rec.autos.simulators

Just thought I'd share this with you....It's the latest version of some tweaks
made to the FF in GTR by one of the community's most respected FF gurus.
I've been very critical of the FF in GTR but these settings have transformed it for
me.  They need to be inserted into your .PLR file replacing the existing
lines. Don't go into the force menu in the game after you've done this
or they will be reset to default.  These should work well with 'MOMO
Force' and 'MOMO Racing' wheels - not sure about others YMMV.

Watch out for line wrapping - you may need to fix it up after pasting into your text editor.

FFB Device Type="1" // Type of FFB controller: 0=none 1=wheel, 2=stick/custom, 3=rumble pad.
FFB Effects Level="5" // Number of FFB effects to use: 0=No Effects, 1=Low, 2=Medium, 3=High, 4=Full, 5=Custom.
FFB Gain="0.95000" // Strength of Force Feedback effects.  Range 0.0 to 1.0.
FFB Throttle FX on steer axis="1" // 0 = Throttle effects on throttle axis, 1 = throttle effects on steering axis.
FFB Brake FX on steer axis="1" // 0 = Brake effects on brake axis, 1 = brake effects on steering axis.
FFB steer vibe freq mult="0.07000" // Controls frequency of steering vibration. Recommended: 0.5 to 1.0, 0.0 disables steering
vibration.
FFB steer vibe zero magnitude="0.03500" // Magnitude of steering vibration at 0mph (reference point).
FFB steer vibe slope="0.00000" // Slope of line defining magnitude as a function of frequency (used with FFB steer vibe zero
magnitude).
FFB steer vibe wave type="0" // Type of wave to use for vibe: 0=Sine, 1=Square, 2=Triangle, 3=Sawtooth up, 4=Sawtooth down.
FFB steer force average weight="0.95000" // How much weight is given to new steering force calculations each frame (0.01 - 1.0).
Lower values will smooth out the steering force, but will also add latency.
FFB steer force exponent="0.70000" // Steering force output "sensitivity".  Range 0.0 to infinity.  0.0 to 1.0 = higher sensitivity,
greater than 1.0 = lower sensitivity.
FFB steer force input max="-11500.00000" // Recommended: 11500 (-11500 if controller pulls in the wrong direction).
FFB steer force output max="1.60000" // Maximum force output of steering force, recommendation 0.8 to 2.0
FFB steer force grip weight="0.70000" // Range 0.0 to 1.0, recommended: 0.4 to 0.9.  How much weight is given to tire grip when
calculating steering force.
FFB steer force grip factor="0.60000" // Range 0.0 to 1.0, recommended: 0.2 to 0.6.  How much of a factor the front wheel grip is on
the steering weight.
FFB steer update thresh="0.0001500000" // Amount of change required to update steer force/vibe (0.0 - 1.0). Lower values = steering
force updated more frequently = lower frame rate.
FFB steer friction coefficient="0.10000" // Coefficient to use for steering friction.  Range: -1.0 to 1.0
FFB steer friction saturation="1.00000" // Saturation value to use for steering friction.  Range: 0 - 1.0
FFB steer damper coefficient="0.10000" // Coefficient to use for steering damper.  Range: -1.0 to 1.0
FFB steer damper saturation="1.00000" // Saturation value to use for steering damper.  Range: 0 - 1.0
FFB throttle vibe freq mult="0.40000" // Scales actual engine frequency to force FFB vibration frequency.  Suggested range: 0.10 to
0.50
FFB throttle vibe zero magnitude="0.09000" // Magnitude of engine vibration at 0rpm (reference point).
FFB throttle vibe slope="0.00000" // Slope of line defining magnitude as a function of frequency (used with FFB throttle vibe zero
magnitude).
FFB throttle vibe wave type="0" // Type of wave to use for vibe: 0=Sine, 1=Square, 2=Triangle, 3=Sawtooth up, 4=Sawtooth down.
FFB throttle vibe update thresh="0.02000" // Amount of change required to update throttle vibe (0.0 - 1.0)
FFB brake vibe freq mult="0.90000" // Scales actual brake rotational frequency to force feedback vibration frequency.
FFB brake vibe zero magnitude="0.09000" // Magnitude of brake vibration at 0mph (reference point).
FFB brake vibe slope="0.00000" // Slope of line defining magnitude as a function of frequency (used with FFB brake vibe zero
magnitude).
FFB brake vibe wave type="0" // Type of wave to use for vibe: 0=Sine, 1=Square, 2=Triangle, 3=Sawtooth up, 4=Sawtooth down.
FFB brake vibe update thresh="0.02000" // Amount of change required to update brake vibe (0.0 to 1.0)
FFB rumble strip magnitude="0.30000" // How strong the rumble strip rumble is.  Range 0.0 to 1.0, 0.0 disables effect.
FFB rumble strip freq mult="0.50000" // Rumble stip frequency multiplier 1.0 = one rumble per wheel rev.
FFB rumble strip wave type="0" // Type of wave to use for vibe: 0=Sine, 1=Square, 2=Triangle, 3=Sawtooth up, 4=Sawtooth down.
FFB rumble strip pull factor="-0.60000" // How strongly wheel pulls right/left when running over a rumble strip. Suggested
range: -1.5 to 1.5.
FFB rumble strip update thresh="0.03500" // Amount of change required to update rumble strip effect (0.0 - 1.0)
FFB jolt magnitude="1.30000" // How strong jolts from other cars (or walls) are.  Suggested Range: -2.0 to 2.0.

Happy GTR ing!

Kendt

http://forum.rscnet.org/showpost.php?p=2245293&postcount=68

Hopefully they work with other wheels....maybe try it and let us know?

(Just remember to backup your PLR file)

That is, the steering feels kinda numb, with little feedback from where the
*** meets the road.  What little feel there is seems to come from his
bizarre setting of 100% of Spring Effect from the Windows control applet, as
if you were twisting a giant spring with the steering shaft.

In the real world, the springiness in the steering comes from hysteresis
(internal friction) in the ***, like what makes a *** ball bounce.
(Well, that and the caster, which makes the steering lift up and tilt inward
the outer tire in the turn; you are, in effect, "fighting" the suspension.)

In a street car, this springiness is more or less constant, since most
steering input is well within the envelope of the tire's grip (the
well-known friction circle).  That is, most decent (i.e., "sporty") street
tires can generate 0.8 "G" of lateral acceleration, but most street driving
is done at less than 0.3 "G" (if you drove around at 0.5 "G" your passengers
would scream in terror and demand to be let out of the car).

In a race car, however, you are--or should be--approaching the tire's limit
of adhesion at every turn.  In fact, with the front tires, you're usually
going back and forth over "the line" in every turn (the slip angle varys
more than the rear tire's unless yer steering input is preternaturally
smooth).  Racing slicks (a la GTR) tend to let go very suddenly, and with a
good race car setup, you can distinctly feel it when the tire goes over the
limit (it suddenly goes "dead," as if you were driving on ice).  Why?
Because you lose the self-aligning torque and the tire becomes, in effect,
non-directional.

When you have an artificial value providing a constant "self-aligning"
torque (the spring centering), you lose the feel of what the tire is doing.

So, IMO, the centering spring value should be much smaller (I'm using 15%)
and the other values tweaked to be getting more from GTR and less from
Windows.

I'll post this on RSC, too.

--Steve Smith

Marc

You seem a bit confused here...??  I can understand disabling 'Centering
Spring' but the 'Spring Effect' is something that's controlled by the game
for when it needs to do, well, a spring effect.  The game can control the
strength of the effects too.

The real issue I have with the default FF settings in GTR is that it's
virtually impossible to make small steering adjustments mid-corner.  The FF
forces you to move in very jerky increments unsettling the car.  Maybe
that's realistic for racing slicks on the limit - I'm not sure....but it
means that I'm faster with FF turned off which can never be a good
thing..... : (

DN

2=stick/custom, 3=rumble pad.
1=Low, 2=Medium, 3=High, 4=Full, 5=Custom.
axis, 1 = throttle effects on steering axis.
brake effects on steering axis.
vibration. Recommended: 0.5 to 1.0, 0.0 disables steering
at 0mph (reference point).
function of frequency (used with FFB steer vibe zero
1=Square, 2=Triangle, 3=Sawtooth up, 4=Sawtooth down.
new steering force calculations each frame (0.01 - 1.0).
Range 0.0 to infinity.  0.0 to 1.0 = higher sensitivity,
controller pulls in the wrong direction).
force, recommendation 0.8 to 2.0
0.4 to 0.9.  How much weight is given to tire grip when
0.2 to 0.6.  How much of a factor the front wheel grip is on
update steer force/vibe (0.0 - 1.0). Lower values = steering
steering friction.  Range: -1.0 to 1.0
steering friction.  Range: 0 - 1.0
damper.  Range: -1.0 to 1.0
steering damper.  Range: 0 - 1.0
force FFB vibration frequency.  Suggested range: 0.10 to
vibration at 0rpm (reference point).
function of frequency (used with FFB throttle vibe zero
1=Square, 2=Triangle, 3=Sawtooth up, 4=Sawtooth down.
update throttle vibe (0.0 - 1.0)
frequency to force feedback vibration frequency.
0mph (reference point).
function of frequency (used with FFB brake vibe zero
1=Square, 2=Triangle, 3=Sawtooth up, 4=Sawtooth down.
update brake vibe (0.0 to 1.0)
is.  Range 0.0 to 1.0, 0.0 disables effect.
1.0 = one rumble per wheel rev.
1=Square, 2=Triangle, 3=Sawtooth up, 4=Sawtooth down.
right/left when running over a rumble strip. Suggested
update rumble strip effect (0.0 - 1.0)
walls) are.  Suggested Range: -2.0 to 2.0.

<sigh> I suggest you hold your steering wheel next time you sit in a real
car (especially a race car) and notice that there is a slight vibration when
the engine is running.  These settings model that brillinantly IMO.  The
default settings only vibrate the wheel when it's turning which is ludicrous
really.

The vibrating wheel is supposedly emulating engine torque? Hey, if you like
it that's all that matters.

DN

Correct....and you'll notice that when you rev the engine the body moves on
the suspension so engine torque is modelled in the game.  I just found it
strange that such a small thing (which is actually a neat feature) was
enough for you to dismiss it.

Definitely a nice improvement as far as bump steer goes; it's not as crazy.
I can still feel the impact from the bumps, but the car's much easier for me
to control in bumpy braking zones (e.g. into La Source and the Bus Stop).  I
agree with Steve re:generic feel though.  The steering doesn't really go
light as the front tires give out.  That is one of the things I really like
in this demo.  Perhaps I can work out a combination of the two and keep my
favorite aspects.

Also, I'm on a DFP with the 4.6 beta drivers, so my experience is likely a
little different at the very least.  I already went in and decreased gain to
0.9 due to the DFP's stronger FF.

Alan

The vibrating wheel isn't emulating engine torque, it's emulating the
vibrations that the engine is causing to the cars body. I personally
don't like it in FF effects, feels like holding a chain saw.

And yes, engine torque is modelled in the game. If it wasn't the cars
wouldn't move ;)
--
- Jussi Koukku -

It's more like a buzzzzzz on my wheel. Anyone know which setting
to change to reduce it? Otherwise I like these tweaks. Certainly
better than stock.

I might get tired with a 95% setting in the game and 100%
settings in the Profiler, if the race was long.

brrrrr