In-Car Speed Indicator

To all GPL drivers/tech guys: I have wasted so much time....practicing on a new track.....or even practicing to find those extra "tenths" here and there that we all know are "available" but....hours of practice to find them....having to switch to a "replay" screen to check my "speed" through any particular spot on a track I'm working on! And, please don't tell me the rpm indicator should tell me that....because it doesn't! The gauges in gpl are not "discernible" down to at least 200 rpm minimum from within the***pit view....at least not without taking too much time to squint and read it.......which is the case in all real race cars. Plus...there are many turns where you are coming down through the gears......you still need to know your entry "speeds"....not a single speed.....so the rpm indicator again is useless in this regard. Again, all the "purists"......maybe we could make this feature only available in "Training" mode? I don't even care if the speed (digital read out) is integrated into the***pit dash! Who cares....I want to be able to stop wasting time having to change to a "replay" to get the kind of feed back all drivers need when practicing a new track...or getting faster on one! I think there's a real possible "side benefit" in online/multiplayer....in being able to have a clear digital speed read out! It would "help" to clean up the "starts" where there's so much "noise" coming from cars around you......no time to discern your rpm's at any given point (lucky to remember what gear you are in.....and no time to glance to the lower right to check it really)......we'd avoid those "first turn" slam jobs from drivers simply going "too fast...without really being aware of it".....!! So....just like for the "brake lights" (see post on brake lights....can we have them?)....I'm offering to purchase any 3D video card and send it to the first person who can figure out how to get this data into the***pit view in GPL! It needs to be a digital read out....easily viewable while driving....and I don't care if it's incorporated into the***pit dash or not! That would be "nice" but not totally necessary! If the same person figures out both the brake lights and the speed indicator ..........I'll get you a 3D video card and a sound card (of your choice).....or substitute any other similarly priced computer component and ship it to you (my expense) anywhere in the world! You have my honor...my "word" on this...publicly stated in this "forum".......it would be pretty hard for me to not "hold up my end of the bargain!" Ok you tech guys....this can't be that hard? Get cracking! Tom Pabst

Boy, you're 0 for 2 today. > To all GPL drivers/tech guys: > I have wasted so much time....practicing on a new track.....or even > practicing to find those extra "tenths" here and there that we all know are > "available" but....hours of practice to find them....having to switch to a > "replay" screen to check my "speed" through any particular spot on a track > I'm working on! And, please don't tell me the rpm indicator should tell me > that....because it doesn't! The gauges in gpl are not "discernible" down to > at least 200 rpm minimum from within the***pit view....at least not > without taking too much time to squint and read it.......which is the case > in all real race cars. Plus...there are many turns where you are coming > down through the gears......you still need to know your entry > "speeds"....not a single speed.....so the rpm indicator again is useless in > this regard. > Again, all the "purists"......maybe we could make this feature only > available in "Training" mode? I don't even care if the speed (digital read > out) is integrated into the***pit dash! Who cares....I want to be able to > stop wasting time having to change to a "replay" to get the kind of feed > back all drivers need when practicing a new track...or getting faster on > one! > I think there's a real possible "side benefit" in online/multiplayer....in > being able to have a clear digital speed read out! It would "help" to clean > up the "starts" where there's so much "noise" coming from cars around > you......no time to discern your rpm's at any given point (lucky to remember > what gear you are in.....and no time to glance to the lower right to check > it really)......we'd avoid those "first turn" slam jobs from drivers simply > going "too fast...without really being aware of it".....!! > So....just like for the "brake lights" (see post on brake lights....can we > have them?)....I'm offering to purchase any 3D video card and send it to the > first person who can figure out how to get this data into the***pit view > in GPL! It needs to be a digital read out....easily viewable while > driving....and I don't care if it's incorporated into the***pit dash or > not! That would be "nice" but not totally necessary! > If the same person figures out both the brake lights and the speed indicator > ..........I'll get you a 3D video card and a sound card (of your > choice).....or substitute any other similarly priced computer component and

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> ship it to you (my expense) anywhere in the world! > You have my honor...my "word" on this...publicly stated in this > "forum".......it would be pretty hard for me to not "hold up my end of the > bargain!" > Ok you tech guys....this can't be that hard? Get cracking! > Tom Pabst

Agreed!!!

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>Boy, you're 0 for 2 today. >> To all GPL drivers/tech guys: >> I have wasted so much time....practicing on a new track.....or even >> practicing to find those extra "tenths" here and there that we all know >are >> "available" but....hours of practice to find them....having to switch to a >> "replay" screen to check my "speed" through any particular spot on a track >> I'm working on! And, please don't tell me the rpm indicator should tell >me >> that....because it doesn't! The gauges in gpl are not "discernible" down >to >> at least 200 rpm minimum from within the***pit view....at least not >> without taking too much time to squint and read it.......which is the case >> in all real race cars. Plus...there are many turns where you are coming >> down through the gears......you still need to know your entry >> "speeds"....not a single speed.....so the rpm indicator again is useless

Toms Vaporware Review [link lost in import] or [link lost in import] Home of the "UNBIASED" review!

Tom, I have one of the buttons on my wheel mapped to the F10 button. I can check my speed at certain points around the track by switching to the external view, then back to the***pit. Sure it is a bit 'unrealistic' but it saves having to review the replay to see your speed. Some points I like to check at Monza are the start/finish line, the red sign on the right up the main straight and out of the Vialone. All these points are on straight sections of track. I never do this through the corners so you may not be able to use this method to check your entry speed as the ***pit view may compromise the way you enter the corner. Bye, Ian

Good idea. I too have F10 mapped to a button and I sometimes use the external view at the start of a race to get a better view of the field and improve frame rate somewhat but it had never occured to me to use it to check speeds!

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>Tom, >I have one of the buttons on my wheel mapped to the F10 button. I can check >my speed at certain points around the track by switching to the external >view, then back to the***pit. Sure it is a bit 'unrealistic' but it saves >having to review the replay to see your speed. >Some points I like to check at Monza are the start/finish line, the red

sign

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>on the right up the main straight and out of the Vialone. All these points >are on straight sections of track. I never do this through the corners so >you may not be able to use this method to check your entry speed as the >cockpit view may compromise the way you enter the corner. >Bye, >Ian

LMAO!!!!!! > Boy, you're 0 for 2 today. > <mindless reasoning snipped> -- Jon Van Ginneken "I try to do my best every day. If, at the end of the day I know I did the best job I could do, I am satisfied." --Alex Zanardi

Ian.... Thank you for an "intelligent" response to my inquiry. I'll give that a try.....actually I wouldn't care about the "switch" when practicing...but it wouldn't do if actually in a race. I use the "speed" (or the tach...as long I can see rpm's in "200 rpm increments) to "pace" laps that are mid-way in a long race. I learned to do that from Bob Bondurant....and I don't know any race car driver who doesn't (unless he's running in F1, CART or NASCAR where either a "spotter" or awesome telemetry will do it for him). I guess with GPL, Papyrus' design of it was intended to be "true" to that period of racing. I understand that....I would make exactly the same decision. But, with the lack of serious racing sims out now (N3 delay, TransAm disbanded.......and the list goes on) we find ourselves with only one serious and good racing sim.....GPL. I no longer "think" of GPL as a 1967 F1 Racing Sim. It's a 1999 racing sim.....the only one I can drive and enjoy....and the only one with that level of car physics and a relatively active online following. I've done everything I can to bring GPL into the 90's......all "current" graphics for cars, track signage (heck....I even took the driver's suit and completely redid all the files to have colors and a "racing harness" added....it looks pretty cool actually), etc. I know many, many, many other sim drivers who've done the same. I believe, as do many others, that adding a "speed indicator" and "brake lights" would improve GPL's "playablility" in online racing....especially when we have a "mix" of driving skills that vary by wide margins (because of GPL's steep learning curve). Maybe I'm wrong about that? Who knows? Until we have them....we won't will we? Thanks again for your "input".......I appreciate you taking the time to make an intelligent post. Regards, Tom Pabst (Not of Tom's Hardware) *************************************************************************

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>Good idea. I too have F10 mapped to a button and I sometimes use the >external view at the start of a race to get a better view of the field and >improve frame rate somewhat but it had never occured to me to use it to >check speeds! >>Tom, >>I have one of the buttons on my wheel mapped to the F10 button. I can

check >>my speed at certain points around the track by switching to the external >>view, then back to the***pit. Sure it is a bit 'unrealistic' but it saves

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>>having to review the replay to see your speed. >>Some points I like to check at Monza are the start/finish line, the red >sign >>on the right up the main straight and out of the Vialone. All these points >>are on straight sections of track. I never do this through the corners so >>you may not be able to use this method to check your entry speed as the >>cockpit view may compromise the way you enter the corner. >>Bye, >>Ian

I'd love to see telemetry info for the in-car driving view. At the same time, I'd like to see the mirrors added to the chase (arcade) view. I drive the chase view because I have a hard time seeing the turns in time to make the right decisions about how to proceed. I rely on sound right now to tell how close a car is when they're overtaking me. Granted, it's not the optimum way to do it, but I'm a better driver in chase view. -- ========================================================= John Simmons - Redneck Techno-Biker (Zerex12) http://www.members.home.net/jms1/index.html John Simmons - Barbarian Diecast Collector http://members.home.net/jsimm/diecast_index.html IGPS (Season 2) Director http://207.104.111.77/igps2/igps2.html If you want to send me email, go to either of the URL's shown above & click "Send Me Mail" in the contents frame. =========================================================

Hello Tom, Take it as part payment for the great soundpack....I still owe you ;-) Bye, Ian