I feel like a man yelling at clouds 8(
Anyway, build 342 in now available to download:
http://rfactor.net/web/rf2/rf2dl/
Release note (Tim from ISI promises better visuals!):
FEATURES:
Now allowing user vehicle data (like FFB multiplier) to be stored separately from mods. To enable, set the PLR file option "User Vehicle Data" to 1. The current default is 0, which is the original behavior. If it works well, we will change the default.
Allowing virtual mirrors to be used with onboard cameras now. Also made mirror key apply to swingman and onboards.
Added UI options to create a "virtual" vehicle...based off an existing vehicle. Goto Tuning Page with an existing vehicle...select a loose alternative skin. (if no loose alternative skins are availible, hit the "create dir" button, then the "reload" button and it'll generate one for you (use the skin spinner and select "alt"). Once you select an alternative loose skin, the "create" new driver button should be enabled. hit that...fill in the new driver name and team, and next time you enter the vehicle selection screen you should be able to select your new vehicle. (new "virtual" vehicle will also be available as an opponent) (Doesn't currently work for multiplayer).
Added a more generic way for physics modders to attach pushrods (or spring/damper units); in particular they can be attached to A-arms now.
Added tire compounds to results file.
GRAPHICS:
Changed baseline turbidity to 2.0
Now able to exclude specified objects (such as cockpits) from HDR scene avg luminance computation.
New particle cloud system is being phased in.
Improvements to HDR downsampling.
Reflection maps set to Off now uses a near-static map.
Some improvements to reflection map rendering pipeline.
BUG FIXES / OPTIMIZATIONS:
Fixed case where incorrect password would be saved after a failed download.
Fixed incident reporting and crash sounds, not coincidentally!
Fixed mistake when we added support for 6 controllers.
Garage UI captions that are overridden by one vehicle now get reset to the default if a different vehicle is chosen.
Fixed time length of replay reported in Replay Information box.
Improved handling of the situation where there are more vehicles than garage spots (added warning message, and prevented a possible CTD).
Added a controller.ini variable "Detect Rearranged Controllers" which was and is on by default, but can now be disabled if it seems to cause problems.
Computing main vehicle body extents using collision body only now, since collision is its primary purpose. For some cars, this fixes a problem where the AI thought the car was really wide due to the ambient shadow object.
Fixed a problem where the grid at the monitor would look messed up if adding/removing vehicles while paused.
A hopeful fix for the problem where Windows 8 users are reporting occasional lost controllers.
Fixed the position displayed in front of the driver's name at the monitor, which was usually incorrect when viewing replay.
MULTIPLAYER:
Allow /restartwarmup to go back to the warmup session briefly even if it is disabled. The purpose is to allow pending drivers to join.
Optimized the initialization of temp cars in multiplayer, which reduces the slight hitch when other clients join while you are driving.
Fixed bug where server messages were being labeled as "Your Name:" instead of "[server]:"
MODDING / PUBLIC DEV
Fixed crash from entering game with no AIW file.
Added new gizmo APP_TEXTVALUE_REPLAYDRIVER for OSC modders that only displays driver's name, not position.
AI:
Introduced version 1.0 of new AI learning code. When Autocalibrate AI Mode="2" in the playerfile, AIs will run laps in practice trying to optimize their operating parameters on a per corner basis ( up to the new playerfile variable "AI Calibrate Sample Size" number of trials). They create a database (*.wis file...for "wisdom", in the UserData\player\Settings\componentName\VehicleFile directory) with the results & use these results to adjust their parameters on the fly in a race. Because this is the first release, it's not completely full-featured...for best results, during practice, disable fuel usage, tire wear, and mechanical failures, and try to keep out of their way (they will not currently ignore a result because the the AI was held up by another car). Results are stored between games, so you may run a race with fuel usage, tire wear, and mechanical failures once the databases are created.
When Autocalibrate AI Mode="3", the AI will only read and use existing knowledge.
Known Issues:
General
========
-While driving Historics, AI can not safely slow down and enter their pit stall.
-Because work on rFactor 2 is ongoing, newer mods and components may have issues if played on earlier rFactor 2 versions than the version for which they were intended.
Networking
========
-Server does not warn user if IPort is already in use.
-No Server ping in MP Lobby.
-Server detail sharing does not work in some cases.
-Some odd collision behavior is happening in multiplayer.
Graphics
========
-Environment mapping is not yet fully optimized and may cause slowdowns, especially on multi GPU systems.
-FXAA post processing does not work with any level of MSAA enabled - disable MSAA if you are using FXAA
-Night lighting issues with HDR enabled
Replay
======
-Some vehicle states like tire temperatures are not restored when resuming a session from a saved replay.
-The accuracy of the g-force meter may depend on replay quality level. Similarly, watching an AI or human opponent live may result in a very "spiky" meter.
Tire Model
==========
-Contact patch load distribution model is not final, which means tire pressure does not have the full effect that it should.
-Aquaplaning is not implemented, so wet weather driving is only properly modelled when the track is damp but with no standing water.
-There are other relatively minor loose ends.
-Curbs, white lines have almost no grip in rain.
Collision
=========
-Loose objects (cones, haybales, etc.) "fall asleep" inappropriately, sometimes up in the air, and essentially turn into solid objects.
Weather/RealRoad
================
-Groove build-up and track wetness/drying happen at an artificial, accelerated rate.
-Wind and humidity do nothing.
Controllers
===========
-Some older force feedback drivers cannot handle rFactor2's high-fidelity update rate and in fact make the simulation fall out-of-realtime (you'll notice if things get jerky and slow and the purple bar on the CPU Time graph goes to 100%). There are two possible fixes: 1) get updated drivers from your hardware manufacturer (recommended), or 2) open up controller.ini and set "Skip Updates" to a non-zero value. Note that the presets for new Thrustmaster wheels include the second fix in case users haven't updated their drivers. Again, we recommend updating the drivers and setting "Skip Updates" back to 0.
From Tim Wheatley:
Info: This new build should see a major step update to visuals in rFactor 2. You may want to take a good look at your settings, as in some cases you might be able to use a lower setting for the look you are used to now, while those of you with super-systems can enjoy visuals not seen before.
We have worked a way around the bug with USB in Microsoft Windows 8. Loss of controllers issues should be gone. Let us know.
Only major known issue is that for night time racing, you may need to disable HDR to give you visibility. We simply had to get the wheel fixes out (which stopped users from running the sim entirely due to the bug in Windows 8).
I can probably have something up by Saturday night actually.
