrete often did not go back to grey in editor
InSim IS_REO packet was ignored if more than 32 players
Changes from 0.6G to 0.6G14 :
Westhill :
New version of Westhill with additional configurations
Full support for open configurations including access roads
Autocross Editor :
New adjustable concrete objects
Custom start positions and pit start points
Maximum autocross objects increased to 1500
Movable start lights included as an autocross object
Pressing S/F/1/2/3 when object is selected now moves it
Pressing S/F/1/2/3 when object exists is now more helpful
Clicking colour instantly changes selected tyres or chalk
Clicking marshall position instantly changes selected marshall
Improved the appearance of marshall circles in the editor
Route checker index numbers now start at 1 instead of 0
The W/E keys instantly adjust width, no need to press M
Floating object buttons shown with different colour
X/Y/Z positions are now shown and can be typed in
Right click on X/Y/Z to move in steps of 1 metre
SHIFT+click to snap to 1 metre grid
Tracks :
Increased max cars in race from 32 to 40
Increased AU Autocross grid from 16 to 20
Increased BL Rallycross grids from 24 to 30
Regenerated lightmaps and visible object lists on most tracks
Added paths at Fern Bay to cover road near Club and mini oval
AI drivers hit wall entering pit lane at SO Classic / Town
Removed a corner marker from some configurations at Aston
Some tyres at Kyoto National disabled in other configs
New commands :
/zero_all
- Reset all lap counters and checkpoints passed as if the race had
just been started. This removes checkpoints passed.
So using this command on the first lap, before the first
checkpoint is passed, has no effect. After the first
checkpoint there is an effect. The first lap will not be
counted. This is intended to help with a rolling start after
a parade lap.
/setlap username X
- X is positive : Set the lap that the user is currently on (as
seen at the top right, not the number of laps completed). This
does not affect checkpoints passed. This may help with a driver
who reconnects after an unintended disconnection.
- X is zero : Same as the /zero_all command but for one driver.
- X is negative : subtract from the number of laps, without
affecting checkpoints passed. This may be useful as a penalty.
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS :
A FULL version of LFS 0.6G (or later) 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 : 0.6G18
DOWNLOADS :
NOTE : If you already have the new Westhill (G14 or later) you can use the auto updater. Simply start
LFS and click for a List of Hosts and you will have the option to update to version 0.6G18.
PATCH 0.6G TO 0.6G18 (INSTALLER) (if you already have 0.6G) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6G_TO_6G18_setup.exe (140 MB)
NOTE : THIS DOES NOT CONTAIN NEW TYRE PHYSICS
PLEASE TEST BEFORE YOU POST
NO OFF-TOPIC FEATURE REQUESTS
NO UNRELATED COMMENTS
Hello Racers, here is a new TEST PATCH : 0.6G18
It includes the new Westhill Circuit with additional configurations.
This test patch IS NOT compatible with version 0.6G
This test patch CAN play hotlap replays from version 0.6G
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 0.6G so you can easily go back if there are any problems.
Changes from 0.6G17 to 0.6G18 :
FIX : Bug in 90 degree versions of the concrete wedge objects
Changes from 0.6G14 to 0.6G17 :
Misc :
New Westhill track update with various fixes
Maximum multiplayer car draw distance up from 300 to 500
Off path side messages only shown with Network Debug enabled
More translations updated. Thank you translators!
Layouts :
Maximum autocross objects increased to 1800
New concrete objects Wedge and Short Slab Wall
Car shadows now appear on the concrete objects
Raised start positions now work with concrete objects
Up/down buttons beside checkpoint width / circle diameter
Custom pit stop box can now be used to repair car and refuel
Custom pit stop box disables pit lane and default pit stops
Interface buttons now drawn in front of the object buttons
InSim :
ISP_NCI packet added to give host more info about new guest
Fixes :
Coloured concrete often did not go back to grey in editor
InSim IS_REO packet was ignored if more than 32 players
Changes from 0.6G to 0.6G14 :
Westhill :
New version of Westhill with additional configurations
Full support for open configurations including access roads
Autocross Editor :
New adjustable concrete objects
Custom start positions and pit start points
Maximum autocross objects increased to 1500
Movable start lights included as an autocross object
Pressing S/F/1/2/3 when object is selected now moves it
Pressing S/F/1/2/3 when object exists is now more helpful
Clicking colour instantly changes selected tyres or chalk
Clicking marshall position instantly changes selected marshall
Improved the appearance of marshall circles in the editor
Route checker index numbers now start at 1 instead of 0
The W/E keys instantly adjust width, no need to press M
Floating object buttons shown with different colour
X/Y/Z positions are now shown and can be typed in
Right click on X/Y/Z to move in steps of 1 metre
SHIFT+click to snap to 1 metre grid
Tracks :
Increased max cars in race from 32 to 40
Increased AU Autocross grid from 16 to 20
Increased BL Rallycross grids from 24 to 30
Regenerated lightmaps and visible object lists on most tracks
Added paths at Fern Bay to cover road near Club and mini oval
AI drivers hit wall entering pit lane at SO Classic / Town
Removed a corner marker from some configurations at Aston
Some tyres at Kyoto National disabled in other configs
New commands :
/zero_all
- Reset all lap counters and checkpoints passed as if the race had
just been started. This removes checkpoints passed.
So using this command on the first lap, before the first
checkpoint is passed, has no effect. After the first
checkpoint there is an effect. The first lap will not be
counted. This is intended to help with a rolling start after
a parade lap.
/setlap username X
- X is positive : Set the lap that the user is currently on (as
seen at the top right, not the number of laps completed). This
does not affect checkpoints passed. This may help with a driver
who reconnects after an unintended disconnection.
- X is zero : Same as the /zero_all command but for one driver.
- X is negative : subtract from the number of laps, without
affecting checkpoints passed. This may be useful as a penalty.
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS :
A FULL version of LFS 0.6G (or later) 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 : 0.6G18
DOWNLOADS :
NOTE : If you already have the new Westhill (G14 or later) you can use the auto updater. Simply start
LFS and click for a List of Hosts and you will have the option to update to version 0.6G18.
PATCH 0.6G TO 0.6G18 (INSTALLER) (if you already have 0.6G) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6G_TO_6G18_setup.exe (140 MB)
Last edited by Scawen, .
TEST PATCH 0.6G14 - New Westhill Circuit
WARNING : THIS IS A TEST
NOTE : THIS DOES NOT CONTAIN NEW TYRE PHYSICS
PLEASE TEST BEFORE YOU POST
NO OFF-TOPIC FEATURE REQUESTS
NO UNRELATED COMMENTS
Hello Racers, here is a new TEST PATCH : 0.6G14
EDIT - WE HAVE MOVED ONTO A NEW VERSION :
https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/87573-TEST-PATCH-0-6G17---New-Westhill-Circuit
It includes the new Westhill Circuit with additional configurations.
This test patch IS NOT compatible with version 0.6G
This test patch CAN play hotlap replays from version 0.6G
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 0.6G so you can easily go back if there are any problems.
Changes from 0.6G to 0.6G14 :
Westhill :
New version of Westhill with additional configurations
Full support for open configurations including access roads
Autocross Editor :
New adjustable concrete objects
Custom start positions and pit start points
Maximum autocross objects increased to 1500
Movable start lights included as an autocross object
Pressing S/F/1/2/3 when object is selected now moves it
Pressing S/F/1/2/3 when object exists is now more helpful
Clicking colour instantly changes selected tyres or chalk
Clicking marshall position instantly changes selected marshall
Improved the appearance of marshall circles in the editor
Route checker index numbers now start at 1 instead of 0
The W/E keys instantly adjust width, no need to press M
Floating object buttons shown with different colour
X/Y/Z positions are now shown and can be typed in
Right click on X/Y/Z to move in steps of 1 metre
SHIFT+click to snap to 1 metre grid
Tracks :
Increased max cars in race from 32 to 40
Increased AU Autocross grid from 16 to 20
Increased BL Rallycross grids from 24 to 30
Regenerated lightmaps and visible object lists on most tracks
Added paths at Fern Bay to cover road near Club and mini oval
AI drivers hit wall entering pit lane at SO Classic / Town
Removed a corner marker from some configurations at Aston
Some tyres at Kyoto National disabled in other configs
New commands :
/zero_all
- Reset all lap counters and checkpoints passed as if the race had
just been started. This removes checkpoints passed.
So using this command on the first lap, before the first
checkpoint is passed, has no effect. After the first
checkpoint there is an effect. The first lap will not be
counted. This is intended to help with a rolling start after
a parade lap.
/setlap username X
- X is positive : Set the lap that the user is currently on (as
seen at the top right, not the number of laps completed). This
does not affect checkpoints passed. This may help with a driver
who reconnects after an unintended disconnection.
- X is zero : Same as the /zero_all command but for one driver.
- X is negative : subtract from the number of laps, without
affecting checkpoints passed. This may be useful as a penalty.
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS :
A FULL version of LFS 0.6G (or later) 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 : 0.6G14
DOWNLOADS :
EDIT - DOWNLOAD REMOVED. WE HAVE MOVED ONTO A NEW VERSION :
https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/87573-TEST-PATCH-0-6G17---New-Westhill-Circuit
NOTE : THIS DOES NOT CONTAIN NEW TYRE PHYSICS
PLEASE TEST BEFORE YOU POST
NO OFF-TOPIC FEATURE REQUESTS
NO UNRELATED COMMENTS
Hello Racers, here is a new TEST PATCH : 0.6G14
EDIT - WE HAVE MOVED ONTO A NEW VERSION :
https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/87573-TEST-PATCH-0-6G17---New-Westhill-Circuit
It includes the new Westhill Circuit with additional configurations.
This test patch IS NOT compatible with version 0.6G
This test patch CAN play hotlap replays from version 0.6G
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 0.6G so you can easily go back if there are any problems.
Changes from 0.6G to 0.6G14 :
Westhill :
New version of Westhill with additional configurations
Full support for open configurations including access roads
Autocross Editor :
New adjustable concrete objects
Custom start positions and pit start points
Maximum autocross objects increased to 1500
Movable start lights included as an autocross object
Pressing S/F/1/2/3 when object is selected now moves it
Pressing S/F/1/2/3 when object exists is now more helpful
Clicking colour instantly changes selected tyres or chalk
Clicking marshall position instantly changes selected marshall
Improved the appearance of marshall circles in the editor
Route checker index numbers now start at 1 instead of 0
The W/E keys instantly adjust width, no need to press M
Floating object buttons shown with different colour
X/Y/Z positions are now shown and can be typed in
Right click on X/Y/Z to move in steps of 1 metre
SHIFT+click to snap to 1 metre grid
Tracks :
Increased max cars in race from 32 to 40
Increased AU Autocross grid from 16 to 20
Increased BL Rallycross grids from 24 to 30
Regenerated lightmaps and visible object lists on most tracks
Added paths at Fern Bay to cover road near Club and mini oval
AI drivers hit wall entering pit lane at SO Classic / Town
Removed a corner marker from some configurations at Aston
Some tyres at Kyoto National disabled in other configs
New commands :
/zero_all
- Reset all lap counters and checkpoints passed as if the race had
just been started. This removes checkpoints passed.
So using this command on the first lap, before the first
checkpoint is passed, has no effect. After the first
checkpoint there is an effect. The first lap will not be
counted. This is intended to help with a rolling start after
a parade lap.
/setlap username X
- X is positive : Set the lap that the user is currently on (as
seen at the top right, not the number of laps completed). This
does not affect checkpoints passed. This may help with a driver
who reconnects after an unintended disconnection.
- X is zero : Same as the /zero_all command but for one driver.
- X is negative : subtract from the number of laps, without
affecting checkpoints passed. This may be useful as a penalty.
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS :
A FULL version of LFS 0.6G (or later) 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 : 0.6G14
DOWNLOADS :
EDIT - DOWNLOAD REMOVED. WE HAVE MOVED ONTO A NEW VERSION :
https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/87573-TEST-PATCH-0-6G17---New-Westhill-Circuit
Last edited by Scawen, .
Thanks! 
We are at the stage of working late nights, finishing things, sorting out bugs stage...
We are confident you will find the Westhill update very enjoyable.
About the tyre physics, there are some good things about the new development model which improve the realism and feel. I'm looking forward to getting back onto it and getting it to a releasable state.
We are at the stage of working late nights, finishing things, sorting out bugs stage...
We are confident you will find the Westhill update very enjoyable.
About the tyre physics, there are some good things about the new development model which improve the realism and feel. I'm looking forward to getting back onto it and getting it to a releasable state.
I know the Scirocco is held up as the holy grail of cars by many people in the LFS community, but it's really just another front wheel drive car, although a nice sporty one. Bizarrely, our greatest ever mistake was the decision to give a release date for it. Ever since, people have held that against us. It doesn't matter how many times we apologise for it, people still come back with the same comment.
All I can say right now is that if you think the Scirocco is more important than the new Westhill, you are seriously mistaken. There is really a lot of fun to be had at the highly developed Westhill track!
The new version of Westhill is getting closer every day and it is not long now. You might as well forget about the Scirocco for the time being. That will be released when the new tyre physics is complete. That's what I'll be working on after Westhill is released.
TEST PATCH 0.6G3 (Open Configuration Support)
WARNING : THIS IS A TEST
NOTE : THIS DOES NOT CONTAIN NEW TYRE PHYSICS OR ANY NEW CONTENT
PLEASE TEST BEFORE YOU POST
NO OFF-TOPIC FEATURE REQUESTS
NO UNRELATED COMMENTS
Hello Racers, here is a new TEST PATCH : 0.6G3
Open configuration support has been improved as part of the new Westhill update we have been working on.
This test patch IS compatible with version 0.6G
This test patch CAN play replays from version 0.6G
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 0.6G so you can easily go back if there are any problems.
Changes from 0.6G2 to 0.6G3 :
Misc :
Regenerated lightmaps and visible object lists on most tracks
Added paths at Fern Bay to cover road near Club and mini oval
Fixes :
AI drivers hot wall entering pit lane at SO Classic / Town
Removed single-sided rectangle near the bridge at Fern Bay
Missing shadows on cars under bridges at Aston and Fern Bay
Shadows could appear on cars near path edges in open configs
Default lightmap sometimes used lighting from previous track
Removed message about 93 objects when loading Autocross track
Restored shadows mistakenly removed from South City buildings
Changing between reversed / forward configs - wrong lightmaps
Changes from 0.6G to 0.6G2 :
Open Configurations :
As part of the development for the Westhill track update that is
still in development, the support for Open track configurations
has been improved. When possible, LFS now uses a suitable path
from one of the default configurations so these things work :
- Hidden object removal gives high frame rates
- Lighting system now works so that car looks correct in shadow
- Echo maps are used so the sound changes depending on location
The X (forward) and Y (reversed) open configuration selection
buttons are now visible on the track selection screen.
Hidden object removal :
The visible objects are now detected using a much better method
than in older versions. Visible object files for the existing
tracks are provided in the patch. You should find there is now
very little pop-up of objects, but still with a high frame rate.
The visible object lists for the TV cameras are now stored in a
separate list per camera rather than being path based. So you
should no longer see objects disappearing occasionally when using
the replay / TV cameras.
Misc :
Collision detection improved near the ends of long objects
Translations :
Updated Italian, Lithuanian, Russian and Ukrainian translations
Updated Brazilian Portuguese version of docs\Commands.txt
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS :
A FULL version of LFS 0.6G (or later) 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 : 0.6G3
DOWNLOADS :
PATCH 0.6G TO 0.6G3 (SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE) (if you already have 0.6G) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6G_TO_6G3.exe (12.2 MB)
PATCH 0.6G TO 0.6G3 (ALTERNATIVE ZIP) (if you already have 0.6G) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6G_TO_6G3.zip (18.3 MB)
NOTE : THIS DOES NOT CONTAIN NEW TYRE PHYSICS OR ANY NEW CONTENT
PLEASE TEST BEFORE YOU POST
NO OFF-TOPIC FEATURE REQUESTS
NO UNRELATED COMMENTS
Hello Racers, here is a new TEST PATCH : 0.6G3
Open configuration support has been improved as part of the new Westhill update we have been working on.
This test patch IS compatible with version 0.6G
This test patch CAN play replays from version 0.6G
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 0.6G so you can easily go back if there are any problems.
Changes from 0.6G2 to 0.6G3 :
Misc :
Regenerated lightmaps and visible object lists on most tracks
Added paths at Fern Bay to cover road near Club and mini oval
Fixes :
AI drivers hot wall entering pit lane at SO Classic / Town
Removed single-sided rectangle near the bridge at Fern Bay
Missing shadows on cars under bridges at Aston and Fern Bay
Shadows could appear on cars near path edges in open configs
Default lightmap sometimes used lighting from previous track
Removed message about 93 objects when loading Autocross track
Restored shadows mistakenly removed from South City buildings
Changing between reversed / forward configs - wrong lightmaps
Changes from 0.6G to 0.6G2 :
Open Configurations :
As part of the development for the Westhill track update that is
still in development, the support for Open track configurations
has been improved. When possible, LFS now uses a suitable path
from one of the default configurations so these things work :
- Hidden object removal gives high frame rates
- Lighting system now works so that car looks correct in shadow
- Echo maps are used so the sound changes depending on location
The X (forward) and Y (reversed) open configuration selection
buttons are now visible on the track selection screen.
Hidden object removal :
The visible objects are now detected using a much better method
than in older versions. Visible object files for the existing
tracks are provided in the patch. You should find there is now
very little pop-up of objects, but still with a high frame rate.
The visible object lists for the TV cameras are now stored in a
separate list per camera rather than being path based. So you
should no longer see objects disappearing occasionally when using
the replay / TV cameras.
Misc :
Collision detection improved near the ends of long objects
Translations :
Updated Italian, Lithuanian, Russian and Ukrainian translations
Updated Brazilian Portuguese version of docs\Commands.txt
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS :
A FULL version of LFS 0.6G (or later) 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 : 0.6G3
DOWNLOADS :
PATCH 0.6G TO 0.6G3 (SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE) (if you already have 0.6G) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6G_TO_6G3.exe (12.2 MB)
PATCH 0.6G TO 0.6G3 (ALTERNATIVE ZIP) (if you already have 0.6G) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6G_TO_6G3.zip (18.3 MB)
Last edited by Scawen, .
There is really too much of this heavy stuff going on and it IS a waste of time. We are working on LFS and bringing the new track up to a new level. I could talk so much but it's all the same as I've said hundreds of times, so I will not. We all want physics and graphics updates. At the moment it's a really big graphical and functionality update and I've been right on the case, continuing the momentum from the graphical updates caused by the Rift DK2 which is a new experience and has inspired Eric as well. All graphical updates are now checked in the light of the 3D world inside the DK2. Something you seem to be very cynical about, cargame.nl, but you are simply wrong. The Rift is important, this is not the VR of the 1980s. This is VR that works, and works well with LFS.
There's no point in people coming here and throwing insults around. We'll just ban them, and get back to work. So what if I called some people talentless fools? If a person really has nothing better to do with their life than going on a forum and insulting people, then I am quite sad for them, and they really need to try to find something constructive to do with their life. Being a talentless fool may be temporary, or so I hope.
Again and again I say, we are working on this at the pace we like. We don't use the help of others because we like it this way. Just don't expect things out quickly. If you want more variety than is available in LFS, go and race in a different sim for a while. That is fine! Come and race when there is something new to try out. We sold you a license without time limits and you get free updates a few times a year, so we don't really need to be attacked for that.
And cargame.nl, please do stop coming here and insulting people. Your server provides some of the best racing and we don't want to kick you out. But you really do waste a lot of our time by insulting random people who ask an innocent question. The posts are reported and we have to come and deal with it. It's pointless. If you are in a bad mood, please keep away from here. I'd be grateful if you would change your avatar. A constant personal attack on me seems quite unfair really. Yes... it's personal, it has my name on it.
There's no point in people coming here and throwing insults around. We'll just ban them, and get back to work. So what if I called some people talentless fools? If a person really has nothing better to do with their life than going on a forum and insulting people, then I am quite sad for them, and they really need to try to find something constructive to do with their life. Being a talentless fool may be temporary, or so I hope.
Again and again I say, we are working on this at the pace we like. We don't use the help of others because we like it this way. Just don't expect things out quickly. If you want more variety than is available in LFS, go and race in a different sim for a while. That is fine! Come and race when there is something new to try out. We sold you a license without time limits and you get free updates a few times a year, so we don't really need to be attacked for that.
And cargame.nl, please do stop coming here and insulting people. Your server provides some of the best racing and we don't want to kick you out. But you really do waste a lot of our time by insulting random people who ask an innocent question. The posts are reported and we have to come and deal with it. It's pointless. If you are in a bad mood, please keep away from here. I'd be grateful if you would change your avatar. A constant personal attack on me seems quite unfair really. Yes... it's personal, it has my name on it.
Yes, we did post before.
Actually the idea was to do the quick "two configs" update on Westhill, in time for Christmas 2013. It has turned into something more.
Rockingham is nearly ready, that's true, but we don't think one track is enough to justify an upgrade to S3.
The plan was to get Westhill out as a quick update, then this year I would have done the tyre physics while Eric finished Rockingham and at least one more track, ready for S3 release.
Obviously, plans change and this time, they changed! Westhill became a much bigger thing so Eric has been on the case for an extra year on it.
A 'quick' 3D update turned into support for the Oculus Rift DK1. Then an overdue conversion to DX9 led to me finally learning how to do HLSL (for pixel and vertex shaders) so I was able to make the car draw a lot faster by using a single pass to draw each car instead of three passes. There is great potential for improvement of the car draw and the world, by updating the drawing system and taking advantage of programmable shaders. The Oculus Rift DK2 came out and that was seriously worth supporting. I don't want to hear what a waste of time that was, from anyone who hasn't tried it, because they can't imagine something better than looking at a monitor. The Rift gave us a very close look at the graphics and we were able to do the very significant update to get rid of many of the "alpha test" textures, most noticeable as an improvement to trees. It has been a productive year, though many people just forget the good things, because they still haven't got what they are waiting for, and also because they want something different, not just an improved version of what they already have.
Hope that explains why we are doing a Westhill update, until the next person asks the same question!
Last edited by Scawen, .
Exactly the same as we have said all the time. The past hasn't changed. We didn't release it, because it wasn't satisfactory, in our opinion, with the current LFS tyre physics. We had to use unrealistic setups to make it feel good. That's why I started on the new tyre physics.
I actually think you are just trying to annoy me with that comment. What on earth are you really talking about? Is this something to do with the fact that we still use DirectX 9?
Anyone who knows anything about DirectX understands that DX9 has enormous power that we are hardly using yet. It is absurd to suggest that it is not good enough for LFS. It does have great advantages over DX8.1, but there isn't any such leap from DX9 to later versions of DX, which are mainly designed to be deliberately incompatible, to force people onto later versions of Windows because MS has to resort to those kind of tactics. It does indeed have one advantage of being possible to use on XP and Linux, that is true. But it's not holiding us back in any way, except by making me waste valuable minutes trying to explain to people like you, who don't understand what DX9 actually is.
DX9 is not a hindrance.
You should try to think for yourself, instead of falling for this corporate advertising nonsense.
Oh... do you mean that only 10% of the community wants a new track?
How did you work out this statistic?
In my opinion the community wants firstly new tracks and secondly the new tyre physics. Actually loads of people want the "holy grail" Scirocco. But it's just a medium powered front wheel drive road car... most significant thing about the Scirocco is it kick started the development of the new tyre physics model, which will be really nice to drive when I can get it out there. in the meantime we're sorting out some tracks for people to drive.
But you are right, we'll do what we think is best. If people want to use other sims, that is fine, really that is just fine! We want people to have fun doing what they like to do!
I'm looking forward to seeing an increase in online activity when the new track is out, so we're working to sort that out as quickly as we can, up to a good standard (the best standard of any track we have done).
Hi Mawgly, thanks for the feedback and I'm pleased it is mainly working well.
The AI drivers can use a lot of CPU power for their physics, and a lot of GPU power to draw them, so either of these could slow down the frame rate. It's hard to know which is the main problem, but if you could tell us details of your CPU and graphics card then maybe someone would have an idea. If the CPU is the problem, you may have better results going online. Your computer does not need to process full detail physics for all the remote drivers when you are online. So if your CPU is limited, that may help. If you press "P" (in single player) to pause LFS and the frame rate is still low, that suggests your graphics card can't handle drawing so many AI cars. Some people should upgrade their graphics card to help with the Rift, and it may not be very expensive compared with the price of a Rift.
The AI drivers can use a lot of CPU power for their physics, and a lot of GPU power to draw them, so either of these could slow down the frame rate. It's hard to know which is the main problem, but if you could tell us details of your CPU and graphics card then maybe someone would have an idea. If the CPU is the problem, you may have better results going online. Your computer does not need to process full detail physics for all the remote drivers when you are online. So if your CPU is limited, that may help. If you press "P" (in single player) to pause LFS and the frame rate is still low, that suggests your graphics card can't handle drawing so many AI cars. Some people should upgrade their graphics card to help with the Rift, and it may not be very expensive compared with the price of a Rift.
The way we work is the reason why LFS is like it is. Think of it that way. And the things you want may be there in the end, only you'll have to wait a few more years than you want to.
EDIT: The online activity has reduced in recent times while people wait for new content. There's still some good racing there though but not nearly what we want to see. The Westhill patch should definitely improve that at least for a while. But it is the additional content and new tyre physics we are working on, that will cause a more prolonged step up in activity.
EDIT: The online activity has reduced in recent times while people wait for new content. There's still some good racing there though but not nearly what we want to see. The Westhill patch should definitely improve that at least for a while. But it is the additional content and new tyre physics we are working on, that will cause a more prolonged step up in activity.
Last edited by Scawen, .
Money won't get things done in our case. Eric and I have worked in game companies before and we prefer our way of doing things. We work from home, as inspiration takes us. It's not about deadlines, running a company, keeping the income high, paying the staff, interviewing people, firing lazy people and all those nasty things that come in. We aren't interested in that, at all. What happens if you go down that route is you start looking at what can make the most money, as you have to, to pay all the staff. We don't subscribe to this twisted capitalist view that the purpose of life is to make the most money possible. We just want to work from home, at our own pace, getting all the things done that we want to do. It takes longer than everyone hopes, but we keep on going. LFS isn't here today and gone tomorrow like most games.
EDIT: We are interested in the idea of open (or limited release) editors, with moderated content, in some way, paid or unpaid but it's not going to happen with an S2 license. We need to get to the S3 license and updated tyre physics, some sort of stable level before opening up things to the S3 licensed users. It's not a finished product and it is not ready for community development support. That is a big subject and this isn't really the place to discuss it, as it has nothing to do with this test patch.
EDIT: We are interested in the idea of open (or limited release) editors, with moderated content, in some way, paid or unpaid but it's not going to happen with an S2 license. We need to get to the S3 license and updated tyre physics, some sort of stable level before opening up things to the S3 licensed users. It's not a finished product and it is not ready for community development support. That is a big subject and this isn't really the place to discuss it, as it has nothing to do with this test patch.
Last edited by Scawen, .
I'm not sure but I think that is because the physics updates are at 100 Hz but the frame rate is at 75 Hz. So there are 4 physics updates every 3 graphical frames. That means you have 2 frames with one physics update each and then one frame with 2 physics updates in it.
There is a possible solution for this but I'm not planning on tackling it soon because it's hard to do and there are higher priorities. That involves storing states of all cars and world objects between physics updates so that a frame can be displayed at times other than at the 0.01 second intervals.
There is a possible solution for this but I'm not planning on tackling it soon because it's hard to do and there are higher priorities. That involves storing states of all cars and world objects between physics updates so that a frame can be displayed at times other than at the 0.01 second intervals.
Oh you mean, like, "This is totally screwed, and I know why, let's get it tested, divide the community and ruin online racing"...
Why? Test patches are to get things tested, not to get fatally flawed things out there and destroy online racing. The tyre physics is far from complete.
It's just absolutely ridiculous. It would be like Eric releasing a Westhill test when he had done a rough version of half the track and no scenery, to get it tested. Why would he?
Why? Test patches are to get things tested, not to get fatally flawed things out there and destroy online racing. The tyre physics is far from complete.
It's just absolutely ridiculous. It would be like Eric releasing a Westhill test when he had done a rough version of half the track and no scenery, to get it tested. Why would he?
Some people can't understand why we don't release the tyre physics, even though it feels good.
Well that is because it has FATAL FLAWS!!!
You know when the physics is wrong in a game, there are EXPLOITS.
So you could do stupid settings or drive in a stupid way and win the race by far over the people who use it as intended.
If you still think we should release the tyre physics as they are right now, just try to understand, it would kill online racing to the point where there would not be a single ordinary user online, just a handful of exploiters trying to out-exploit each other.
Hope that helps you to understand!
The tyre physics will never be "finished" but the thing to do is to get them to a very reasonable state, reacting to conditions and settings within a few percent of reality.
It can't be that hard to understand, that it's not ready for release, can it?
P.S. We won't leave the old Westhill in there. It is a maintenance issue. You can download the old version and use that.
Well that is because it has FATAL FLAWS!!!
You know when the physics is wrong in a game, there are EXPLOITS.
So you could do stupid settings or drive in a stupid way and win the race by far over the people who use it as intended.
If you still think we should release the tyre physics as they are right now, just try to understand, it would kill online racing to the point where there would not be a single ordinary user online, just a handful of exploiters trying to out-exploit each other.
Hope that helps you to understand!
The tyre physics will never be "finished" but the thing to do is to get them to a very reasonable state, reacting to conditions and settings within a few percent of reality.
It can't be that hard to understand, that it's not ready for release, can it?
P.S. We won't leave the old Westhill in there. It is a maintenance issue. You can download the old version and use that.
No Timewarp yet and I'm not sure about it yet. The need to actually wait for the the Timewarp point (just before the vertical sync) is hard to deal with. If we just waited "stupidly" then there would be no physics calculation at all while the GPU did its drawing, then the GPU would do nothing during the physics calculation. Quite a bit of code rearrangement is needed so that the physics can carry on while we wait for the Timewarp point. And you can't risk missing the Timewarp point... so careful CPU time calculations would be needed, if I kind of hacked it into the current LFS structure. It sounds more suited to a multithreaded system where physics and graphics are on different threads.
I'm not convinced of the need for Timewarp in LFS at the moment. The predicted head position is so accurate, the image always seems to be in the right place.
Anyway that SSE4.1 requirement sounds like a reason to upgrade, but I'll let people try it out with other demos, don't want to risk breaking LFS right now, using an SDK that's still warm!
I think it's unlikely that is related to the new runtime, because the graphics is through DirectX rather than Rift drivers. But I have not heard of that... I think we need to hear from anyone else who has used the new runtime. Does your version work normally, in 2D mode?
TEST PATCH 0.6F12 (Rift DK2)
NOTE : FULL VERSION 0.6G IS NOW AVAILABLE!
www.lfs.net/forum/thread/86559
WARNING : THIS IS A TEST
NOTE : THIS DOES NOT CONTAIN NEW TYRE PHYSICS OR ANY NEW CONTENT
PLEASE TEST BEFORE YOU POST
NO OFF-TOPIC FEATURE REQUESTS
NO UNRELATED COMMENTS
Hello Racers, here is a new TEST PATCH : 0.6F12
This test patch is fully compatible with version 0.6F
It contains :
- Support for Oculus Rift DK2
- Two new 3D modes
- Draws cars in a single pass, improving frame rate
- Loading textures with the wrong format or too few mipmaps, they are now resaved for a faster load time. Thanks DANIEL-CRO!
- Many more updates - please read the lists of changes below...
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 0.6F so you can easily go back if there are any problems
Changes from 0.6F11 to 0.6F12 :
Oculus Rift :
New 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)
InSim :
New packet IS_HCP to add extra mass or intake restrictions
to particular cars (affects all drivers using those cars)
Misc :
Minor update to LFS_restart.exe suggesting run as administrator
Updated Translations :
Nearly all translations are now updated - Thank you!
TIPS :
1) How to get LFS running on your Rift DK2 :
- Oculus Configuration Utility - Set your Rift to extended mode
- Windows Display - use extended desktop mode (not duplicated)
- Set the DK2 to rotated mode in Windows (sometimes confusingly called portrait)
- Check that the DK2 part of the desktop has the correct orientation
- Start LFS and click 3D on the View Options Screen
- Select Oculus Rift and click OK
- You should be given the option to exit, ready to restart in Rift mode
- Start LFS again after exiting in that way
2) To reset your seating position, there is a text command /rift reset which 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) If, for any reason, LFS ends up on the Rift in 2D mode or with a black screen, you can get it back like this :
- Press ALT+F4 to exit LFS
- Delete the file "card_cfg.txt" in your LFS folder, so LFS starts up on the primary device (usually your monitor)
- After starting LFS again you can try to enter 3D mode again
4) Accessing your desktop while LFS is on the Rift.
- You will probably 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
- When you click on a window on your desktop, LFS will be minimised
- To go back into the Rift, click on Live for Speed in your taskbar
Changes from 0.6F10 to 0.6F11 :
Oculus Rift :
If you try to enter 3D mode when the Rift is not in extended mode,
and get the message to restart LFS with the Rift in extended mode,
it is now possible to go into a window (SHIFT+F4) and set your
Rift to extended mode then click 3D to try to enter Rift mode
again without exiting LFS, so avoiding one exit and restart.
Changes from 0.6F9 to 0.6F10 :
Graphics :
Fixed bug at Aston where nearby tree line obscured background
Fixed small lines appearing in the air above some Aston trees
Oculus Rift :
LFSORDLL.dll rebuilt using SDK 0.4.2 (requires runtime update)
Removed 3 ways to enter Rift mode on your monitor by mistake
Changes from 0.6F8 to 0.6F9 :
Graphics :
Improved edges of transparent objects like trees and railings
Re-exported all transparent textures to improve image quality
Texture names ending ATEST / ALPHA / ALP24 all now end _ALP
If you do not install new textures, old ones will be converted
Oculus Rift :
Tracking setup now allows camera to be in an offset position
Yaw reset (normally F8 key) should now work again with DK1
Misc :
Names above cars (N key) now work as expected on oval, etc.
Cars now drawn in nearest to furthest order for optimisation
CTRL+S screenshot message now stays for 2 seconds instead of 1
FIX : Misplaced accents on capital letters in names above cars
Changes from 0.6F7 to 0.6F8 :
Implemented Oculus Rift health & safety warning at startup
Option to store driving position (avoids setting it every time)
Changes from 0.6F6 to 0.6F7 :
Graphical :
Removed / reduced some texture related graphical issues
Textures are automatically resaved (if needed) for faster load
Low res textures now load just as quickly as high res textures
FIX : Graphics options sometimes showed too many FSAA options
Misc :
Anisotropic filtering (AF) now default 4x
Mip bias sliders saved differently in cfg.txt
- You must set your mip bias and AF values again
Increased maximum value of multiplayer draw distance
Oculus Rift :
Mip bias sliders are available in Rift mode again (separate)
LFS starts up in windowed mode on desktop if unable to open Rift
Steer look and mouse look options are now disabled in Rift mode
Windows error message is displayed if the DLL cannot be loaded
Recompiled Oculus DLL now depends on fewer external libraries
FIX : Arcade view and helicopter view now work as expected
FIX : Button look and Pitch / Rotate view now work in Rift mode
FIX : Names above cars (N key) now stay still when view rolls
Changes from 0.6F5 to 0.6F6 :
Replay TV camera view is now displayed on a virtual monitor
3D level of the replay cameras adjustable from 0% to 100%
Changes from 0.6F4 to 0.6F5 :
Misc :
Frame rate limit now disabled if vertical sync is active
Oculus Rift :
Implemented chromatic aberration correction (pixel shader)
Simplified head yaw is transmitted in multiplayer packets
FIX : Low persistence setting could be out of sync with Rift
Changes from 0.6F3 to 0.6F4 :
Misc :
Driver's body is now enabled by default
Reduced input lag when vertical sync is enabled
Oculus Rift :
Predicted head position is used with vertical sync
Enabled low persistence display mode (on by default)
More helpful and better looking multiple selection dialog
LFS will now start up on default device if Rift is not found
Helpful message if detected Rift has wrong screen orientation
Position is retained if headset moves out of tracking range
Single mip bias slider when in Rift mode
Changes from 0.6F2 to 0.6F3 :
First version with Oculus Rift DK2 support
FIX : Sometimes the wrong mip bias setting was used e.g. on text
FIX : LFS crashed if an out of bounds entry was typed in 3D dialog
Changes from 0.6F to 0.6F2 :
Two new 3D formats in TV / monitor /projector mode :
- red-cyan anaglyph
cheap red-cyan glasses are required
more expensive glasses can correct red (left) eye focus
colour perception is reduced and different in each eye
do not use this mode for a long time
- cross-eyed view
no equipment needed
the 3D world appears small
right eye looks at left image / left eye looks at right image
this is difficult for some people (with normal vision)
stop immediately if you feel any discomfort
do not use this mode for a long time
Skin downloading when watching a replay :
If a car or helmet skin in a replay is not available at LFS World
when you start the replay (with low or high res skins selected)
but you already have the skin in the other resolution then that
skin in the other resolution will be used instead of a plain car
Fixes :
Crash when using a wheel button assigned to /rift toggle command
Crash when pressing e.g. F8 when /press F8 was assigned to F8 key
Graphics :
New car shaders give higher frame rate when many cars on screen
FIX : Car lighting momentarily vertical as car entered a shadow
Misc :
Updated Estonian and Serbian translations
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS :
A full version of LFS 0.6F must already be installed - www.lfs.net
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. At the bottom of the entry screen : 0.6F12
DOWNLOAD : VERSION 0.6F MUST ALREADY BE INSTALLED
NOTE : FULL VERSION 0.6G IS NOW AVAILABLE!
www.lfs.net/forum/thread/86559
IF YOU HAVE NOT INSTALLED CUSTOM TEXTURES
TEST PATCH 0.6F12 WITH NEW TEXTURES (SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6F_TO_6F12_TEX.exe (15 MB)
TEST PATCH 0.6F12 WITH NEW TEXTURES (ALTERNATIVE ZIP) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6F_TO_6F12_TEX.zip (19 MB)
IF YOU HAVE INSTALLED CUSTOM TEXTURES
TEST PATCH 0.6F12 WITHOUT NEW TEXTURES (SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6F_TO_6F12_NOTEX.exe (1.5 MB)
TEST PATCH 0.6F12 WITHOUT NEW TEXTURES (ALTERNATIVE ZIP) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6F_TO_6F12_NOTEX.zip (1.8 MB)
FOR HOSTING ONLY
DEDICATED HOST 0.6F12 (non-graphical version for hosting only) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_S2_DCON_6F12.zip (1.5 MB)
www.lfs.net/forum/thread/86559
WARNING : THIS IS A TEST
NOTE : THIS DOES NOT CONTAIN NEW TYRE PHYSICS OR ANY NEW CONTENT
PLEASE TEST BEFORE YOU POST
NO OFF-TOPIC FEATURE REQUESTS
NO UNRELATED COMMENTS
Hello Racers, here is a new TEST PATCH : 0.6F12
This test patch is fully compatible with version 0.6F
It contains :
- Support for Oculus Rift DK2
- Two new 3D modes
- Draws cars in a single pass, improving frame rate
- Loading textures with the wrong format or too few mipmaps, they are now resaved for a faster load time. Thanks DANIEL-CRO!
- Many more updates - please read the lists of changes below...
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 0.6F so you can easily go back if there are any problems
Changes from 0.6F11 to 0.6F12 :
Oculus Rift :
New 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)
InSim :
New packet IS_HCP to add extra mass or intake restrictions
to particular cars (affects all drivers using those cars)
Misc :
Minor update to LFS_restart.exe suggesting run as administrator
Updated Translations :
Nearly all translations are now updated - Thank you!
TIPS :
1) How to get LFS running on your Rift DK2 :
- Oculus Configuration Utility - Set your Rift to extended mode
- Windows Display - use extended desktop mode (not duplicated)
- Set the DK2 to rotated mode in Windows (sometimes confusingly called portrait)
- Check that the DK2 part of the desktop has the correct orientation
- Start LFS and click 3D on the View Options Screen
- Select Oculus Rift and click OK
- You should be given the option to exit, ready to restart in Rift mode
- Start LFS again after exiting in that way
2) To reset your seating position, there is a text command /rift reset which 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) If, for any reason, LFS ends up on the Rift in 2D mode or with a black screen, you can get it back like this :
- Press ALT+F4 to exit LFS
- Delete the file "card_cfg.txt" in your LFS folder, so LFS starts up on the primary device (usually your monitor)
- After starting LFS again you can try to enter 3D mode again
4) Accessing your desktop while LFS is on the Rift.
- You will probably 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
- When you click on a window on your desktop, LFS will be minimised
- To go back into the Rift, click on Live for Speed in your taskbar
Changes from 0.6F10 to 0.6F11 :
Oculus Rift :
If you try to enter 3D mode when the Rift is not in extended mode,
and get the message to restart LFS with the Rift in extended mode,
it is now possible to go into a window (SHIFT+F4) and set your
Rift to extended mode then click 3D to try to enter Rift mode
again without exiting LFS, so avoiding one exit and restart.
Changes from 0.6F9 to 0.6F10 :
Graphics :
Fixed bug at Aston where nearby tree line obscured background
Fixed small lines appearing in the air above some Aston trees
Oculus Rift :
LFSORDLL.dll rebuilt using SDK 0.4.2 (requires runtime update)
Removed 3 ways to enter Rift mode on your monitor by mistake
Changes from 0.6F8 to 0.6F9 :
Graphics :
Improved edges of transparent objects like trees and railings
Re-exported all transparent textures to improve image quality
Texture names ending ATEST / ALPHA / ALP24 all now end _ALP
If you do not install new textures, old ones will be converted
Oculus Rift :
Tracking setup now allows camera to be in an offset position
Yaw reset (normally F8 key) should now work again with DK1
Misc :
Names above cars (N key) now work as expected on oval, etc.
Cars now drawn in nearest to furthest order for optimisation
CTRL+S screenshot message now stays for 2 seconds instead of 1
FIX : Misplaced accents on capital letters in names above cars
Changes from 0.6F7 to 0.6F8 :
Implemented Oculus Rift health & safety warning at startup
Option to store driving position (avoids setting it every time)
Changes from 0.6F6 to 0.6F7 :
Graphical :
Removed / reduced some texture related graphical issues
Textures are automatically resaved (if needed) for faster load
Low res textures now load just as quickly as high res textures
FIX : Graphics options sometimes showed too many FSAA options
Misc :
Anisotropic filtering (AF) now default 4x
Mip bias sliders saved differently in cfg.txt
- You must set your mip bias and AF values again
Increased maximum value of multiplayer draw distance
Oculus Rift :
Mip bias sliders are available in Rift mode again (separate)
LFS starts up in windowed mode on desktop if unable to open Rift
Steer look and mouse look options are now disabled in Rift mode
Windows error message is displayed if the DLL cannot be loaded
Recompiled Oculus DLL now depends on fewer external libraries
FIX : Arcade view and helicopter view now work as expected
FIX : Button look and Pitch / Rotate view now work in Rift mode
FIX : Names above cars (N key) now stay still when view rolls
Changes from 0.6F5 to 0.6F6 :
Replay TV camera view is now displayed on a virtual monitor
3D level of the replay cameras adjustable from 0% to 100%
Changes from 0.6F4 to 0.6F5 :
Misc :
Frame rate limit now disabled if vertical sync is active
Oculus Rift :
Implemented chromatic aberration correction (pixel shader)
Simplified head yaw is transmitted in multiplayer packets
FIX : Low persistence setting could be out of sync with Rift
Changes from 0.6F3 to 0.6F4 :
Misc :
Driver's body is now enabled by default
Reduced input lag when vertical sync is enabled
Oculus Rift :
Predicted head position is used with vertical sync
Enabled low persistence display mode (on by default)
More helpful and better looking multiple selection dialog
LFS will now start up on default device if Rift is not found
Helpful message if detected Rift has wrong screen orientation
Position is retained if headset moves out of tracking range
Single mip bias slider when in Rift mode
Changes from 0.6F2 to 0.6F3 :
First version with Oculus Rift DK2 support
FIX : Sometimes the wrong mip bias setting was used e.g. on text
FIX : LFS crashed if an out of bounds entry was typed in 3D dialog
Changes from 0.6F to 0.6F2 :
Two new 3D formats in TV / monitor /projector mode :
- red-cyan anaglyph
cheap red-cyan glasses are required
more expensive glasses can correct red (left) eye focus
colour perception is reduced and different in each eye
do not use this mode for a long time
- cross-eyed view
no equipment needed
the 3D world appears small
right eye looks at left image / left eye looks at right image
this is difficult for some people (with normal vision)
stop immediately if you feel any discomfort
do not use this mode for a long time
Skin downloading when watching a replay :
If a car or helmet skin in a replay is not available at LFS World
when you start the replay (with low or high res skins selected)
but you already have the skin in the other resolution then that
skin in the other resolution will be used instead of a plain car
Fixes :
Crash when using a wheel button assigned to /rift toggle command
Crash when pressing e.g. F8 when /press F8 was assigned to F8 key
Graphics :
New car shaders give higher frame rate when many cars on screen
FIX : Car lighting momentarily vertical as car entered a shadow
Misc :
Updated Estonian and Serbian translations
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS :
A full version of LFS 0.6F must already be installed - www.lfs.net
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. At the bottom of the entry screen : 0.6F12
DOWNLOAD : VERSION 0.6F MUST ALREADY BE INSTALLED
NOTE : FULL VERSION 0.6G IS NOW AVAILABLE!
www.lfs.net/forum/thread/86559
IF YOU HAVE NOT INSTALLED CUSTOM TEXTURES
TEST PATCH 0.6F12 WITH NEW TEXTURES (SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6F_TO_6F12_TEX.exe (15 MB)
TEST PATCH 0.6F12 WITH NEW TEXTURES (ALTERNATIVE ZIP) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6F_TO_6F12_TEX.zip (19 MB)
IF YOU HAVE INSTALLED CUSTOM TEXTURES
TEST PATCH 0.6F12 WITHOUT NEW TEXTURES (SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6F_TO_6F12_NOTEX.exe (1.5 MB)
TEST PATCH 0.6F12 WITHOUT NEW TEXTURES (ALTERNATIVE ZIP) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6F_TO_6F12_NOTEX.zip (1.8 MB)
FOR HOSTING ONLY
DEDICATED HOST 0.6F12 (non-graphical version for hosting only) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_S2_DCON_6F12.zip (1.5 MB)
Last edited by Scawen, .
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