Re: Enhancing your CART Tracks for GPL

I'd be interested also, and once again, great work! Thank you. -- don "Getting hit by a meteorite is an accident... everything else is driver-error." "Alison Hine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Depending on the level of interest, I might consider putting together > kits to bring Laguna, Elkhart, and Portland up to snuff. > > Alison >

The GPL Track Converter (at http://www.sim-garage.co.uk/ ) converts most of the circuits from Papyrus CART Racing or IndyCar Racing 2 into GPL. The original DOS and Windows versions of CART Racing and IndyCar Racing 2 were great sims in their day, but the tracks appear rather plain by today's standards, especially in comparison with the other tracks available for GPL. Fortunately, Papyrus upgraded five of the original tracks with enhanced graphics for the Rendition Ready versions of ICR2. After the Rendition Ready ICR2 was released, I participated in an effort by The Sim Project (http://simracing.com/) to enhance the remaining ten tracks. The resulting 3D Kits are still available at The Sim Project, and can be used to enhance any Rendition Ready version of CART or ICR2 prior to conversion into GPL. The resulting conversions are much more visually exciting than the unenhanced original tracks. However, the Rendition Ready version of CART is no longer available. The version currently being sold has the Rendition Ready logo but is not actually Rendition Ready. In anticipation of renewed interest in CART/ICR2 for conversion to GPL, I've reworked the original 3D kits and developed new versions which can be applied to DOS and Windows versions of ICR2 or CART, including the All American Sports version of CART currently available from Sierra (http://www.sierra.com/ ). The new kits plus the GPL Track Converter allow owners of any version of CART or ICR2 to have visually exciting versions of most of the CART tracks in GPL. For information about downloading and installing the 3D Kits: http://eaglewoman.maximumspeed.com/gpl/ Click on Help, then Add-Ons, then Tracks. If you're not sure if your version of CART or ICR2 is Rendition Ready, go here: http://eaglewoman.maximumspeed.com/gpl/ Click on Help, then Add-Ons, then CART Racing Versions. If you need to buy CART, try here: https://store.sierra.com/ObjectBuilder/ObjectBuilder.iwx?processName=ProductPageSierraSKU&Merchant_id=1&SKU=70449 This appears to be the original, truly Rendition Ready version of CART. Please let me know if you find out! Alison [email hidden] http://eaglewoman.maximumspeed.com http://eaglewoman.maximumspeed.com/gpl

This version stuff about Indycar is a little bit confusing for me. If I understand correctly: - Papyrus Cart is the same as Indycar Racing - There are 2 versions of Indycar Racing II, one of them a rendition version - With your new 3d kits, it doesn't matter which Indycar II version I have, the new 3d kits will convert the tracks so they will look just as good as with the rendition version? Andre On Thu, 23 Mar 2000 13:09:52 GMT, Alison Hine <[email hidden]> wrote: >The GPL Track Converter (at http://www.sim-garage.co.uk/ ) converts most >of the circuits from Papyrus CART Racing or IndyCar Racing 2 into GPL. <snip>

On Thu, 23 Mar 2000 15:41:35 GMT, [email hidden] (Andre Warringa) wrote:

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>This version stuff about Indycar is a little bit confusing for me. >If I understand correctly: > >1- Papyrus Cart is the same as Indycar Racing >2- There are 2 versions of Indycar Racing II, one of them a rendition >version >3- With your new 3d kits, it doesn't matter which Indycar II version I >have, the new 3d kits will convert the tracks so they will look just >as good as with the rendition version?

To answer your questions: 1 - with a few cosmetic changes (intro logos), yes 2 - three actually, with the Windows version (see below) 3 - I vbelieve that's true, but Alison knows for sure. Andre, here's a post I made in another thread, maybe it helps: * Actually the original DOS-ICR2 came out in late 1995 and pre-dated Rendition. * There was also the Windows release of ICR2 (summer '96?), which was not Rendition-enhanced. * A DOS/Rendition-version of ICR2 came with many V1000 Rendition cards in late 1996 (but was not sold separately). * The first edition of CART Racing (which had Steve Smith's "Winning" handbook included) had Windows, DOS, and DOS/Rendition versions. I don't remember the release date, but both manuals are copyright 1997. * I hear that later (classic/budget) releases of CART Racing do *not* include the Rendition version (even if the box says it does). Buy carefully. If you have the Rendition version, you'll have a separate Rendition executable and added directories (5?) for the Rendition-enhanced tracks. Search your CD... "But in a way, fear is a big part of racing, because if there was nothing to be frightened of, and no limit, any fool could get into a motor car and racing would not exist as a sport." -- Jim Clark

Yes, you are correct on all counts. You'll need to download the appropriate kits for your ICR2/CART version. All this is explained in exhaustive detail on my Web site. Go to Add-Ons, and look under the Tracks section. The only practical difference between DOS/Windy and Rendition versions of CART/ICR2 for GPL conversion is that there are no kits right now to bring the DOS/Windy versions of the Papyrus-enhanced tracks (Laguna Seca, Elkhart Lake, Portland, Michigan and Phoenix) up to Rendition-Ready visual standards. Michigan and Phoenix are available from NASCAR sims anyway so that's no problem. Depending on the level of interest, I might consider putting together kits to bring Laguna, Elkhart, and Portland up to snuff. Alison On Thu, 23 Mar 2000 15:41:35 GMT, [email hidden] (Andre Warringa) wrote:

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>This version stuff about Indycar is a little bit confusing for me. >If I understand correctly: > >- Papyrus Cart is the same as Indycar Racing >- There are 2 versions of Indycar Racing II, one of them a rendition >version >- With your new 3d kits, it doesn't matter which Indycar II version I >have, the new 3d kits will convert the tracks so they will look just >as good as with the rendition version? > >Andre > >On Thu, 23 Mar 2000 13:09:52 GMT, Alison Hine <[email hidden]> >wrote: > >>The GPL Track Converter (at http://www.sim-garage.co.uk/ ) converts most >>of the circuits from Papyrus CART Racing or IndyCar Racing 2 into GPL. > ><snip>

Alison From: [email hidden] Reply-To: [email hidden] Remove the spam blocker NOSPAM to email me. http://eaglewoman.maximumspeed.com

I am very interested :) I spent this evening reading your setup-guide included in the GRE utility. Excellent clear writing, excellent setup tool, Ricardo Nunnini's site allready gave me lots of insight on car setup, and the excellent guide and GRE only helped me getting further and further in understanding the car setup in GPL. A big thank you to you and your brother! Andre On Fri, 24 Mar 2000 00:01:02 GMT, Alison Hine <[email hidden]> wrote: >Depending on the level of interest, I might consider putting together >kits to bring Laguna, Elkhart, and Portland up to snuff. > >Alison >

Hi Alison, >Depending on the level of interest, I might consider putting together >kits to bring Laguna, Elkhart, and Portland up to snuff. Oh yes, pleeaaase :-) Greetings from Germany, 50km away from the Nordschleife :-), Michael Staab -- Meine Grand Prix Legends Homepage: http://home.rhein-zeitung.de/~mstab/ Mitglied in der CAR, Verein f�r PC-Rennsimulationen http://www.car-ev.de/ Staabi's Mountain Bike Classics http://home.rhein-zeitung.de/~mstab/mtb/ " To race is to live, everything else is just waiting"

>Heh. Glad I'm not the only one who spent ages messing about with it >before I succeeded (by following the instructions exactly :-) That's not >to say I don't appreciate the effort that went into the graphics >package.... looked like a lot of work, and that's just writing the >instructions! I took about an hour staring at constant "bad command or file name" messages until I figured out that the path directory was set incorrectly in my autoexec.bat... after that it worked fine, now I just have to work on some setups :-) -- Cheers! Graeme Nash

> but after spending 20 minutes going from link to link to link > and reading explanatory stuff along the way, is there a > simpler method? Heh. Glad I'm not the only one who spent ages messing about with it before I succeeded (by following the instructions exactly :-) That's not to say I don't appreciate the effort that went into the graphics package.... looked like a lot of work, and that's just writing the instructions! Andrew McP

Alison, I realise that the arrangement for doing this is not a simple matter but after spending 20 minutes going from link to link to link and reading explanatory stuff along the way, is there a simpler method? Alison Hine wrote:

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> Yes, you are correct on all counts. You'll need to download the > appropriate kits for your ICR2/CART version. All this is explained in > exhaustive detail on my Web site. Go to Add-Ons, and look under the > Tracks section. > > The only practical difference between DOS/Windy and Rendition versions > of CART/ICR2 for GPL conversion is that there are no kits right now to > bring the DOS/Windy versions of the Papyrus-enhanced tracks (Laguna > Seca, Elkhart Lake, Portland, Michigan and Phoenix) up to > Rendition-Ready visual standards. Michigan and Phoenix are available > from NASCAR sims anyway so that's no problem. > > Depending on the level of interest, I might consider putting together > kits to bring Laguna, Elkhart, and Portland up to snuff. > > Alison > > On Thu, 23 Mar 2000 15:41:35 GMT, [email hidden] (Andre Warringa) > wrote: > > >This version stuff about Indycar is a little bit confusing for me. > >If I understand correctly: > > > >- Papyrus Cart is the same as Indycar Racing > >- There are 2 versions of Indycar Racing II, one of them a rendition > >version > >- With your new 3d kits, it doesn't matter which Indycar II version I > >have, the new 3d kits will convert the tracks so they will look just > >as good as with the rendition version? > > > >Andre > > > >On Thu, 23 Mar 2000 13:09:52 GMT, Alison Hine <[email hidden]> > >wrote: > > > >>The GPL Track Converter (at http://www.sim-garage.co.uk/ ) converts most > >>of the circuits from Papyrus CART Racing or IndyCar Racing 2 into GPL. > > > ><snip> > > Alison > > From: [email hidden] > Reply-To: [email hidden] > Remove the spam blocker NOSPAM to email me. > http://eaglewoman.maximumspeed.com

Please! Please! Please! Thanks don hodgdon wrote:

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> I'd be interested also, and once again, great work! Thank you. > > -- > don > > "Getting hit by a meteorite is an accident... > everything else is driver-error." > > "Alison Hine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:[email hidden]... > > Depending on the level of interest, I might consider putting together > > kits to bring Laguna, Elkhart, and Portland up to snuff. > > > > Alison > >

Well I did it...I got all the un3d tracks updated. Boy am I stupid. I must have spent a good hour doing one thing, reading your instructions, doing one more thing, going back to read some more instructions, on and on and on....But..I finally got Mid Ohio and the rest converted to 3d. Thanks Miss Eagleperson. dave henrie Alison Hine wrote:

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> > Yes, you are correct on all counts. You'll need to download the > appropriate kits for your ICR2/CART version. All this is explained in > exhaustive detail on my Web site. Go to Add-Ons, and look under the > Tracks section. > > The only practical difference between DOS/Windy and Rendition versions > of CART/ICR2 for GPL conversion is that there are no kits right now to > bring the DOS/Windy versions of the Papyrus-enhanced tracks (Laguna > Seca, Elkhart Lake, Portland, Michigan and Phoenix) up to > Rendition-Ready visual standards. Michigan and Phoenix are available > from NASCAR sims anyway so that's no problem. > > Depending on the level of interest, I might consider putting together > kits to bring Laguna, Elkhart, and Portland up to snuff. > > Alison > > On Thu, 23 Mar 2000 15:41:35 GMT, [email hidden] (Andre Warringa) > wrote: > > >This version stuff about Indycar is a little bit confusing for me. > >If I understand correctly: > > > >- Papyrus Cart is the same as Indycar Racing > >- There are 2 versions of Indycar Racing II, one of them a rendition > >version > >- With your new 3d kits, it doesn't matter which Indycar II version I > >have, the new 3d kits will convert the tracks so they will look just > >as good as with the rendition version? > > > >Andre > > > >On Thu, 23 Mar 2000 13:09:52 GMT, Alison Hine <[email hidden]> > >wrote: > > > >>The GPL Track Converter (at http://www.sim-garage.co.uk/ ) converts most > >>of the circuits from Papyrus CART Racing or IndyCar Racing 2 into GPL. > > > ><snip> > > Alison > > From: [email hidden] > Reply-To: [email hidden] > Remove the spam blocker NOSPAM to email me. > http://eaglewoman.maximumspeed.com

To anyone having problems converting the DOS version of ICR2, I have the original DOS version of ICR2 and the install script did not run perfectly for me so I fiddled with it :) Here are the steps anyone with the DOS version can take and it will work... Download my 3Dkits subfolder that worked for me: http://members.xoom.com/gplprc/icr2/3Dkits.zip (4MB) 1. Copy your ICR2 folder to C:\ICR2 for easy conversion. 2. Extract 3Dkits.zip to C:\ICR2\3Dkits using WinZip ^^^^^^ 3. Change to the C:\ICR2\3Dkits folder 4. Type: copy pack.exe c:\icr2 5. Type: copy unpack.exe c:\icr2 6. Type: install /a to install the HQ version of available tracks. 7. At the last prompt, choose N. Do you wish to move your old tracks to a spare directory, delete them, or do nothing with them at this time? [Move, Delete, or Nothing][M,D,N]? N 8. When coverting the tracks, be sure to convert the HQ version of tracks that have 2 entries. Thanks for the upgrade Alison! Happy converting! Jason. Alison Hine wrote:

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> > The GPL Track Converter (at http://www.sim-garage.co.uk/ ) converts most > of the circuits from Papyrus CART Racing or IndyCar Racing 2 into GPL. > > The original DOS and Windows versions of CART Racing and IndyCar Racing > 2 were great sims in their day, but the tracks appear rather plain by > today's standards, especially in comparison with the other tracks > available for GPL. Fortunately, Papyrus upgraded five of the original > tracks with enhanced graphics for the Rendition Ready versions of ICR2.

<snip> > Alison > > [email hidden] > http://eaglewoman.maximumspeed.com > http://eaglewoman.maximumspeed.com/gpl -- Jason Monds "Insert Witty Remark Here" theCLAPPER in Kali http://www.proracingclub.com - Pro Racing Club! (N3, GPL) http://members.home.net/stuff.mondsj/csp - Car Sim Project (Remove 'no spork' when replying)

Glad you got it cause I didn't! I spent three hours on it and still no cool gfx! Remember I'm an idiot! "Andrew MacPherson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> > > but after spending 20 minutes going from link to link to link > > and reading explanatory stuff along the way, is there a > > simpler method? > > Heh. Glad I'm not the only one who spent ages messing about with it > before I succeeded (by following the instructions exactly :-) That's not > to say I don't appreciate the effort that went into the graphics > package.... looked like a lot of work, and that's just writing the > instructions! > > Andrew McP

>I can imagine that it was a difficult task for young guys like you who >grew up after the DOS age :) Ah, but I didn't :-) I remember spending ages figuring out all the DOS commands on my first PC, I still have some of the "programs" I wrote when I was 10, such as interactive bootdisk makers that search your computer for the right drivers etc :-) -- Cheers! Graeme Nash

>Graeme, would you be willing to spell out in more detail what you did with >the autoexec.bat to solve the problem? I'll admit to being flumoxed when >confronted with a DOS prompt. Well, I followed Alison's instructions to the letter but every time I ran the "install" program from the DOS prompt it just said "bad command or file name" about 8 times and stopped. I figured out that the problem was with the "path" setting in my autoexec.bat. On her site, Alison writes that the pkunzip utility has to be placed in your "path" directory, as specified in autoexec.bat. This is usually C:\ or C:\Windows, so I just put pkunzip in my C:\ folder and left it. However, in my autoexec.bat file, the path was specified as "C:\program files\mts\", and not C:\, so the installer couldn't find pkunzip. I changed the path line to read: PATH=C:\;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;C:\program files\mts Now, the directory where I had put pkunzip was specified in the PATH setting, so the track installer could find it. I rebooted and it worked perfectly. -- Cheers! Graeme Nash

Graeme Nash wrote in message ...

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> >I took about an hour staring at constant "bad command or file name" >messages until I figured out that the path directory was set incorrectly >in my autoexec.bat... after that it worked fine, now I just have to work >on some setups :-) > >-- >Cheers! >Graeme Nash

Graeme, would you be willing to spell out in more detail what you did with the autoexec.bat to solve the problem? I'll admit to being flumoxed when confronted with a DOS prompt. Thanks! Kurt

I can imagine that it was a difficult task for young guys like you who grew up after the DOS age :) Andre On Sat, 25 Mar 2000 22:34:08 +0000, Graeme Nash <[email hidden]> wrote: >I took about an hour staring at constant "bad command or file name" >messages until I figured out that the path directory was set incorrectly >in my autoexec.bat... after that it worked fine, now I just have to work >on some setups :-)

Graeme Nash wrote in message ...

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> >Well, I followed Alison's instructions to the letter but every time I >ran the "install" program from the DOS prompt it just said "bad command >or file name" about 8 times and stopped. > >I figured out that the problem was with the "path" setting in my >autoexec.bat. On her site, Alison writes that the pkunzip utility has to >be placed in your "path" directory, as specified in autoexec.bat. This >is usually C:\ or C:\Windows, so I just put pkunzip in my C:\ folder and >left it. >However, in my autoexec.bat file, the path was specified as "C:\program >files\mts\", and not C:\, so the installer couldn't find pkunzip. > >I changed the path line to read: >PATH=C:\;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;C:\program files\mts > >Now, the directory where I had put pkunzip was specified in the PATH >setting, so the track installer could find it. I rebooted and it worked >perfectly. >

Thanks, Graeme -- I THOUGHT I was following the directions exactly, but I was trying to use my existing NetZip. I'd never run into instructions before that called for a specific "unzipper." I'll give your steps a try -- and follow them EXACTLY, of course! ;-) Regards, Kurt