rec.autos.simulators

My system info:

PII 400mhz (Aesus BX mb)
128 mb Ram
Win98 (<----ugh)
Diamond G640 AGP
Creative Blaster Voodoo 2 8mb

My first problem is if I turn on terrain and/or track texture, I
get HUGE BLACK - or dark grey hatched - areas of video.  It's
impossible to drive, many areas of the track are completely
black.  If I turn off both those textures, everything is ok.
Wierd?  But even then, the my***pit textures flash to black and
back regularly, make it beyond annoying.  Anyone have any ideas?
I've tried everything I can think of.  BTW, my frame rate is
excellent, hotlapping at Spa it was pretty consistently around
38.  I've tried all resolutions and all 3dfx settings I have
available to me.  Am I an idiot??  I beg for help.

Why is the anti-aliasiing not an option for me with a Voodoo 2
card.  I thought I would have that capability enabled?

My second problem is maybe just me being dumb.  In the "chase"
view (hit F10 from***pit view), I get kewl information on the
bottom of the screen (gear, RPM, some tire info, speed, etc), but
in the***pit view I don't get it.  That sucks.  Is it supposed
to be available?  If not, can you lads tell me you are really
reading those gauages??  You can read those silly tiny gauges at
speed?  I can't, and I have a 21" monitor 12 inches from my face.
Even if so, there is no tire information on those gauges...??
I'm stumped.

Third problem, the game crashes REGULARLY, usually on trips back
to the pits off the escape key/enter sequence.  But also, if you
hit escape, then F3 for options - BOOM - back to the desktop.

4th problem - steering input is too jerky.  It's not the port,
that's fine, it's sensitivity.  I am using a TM GP1 wheel (laugh
if you want, it's *the only* wheel for me, with the paddles!)
connected through a PCI sound blaster card.  I have test the
input lag, it's fine I believe (GP2 and N2 both like it fine).
My car is a little to jerky though, for instance, at speed
through La Carrierre at Spa I cannot keep the car in the racing
line down the right edge of the track on the exit down the
stretch... it's too busy hopping around and overreacting to my
tiny corrections.

Thanks all for any advice.  JESUS CHRIST, THIS SIM IS TOOOOOOOOOO
KEWL!  It's like my prayers for the perfect sim have been
answered! <g>.  Jeez, I'll have no life for awhile now <g>.

Please, please, I beg for anyone advice who has experienced any
of these probs.

-=Hammer
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Get the latest drivers from Creative , solved the same problem for me.

I'm going to install them tonite, I'll respond to my own post
Monday and let everyone know how it works out for the video
problems - for edification if nothing else.  

I'm still open to ideas on the other issues.   Thanks all.

-=Hammer
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Edge aliasing would require a second pass through the card and would
therefore more than likely greatly lower the frame rate.

% My second problem is maybe just me being dumb.  In the "chase"
% view (hit F10 from***pit view), I get kewl information on the
% bottom of the screen (gear, RPM, some tire info, speed, etc), but
% in the***pit view I don't get it.  That sucks.  Is it supposed
% to be available?  If not, can you lads tell me you are really
% reading those gauages??  You can read those silly tiny gauges at
% speed?  I can't, and I have a 21" monitor 12 inches from my face.
% Even if so, there is no tire information on those gauges...??
% I'm stumped.

Nope only available via chase view....

% Third problem, the game crashes REGULARLY, usually on trips back
% to the pits off the escape key/enter sequence.  But also, if you
% hit escape, then F3 for options - BOOM - back to the desktop.

Maybe (and hopefully) this is tied to your video card drivers.
Hopefully after you load the current ones this will go away.

% 4th problem - steering input is too jerky.  It's not the port,
% that's fine, it's sensitivity.  I am using a TM GP1 wheel (laugh
% if you want, it's *the only* wheel for me, with the paddles!)
% connected through a PCI sound blaster card.  I have test the
% input lag, it's fine I believe (GP2 and N2 both like it fine).
% My car is a little to jerky though, for instance, at speed
% through La Carrierre at Spa I cannot keep the car in the racing
% line down the right edge of the track on the exit down the
% stretch... it's too busy hopping around and overreacting to my
% tiny corrections.

Make sure you have "poll with interrupts enabled" unchecked in the Game
Controllers advanced tab.  This should help.

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

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

Kari

The new drivers solved the problems, thanks all!

-=Hammer
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