It would be great if you could define on and off course areas in your autocross layout. If that's not possible, an increase in the number of checkpoints could serve the same purpose...

Thanks for the response. I suppose that those are things which need to be added to the list of features I'd like...

My primary goal in LFS is to practice autocross courses from my club. I've figured out how to lay out cones and make a course. What I don't know is how to show the computer what the correct course through the cones should be.

When I use the slalom in the training section of LFS, the clock won't stop unless I stay on course. Is there any way to get the computer to do that with the .lyt files I create in the editor?

Also, how many checkpoints can I use in an autocross course? (I'm just thinking of that as another possibility for keeping cars on course. If they had to pass through all the checkpoints in the appropriate order, there is a better chance of keeping them on course.

I want to have the ability to view a larger area when using the autocross editor. There ought to be an overhead view from a vantage point that is at least 215 meters above the ground.

Quote from -jester- :

So are you asking that there be a choice whether the penlities are imposed or not?

I'm saying it would more accurately simulate what happens at my autocross club if pointer cones were not counted, or as you have mentioned, if I could configure it so they were not counted.

This is a minor detail, since I ought not be hitting pointer cones in the first place, but it is probably not something difficult to fix

It looks like LFS adds two seconds for hitting a pointer cone in an autocross. Most clubs don't count pointer cones...

Quote from theblackrabbi :

http://rayok.lfsnal.org/LFS/?page=layoutthingy

You rock! As soon as you have it ready for S2, I am going to download it and try it out. (I don't have S1 )

Last edited by evenprime, Mon 27 Feb 2006, 21:18.

Quote from evenprime :

The MOST IMPORTANT feature to make the autocross editor more user friendly, IMHO, is:

1) the ability to zoom much further out when you hit 'V' to view the course from above. At a minimum, you should be able to see all of a 100 m x 100 m area. Ideally, I'd like to see 300 m x 300 m from the air.

Based on google earth, I'd say that this would require a vantage point that is 215 meters above the ground.

You already have vehicles based on mini coopers, but how about some of the other popular autocross cars:
miata
WRX
EVO
elise
corvette
civic
rx7
crx

I agree that this would be very useful. The only reason that I purchased an S2 licence was to practice autocross, and I know two other people who attend events with my autocross club who are also considering purchasing LFS to use it as a practice tool. If the editor was easier to use and the low speed handling issues were fixed, I'm sure you could get LOTS of sales to autocrossers.

The MOST IMPORTANT feature to make the autocross editor more user friendly, IMHO, is:

1) the ability to zoom much further out when you hit 'V' to view the course from above. At a minimum, you should be able to see all of a 100 m x 100 m area. Ideally, I'd like to see 300 m x 300 m from the air. Today I had to move all the cones in a chicago box one at a time because I had placed it too close to the edge of a course. That would not have happened if I could have seen a larger area of the course at one time.

Other features that would improve the autoX editor:

2) a menu that would allow you to place entire course features (chicago box, slalom, sweeper)

3) a "mirror the course" option to allow easy production of ProSolo autocross courses

4) The ability to place cones with X and Y coordinates or offsets; i.e. define a corner of the course as 0,0 and place cones in relationship to that corner.

My dream autocross editor would actually include the ability to overlay and resize a picture of my club's course map. Then I could just click on the course map's pictures of the cones to install the cones in the LFS autocross facility.

One easy way to impliment some of these ideas would be for the LFS authors to define a text format for courses (i.e. XML or similar) and then write a tool to convert text course files to lyt files. I'm sure that the LFS community would then create many AutoX editors to produce text course files for conversion. These community-authored editors for text-based course definitions could easily created in perl or php.

This solution would allow the LFS authors to keep the lyt file format closed while still fostering an open-source method of creating courses.....the best of both worlds.

[EDIT: you could also include some of the more popular cars for autox. The mini coopers are a really good start, but I've listed a few more of them in the cars thread http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?p=76483#post76483 ]

Last edited by evenprime, Mon 20 Feb 2006, 13:48.

Quote from AndroidXP :

I just tried to test your layout but you forgot to set a proper starting position. I have added one for you in the attached layout.

Thanks! That's great....it is exactly what I was wanting. I feel like it is a bit harder to drive than the course was IRL, but I'm pleased with the results.

OK, I here's a rough draft of an *.lyt file for the course that is shown above (our Feb. 2006 event course.) How do I select it and practice with it now?

I've looked here on the forum for answers, and this message:
http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?t=3356
says

Quote from -jester- :

Your layouts will be stored in the <LFS_FOLDER>\data\layout folder.
to select a layout from either a dedicated nogfx server or from the connection list screen type:
/axlist = lists layouts available
/autox <nameofyourlayout> = loads <nameofyourlayout> objects for that track

Does this mean that I can only use my LYT file in multiplayer? Do have to upload it to or connect to a server to use it? If not, how do I select it in single player mode?

Thank you,

I'm sorry to be asking such naive questions.

Thank you! I really appreciate your help.

Hi all,
I'm brand new to LFS, and for that matter, brand new to racesims and/or games. I just started autocrossing last year, and the reason I'm interested in LFS is the autocross editor and autocross track. I would like to use the editor to create models of our club's courses from previous months so I could practice on them.

My AutoX club normally uses facility that is 600' X 300', and I would like to use the editor to mark out an area that size in LFS's virtual autocross facility. I have started the editor, placed cones, etc., but I have no idea of the scale/size of the course I'm producing. It won't be of much help to me unless I can get it inside of a 600' x 300' space. I have attached a satellite photo of the facility and the course map for our last weekend's autocross to give you an idea what I'm talking about.

What are the dimensions of the LFS autocross area? Are there any ways to measure distances in the autocross editor? I know that there are some pairs of yellow lines with wide gaps between them on the LFS facility.....What is the distance between the two lines in a pair? What is the distance between these pairs of lines?

Also, does anybody have a hint when the low speed physics will be improved....I'm primarily interested in using LFS for autox, and I don't plan on doing any multiplayer online racing.