Yeah, but that's more on the shader and engine side, still, if you don't have a proper eye for the 2Ds you're producing, this is not going to work. If you don't remove direct light from your pictures before to be transformed into diffuses and/or if you don't manage your "diffuse" histograms to be much more on the underexposed side before the HDR/TM process will be the same. Those information the engine will apply to your mats are still working on a raster input, unless we don't start using procedural mats, as offline enviros. (brrrr) AC, for example, is using something a bit similar to what you're suggesting (which is a good concept if you ask me), but this is not preventing glowing tracks popping up. Material proprieties, shader settings and ranges and architectures... comes after the 2D asset creation, unless a platform is using a closed material library and then you'll get all grass, walls, armcos, roads etc...looking exactly the same (normalized preset of textures) Also that concept of "material" may not fit every time. Works for sure with a car model (metal is metal, carbon is carbon etc..), but if you start atlassing stuff (where you pre-apply the albedo, the specular and normal processing in PS per p. mat/island) you've more "physical materials" in the same canvas. Splitting them from a single canvas to a series of single physical mats to be managed one by one, would means moving from 3, 4 mat per building into 10, 15.
I have read several comments saying "when AC has been left and forgotten ...." I honestly do not know why you think this. People playing AC is very happy with AC, modders working on AC are very happy with AC, hardcore simracers ( if, there are several) playing AC are very happy with AC .... In my opinion, rather see the opposite, and already viewed. AC modders have no intention of taking their content on rFactor2, but rFactor2 modders if they are taking their content on AC. Not only that, but some began to rFactor2 have decided to switch platforms and most likely his next work only launched in AC. It is sad, but this is the current situation. ISI is doing a really amazing job with rFactor2 but most people (simracers and modders included) prefer AC.
Maybe you're right. None of my statements are anything even resembling absolute truths. The thing about AC. I feel, is that's it's all about appearance, all about what's on the surface. It appears to be a very complete sim, it seems to have everything any sim racer would ever want. But scratch off a bit of that glossy layer of very attractive paint, and it's clear to me that the core of it is simply lacking so much depth that I don't think it will keep being attractive or interesting forever and ever. Any game or sim lacking depth will eventually be forgotten when the next 'big' thing comes along.
I really struggle to agree with this approach. Not saying you're wrong in the analysis but I believe you're wrong in the conclusion form: because modders are clueless then they need more tools. Modders have the Viewer tool; inside that tool you can open the material inspector and there you can see what ISI (or a modder) is using for every single mat called in the scene. You can inspect fresnel specular settings and fresnel reflection settings per mat... and then you can just pick and copy those values into your material, if you like the output, or just start experimenting other combinations to fit your own expectation. Also tracks are not encrypted; you can check how diffuse has been made in terms of colors and histograms, you can check how specular maps has been done per mat etc.. Virtually, if you want a piece of metal of your own track, looking the same as an ISI track, all you need to do is to open the viewer, find a similar piece of metal, open the mat prop tool and copy those values to your own asset. You can also copy/paste ISI textures used for that mat...and then get 100% the same result. At this point you can start using your own textures and finding your personal way. If you really want to learn how to do and set a mat, you already have everything you need to do it now (I'd say, since day 1). Inspecting stuff in the viewer is a "few minutes job". You've just to be patient and find the mat name of the object you want to inspect. Also, you can port a ISI track into devmode and then starting isolating assets you want to inspect (just working on the SCN file).
CTDP have not gone with rF2...that is bad http://www.virtualr.net/international-formula-master-2009-ac-released
Is that really a mod we'll be missing here? Especially with the really nice FR3.5? I'm sometimes surprised how many different mods people "harvest". I keep myself to a 2013 F1 season, a 1992 F1 season, a 1967 F1 season, and some GT racing (URD). I wouldn't mind a more extended field of historical prototypes (1967 LeMans) or some modern prototypes, but that's about it. Okay, some Karts, some WRC... But is there really a point to have a Formula 2, and a Formula 3, and a FR3.5, and some Formula Masters, and some GP2, and GP3... isn't that kind of mostly all the same in the end? That's why I agree with Hexa that I'd rather have five mods - full series, with all drivers, liveries, tracks - than fifthy different one-make cars. AC right now has five or seven open wheel cars (maybe more?) but not a single non-spec series.
It is not so much the mod we'll be missing. It's the group of people doing it. That group of people has a 1994 F1 mod hidden in the drawer. Taking CTDP's stunning resumé (and level of fidelity) into consideration it is top-shelf stuff we're missing. It is bad.
Yep, we can't have 'em all. And that's fine in my view. Great modding groups and individuals go to this sim. Others go to AC. Some go to both. I really don't see a reason for all the panic if I have to be honest.
rF2 only has 60 mods vs ac's 70. rF2 is doomed. I do have a strong feeling that people who complain about the lack of mods don't even play rf2 because in reality, there are lots. Tracks, I agree there could be more since you can never have enough tracks but there is plenty of cars. Disclaimer: Actual number of mods have been completely made up by yours truly.
yeah, the people complaining are just posting on the rf2 forum trying to make rf2 look bad. delusion is strong in this thread.
I just like when I download a mod to know it's heritage. To match better from what ? I rather modders that just say ......"Enchanced from SRW " ( whoever) so I know at least. p I even get paranoid and won't post a screenshot. lol More newer people from both AC and rF2 could take a leaf out of experienced modder's books to include exhausting information and credit aka Neel Jani , DerDumeklemmer, Segio, WooChoo, Nords Team, etc. I don't like this "new fad" of making utubes with titles " Simxxx + Modxxx + Download ", you can google almost anything. In most cases the original link would have came with the proviso you don't post other upload links. lol It is worse then torrent sites. bahahaha lol .......and I rarely ever ever use a red smiley. hehehe
Your constant aggressive behavior and personal insults is something that is cause for concern. Probably not a healthy way to live.
the fact that your lampshade is made of that ladies skin is a cause for concern too, but i mind my own business.
After the last builds overhauling I'd say rF2 is getting higher level of interesting. I have to confess I would play rF2 more if I had more content, mainly on cars variety behalf. I like multiclass racing and to be honest there're very few options on it. As I'm no car modder there's nothing that I can do except to support DLC creators as URD.