rec.autos.simulators

  Are you running under win95 or the dos version of CART?  Does your GP1
need an axis adapter??  Try downloading from Thrustmaster the Propanel and
use that to calibrate.  Choose the T1/T2 option...Yell if those don't work!
dave henrie

Can anyone explain how to get the Thrustmaster GrandPrix1 to work in Set
Controls?

I have loaded it as both the TM GP1 with adapter and as a 2 & 4 button
joystick in the Windows 95 Setting Window, calibrated and tested it (as
directed in the Manual and readme files.  When setting up the wheel
under any of these controller settings in the sim, however, there is a
conflict for the "Y" axis being used by both the brake and the
throttle.  If the right shift button is used as the throttle, then the
brake will work on "Y" alone.  To reverse it, the throttle only works on
the left paddle.

Please, H E L P!

If you haven't done so allready, go to the Thrustmaster website and download
the ProPanel utility, it should fix this kinda stuff.  It's a W95
calibration utility, and it fixed alot of weirdness I had.

While I had not tried the Thrustmaster ProPanel utility, I did as you suggested
and down loaded it, installed it and did the calibration and tests.
Unfortunately, still "no joy."  I even went so far as to do a complete
reinstallation of the sim and the Win95 version patch.  Again, no such luck.

I wonder if there is something wrong with the hardware since I am also getting
some intermittent loss of throttle input when using the shift up/red button 1 as
the accelerator.  I restart the sim and recalibrate each time but to no avail.

My next step is to contact Sierra/Papyrus for help; but, given this is the
weekend, if any of the obvious experts on this news group have any further
suggestions, I certainly would welcome them.  This all assumes, of course, that
it is possible to get the TM GP1 to work the right and left paddles as throttle
and brake within the Win95 version of CART Racing (Indy Car II).  The set-up
works fine in Rally Championship (although the gear shifting is reversed
(because it is a UK game, I assume)), NASCAR 1 and GP2.

Again, help please (my wife is anxious for the bad language to diminish to just
the cursing associated with my or AI/CC cars' bad driving!

Guy Phillips
Barrie, Ontario
1975 Canadian National Rally Championship Navigator

Dave Henrie replied:

Indeed, I have done some yelling over this setup, much to my wife's chagrin!

I have tried both the Win95 and DOS versions of CART Racing and neither gives
me both of the paddles as a throttle and brake.  I don't believe I need the
adaptor.  The following is the E-mail that I posted to Sierra's Technical
Support E-mail address from their Web site which gives a more comprehensive
explanation of the problem and various settings:

I have loaded the Win95 version of the subject game and cannot get my
Thrustmaster GrandPrix 1 with adaptor to work fully.  When setting the controls
under either the Win95 or DOS versions of the game, whenever I go to set one of
the inputs (steering, throttle, brake, shift, etc) the default is always the
mouse.  When modifying the accelerator setting by using the Enter key, the
screen does then recognize the right paddle as the Joystick1 "Y" axis, and the
left paddle as the same "Y" axis for the
brake.  The various buttons work, too.  But, upon trying to save/exit, I get
the following message:  "The current controls settings cannot be saved because
2 or more controls conflict."  The game will work where I set the Fire Button 1
as the accelerator and the left paddle as the brake.  With this setup, things
generally work; but, I get frequent spurious losses of throttle where the car
will slow and the throttle will not engage for assorted lengths of time,
sometimes after a few moments, others not until the car is stopped for a second
or more.  On occasion, when returning to the car after having been in the
garage, the throttle does not work at all and the car just sits.  When I
reverse the settings with the right paddle as the throttle and the Fire Button
2 as
the brake, the throttle only works with the left paddle!

I have a Pentium II 266 with 64MB RAM with a Soundblaster AWE 64 Soundcard

8MB of RAM.  My screen frame rate is always greater than 36.

In accordance with the various on-line help and readme files and hard copy
Manuals, I have the TM GP1 loaded, calibrated and tested under Win95--no
problems.  (The wheel works fully and without ANY problems under NASCAR 1,
GrandPrix 2 and Rally Championship.)

Can the TM GP1 wheel be properly set to work the throttle and brakes on the
right and left paddles?  Also, do you think the throttle problem is related or
is it, perhaps, a hardware problem and the Fire Button 1 contact is not working
properly?

I am certainly appreciating all the advice and assistance.  Many thanks.

Guy Phillips
Barrie, Ontario

% Dave Henrie replied:

% >   Are you running under win95 or the dos version of CART?  Does your GP1
% > need an axis adapter??  Try downloading from Thrustmaster the Propanel and
% > use that to calibrate.  Choose the T1/T2 option...Yell if those don't work!

% Indeed, I have done some yelling over this setup, much to my wife's chagrin!

% I have tried both the Win95 and DOS versions of CART Racing and neither gives
% me both of the paddles as a throttle and brake.  I don't believe I need the
% adaptor.  The following is the E-mail that I posted to Sierra's Technical
% Support E-mail address from their Web site which gives a more comprehensive
% explanation of the problem and various settings:

Okay, first thing to do is run Thrustmaster's TMScope (can be found at
ftp://208.129.210.78/pub/library/calibration/tmscope.exe).  Run this in
a DOS box and work all the controls and buttons on your GP1.  This way
we can tell whether there are any malfunctions with your wheel.  If the
paddles show up on the same axis as the wheel, you do not need the
adaptor.  If they are on different axis you will need the adapter to run
the Windows version of CART, but not the DOS.  If you see any problems
with your GP1 being recognized by the TMScope, please contact
Thrustmaster Technical Support, you wheel may need to be repaired.  Make
sure that the coiled cord is firmly plugged into the bottom of your
steering wheel base.

The following may only work with the DOS version.  Delete the
gameopts.cfg, controls.cfg, and the config.val files from your CART
directory.  Now start CART in DOS.  The first thing you will probably
need to do is calibrate your joystick(s).  Please do so.  Now try to set
your controls.  Make sure that when you select each item to calibrate
you are presented with the screen that "instructs" you what to do.  At
times, it seems that the program doesn't display this screen and the
control settings don't really take.

If the above doesn't work let's try one more trick.  Again delete the
files listed above and copy one of the following files into your CART
directory as controls.cfg (controls.1j is for GP1 with paddles on the
same axis as the wheel -- controls.2j is for the paddles on a different
axis).  Now try to calibrate and set your controls.

begin 644 controls.1j

?    "     $         "P    $          0      

end

begin 644 controls.2j
M!0         !    "0              "0    $         !P    $    
?    "     $         "P    $          0      

end

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

I got an E-Mail answer from Sierra's Technical Support staff, which, in
essence, said "RTFM."  I had tried all the Manual's and Readme file's advice
and since it didn't help, that's why all the news group postings!

Guy Phillips

Remove mouse driver from Autoexec.bat, calibrate and then reload
mouse driver later.