Whats the deal with the lighting currently in rF2? I don't currently have it installed and have not tried the recent stuff but why does it look so flat in comparison to iRacing, iRacing looks far superior? I'm assuming graphics are turned down but i have seen videos from a friend aswell that i know max rF2 and still the lighting looks weird. Also was just reading a good post from Empty Box and he also mentions lighting not seeming right. It is also not rendering the rear tyres either in the mirrors like iRacing. The track reflections and track surface itself look really flat and lack any lighting or shading above. It's like the weather is overcast but it is clearly clear?
Track surface looks better and different in Domi's video above but it still look cartoony, why does it look so "cool" in temp, sky looks so odd, it looks like Raceroom, I don't like this look. It doesn't look realistic. Also it seems obvious now graphics are turned down in that comparison and so really it's not a comparison showing the graphics difference. It's a comparison of how it looks on your system and doesn't represent the game fairly. Even so rF2 is looking weird again to me. Car model looks nice and as good as iRacing and sounds nice also, iRacing sounds better still but nice to finally see models on par with other sims.
One reason for sure is that one game must work in all kind of dynamic conditions, whereas the other one works under static environment. For instance, it's a lot easier to make some very cool sky using a good texture (like iRacing does), but not so easy to make very good looking and dynamic clouds. Anyway I agree that the tone of the colours in rF2 is too cartoonish in general. It used to be much worse in earlier builds, but it's still not perfect.
Mine doesn't look like his as far as shading, so I have no idea how or why the comparison is being made this way.
Shouldn't make too much of a difference is the time is set to the same time. I question is he has shadows on, and what setting.
Ah, found the answer, he's not running settings on rF2 because of his system, see the video comments on YT. It's a shame that having some advanced features turned off allows a misrepresented comparison to take place.
No, no. He has a very good computer, but he textually said "I didn't use HDR because iRacing doesn't have HDR". Then later he called all of us fanboys and proceed to block me from his channel when I told him that most of us play both games. Pretty funny this guy His english is horrible, trust in my spanish
It's not a comparison then, is it? It's a comparison between some old iRacing content, some new rFactor 2 content, and how they look on his systems without their default settings. iRacing doesn't have dynamic lighting, either, he should have done the lap clear sky at 2am so our clouds weren't visible as well. Oh, but then we have stars, too, and they move. This kind of selective misrepresentation is very annoying and does nothing to assist the sim community, IMHO.
Yeah, I agree. Plus I believe ISI's track and car artists try to work on the textures etc so they look better when using HDR, and iRacing probably works in a different way to achieve their results. Weird decision coming from a popular simracing youtuber.
HDR is very important in RF2 for a correct lighting and there's a big difference when disconnected. View attachment 12913
Yes, see my post underneath my first post, i did realise he had turned stuff down. Great video, track accuracy is great considering it's not scanned and yes track shading is far better in comparison to that video above. Still feel like rF2 is looking cartoony Tim in alot of videos and doesn't seem dynamic enough in terms of visual punch to the lighting, I think rF2 is starting to look a bit too much like GSC with colours and lighting. Must be frustrating when you see stuff like that above as it does give the wrong impression.
Yes, much better but still really not very dynamic at all, sorry. iRacing looks 3D and has life to it's visuals there whilst rF2 just looks really flat. Tims video looks much better though
Our maps are managed to work with HDR so the comparison with iR/Rf2 using LDR it's just pointless. When you've to work just in LDR mode you can fake diffuse maps to add the light and saturation you can't process/render in real time, meanwhile we're using a light source which generate kcd/m^2 values affecting how a diffuse map reacts to the light, producing less/more brightness and saturation. You can think our diffuse maps as albedo maps. At the time you're using LDR instead HDR it's pretty normal the entire scene will show you a dull environment, waiting for the source light to works properly.
iracing has the whitepoint always on the edge. That's easy to do in a static environment and gives a nice desaturated look. In rF2 I have always trouble with the clouds when I try a similar setting.
Iracing makes best of the static environment they have, they do a good job surely your not pitching this against a dynamic environment with changing lighting etc ? or am I missing the point
For those who don't know the difference between LDR and HDR this is a rushed output test using a real picture, rF2 with NO EDITING in the automation, but just using the same Location and Date of the real picture...and then the LDR output. I don't want to use that picture as a "reality reference" for obvious reasons (white balance, priority exposure times etc..) but it helps to understand how our maps are reacting under a real light source and without a real source as the LDR environment.
It's sort of like comparing a manual and automatic shifter car, and only using neutral in the manual because you don't have to touch the stick in the automatic.
Thanks for the clarification. Speaking of rF2 lighting system, isn't it a bit weak/conservative in certain areas? For example, grass. I have a natural park just in front of my house, and for example under direct sun/certain angle the grass changes its color quite a lot, adding much more saturation than in the game. Today I noticed this comparing Indy's grass and checking out of my window
LOL! Yeah...I still don't understand this kind of comparisons. If you're saying you are deactivating a function the competitor do not have, to make things working similar....then you've to shut off the real road, the entire weather system, the different tonemapper, the sky parabola until you'll get a black image Vs iRacing. I love the iRacing overall looks, it is one of my favorite if I've to be honest...but if you know you're comparing apples with bananas...then don't try to make the apple looks like a banana. It will never works.