rFactor 2 physics - Real Time - Super Slow Mo!

Hi All,

In response to post my post, #864 in this thread, which was starting to go too off topic, I have started this thread instead.

We were discussing rFactor 2's replay fidelity, and how compared to other sims, in slow motion the physics do not look too good yet. (Primarily suspension and physical movement of the vehicle, tyres look very good already).

I wanted to know, did the physics looks odd in the replays simply due to the fact the replay system is still WIP? Or was it because the actual physics calculations did not have a high fidelity?

Well I highly doubted it was the physics themselves, as the game feels so good to drive. So I made a test.

I got rFactor 2, I put all settings bar textures and car detail to the absolute lowest, put it into 800x600, and recorded at 120fps. The vehicle is being driven in real time by me, not the AI. The footage is live and not from a replay.

Just from a couple of tests, this is what I got:

(I can not embed vimeo videos in HD, to see it in HD, click this: https://vimeo.com/52619849 )

Edit: Check below for discussion!

 

It still looks rubbish Richie tbh mate. The cars are way too stiff and rigid and the cars lack any sense of inertia ( Kerb shots at start ) Nowhere near the fidelity iRacing offers for instance. On the flip side, iRacings feels so crap but looks great for replays. The F3.5 can look good at times in the right moment but generally rF2 is poor here

 

I agree about the iRacing thing, but I really think these physics look good considering they are real time. I don't think any game developer expects somebody to record at high speed and then slow down real time footage.

But I think maybe the scenario I chose does not do justice. With the F2 car, it is actually getting completely grounded on the curb until it reaches the tarmac again.

I do think it is too rigid as you said, but I will go and get some better camera angles that allow us to see the suspenion movement properly. Cheers mate.

 

The 370z and F3.5 are the best in the game for displaying this kind of behaviour but it still looks poor IMO. The whole tyre thing aswell deflating is annoying

 

Replay size is probably the main factor in determining how much information from realtime is saved for the replay/visuals. Quite a balancing act between usability from a fidelity/part inclusion side, and from usability on the data/storage side.

 

replays with better scanning of realtime data and higher fidelity and more storage would take a huge advantage for the image of the ISI physics engine

 

Richie this is something i captured a while back. It's good don't get me wrong but when compared to iRacing rF2 looks really awkard IMO. The whole tyre flex thing just wrecks the shots IMO, it's excessive. Your video you have done ( Welcome to rF2 ), watch your shot when you flick the headlights, watch the front tyres, it's insane and looks almost laughable with what they are doing. You can see that same excessive flex in my video below. I do like how the tyre slightly moved from the rear rim.

Like you say rF2 feels brilliant, it really does but i can not understand why this does not translate into the replays in terms of suspension etc.

Tim, i always record with the highest fidelty in replays set and it's still not right 90% of the time

 

The fidelity you record is only ever going to be what the devs have allowed in there, as I said (or tried to) above.

 

From more testing I can definitely see that things look too rigid. Perhaps it's the lack of chassis flex?

But I am very happy with the fact that things are not anywhere near as clunky as the replays, as that is what I set out to find. More fidelity is definitely need imo.

But, after trying with the old F1 cars I am still really happy. The suspension looks good and I like how the car reacts with curbs and the tarmac. I think the physics once the car is airborne look a little odd though.

I definitely see now it's not quite as I first thought it was, but nonetheless I am happy!

I got quite a nice video of a classic f1 in slowmotion that I thought looked nice, but the forum won't let me attatch it. It's only 3mb and also in a zip folder.

 

@Above posts, I definitely do see what you mean nismo.

That "awkward" look. I can't quite put my finger on it. It's almost as if the car and suspension are not connected, i'm not sure really. The transition of movement in the air is what is making it look odd.

I think if that could be fixed maybe it would look much better?

 

that's a live capture from the rF physics engine, looks much better:

 

Well i can't put my finger on it but i suspect it's something deeper than any of us can work out. The cars look awkard all throughout IMO, when riding the kerb, in the air they seem to lack any form of weight and just all round stiff and rigid looks. Chassis flex i presume is a big factor but the suspension also looks awkard and man again the tyre flex is just insane, they compress way way too much

Tim, do you think we will see higher fidelity soon?

 

@Hagen: Wow, that's actually really impressive. I hope the devs build and expand upon that in rF2. It doesn't look perfect but it's a good start for sure.

@Nismo yeah I definitely see that as well. A good question also. I would love to see fidelity brought up to the point of iRacing and netkar.

Might sound stupid, but if they can get their replays and ingame fidelity looking so good, surely rFactor 2 can with time as well?

 

I think, from what I've seen, it's a very gradual process. I was at iRacing when it was done there, too. Almost seems like they add one thing at a time and wait to see feedback (on it not looking right, etc), then add the next...

 

I suspect along with other graphics in the sim currently that the recreation for visuals has not been fully addressed yet. I hope that this improves for the future, but it isn't going to have any effect what so ever on the actual physics being used while you are driving live.

 

Its a WIP for rf1 by Niels Heusinkveld

 

The funny thing is the car's suspension seems to work intensively when you're driving but apparently all of those movements are not being graphically shown in external views.

 

Thanks Tim, well lets hope they see stuff like this and up the ante a bit

 

I see what you guys are saying...

Take this for example (sorry it's a different sim - hopefully that's not taboo here like some forums)
1:46 to 1:51
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAUwOwowKBA&feature=related

There's that intangible quality that somehow communicates that the vehicle has mass, plenty of it, and that "work is being done" by the suspension & tires to keep that large mass under control. I guess it's just got to do with how closely the graphics are tied to the physics; I'd always kind of assumed that most sims explicitly show everything happening under the hood, or at least try to. Perhaps that's not the case

 

RF2 feels almost as if Gravity has been set a fraction low to me.