Changing .cam files gets me kicked online

[James Woods]

As per title, I just moved to triple screens so have been editing some of the .cam files to get a low FOV (under 40), and as soon as i went online, i was kicked for a file mismatch (something along those lines, can't remember the exact message). Is this normal behaviour?

I'm using the Steam version.

Anyone have a solution? I am really quite disappointed right now if I am forced to use a higher FOV as it looks completely distorted.

 

[Stuart Thomson]

In GTL (also SimBin), you can alter the FOV with Ctrl(?) and the Mouse - I think it's Ctrl + RMB + fwd/back.

Maybe it's there in Race as well?

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

Yes, the same mouse FOV change is in Race too. And there's a setting for it in the visual options, second page. Modifying any of the files in trackdir WILL cause online mismatches, even .CAM.. Those five files need to be identical with server.

 

[James Woods]

Damn, that's quite a huge issue, i can't believe this isn't pasted all over the net (i didn't find any threads stating this). Even a FOV of 40 (the lowest Race07 allows) is not good enough. I'm very, very disappointed with Simbin for completely messing up triple screen users here...

But when you choose "100" fov in the menu, is it actually 100, or does that just mean 100% of the FOV in the cam file? For example, the BMW M3-GT2 has a FOV of 70 in the cam file. If I choose 100 in the visual settings menu, am i just confirming to use the full 70, or 100 fov?

If so, that would mean setting this as 40 would be (70 / 100 * 40) 28? I am right here or way off?

What is so important about a cam file it need online matching? Seems very weird...

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

It ain't that important, it's just a method of all-or-nothing, all the files that can be easily manipulated are checked.. You have to remember that when Race07 came out, there where no triple-screens available to consumer level. I would not change anything else but game settings, everything else will be unsupported and cause problems. What you are actually asking is FOV in a range that is way out of normal gameplay, i don't know any game that allows such an extreme settings..

Triple-screen users, help the guy out There are many users that can find usable settings.

Most likely the FOV in game settings is percentual value.. Again, chaning any ingame files, whether it's mod or track will be judged as online cheating.. There are so many parameters in those files that would allow real cheaters to do their thing, i like the system that it's all-or-nothing.

 

[James Woods]

Both the .cam and .inccar files seem completely harmless to me. Simbins all or nothing approach is nothing short of flawed unless there is a way to mod the FOV correctly some other way.

I did some testing, and i'm not 100% sure i'm correct here, but the FOV setting under the enviroment tab just isn't a real FOV setting, it's just a zoom in, zoom out button, it doesn't change the perspective at all. Any input appreciated on that thought.

This is the default perspective/FOV of the BMW M3 GT2:

and here is one .cam modded down to 25 FOV:

Which one you prefer is enitrely up to the user, but the point here is, just look at the left hand windscreen edge and see how hugely different the angle is compared to the default FOV, and how less stretched the image is on the sides.

The problem is, changing the FOV in the game menu, whether it's set as 40, 100, or even 150, the perspective stays the same, it just seems to zoom in or out.

I'm at a loss as to what to do now. As it stands, this is the worst sim for triple screens by a wide margin, unless i am misunderstanding something, which is more than possible knowing me

Essentially what i am saying, is there is NO FOV adjustment in Race07, period.

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

Field of View is zoom everywhere. It uses the basic optical laws, if you zoom closer the field of view changes. In your screenshots, the bottom one is farther than the top one (top: you can see bonnet but not gauges..). I don't like that system since it distorts viewpoint, best observed when doing donuts and watching how the scenery changes.

Instead of FOV setting, you need the actual CAM location change. And unfortunately, that is considered cheating in most sims since then you can change the cam position to unnatural location which can benefit you while others have to look thru rollcages or other obstructions in the cockpit.No one can use that option since there is no way of telling who uses it to better their simracing experience or really cheating. I think you're only option is to tick off "Real Seat Position" and adjust the cockpit camera to it's farthest place allowed. You can use mouse while driving to move the incam, left click + drag = forward/rear, right click + mouse = up/down.

What about resolutions, have you tried some settings that are not the same as you monitor aspect ratio, like 16:10 in 16:9 monitors?

And triple-screen users, can you post your settings here?

 

[James Woods]

You need to ignore the actual position of the camera, they are both way further back than i would actually use, t was just an example to show how much distortion there is in the default setup. Pic 1 is what you'd see in any FOV adjustment from the in-game menu. Pic 2 shows a proper FOV without all the side distortion.

I admit that i am stumped on this one, it's a real mess...

 

[Jim Cole]

James, I know this is thread is a little out of date, but it is difficult to see the effect when you are staring at a flat image. Everyone has to remember, that the right 1/3rd of that image is going to be bent at about a 45 degree angle as is the left 1/3rd. With that in mind, the perspective changes. If you set your monitors to monopolize on this angle, or even a steeper angle of about 60 degrees per side monitor then what you are visually seeing as you sit in the cockpit changes.