F1-2002 - Questions

Hi Guys.... I know this is old stuff to most of you, but I am just now getting around to seriously installing F1-2002 (for running an F1 sim) and will eventually install the mods for it. I also have F1-C and will be doing the same. But for now, I only want to get the F1 sim up and fully set up.....tweaks and all. I have been working on this for a few nights now, and have some things I either can't figure out, can't find the answer to....or can't find on the net. I thought maybe it would be wise to start a string here, keep all my questions in one place so only those interested in helping, or in reading the answers......can view it. I will ask all questions under this main header of the string......now and over the next few days. So, if you run F1-2002 regularly....maybe check back and help out if you can? Thanks, Tom

Hi Guys.... I can't seem to find a good place (URL) for F1-car setups for F1-2002. I just want the basics....no hot-lapping cheater set ups. I had a great set for F1-2001 but that website is no longer. I really only need them for the original F1 tracks, but some of the add-on tracks would be great too. A download "pack" of basic good setups would be awesome (saves installing individual ones). Thanks, Tom

Hi Guys, Can't seem to find graphic upgrade patches for the basic original F1 tracks (not much for the add-ons either, but I assume they are in less need of them). There's lots of places to get the add-on tracks....but I must be just missing where the upgrade patches are. Can somebody give me a URL for a good....comprehensive group....of upgrade graphic patches for the basic F1 tracks in F1-2002? Thanks, Tom

Hi Guys, Can somebody tell me if you can make a setting so when you pit during a race, you remain in the cockpit and not out floating around your car (very irritating). There was a setting for this in the "plr" file in F1-2001....and I tried that but it does not work for F1-2002 (odd....the line in the plr file is still there, though?). Thanks, Tom

Hi Guys.... In F1-2001, you could gain about 10 FPS (from whatever you were getting) by changing the car texture files from 1024x1024 bitmaps to 512x512 bitmaps......without any discernable loss in image quality in the game. I tried this with F1-2002....and it doesn't seem to have any effect. Maybe this only works on lower end systems (not that mine is all that fast.....in terms of current systems)? Does this just not work in F1-2002? I am running: Windows XP GFxti4200 (128mb ram) 2083 (nominal) AMD Athlon 512 mb Corsair Ram DX9.0 Ralph H. 2003 car set It would be great if this worked.....it was a nice little "gimme" of 10 FPS for no give up! Currently getting 40 FPS in pits at Silver.....40 to 48 on track during testing session.....mid 30's back of the pack on GP race starts. That's at 1280x1024x16 (75refresh), no anis, FSAA=Quincx. That's with all the car textures from Ralph H's car set at 1024x1024. Thanks, Tom

Hi Guys.... Dang EA's graphics engine! I have been running NR003 for about six months.....got spoiled I guess. The "flashing" in F1-2002 is just awful! I have reduced it with several settings (see previous post that has my system specs and settings)......but its still bad. Any tricks you guys are using would be welcome information. Thanks, Tom

Hi Guys.... How do you get the formation lap? I tried the settings in the "plr" file that worked in F1-2001.......the cars started the formation lap, but did not re-grid at the end of it.....they just kept running.....at formation lap speed! LOL.....fun to try to weave your way through them, though! Is there a setting for this in F1-2002....or is it just not possible? Thanks, Tom PS: I would not necessarily want this for Quick Race....but when running a GP of any length....I like the formation lap...it gets my head dialed into the race!

Hi Guys.... I use Riva Tuner as my NV card settings utility. The LOD slider doesn't seem to have any effect in F1-2002. But, in the default.cfg file....there is a line for the cockpit view (same section you use to change the driving FOV and driver's head position) that is: MipMapLODBias=(-1.5). Is that where you can set the LOD bias? Is there any other mipmap modding/setting parameters? Maybe this would help some of the awful flashing? Thanks, Tom

In article <RnwHb.670610$HS4.4766908@attbi_s01>, [email hidden] says... > .... > > ......................... I demand a picture of your period key. -- MRSisson LOAD "GPL",8,1 RUN

"Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:quwHb.677308$Tr4.1697427@attbi_s03... > Hi Guys, > > Can't seem to find graphic upgrade patches for the basic original F1tracks > (not much for the add-ons either, but I assume they are in less need of > them). There's lots of places to get the add-on tracks....but I must be > just missing where the upgrade patches are. Can somebody give me a URLfor > a good....comprehensive group....of upgrade graphic patches for the basicF1

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> tracks in F1-2002? > > Thanks, > > Tom > >

I have F1C with ETCC and DTM but I just can't make myself uninstall F1 2002, there is still no equivalent in F1C for GTR2002 and SCR. Here are some track related links: SLN Updates: http://sln.m4d.sm/f1/index.htm This one has AIW and SVM updates for some of the new tracks: http://www.csj.net/~lmf61/f12002.html And this one is my personal favourite (game.gdb, track icons, etc.): http://home.cablerocket.com/~waldroff/ And another with updated loading screens: http://karkrazy.m4driving.sm/racing_f12002_trackscreens.html Enjoy! Jo�o Gonzalez

"Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:3swHb.677296$Tr4.1697278@attbi_s03... > Hi Guys.... > > I can't seem to find a good place (URL) for F1-car setups for F1-2002. I > just want the basics....no hot-lapping cheater set ups. I had a great set > for F1-2001 but that website is no longer. I really only need them forthe

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> original F1 tracks, but some of the add-on tracks would be great too. A > download "pack" of basic good setups would be awesome (saves installing > individual ones). > > Thanks, > > Tom > >

A good collection, the Notorious setups for Ferrari: http://www.racesimulations.com/F12002/files.php?lid=683 JG

I think what you are seeing is due to the model LOD change, not the mipmap settings. If so, here is how to change it. Look in the Season02\Vehicles folder for the file f1car.gen. For each of the objects in the file you will see settings for low, med, high, and max. This refers to the setting you are using for opponent car quality in the graphics options. Now within each of those settings you will see several settings for each object. Those settings specify different model LODs, and the In and Out variables are the distance range in meters at which those settings are used. The models are not drawn beyond the highest range. For example max has the following ranges: 0 - 5, 5 - 10, 10 - 18, and 18 - 150. So even at max settings you will see an LOD shift at 5, 10, and 18 meters and the models will disappear at 150 meters. Pick the max graphics setting in F1 2002 (there's really no reason to change the others) and then set the LOD ranges for all objects in the file to something like 0 - 500, 500 - 550, 550 - 600, and 600 - 650. Or whatever. There aren't many tracks where you can see more than 500 meters so that should be enough. If you are feeling adventurous you might even want to try removing the alternate ranges so that there is only one range for everything, that would eliminate the LOD change completely. It's a lot of settings to change but at least you only have to do it once. In GTR you had to change every car file! "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:IHwHb.219806$_M.971936@attbi_s54...

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> Hi Guys.... > > Dang EA's graphics engine! > > I have been running NR003 for about six months.....got spoiled I guess. > > The "flashing" in F1-2002 is just awful! I have reduced it with several > settings (see previous post that has my system specs and

settings)......but > its still bad. Any tricks you guys are using would be welcomeinformation. > > Thanks, > > Tom > >

Absolutely perfect, JG! Thank you very much. I was at that site....missed that "setup pack" completely. Regards, Tom

JG....you da Man! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Regards, Tom

LOL......no can take a picture of it. It's worn down to the stub! LOL TP PS: Sorry for the.............(period pauses), its an old habit that's hard to die!

Haq.... Thanks for the info.....and how are you? Still letting all these r.a.s. rookie drivers beat you in RASCAR? LOL....just teasing you, I am well aware of your high-level racing skills! Actually, the LOD changes you indicate were one of the first things I changed. I learned that "trick" early on with F1-2001 (where the wheels of the car in front of you would disappear about 100 feet in front of you, very disconcerting to a real-world driver running the sim). I was actually quite surprised to see that F1-2002 still had the same problems. But then, I realized EA wants to sell games like everyone else in the "gaming industry" and those low LOD settings allows them to decrease their "minimum specs" data which allows them to sell more copies of the game. Its an old gaming industry trick......they probably invented it! And besides that, parts of cars disappearing is not what I refer to as "flashing." Flashing is what looks like "flash bulbs" going off on things like buildings, crowd textures, trees....white lines on the track....and so forth. I'm not sure why this happens in today's world of high-on-board ram video cards (where the need for mipping textures is considerably less), but in the older days it was because the D3D mipping algorhythms swapped the texture from mip to mip level by page flipping them.....not blending them as does OGL. That is why the flashing was always worse with D3D sims than Open GL sims. Even Papyrus sims...when they went to the D3D graphics engine had it pretty bad.....but for some reason its really bad in EA's stuff, and not so bad in Papyrus's sims - these days at least. I still think the overall best quality graphics (track presentation to the driver from the cockpit) is either GPL (with the later updated track textures) or NASCAR 4.....both with the OGL renderer. N4 with OGL....was the best of all NASCAR titles (graphics wise) from Papy! It's been downhill ever since they switched to D3D. What I have done to minimize the flashing in F1-2002 is the following (so far): a. Use 16-bit textures (its worse with 32-bit textures and the 32-bit adds nothing IMHO, to the graphic quality otherwise - and the FPS suffers in 32-bit as well). b. Use as high of a screen resolution as I can (based on my systems specs) that allows 30 FPS + in race mode (usually I use the back of the pack in race starts as a standard). For F1-2002....that would be 1280x1024x16. c. Use Quin-FSAA.....adjusting the screen res down (per above) as needed (actually with no FSAA, my system runs F1-2002 at 30+FPS at race starts very well at 1600x1200x16). By the way, the FPS hit for Quin-FSAA is far less than with 2x-FSAA.....like half as much. And, the picture quality with Quin vs. 2x is three or four times better! At least, on my system it is. d. Set the "mipmapLODBias" setting to "-0.5" from the default setting of "-1.5"......and that has reduced the flashing about 20% - IMHO. [\F1-2002\Save folder, look for the default.cfg file and the line under: "LocalCam=Cockpit" for "MipMapLodBias=(-1.5) and change it to read (-0.5)] That's all I've been able to find in F1-2002 to minimize the flashing.....and all of this was learned in F1-2001 long ago! I was hoping there were some better techniques found by all you guys.....for F1-2002! That was the reason I asked the question above about "flashing." Hope that makes sense? Regards, Tom

"Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:3LDHb.500525$275.1408043@attbi_s53: > JG....you da Man! Thank you, thank you, thank you! > > Regards, > > Tom The single best way to upgrade track graphics would be to install GTR. Along with their 3 track upgrade for the circuits not included in the FIA season, this is a comprehensive update. Make sure to at least install the v1.2 update as well, AFTER testing and running a v1.0 car and driver. dave henrie

"Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:0ywHb.683174$Fm2.590859@attbi_s04:

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> Hi Guys, > > Can somebody tell me if you can make a setting so when you pit during a > race, you remain in the cockpit and not out floating around your car (very > irritating). There was a setting for this in the "plr" file in > F1-2001....and I tried that but it does not work for F1-2002 (odd....the > line in the plr file is still there, though?). > > Thanks, > > Tom >

You might have to edit two lines... under the heading [Game Options] Locked Pit Cam="1" and under [Graphic Options] Allow Swingman in Pitlane="0" I had to re-install F12k2 a whiles back so I'm not 100% if those are the correct settings.

> Is there a setting for this in F1-2002....or is it just not possible? > > Thanks, > > Tom I 'think' that got broken in F1 2k2. You can have a timed pre-race and run laps from and to the pits, bypassing the starting grid, like Michael Schumacher usually does. Then you also can enable a formation lap and drive to your grid position. Again, this is with F1c NOT 2k2. dave henrie

Hi Tom - have you checked here: http://www.m4driving.sm/files/815.html I have been able to find some fine setups there. OJ > I can't seem to find a good place (URL) for F1-car setups for F1-2002. I > just want the basics....no hot-lapping cheater set ups. I had a great set > for F1-2001 but that website is no longer. I really only need them for the > original F1 tracks, but some of the add-on tracks would be great too. A > download "pack" of basic good setups would be awesome (saves installing > individual ones).

Hi Tom, Exactly what high level racing skills are you talking about? I haven't found them yet. ;o) The phenomenon you are talking about is something that I have never seen. Is it possible you have tweaked yourself into it? What if you set all your video card tweaks back to default and run with 32 bit color and no FSAA, how does it look then? In my experience 32 bit color is necessary to get the texture blends to look right. And practically everything you see in game is a blend of two or more textures (material, light, reflection, etc.). Anyway the above is how I am running it and I don't think I am seeing what you describe. Regards, Hal... er, Haq... er, somebody "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:olEHb.61703$VB2.116099@attbi_s51... > Haq.... > > Thanks for the info.....and how are you? Still letting all these r.a.s. > rookie drivers beat you in RASCAR? LOL....just teasing you, I am wellaware > of your high-level racing skills! ><snip> > > Flashing is what looks like "flash bulbs" going off on things like > buildings, crowd textures, trees....white lines on the track....and so > forth. I'm not sure why this happens in today's world of high-on-boardram > video cards (where the need for mipping textures is considerably less),but > in the older days it was because the D3D mipping algorhythms swapped the > texture from mip to mip level by page flipping them.....not blending themas > does OGL. That is why the flashing was always worse with D3D sims thanOpen > GL sims. Even Papyrus sims...when they went to the D3D graphics enginehad > it pretty bad.....but for some reason its really bad in EA's stuff, andnot > so bad in Papyrus's sims - these days at least. ><etc.>

Just curious Tom, why are you running F12002 at all when F1C is a significantly better sim with much better multiplayer? Setups used in F12002 won't work well with F1C. Also, there are some really excellent mods for F1C out right now, with more to come. I doubt very many people are running F12002 anymore. David G Fisher "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:RnwHb.670610$HS4.4766908@attbi_s01... > Hi Guys.... > > I know this is old stuff to most of you, but I am just now getting aroundto > seriously installing F1-2002 (for running an F1 sim) and will eventually > install the mods for it. I also have F1-C and will be doing the same. > > But for now, I only want to get the F1 sim up and fully set up.....tweaks > and all. I have been working on this for a few nights now, and have some > things I either can't figure out, can't find the answer to....or can'tfind

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> on the net. I thought maybe it would be wise to start a string here, keep > all my questions in one place so only those interested in helping, or in > reading the answers......can view it. > > I will ask all questions under this main header of the string......now and > over the next few days. So, if you run F1-2002 regularly....maybe check > back and help out if you can? > > Thanks, > > Tom > >

Thanks Ole....missed that one too. Although, I do have Notorius 3.0 pack. Tom

Ah...good one, Dave. I was only trying to get tracks for F1 cars because I use a different F1-2002 installation for the mods.....and have not installed those yet. But of course, I can always copy the mod tracks back to the F1 cars version of f1-2002...no? Thanks for the tip on this. TP

You Da Man, too - Dave! Those two lines do exist in the "playername.plr" file.....and the "default" settings are as you've indicated above When I changed, "LockedPitCam" from (1) to (0) and, changed "AllowSwingManInPitlane" from (0) to (1) it worked! I stayed in the cockpit during the entire pit stop! Thanks.....I would have never looked for the second line....and it seems odd to turn it on.....in order to "turn it off".....LOL...you know? Thank you Dave! Tom

Hmmm.....I think you'd be the only guy on this planet that doesn't have "flashing" issues in racing sims. I've never had a racing sim....from day one....that didn't have it to some degree. Kind of like "jaggies"....they never really disappear completely even with awesome levels of FSAA (and low frame rates). I don't know really how to respond to this....you are describing something I have never experienced in a racing sim....no flashing! Maybe someone else can describe what flashing is.....better than I have? Otherwise.....could you please send me your video card? LOL.... Tom

Okay Dave....haven't installed F1-C yet....doing it tonight, though. TP

David... I have an ulterior motive than simply running an F1 racing sim. I can't explain it to you....protected by NDA. But, I do have a good reason for getting F1-2002 up to speed. Then...I will install F1-C....and go through the same "routine" of getting it tweaked and working properly (for F1 cars only). I will be installing mods for both......but that's for my own pleasure and what I'm doing now is for work needs. I suspect that you are right about F1-C being the superior F1 racing sim (between the two)......and that most people are not running F1-2002 any longer (except for some of the good mods for that). When the ALMS, GTR mods are converted to F1-C (if ever)......then F1-2002 probably dies off just like NASCAR 4 did after NASCAR 2003 came out. Thanks for the feedback, though. Regards, Tom

"Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<_5NHb.1038$xX.4159@attbi_s02>...

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> Hmmm.....I think you'd be the only guy on this planet that doesn't have > "flashing" issues in racing sims. I've never had a racing sim....from day > one....that didn't have it to some degree. Kind of like "jaggies"....they > never really disappear completely even with awesome levels of FSAA (and low > frame rates). > > I don't know really how to respond to this....you are describing something I > have never experienced in a racing sim....no flashing! Maybe someone else > can describe what flashing is.....better than I have? > > Otherwise.....could you please send me your video card? LOL.... > > Tom

Maybe what you're seeing is texture aliasing, which nothing but the late, great 3dfx RGSS FSAA could really properly deal with. What you should try is turning up the Anisotropic Filtering setting. I know from experience that it'll kill that ti4200 card, though. You should really do yourself a favor and look at getting an ATI Radeon card. If this machine is to be dedicated to this F1 project, you could probably do just fine with a 9500 or 9600 card (9600XT is the current mid-level ATI card). I have a 9700 Pro and it's absolutely brilliant. I get approx 50-60+ in races at 4xFSAA and 8xAniso, 1280x960, 32bit. BTW - *don't* get any "LE" Radeons - they're cheap underclocked versions that probably failed at the stock chipset speeds. Another REALLY important thing to remember about the F1x series physics engines is that they're linked to framerate, so if you're trying to build an accurate simulator chassis (just a guess ;)...), you're hamstringing the whole experience by running at a low frame rate (IIRC 50-60 is the sweet spot). At the very least you could try overclocking your Ti4200 - if it's a later built card they tended to have alot of OC'ing headroom - increased memory speed would help your framerates the most (with careful testing with something like 3dmark to check for artifacts that indicate you're pushing too far). HTH, Kendt Oh - and another thing - if you get an ATI Radeon - www.omegacorner.com - the only drivers you'll ever need ;).

Thanks, Kendt.....good info....I will follow up on your suggestions. Regards, Tom

Actually, you don't need Allow Swingman in Pitlane=1 That just allows you to remain in swingman (kite flyer) view, rather than switching to TV Cockpit view when you enter pitlane. Just setting Locked Pit Cam=0 will keep you from switching to a "spectator" view while the crew is working the car in the pits, which I also hated that "feature". Bill "Tom Pabst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:HYMHb.688744$Fm2.595848@attbi_s04... > You Da Man, too - Dave! > > Those two lines do exist in the "playername.plr" file.....and the"default"

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> settings are as you've indicated above > > When I changed, "LockedPitCam" from (1) to (0) > and, > changed "AllowSwingManInPitlane" from (0) to (1) > > it worked! I stayed in the cockpit during the entire pit stop! > Thanks.....I would have never looked for the second line....and it seems

odd

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> to turn it on.....in order to "turn it off".....LOL...you know? > > Thank you Dave! > > Tom > >