Racer v0.9.0 RC5 released

Ruud

RACER Developer
Get it at http://www.mediafire.com/file/zdn8i0kntl3h579/racer0.9.0_rc5b.7z
[URL edited at 16-11-2012, 17:07 for some bugfixes]
Get a racer.exe/pdb bugfix at from http://www.mediafire.com/file/ny6a8gju5oaracb/racer090rc5c_exe.7z (which fixes that braking with locked wheels would give extra force instead of less).

A note about the audio: a bit more is planned to add to audio. Mainly an extra 'noise' sounds for each surface when going off the AI line. Then there's also an idea to use understeer & oversteer values to select samples, instead of taking skid values per wheel, since understeer sounds different from oversteer. Experimental a bit though.

Enjoy!
Ruud

Changelist:
- Ctrl-I now inverts debug readout colors (it used to roll through the debug readout views)
- Onyx compiler improved with bugfixes, type-casting.
- Onyx pointers (hm).
- Onyx now supports float const ('const float x=0.5'), while, for and do-while.
- Onyx supports basic yielding of scripts (coroutines, triggered each frame).
- Onyx internal function abs(), sqrt() added.
- A default Cg shader is created for materials without an explicit shader. To avoid black materials.
- car.ini's now accept wheel<n>.pacejka.negate_camber. Some TIR files/coefficents out there
seem to reverse camber (inverting influence on Fy tire forces). This option inverts camber sign
as it goes into the Pacejka formulae.
- lighting.cg no longer adds Ks (specular) to the ambient term.
- .f32 file support for textures in .shd files; future development for sky colors.
- Added $water_reflection texture map for shaders, in the same way $mirror exists. This works with renderer.water.*
to render a mirror image of the scene into a 2D reflection map, which can be used for a water shader.
See also water_f.cg/water_v.cg in data/renderer/shaders.
To be elaborated.
- The default debug text color is now white again.
- Timing is passed to the Cg shaders in TrackEd for some animations.
- Explicit low LOD steering model removed; use the model LOD available for the regular model (steer.model) (in car.ini)
- Car cameras can explictly turn the steering wheel on or off (camera<n>.steering_wheel=0 or 1). The default is 1 (added to data/cars/default/car.ini).
See also http://www.racer.nl/reference/carphys.htm#campos
- Number of materials in a track raised to 6000 (from 4000) for some nasty import tracks.
- TrackEd's generate template shader generated '<unnamed_QObject>' for unloaded textures.
- Added engine.shifting.cut_ignition in car.ini; instead of cut_throttle=1, you can leave throttle open and cut
part of the ignition instead. A value of 0.5 for example will output 50% of engine torque to the clutch/gearbox/wheels,
so is smoother while shifting.
- Autoclutch during shifting linearized; it was now squared, making for a less smooth experience.
- New combined slip method for tire forces; #7. From Pacejka's book, the Similarity method. Does not require
optimal_slipratio and optimal_slipangle anymore. More info on http://www.racer.nl/reference/wheels.htm#tireforces
- When the tire left the surface, slip angle and ratio were reset to 0. This was not realistic for a bumpy surface,
since you lose a lot of traction when the tire is bouncing a bit. Now it keeps on tracking slipAngle/Ratio.
- Different fonts (Eurostile)
- Added dyn_standard_bump_ao_f/v.cg shaders for ambient occlusion map (much like the mix shaders really).
- After all these years, on Win7/64bits with 32-bits Racer, got PerfKit working with PerfKit v2.2.0.12166 from nVidia ('debug 6 1').
- Added 'float serverTime' uniform for Cg shaders to get (an estimate of) the multiplayer server time. To sync vertex shader effects across multiple PC's.
- Added active differentials basics using Onyx. See http://www.racer.nl/tutorial/differentials_active.htm
- Added a global 'lowpass' DSP option. Mainly used for testing for a future 'muffle' parameter per car to soften incar sounds.
- Added track audio per surface (in special.ini). If not defined, the default global surface type audio is used.
See http://www.racer.nl/reference/tracks_surfaces.htm

------------------------------------------------------------------

Bugs (currently known specific to RC5)
  • Gearbox shift times not working properly, step from 0 > 1 clutch position over the time rather than smooth linear transition.
  • Water reflection not rendering, needs clarification on functionality.
  • Qlog discrepancies (I'll let Boomer clarify those.
  • Odd console readouts about tyre slip angles or something popping up (same goes for gearbox manual/auto setting, doesn't need to be console displayed imo)
  • PerfSDK not working as advertised, broken?
  • Multiplayer joining to IP's seems glitched, the person joining has their brake stuck on and are unable to shift
  • The Multiplayer Lobby does not let you connect, and subsequently let you host, despite the right ports being forwarded. (Anyone else experiencing this bug?)
  • The particles pop-out of existence at the end of their specified lifetime instead of fading away smoothly. It would be nice to have some better control over the fade-in and out over the lifetime of the particle since tiresmoke starts out thick and opaque then disperses and becomes more transparent over time, while gravel or dirt fades in a bit at first then eventually fades away.
  • Smoke flickers in the reflections, as though it's missing every other frame.
  • Replay bugs: No smoke effects, ghost car is left on track.
  • The starter sound plays all the way to the end of the sample instead of stopping when you let off the starter.
  • Ghost doesn't work on endless tracks.
  • track special.ini: timeline.point_to_point=1, timeline.auto_return=0 - The auto_return setting doesn't seem to work here. I have a point to point track and the car resets 3000ms (3s) after crossing the finishing line, but I don't want it to.
  • No reflection in the Racer garage when selecting a car.
  • The unsprung weight apparently applies a downforce, try making a 150kg rear axle with the front
    suspension lighter and the car will act as though it has high downforce when jumping off of a ramp.
  • If the wipers are set to rotate in opposite directions then the intermittent position does not rotate back and forth smoothly. It snaps back.
  • In RC5c at least, the camera bug is still evident, and on Carlswood (spline based cameras) you can often get stuck so you can't get back to the in-car camera view which is really annoying! - Courtesy of Dave
 
In the console turn on "wireframephys on"

That way you can see the newton mesh that Racer has generated.

See if it looks a bit dodgy...?



I think this is probably down to a 'bad' mesh and the newton optimisation is buggering it up even more. Not saying your mesh is bad per se, but what the newton optimiser is expecting might be meshes made a certain way, and it's over-optimising them or something!?

I will admit, I've not made any bridgey type tracks in Racer for ages, I might have a go tonight with some rough shapes and see what happens and report back :D

Dave
 
In the console turn on "wireframephys on"

That way you can see the newton mesh that Racer has generated.

See if it looks a bit dodgy...?



I think this is probably down to a 'bad' mesh and the newton optimisation is buggering it up even more. Not saying your mesh is bad per se, but what the newton optimiser is expecting might be meshes made a certain way, and it's over-optimising them or something!?

I will admit, I've not made any bridgey type tracks in Racer for ages, I might have a go tonight with some rough shapes and see what happens and report back :D

Dave

I tried setting optimize to 0 with no luck, it even falls through with splines. The newton mesh looks fine and doesn't show any odd polys. I even tried making more polys for the bridge surfaces, and still no change. :mad: This is driving me crazy,

Alex Forbin
 
Hehe, it certainly feels like RC5 was made in haste as there are lots of weird things going on here that seem to have been fixed but are now broken again, or are just new broken things!?

Lets hope Ruud has some answers :D

Dave
 
Multiplayer joining to IP's seems glitched, the person joining has their brake stuck on and are unable to shift
A shift+R on the host fixes this, it seems like the one joining doesn't get the race-start on their own.


Having an odd glitch myself (090RC5d, not certain that's latest)
Jp7P2.jpg

4 shaders involved - the base car (no transparency inside or out), the glass (transparent, sort_offset=1 - back window), the decals (transparent, default sort_offset - badges), and the brakelights (transparent, sort_offset=5 - red glow over the lights). The first uses a body texture, the other 3 all use the same transparent texture. At certain angles - not every angle - when the brakes are on, the texture seems to get screwed up, instead of being what it should be it's just a grey and black blur.
 
Fog works here, but it's tod curve based in mie/ray/extinction factor.

Copy default tod folder to your track folder then 'edit tod' in console, drag extinction factor up and you should get some nice thick fog :)

Dave
 
Bug report:
The starter sound plays all the way to the end of the sample instead of stopping when you let off the starter.

update on collision detection:
I found the problem with ONE of my tracks is that Racer seems to have trouble making the collision object when there is a raised curb say on the inside of a curve, it sometime will make a connection from the top of one curb to the top of the other.
I never have discovered what the error is regarding bridges.

Alex Forbin
 
The "Atmospherical scattering" page on racer.nl was last updated Nov. 13, 2012.
That page states that console comands for fog ray/mie, sun intensity and exposure control fog and when suitable values are determined they be inserted into special.ini.

I finally got fog by using the default tod curves which are just a bit different than mine and I don't know which curves are different but will look at them.

Apology to Mr. Whippy for doubting him. His post yesterday in the Factory track thread led me to try the default tod curves. BUT...
Like I've said it don't work as advertised and Ruud needs to fix it.
 
I thought I'd try the 'endless track' function - but there seems to be a glitch in the timelines. If I pass them wrong (not sure in exactly what fashion - it seems to work for the first couple laps) then the QLOG starts filling with several hundred of this error per second.

Code:
Mon Dec 31 12:46:50 (ERR  ): [racer] Bug: RRaceStatus:OnCrossTimeLine; car not found for event objectID -1 [racestatus.cpp:164 / RRaceStatus::OnCrossTimeLine]
 
I thought I'd try the 'endless track' function - but there seems to be a glitch in the timelines. If I pass them wrong (not sure in exactly what fashion - it seems to work for the first couple laps) then the QLOG starts filling with several hundred of this error per second.

Code:
Mon Dec 31 12:46:50 (ERR  ): [racer] Bug: RRaceStatus:OnCrossTimeLine; car not found for event objectID -1 [racestatus.cpp:164 / RRaceStatus::OnCrossTimeLine]

I would guess it's a problem with the ghost car.

Alex Forbin
 

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