Quote from Scawen :

you can try out right now in Test Patch 0.6F9:
https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/86202

Sadly I would propably forget that I am on a test patch and waste a ton of time hotlapping

Anyways, sounds good! Really hyped to see how's the new Westhill going to be like to drive.

Quote from Pete :

But on Eric's side, Westhill moved onto another level since that announcement

Sounds good, but how is that even possible when it already looked jaw droppingly brilliant?!

Hopefully we'll see some new screenshots of the Westhill along with the official DK2 patch :P

Nah, isn't the screenshot period already over now? Just release.

I'm curious to see how much Eric has improved it since they took the screenshots.

I cannot understand why an announcement was made at all?

Quote from g7usl :

I cannot understand why an announcement was made at all?

because hype

Quote from Scawen :

But on Eric's side, Westhill moved onto another level since that announcement

So does that mean it's holodeck-enabled for when I receive my holodeck in a couple weeks?

Is it rough to say that I would be really impressed if Westhill all of a sudden has 40 or (+) garage boxes?

Quote from cargame.nl :

Is it rough to say that I would be really impressed if Westhill all of a sudden has 40 or (+) garage boxes?

That would be awesome

Quote from Scawen :

Really good, I think. Definitely a much later release than we expected but some of the things on my list for the Westhill patch moved into the Rift support patch. For example the new alpha system which allows much better looking trees and other objects with transparency, you can try out right now in Test Patch 0.6F9:
https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/86202

Eric has been continuing to work on Westhill and we want to get that into testing soon. I hope to release the new full version with Rift DK2 support next weekend, so that I can focus 100% on the additional support for the Westhill version.

So it looks like a few weeks. Strangely enough that is what we said when we first announced it. But on Eric's side, Westhill moved onto another level since that announcement and on my side, the DK2 support turned out to be a bigger deal than expected. All good though, apart from the later release.

Yeah.... That's all good and all, but why the name WESTHILL to begin with? Why not East Hill Or Non directional Hill? OK maybe not that one, but still is there Any significance to that particular name?
Maybe for S-3 you can have a contest for name choosing for additional tracks?
And maybe when you release S-3 you can bring back the tinted windows option? I really don't want other players looking in my car. You know that's kinda like personal space. Besides. You have any idea how many of these pasty fat F!!! play LFS in their underwear? YUCK! Yeah. Bring back the window tint.

Quote from Cornys :

Quote from cargame.nl :

Is it rough to say that I would be really impressed if Westhill all of a sudden has 40 or (+) garage boxes?

That would be awesome

It's not only awesome, it's almost a requirement. The competition (aka Iracing) can facilitate 40-60 cars.. And to be honest, I don't understand why there needs to be a 32(48) limit. The Internet quite advanced the last years. And also the cruise community would be really happy with it.

And wouldn't it be great if we could skin our pitlane garage.

Skin appears when we join server, then disappears when you leave - just like any other racing teams that appear for a track meet.

Quote from sinanju :

And wouldn't it be great if we could skin our pitlane garage.

Skin appears when we join server, then disappears when you leave - just like any other racing teams that appear for a track meet.

Now that's a nice idea! That would be a very cool feature. Especially in races I imagine this would be cool so people have their own pit box.

But I don't think all tracks have enough space to facilitate a pitbox for every driver?

Quote from sinanju :

And wouldn't it be great if we could skin our pitlane garage.

Skin appears when we join server, then disappears when you leave - just like any other racing teams that appear for a track meet.

Added with forced shift-f mode on serverside, could make for some serious realistick racing/track day

40+ pit garages, long overdue. That would be a nice addition to Westhill.

I just hope that Westhill textures will be at least 2048x2048px, and not 512px or 1024px.

I don't see much difference with high res texture packs.. Loading time increases but it doesn't create a -wow- feeling. LFS tracks in my opinion are using a low amount of textures which makes it look sharp on not smooth. Increasing pixels doesn't improve that.

I don't get this thing about high res textures. Yes, if you get out in SHIFT+U mode and look down at the floor from 20 cm away, or right up close to study the bricks on the side of a building, sure. But how is that related to driving? Anyway, Eric has used a lot of high res textures on Westhill so a lot of people will be happy about that. But for me it just means it's slower to load and the frame rate is reduced. Go to half texture res and the frame rate is increased without any change in visual quality that I can see. I really don't get what it's all about. But apparently loads of people just love high res textures. Seriously, do you spend that much time so close to textures that you need it? It seems to me that what the images are lacking is things that I just haven't coded yet, specular lighting on the road (and many other surfaces... really most things have some kind of specular reflection) other lighting effects and so on. Things that would have a much greater visual effect and simply cannot be solved with increased texture resolution. I have wondered about adding separate texture resolution settings per track so for example you could leave your car interior resolution up as normal but for Westhill select half texture resolution if you don't have the latest graphics card.

Quote from Scawen :

I don't get this thing about high res textures. Yes, if you get out in SHIFT+U mode and look down at the floor from 20 cm away, or right up close to study the bricks on the side of a building, sure. But how is that related to driving? Anyway, Eric has used a lot of high res textures on Westhill so a lot of people will be happy about that. But for me it just means it's slower to load and the frame rate is reduced. Go to half texture res and the frame rate is increased without any change in visual quality that I can see. I really don't get what it's all about. But apparently loads of people just love high res textures. Seriously, do you spend that much time so close to textures that you need it? It seems to me that what the images are lacking is things that I just haven't coded yet, specular lighting on the road (and many other surfaces... really most things have some kind of specular reflection) other lighting effects and so on. Things that would have a much greater visual effect and simply cannot be solved with increased texture resolution. I have wondered about adding separate texture resolution settings per track so for example you could leave your car interior resolution up as normal but for Westhill select half texture resolution if you don't have the latest graphics card.

I guess this is the reason why the RB4 cockpit only consists of three pixels.

Quote from Scawen :

I have wondered about adding separate texture resolution settings per track so for example you could leave your car interior resolution up as normal but for Westhill select half texture resolution if you don't have the latest graphics card.

I wouldn't mind having this as a selectable option

Quote from wildstyle :

I guess this is the reason why the RB4 cockpit only consists of three pixels.

You are confusing the programmer (me) with the artist (Eric). Actually the RB4 was one of the car interiors we made and obviously seriously needs an update. But that is not related in any way to my question about why people are obsessed with extreme high res textures all over the world so they can still see high res when 20 cm from any wall.

Quote from Scawen :

You are confusing the programmer (me) with the artist (Eric). Actually the RB4 was one of the car interiors we made and obviously seriously needs an update. But that is not related in any way to my question about why people are obsessed with extreme high res textures all over the world so they can still see high res when 20 cm from any wall.

Because graphics tend to sell better. It's much easier to attract new customers if you show them a couple of good looking screenshots, instead of having them actually try the product.

Only the hard-core simracers will more likely give it a go and test out the physics before they decide to buy it.

Quote from Scawen :

*snip*

Increased realism and immersion. Nicer for screenshots etc.

A "screenshot mode" option that drags in a bunch of higher resolution textures could work.

I have the 4096px Revolution Pack and with 0.6F7+ patch, it just load directly, and my framerate isn't affected at all. I think that an option to choose texture quality in settings can be great for people with low-end computers
PS: I'm a maxed out graphisms lover, but I love LFS for physics, not the graphical engine