Hello, we're using LFS S2 in a simulator and the only controls in the sim are steering wheel, throttle, and brake (no keyboard or mouse available and the admin starts the race for you). When you first start a race, you have to shift into gear with a keyboard. Since there is no keyboard available while you're in the simulator, how can we get the car to start in 1st gear (we have it set to AUTO GEAT SHIFT)? The old LFS use to start you in 1st gear but the new version requires you to use a keyboard to shift into 1st and we don't want the admin to shift for the driver. Any advice?

Thanks,
Mark

Assuming the steering wheel you're using has paddles or some means of changing gear, then you can use the paddles to shift from Neutral to First. Auto Gear shift only starts changing gear once you have put it in gear.

If you have no means of changing gear on the steering wheel, then the only way to do it would be to have someone do it for you. I think if the steering wheel has any buttons, you could also assign those to 'change up'

We don't have buttons or paddles on the steering wheel. I think it's strange that LFS would change this setting from S1 to S2. It had always been in gear in S1 and S2 seems to have put it in neutral.

Mark

It's because at some point (can't remember which patch), the ability to false start was added, and therefore if the car was put in 1st gear at the start automatically, a lot of people would be getting false starts.

Hi JO, that's a good reason but we should have an INI setting to turn that feature on / off.

Thanks,
Mark

having the car already in gear at the beginning, although it would solve your problem, wouldn't be very realistic, as you wouldn't be able to rev the engine at all until the green light comes on, resulting in an absolutely horrible start where the engine would bog, this would be even more noticeable in the TBO cars.

Even if you could start in 1st gear, what if you spun on the first corner and stopped with the front of your car against the armco or wall/barrier?? The auto gears would put you back into 1st gear, but you would not be able to rejoin, unless an admin reset your car, as you wouldnt be able to reverse.

If you look at the telemetry data, the car does start out in 1st gear (not neutral). So when you shift the first time you're actually in 2nd gear (according to what we're seeing in the telemetry).

Thanks,
Mark

huuuuge bump.

I've got the same problem. every 200 years we're setting up a normal car with inclinometers ,just gas and brake and one for the wheel movement. No buttons or anything else.
Is it possible to have something like an automatic shift into 1st at green?
And yes, it IS unrealistic, but if you've got 99,9% of none-simracers in the car they don't care anyway.

thanks an greetz

der butz

Quote from inmotionsimulation :

If you look at the telemetry data, the car does start out in 1st gear (not neutral). So when you shift the first time you're actually in 2nd gear (according to what we're seeing in the telemetry).

Thanks,
Mark

I realise this is effectively a necropost (after the necrobump from der butz), but it's worth replying anyway. The reason for the confusion over gears is probably in bold below.

Quote from InSim.txt :

struct OutGaugePack
{
unsigned Time; // time in milliseconds (to check order)

char Car[4]; // Car name
word Flags; // Info (see OG_x below)
byte Gear; // Reverse:0, Neutral:1, First:2...
byte SpareB;
float Speed; // M/S
float RPM; // RPM
float Turbo; // BAR
float EngTemp; // C
float Fuel; // 0 to 1
float OilPressure; // BAR
float OilTemp; // C
unsigned DashLights; // Dash lights available (see DL_x below)
unsigned ShowLights; // Dash lights currently switched on
float Throttle; // 0 to 1
float Brake; // 0 to 1
float Clutch; // 0 to 1
char Display1[16]; // Usually Fuel
char Display2[16]; // Usually Settings

int ID; // optional - only if OutGauge ID is specified
};