Quote from Motörhead V8 :

any idea when the cup starts, and the interval between rounds ?

Hi from Austria,

it would also be helpful to make our decision (if we enter or not) to know the dates on which the races should take place. Or at least what could be already said, like which weekday or how the dates will be decided.

It's because we have already a tight schedule and need to find out, if it fits in somehow.

Thanks & kr
Lion

Yeah! Let's do it the other way round.
Has anyone a big enough garden to build Blackwood in it?

Quote from MaKaKaZo :

So even if you can FF about 2 hours in 5 minutes like someone said above you'll sitll have to unfreeze it 4 times (one each 70 seconds?)

No, you only have to unfreeze it once, if the forwarding takes longer than 70 seconds. Because it freezes at the end of the forwarding.

Sorry for the broken links this week. I took the server off-line as a precaution, because there was renovation work going on at the server location. But it is back on-line again and the link should work.

@Highsider9: Thanks for pointing out, that it can be downloaded also at http://www.lfs-database.com. I will add this information also to the first post.

Quote from DarkTimes :

If LFS is killing the conn, are you sure you are responding to the keep-alive while your program is busy? Or maybe I've misunderstood...

Not my prorgram is busy, LFS is. And while it is, it is not reacting to anything I send: neither to responses to keep alive packets (Tiny NONE) nor does it answer my keep alive packets (Tiny PING).

Hello Scaven,

I ran into an issue while doing an insim tool I called LFS fast forward.
It uses time step requests to forward a replay to a specified time.

To get to the problem, I quickly explain, how it works:
1. I stop LFS with a time stop request
2. I forward with a time step request
LFS doesn't tell me, when time step is finished, but luckily LFS only queues any further requests until time step is finished (or jinsim does the queueing - not sure). So I can immediately do the following:
3. I send a singlecharacter request with key P to pause the game
4. And I send a time stop request to unfreeze the replay.

Works fine, because 3 and 4 are done after 2 is completed, so the replay is waiting in pause for the user to watch at the correct time stamp.

But if the time step request execution lasts longer than the 70 second time out, there is a problem. Because immediately after time step is finished, LFS kills the connection with the reason time out. So my connection is lost and the user get's a frozen replay, because the steps 3 and 4 are also not processed.

I tested it with Patch W and Patch X, no X test patches yet. But I haven't seen any update notes, which indicate a fix to that problem.

It's not an urgent issue for me (did a workaround) - just wanted you to know.

Thanks & kr
Martin

It had to do with the connection issue. Unfortunately, the problem is in LFS, so all I could do is a workaround.

The replay freezes, if forwarding takes longer than 70 seconds with Patch X or 2 minutes with Patch W. I added an unfreeze command to fix that.

I cannot unfreeze it automatically, because I have no information, when LFS finishes forwarding.

Adding a watchdog to find out, when LFS is frozen would be possible. Also to forward in small jumps. But both is a bit tricky and I didn't intend to invest too much into this little tool. Have bigger tools in mind . So I hope this fix is good enough.

I intend also to forward the issue to Scawen. Maybe he does a fix that helps out. But it's a bit crititcal, because the bug is at the same time the feature lfsff lives of.

kr
Lion

PS: For download of new version see 1st post of this thread.

Last edited by TheBlackLion, Sun, 1 Jul 2007 17:57.

Quote from r4ptor :

Ah,got to 2h mark now.. I can change cars and angles, but not resume the replay

Just noticed the dos prompt scrolling like crazy, repeating this:

"java.io.IOException: An existing connection was forcibly closed by the remote host
at sun.nio.ch.SocketDispatcher.read0(Native Method)
at sun.nio.ch.SocketDispatcher.read(Unknown Source)
at sun.nio.ch.IOUtil.readIntoNativeBuffer(Unknown Source)
at sun.nio.ch.IOUtil.read(Unknown Source)
at sun.nio.ch.SocketChannelImpl.read(Unknown Source)
at org.kerf.jinsim.TCPChannel.receive(TCPChannel.java:36)
at org.kerf.jinsim.AbstractChannel.run(AbstractChannel.java:57)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)"

LFS does say "InSim timeout : LFSFastForward", but I'm not sure why.

For one it seems the keep alive mechanism is not working properly.
The problem with the frozen replay may have to do with it. If not, LFS seems to forget the unfreeze command.

Maybe I can do something about the freeze problem quickly, but the keep alive issue may be hard to track.

Quote from Shotglass :

btw theres a small typo in the readme:
2. Activate insim by typing /insim=<port> (<port> has to be the same port as in config.xml, e.g. 30000)

Fixed that, thanks.

Patch X version of LFS fast forward is available.
You can find it here: 472261.

All future conversation regarding my tool should also be done there.

kr
Lion

Hi,

I did a quick'n'dirty tool called LFS fast forward. It's purpose is to improve the handling of replays for movie makers or race marshals.

What it can do is to load a replay, forward it a number of specified seconds and pauses the game there.

It also supports three in-game command: skip, goto and unfreeze.

/o skip n ... forwards the replay n seconds
/o goto n ... goto second n of the replay. If n is in the past, it reloads the replay to do so.
/o unfreeze ... workaround needed because of a connection issue. Use this, if the replay is stuck after forwarding to make it work again.

Please also check the readme.txt for more details.

Actual version: 0.4.1
Version for Patch X: LFSff 0.5X-0.4.1
Version for Patch W: LFSff 0.5W-0.4.1

For some history about the genesis of the tool check the threads 444101 and 374133.

Note: Since the tool is meanwhile made obsolete by LFS built-in features, the development of the next version (1.0) has been halted.

kr
Lion

Last edited by TheBlackLion, Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:38. Reason : Discontinuation remark

New Version 0.4 for Patch W and Patch X available.

Download LFSFastForward 0.5X-0.4
Download LFSFastForward 0.5W-0.4

Main changes:
- Supports LFS with patch X
- Sound is disabled during forwarding to increase forwarding speed (about 10%)

I opend a thread in the addons section. All future conversation regarding my tool should be done there: 472261

kr
Lion

Last edited by TheBlackLion, Sun, 1 Jul 2007 00:11.

Just want to add, that the real Nürburgring has 6 configurations - shortest 1.5km and longest the Nordschleife with more than 20km.

So it would also fit nicely into the concept of LFS tracks (if you ignore Westhill)

Quote from FL!P :

Once the user selected a replay in LFS, it will remain selected. So if you could simply tell LFS to stop the current replay and start the selected one, it would restart it and you wouldn't need to know its name.

Close to a good idea again.
The problem is, that I cannot start a replay without providing it's name, except by clicking on the buttons with the mouse.

Quote from FL!P :

About controlling the F2/F3 keys via program, maybe you could try using AutoKey, AutoIt, or something like these. Both allow to simulate key presses and to save your script as a standalone executable so the user doesn't have to install anything to use them.

It's possible to send keypresses using InSim. Just not sure, if special keys work somehow. And I know about this tools, but I want to stick with InSim only. For once this solutions are not that reliable as an API.

Second, it is currenty possible to have lfsff and LFS running on two different PCs and let them communicate over LAN. Won't work if I'm using anything else to interact with LFS. And comes in handy, when I want to run LFS in full screen. Otherwhise: shift-F4, find lfsff windows, start lfsff, go back to LFS screen, shift F4 again. I admit, with the new in-game command support not that big of a problem anymore.

Quote from FL!P :

Can't wait to try it! Unfortunately I no longer have a W install.

The problem is, I have no documented version of jinsim for Patch X (Brilwing changed a lot). Tried to get the source code, but the on I got seems not to be the right one.
I have a phone conference with Brilwing tomorrow anyway, so with some luck, Patch X version will be available until tomorrow night.[/quote]

Got to go ...

kr
Lion

Quote from FL!P :

Any chance that it could detect the current replay itself? From the user's point of view, it'd be great if you could simply watch any replay and type lfsff 180 (or whatever), then when you're done close the replay, open another one, and use lfsff again without having to specifically identify the replay.

This works only partly. I did a new version 0.3, that now accepts in game commands, e.g.:
/mso skip 60 ... forwards one minute
/mso goto 300 ... forwards to five minute mark

The skip command would work on any replay that's currently on. Same for the goto, as long as you jump into the future. But if you go back in time, the replay needs to be reloaded. And unfortunately, there is no way to get the name of a replay currently on.

So, basically, you can use it the way you want. If you start lfsff, it will load it's defined default replay, but you can quit it and just load another one. Just take care to not specify a goto timestamp in the past or it will load it's defined default replay again.

Download v0.3: http://www.theblacklion.org/LF ... %20forward%200.5W-0.3.zip

kr
Lion

PS: Regarding the lap counting feature asked about in the other thread:
This is a little bit of a pain in the ass to do and that's why I won't do it. I'll explain.
The way how the forwarding I use works is simple. I just give one command to forward a specific time e.g. 60 secs. But I cannot stop LFS during the process and I don't know when LFS has finished forwarding. 3 possible solutions:
1. I always forward a little (e.g. 1 sec), guess when it's finished (or find a way to know) and ask at which lap we are. No nice solution, if it stays at guessing. If I find a way to know, I might give it a shot.
2. Scan the whole replay first and note down the time stamps of the laps. Takes a while to check the whole replay first. And also the "just load any replay and start forwarding" approach wouldn't work at all.
3. Find out how to controll the F2/F3 keys via program. I know how to use normal keys, but no clue yet on how to send function keys. But this way, I could stop the replay the moment, we are at the right lap. But also means, i have to do a "which lap? which lap? which lap?" loop to find the right lap. Also limits the speed to a maximum of 32x (in spr replays, I get 43x on my system with lfsff). And I also would need to check, which speed the system can handle on the replay. Depends usually on the number of cars on track and CPU power.

I might use solution 2 in combination with another tool I have in mind. But that's way down the road ...

PPS: Sorry no version X yet. Jinsim is not ready yet (or I use it wrong).

I did a quick and dirty implementation of what you are searching for. Thanks FLIP, for pointing me on this thread.

You find more information and a download link here: http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?p=469373#post469373

Currently only for Patch W. Patch X version coming soon.

Some comments to the ideas here:
- Haven't included lap counting, so you have to live with specifiing seconds.
- No ingame commands used (like "/goto 45") only command line (dos box). But worth a thought. Could be easily implemented and I could then support a "skip x seconds" feature - currently only one stop position possible.
- The forwarding works as fast as possible without showing the action. So you will see your CPU at 100% while it is calculating all the physics until the stop point. But I have to spoil your enthusiasm: The speed you can achieve with the F3 forward is usually the best you can get anyway. At least on my system, the graphics card is handling all the displaying, but the CPU is the speed limiter with calculating all the physics. And this doesn't change substantially by turing graphic display off. Only good thing: My tool is not limited to 4x, 8x, 16x, and so on. It can also do 11x, if this is the best your CPU can do or also 160x if you happen to have a i386 compatible super computer at home

kr
Lion

@Storm_Cloud:
I thought about this too in a little different approach, but it just doesn't work because:
1. The InSim interface just delivers position information. It is not possible to set it (I coudl double check, but I'm quite sure). Means, I cannot put the cars somewhere on the track as needed.
2. Imagine the following: Someone crashed the car in lap 1 in a way, that he/she has to hold the wheel 45 degrees to the left to go straight but continues the race like this. And now imagine, we take a replay of this and skip directly to lap 5. When ignoring the physics, the car would show up without damage in lap 5 which is not correct anymore. And the damage would follow soon in a more unwanted way: Since the driver was steering 45 degrees to the left to go straight, the undamaged car would turn left immediately because it reacts differently to the steering input as the damaged car.
A whole bunch of things is needed to be stored in a different way and replicated, if no physics is used: tyre wear and temperatur, fuel level, wind, damage, tyre marks on the track, movement of other track objects (ramming a movable barrier) and wathever I've forgotten.

@FLIP:
Yes you can. Since I'm not experienced with GUIs, I did just a command line version. What you want, would work like this:
1. Start LFS and initiate insim (/insim=30000)
2. in the command line window, go to the lfsff folder and enter "lfsff 180 replayname", This would tell lfsff to load the replay "replayname" and forward 3 minutes (no lap counting included)
3. Anytime during the replay, you can gain go to the command line and type e.g. "lfsff 60 replayname". lfsff then loads the replay again and go to one minute.

If you configure the replay name in the config.xml, you don't even have to type that, just "lfsff 60".
I also will add some comments in your thread.

I did a new version of LFS fast forward:
- now works also fine with patch W
- spr support added
- tool terminates now, after job is done

Download: http://www.theblacklion.org/LF ... %20forward%200.5W-0.2.zip

Patch X version comming soon ...

kr
Lion

Quote from wheel4hummer :

You dont need any special mod to fast forward, the feature is builtin to LFS.

But can you tell the build in fast forward to stop at 35 minutes and 30 seconds of the replay and pause the game?

I did a quick and dirty insim tool that can do the fast forwarding part and called it LFS fast forward. Downloadable at http://www.theblacklion.org/LF ... %20forward%200.5V-0.1.zip

So far working for Patch V, because it uses jinsim-0.3. But since Brilwing has just finished the new jinsim for patch X, I sure can soon do a version working on X too. I also plan to do a mod of jinsim-0.3 to work for Patch W, because I think, some movie creators would also like to have this tool for older replays. And Patch W already has better sounds and can play replays starting from Patch S.

Currently, it's in proof of concept quality, but it does the job.

kr
Lion

Last edited by TheBlackLion, Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:42.

+1 for the Nürnburgring

But since in this thread, a +1 and -1 seems not to go without a written oppinion , here's my story:

Why real life tracks in LFS:
+ As a kid, I used to drive the good old Formula One Grand Prix a lot. And I remember how fascinating it was watching the real pro's driving on the same track - seeing the lines they choose and the perfection. It didn't even mather, if there was not a single overtaking in the whole race.
+ LFS is that good, that it not only can be used to get to know the track, you can actually get to know how to drive the track. And I just can imagine the feeling to go to a track, get laughed at because of saying you practiced it on the computer, and then kick ass by beeing several seconds faster than all the other hobby drivers on the track.

Why no real life tracks in LFS:
- I only see one reason, the rest are rather problems. The one reason is, that we can get several fictional tracks in the time we can get one real life copy. It's hell of a difference just to do something and if it does work out slightly different than planned it doesn't matter or try to find out how something has to be and then do an exact replication of it. Maybe, if you want to do a good fictional track, the difference is not that big anymore, but who says, that the real life track is good. (My definition of a good track: a track, that brings action into the race and is fun to drive. The fun thing is somewhat subjectiv, but regarding the action part, we also have quite some tracks in LFS, that miss that part. We had quite some league races, where our top drivers did a 80 minute Trulli-train because there was no chance to overtake.)

Some of the problems (license, effort, track data) could become reasons, if they are not solveable. But on this points, everything is a speculation and are therefore for me no valid reasons against real time tracks unless the devs tell us otherwhise. The only thing we can do, is to give this request a certain priority on our wishlist. And if we say, we want rain, realistic wind and better damage model first, it just pushes the real life tracks down the list - but not off the list.

Why I vote for Nürnburgring and not for real life tracks in general:
I watch quite a lot of races on tv, but I never felt the need of having one of the tracks in LFS. But when I watched the 24h race on the Nordschleife recently, I really, really, really would have loved to race on it in LFS. After all, it is the most challenging race track on earth.

kr
Lion

Quote from Bawbag :

I attatched the setup I used for this hotlap, ...

Thank you very much. I already tried to re-engineer it from the hotlap replay. I love the handling and the speed all in one setup. Some crazy damper settings.
It took only 7 laps with this set to beat my old best hotlap by half a second!

Thanks again,
Lion

+1
simple, but effective

As today, you need the full game engine to show a replay, because of the way, a replay is saved. So, this makes it a little hard for an external replay viewer.
But if you set up the project clever enough to reference to the same source files for the same code needed as in the game, the additional effort shouldn't be neckbreaking. Of course, the player needs to be tested at least once a new patch comes out.

Other solution would be to move the security checks from loading the s2 content to e.g. starting a race and steering controls (as backup). But this leads to the security discussion already mentioned by keiran.

The holy grail to almost all replay issues is again to change the replay recording format to something, that does not depend on the game engines physics. This would result in an independent replay engine, that can be allowed ro read S2 content, since you cannot use it for driving races.
But this is definitely a lot of work and I guess, the replay files also would get much bigger.

Hi,

haven't found this idea yet in the forum. And last time I checked, it was not possible to use a locked (demo) version of LFS to play a S2 replay.
Since we upload the replay of our league races to our website, it would be nice for demo drivers to have the possibility to see, what is going on in a league race. And as a result he or she is hopefully motivated to purchase a S2 version and join us on the racetrack.

Maybe not the most revolutionary feature and most effective sales pusher, but maybe cheap to implement.

kr
Lion


+6 / -3 so far ...
www.liveforspeed.at

Last edited by TheBlackLion, Thu, 28 Jun 2007 18:44.