SimRacing.org.uk

Season 27 -60fps– Fun Race - new Spa-Francorchamps 67

The last round for the Season 27 in mod 1965 will be at the new challenging SPA67 in Belgium.

We will use the 60fpsV2newmod (ftp://ukgpl3.dyndns.org/Replays/Archive/Season27/60fps/) to test it if your PC can handle both challenges.

Please restrict chat to pit messages including at the end of the race until ALL drivers still racing have crossed the line.

The race will be run under INT rules and resets are allowed, followed by a stop and go in the pits.
65 Patch: The 2.02 Release of the 65mod can and should be used. You need a working installation of the 65 mod to install the 2.02 Update. All the 65 Mod files can be found here (ftp://ukgpl3.dyndns.org/Mods/1965)

Race List	=	IGOR
Server	=	UKGPL_8
IP Address	=	look in IGOR
Race date	=	30-12-2014
Qualification Time	=	~20:45  UK time -> 45min
Race Time	=	race starts at 21:30 UK time
Track	=	Spa67 (http://spa67.gplworld.eu/)
Variant	=	65F1 the 2.02 Release of the 65mod should be used
Damage Model	=	INT
Race length	=	~45 min -> 12 laps
Replay	=	you will get here (ftp://ukgpl3.dyndns.org/Replays/Archive/Season27/Funraces/)

I can try but my PC have problem of frame rate in the start zone  driving alone,i can imagine with others cars.

Francesco,
if you use the Lite 3D pack it removes the extra sound too ;)
Or download this (https://www.sendspace.com/file/fhm2ks) files and put them into the spa67 folder.

I had framedrops down to 40fps too in this aera but without sound only 57fps ;D

Don't forget to lower the details, with full 100% I had stutters with 95% is smooth ;)

In the readme it states that you should run detail at 99% max due to graphical glitches that occur when at 100%.
I'll try and make this, Will really give the new PC a work out (I have to use OpenGL with the 69X's for it to actually load!)

This version really makes you appreciate Hill's comments about the drivers being glad to leave Spa!
The roads really remind me of the time I drove the old circuit a few years ago - narrow, hilly and bloody scary to contemplate at 160+!  ;D

Just tried this new track and a single 65 car.

The track is just awesome!! what an update!!

But I am concerned that I might have probs with this track AND the 60fps.  I was doing solo training mode and with the car parked in the pits I got 24fps. Once I got through Eau Rouge it climbed to around 46fps and topped out at 50-54fps elsewhere. This was with no other cars on track, so I am expecting a huge frame rate hit in a racing situation with maybe 12 cars running.

Is there someone who can post a list of the optimum graphic card options to select for GPL? I notice that in GEM there are various options, but frankly I have no idea what they are or what they do.
I have a 1gb graphic card installed so it hsould be able to handle a reasonable load. The main processor is 2.3ghz, which is a little outdated but has always coped until now. lol

I am going to install the lite 3D pack that Cookie suggests anyway as it looks like I cannot run the full version, but I think it would be good to post here the best settings for graphic card options etc anyway.

I know you have a Radeon HD5670, imo this should not be the bottleneck,
for this track the power of the CPU counts, and it uses only 1.5 cores of my 6  ::)

In GEM graphics I have

(http://picload.org/image/ccgaali/graphics.jpg)

My ATI Catalyst is 13.12 (has best OGL driver included)

The biggest problem is that the GPU does not recognize GPL as a 3D graphic and idles...
So I made a hotkey to set my GPU in higher mode. Look here (http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/changing-2d-clocks-on-ati-cards.114562/)  ;)

Will we be using the "fog" version for a 65 race? Not sure if that is set by the server or drivers PCs? Assume the grip level is identical?

The fog is in the clients track65.ini  ;)

Set it to 0 and the sun shines...

WOW I am shocked!

Just installed Spa67 on my Win XP - HTPC,
with an AthlonII X4 640 @ 3000MHz, 4GB DDR3 RAM and the ATI Radeon HD5670 with 1GB DDR3.
I used the lowres + lite version and it ran rockstable 60fps (with a very short min of 53fps at the pits) from the start line all around!
TBH the highres version is superb, but after a sightseing lap I wanna race! This is no handicap to use this lowest version.

A test today on the UK server as the runnup to the event tomorrow.  I joined Axel and several others on the server testing Spa67 with the...new for me...60fps files installed.  Worked a treat.  A slight sag into the mid-high 40 frames in the pit area.  No biggie.

TY for the guidance, Cookie!  :)

Thank you for the suggestion Axel

Just had a short test with Axel on UKGPL8.  Only 2 cars but the 60fps was rock solid (should be for me i7 3.4GHz, 8GB Ram, GEFORCE GTX 760 (2GB DDR5), only down side is 64bit Vista).  Still get a slight tearing effect occasionally as if vsync is slightly off but don't know enough about the graphics options to sort it out.

Track is awesome.  Sufficiently different to the Papy version to be a completely different challenge.  Tried to test crash boxes by getting close to Axel but he was too fast LOL.

Hope we get a good turnout tonight.

If you're using a 60Hz TV/monitor, make sure Triple Buffering is set in NVidia's software. I'm not sure if that will cure that problem but with Vsync it is necessary for me to use Triple Buffering too.

Clive, the more Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering you use the lower your frame rates will be. I use none of either to run 60fps.

I doubt I'll make this race. I have my doubts I can run this track at 60fps too. I'll test it in a few minutes.

I think that the tearing effect describes what I am experiencing. MY GPU is the Nvidia 560Ti. I did a quick test, and turning on Vsync and Triple Buffering for GPL has fixed the tearing. A huge Thank You for helping me with that.

However, I have a new problem with the menu flashing when I am using OGLv2. Is there a fix for the menu flashing?  D3Dv2 does not run as smooth for me as OGLv2.

LOL that's exactly what happens with the Tripplebuffering enabled in the ATI GPU 3D Settings for me.

I solved this by shut it off in ATI Catalyst and activate it in GEM ;)

Yes exactly the same for me.  When I tried setting the NVidia options the tearing was fixed but the menus flashed.  So I put the NVidia back to defaults and used the options in GEM as in Axel's post above and it works fine now. 

Thanks Greg and Axel, this is what being in a league is all about ;D

It's not fun if the others have no fun!

 :punk: :punk: :punk:

Thanks, It is working now, just need to test it.

After all that testing something went wrong.  Everytime I returned to the menu after a go on the track, GPL crashed to desk top.  Never done this before.  Happened about 5 times and then I couldn't get back in.  The race was full :(

Anyway we got what we wanted.  A decent test with a full grid.  Hope it goes well!

Agreed! Greg and I couldn't actually join, all slots were full, talk about popular ;D but it was also the case (full grid) on GPLracer with 67s! Sadly Paul had GPL crashing and Mark a screenfreeze at the end of Q, with Walter still optimising his gfx.

I'm happy to tell my oAo teamie John H about the race though, and see him try out UKGPL! Same with Tim Butler from Aussie F2s and a new US name! I did some Cooper laps earlier today, and would struggle to surpass 3:42, maybe 3:41 at a push, so those 39s are on another planet for now :P and I can always try 66s with some of the guys from GPLracer, Paul, Gazza, and Basti, so no worries :angel:!

I joined a foggy Spa67 sorted a set up for the BT11 and joined the track for some fun . Eventually managed an whole outlap then on my flyer I hit the wall at Eau Rouge . the car took off skywards into outer orbit (mars was great ) When I got back to the pits found I was DQ'd for reversing on track ??? so left the server and re joined using a different name ( I know how to get into these places for free , years of experience ) However the new driver name btoo didnt have a set up so spent a week sorting that , joined the grid made a nice easy start and stuffed it again soon after .

Ha well, nice to report that apart from the above everything was fine and dandy with the server and no issues from me except after my retirement I did some spectating but the frame rate watching on the big screen was very jumpy , doubt that is a problem though .

The 67 mod has made a great track even better and a real pleasure to race at , looking forward to the next outing here .



 

Good attendance server was full when i joined igor, then someone left allowing me in. No probs track ran fine at 60 fps only dip in fps was between La Source and pits. Thanks for organizing Cookie. Apologies to francesco who rear ended me as i came back on track going down to Stavelot.

HAPPY New Year to everyone. 

What a shame Phil! Best to do after such irregularities is to reset your PC and make a new start ;)

Yes I am happy all went such good:
- server was rock stable!
- I saw only a slight warping of Aussie Tim Buttler but I could follow him save.
- we had a full house!

Shame my favourite rival Mark got lost on the grid ???

Ahem, ;D and I won on my new top favourite track  ;D


Happy New Year!

Congrats Axel!

As for me, I had not been able to practice that much. So I am not too sad that I had to sit this one out. Actually, I am happy because I finally sorted out the graphics settings.  Thanks for all the help.

  :P . .  :P . .  :P     

    ;D   Happy New Year!

Reading in a hardwareforum I found something that opened my eyes :o
When they test PC systems they shut off the anisotrophic filtering of the GPU as this will lower the fps!!!

Next thing I did was looking how this will affect my GPL performance....
In GEM graphics settings I switched to no anisotrophic filtering instead of 4x(16)
I took the highres Spa67 track and combined it with the 69X mod what had yet resulted in massive stutters in the pit area ::)

UNBELIEVEABLE

Even the GPL menues look better and the TV screen is a sharp picture!
Doing some laps with the 49b, I did not have any lower than 59fps ;D

 :) :) :D awesome version of Spa. Hope they will rework track physics for all main tracks that way.

did run highres version and GPLSO (coz forgot how to give back only org sound to my Fezza.Any know how to do ? ). Only framedrops between La Source and S/F line.

BUT: as always on my side while online, full constant fps rate doesnt mean all is fine. Occasionally I got slightly grafic stuttering and massive understeer in the first instance.especially under yellow flag coz a car in front had left track or kinda accident....not talking about some inches in front , but outa my view. So gues its more an connection quallity thinghie than an grafic one.

HOWEVER. I like 60fps and would like to work with.

btw. is there a  fix or workaround to make the AI act right offline under 60fps conditions ?
and for 65mod; using 60fps offline AI cars do look sort of  highheels style. any fix for that ?

HAPPY NEW YEAR

No problems with frame rate dropping here, thanks for setting this race up Axl.

For the record I have always had GEM graphics settings set to no anisotrophic filtering and it has always worked fine for me.

Oh yeah and great to see Tim Butler on the grid.

Despite the light version of the track ,i had some problem in the last corner.
The frame rate was around 39 but i forgot to decrease the detail level.
Anyway,my time speak alone,i must test this track in depth also if with the 65 i'm always slow compared to others mod.

happy 2015 to all
   
 

Happpy New Year, dudes!!

Bummed to have to miss last nights funraces, but great to see full grids, congrats Axel! :)

See you in the next year!

Happy New Year all.

I am keen to get my rig sorted to run 60fps as I firmly believe that it is time we moved on in UKGPL. 
I am probably running a PC which is among the slowest of those that members have. So I figure that if I can get it working with my limited knowledge of anything to do with computers, then everyone should be able to do it.
Currently I am running XP on a 2.3ghz dual core processor , 2gb ram and a 1gb graphics card. There is also a new sound card and a larger PSU crammed into the box.
 
Now it may be that I am doing something very wrong with my current GPL setup and I am beginning to suspect that I may be missing some critical updates to GPL. I recently dropped in on Andy Livingston and saw his "racing seat". It was immediately obvious that his GPL install and title pages looked different to mine, so maybe I have some retro updates to get installed.

 Offline on the Spa 67 track ( lite option and reduced 3D installed) and with a grid of 12 cars I was dropping to a frame rate of 6-10fps on the grid at the start, which Is definitely not good. Once things got under way and the cars spread out I occasionally saw 60fps, but as soon as I got close to another car/cars that rate would drop as low as 30fps. I could live with that as I often see frame rates down to 25fps when running under 36fps as we currently do, so I figure that is no worse.
I tried various tweaks to the graphic card setup, but as I understand things in GPL, the graphic card actually does very little and it is the CPU that handles just about everything, so that would be the weak spot.

 Axel suggested getting the CPU to run faster, but I confess I looked at the link and tried to follow the instructions and got nowhere. The directions to create a patch to force the CPU speed and then navigate to it and edit the contents arrived at an empty folder ( I had "hidden files" turned on) despite several attempts.


I tried to join the Spa race after I had done a few practice laps trying to sort 60fps issues just to see how things worked online. I was planning to start at the back of the grid and use it as a pure test session.
But for some reason I was not able to access the server . I got the message that I did not have the track installed???. But obviously I DID have it installed as I had driven both 65 and 67 cars around for a few laps immediately before the race??

I deleted the track file and re-downloaded / installed and ....same error in IGOR. I made sure that I had the Spa67 track showing in both 65 season ini and 67 season ini and tried again.  Same result.

By then the server was full ( good to see BTW  ;D )

This is the first chance I have had to get back on the PC since then, so there are a few things I need to look into before I have another go.

As anyone who knows me will be aware Computers +  Evilclive = headaches, so once i get things working I tend to leave them alone. However, I will play the numpty here and ask if someone  who knows about these things can post a list of ALL the current patches and updates that we should all have for GPL and GEM ( I know that not all members use GEM, but for those that do it would be worth knowing that we have the latest version).

I might even be persuaded to invest in a new rig as I think I will only need a decent CPU and basic box, then I can transplant my graphics card, sound card etc. ( But of course it won't be that simple will it??  :-\ )

I suspect this is something to do with your season.ini file.  I only use the SIERRA/gpl/seasons/67season.ini.  I've had trouble like this before.  I made a backup copy of the 67season.ini file and then edited it manually so that it only had 1 track in it.  Then I added the rest of the tracks using the season manager in GEM.  I suggest you give that a try.

I don't know of any recent patches, Clive, but if other folks do, it's likely they'd be grabbed from SRMZ.  I suppose there's the Fairshift patch, which has just run into a poll here.  Those using shifters would not call it an enhancement. :D And perhaps more  I'm unaware of?  Maybe someone has a list?  Different styled pages you mention, may simply be alternate layout files, made mostly by black and white folks, who want to offer something new.  


I worked on 60fps Ai, and had several Mods running Ok.  But some of their behavior is keyed into their timebase or framerate.  Only a skilled programmer will be able to fix this, and make them realistic.  I have shown it is possible.
 

I had the same problem Clive and just joined via the IP address for the server given in IGOR. I think I, you and few others had the same problem with Pacific raceways this season? Not sure what the cause is but joining via the IP address for problematic tracks instead of uninstalling/reinstalling tracks is easier for me.

As for GPL and Gem, I am using v1.3 and v2.5.32 respectively. If others are telling you your rig specs are fine then so be it but if you do upgrade, personally, I would consider a graphics card update as well as cpu if funds are available. While overclocking of cpu's and graphics card gpu's is not as scary as it once was, I would avoid this unless you really know what you are doing. Happy to supply more detailed info on what I use but don't wish to confuse the issue in the event of an avalanche of info heading your way.

I also received this error. I assumed that the error was caused from the lite 3D objects, or maybe too many people trying to join at once? I decided to delete my track folder and I tried to join again using the standard track, but the server was full by then. I was able to join the server on Monday using the standard version of the track without any problems.  

I can understand Clive.. you've been top of GPLrank for a while now, with an errant Nurburgring time (2:02 instead of 8:02)! But, despite this entry mishap, not top of monster rank, which shows just how fast those uber-aliens are.. :o! I guessed you didn't see it/were playing an evil joke on us :laugh:

I have a similar system to yours, Win7, worse CPU and no sound card, and can run 60fps with pribluda turned off on lite/low res Spa, with mostly 60fps. I run lite65s to be safe in 65. And if it's a heavy grid, I use many objects, in addition to less mirror detail/car detail as standard. Graphic optimisations would be next.. I tried no AF after Cookie's suggestions and less mirror size but didn't notice any FPS difference just yet. But I'm thinking you should be in a similar ballpark on getting 60fps to run OK at least?

PS. Racing seat.. cool 8). I wonder if the version difference is from not having GPL patch installed? Primarily for long tracks like Targa Florio.

PPS. Did you release your improved AI on SRMZ Martin? Those that use AI might be happy to see it, even if only a temporary improvement before someone sets them all right :)

Hi Lestyn!  Something that keeps GPL perched high amongst Sims, is the quality of everything made officially available.  Stuff like 60fps Ai which race, but act a bit crazy, would greatly interest everyone, and then start to disappoint.  Same goes for Mods.  Mods could be run out sooner, while being inaccurate, and troublesome.  Years are spent on each one, and they are the better for it.  Try to keep teeth grinding to a minimum!

If Ai at 60 are someday recoded by a magician, I'll recommend a separate .exe name , to end the curse of switching, between offline and online racing.  Program coder required - apply hereabouts for exe-cise. ::)

Are you still local to me clive? I've recenty upgraded my PC to cope with other games and have yet to get rid of the old parts.
I can give you a motherboard, decent CPU (better than yours at any rate!) and graphics card, I imagine your having them will be easier and less stressful than trying to sell them on Ebay!

All you'd need to buy new would be a powersupply (I'm guessing this as I don't know what you have), and some RAM. ANd maybe a new case if yours isn't to happy accepting any of these parts.
If you could get hold of a copy I'd stick windows 7 on it, I've never had any problems with GPL when running the 64bit version other than the operating system being convinced that track installs have failed when they've otherwise worked fine.

Great idea Tim!

For all not knowing the specs of their PC, the download of this free hwinfo (http://www.hwinfo.com/) program can help.

Just install it and run, summary shows all  ;)

(http://picload.org/image/ccdcpio/hwinfo.jpg)

Now you tell me!!! lol
I have just spent the afternoon in Yate with friends!!! but maybe I recall somewhere that you have moved on from there.

Huge thanks for the offer Tim, but I have had this PC for about 5 years and I have promised myself a new up to date rig with the latest processors etc. in the January sales. Just have to get around to sorting the best deal and ordering it . Then of course bugging the hell out of everyone  ::) as I stumble around in the dark trying to make it work!!

The way I figure it, that should last me another 5yrs before GPL is running at 120fps, in 3D projected surround graphics and smellivision with Castrol R and burning rubber options.

I would suggest that you advertise the parts right here on the forum, as there are plenty of others who would be glad of the chance of an economical upgrade.

BTW I notice that most pc's are supplied with Win8 at the moment and I have read several reviews that are less than complimentary about it. Anyone using Win8 for GPL? and are there any issues? Otherwise I will hunt down a copy of Win 7.

Nope, still in South Yate but have my own house now  ;D

I would imagine GPL runs in Win8 but would rather boil my own feet than use it....

Win 7 will be tricky to find due to Microsoft having stopped officially selling new copies.

My old kit includes a quad core AMD Black edition 955 processor - it's about 6/7 years old but ran GPL fully maxed out right up until I ripped it out for the new innards.
Unless you're looking to run stuff like Assetto Corsa and Project CARS in full pretty mode then splurging the sort of cash I did last summer will be unnecessary for the sake of GPL - and Power and Glory for that matter. My new I7 and all the other toys have made no difference to GTR2 beyond the fact I've maxed out every graphical option I can think of and removed the 'cars drawn' limit. Racing at Spa against nearly 80 AI cars is quite an experience when forcing myself to start from the back  8)

You will get a W7 prof (COA) for 25€ atm.

But W8.1 has a better sound-handling implemented and will be upgraded to W10 without charge  ;)

W7 does not support any sound hardware acceleration...