[REL] rFactor2 Vehicle Thumbnail Generator

Discussion in 'Other' started by Noel Hibbard, Nov 13, 2014.

  1. Noel Hibbard

    Noel Hibbard Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    2,744
    Likes Received:
    40
    Today I made a tool that makes the process of generating those SMICON.DDS/ICON.DDS thumbnails for cars a little easier. It comes as a few parts. First is I took the reflective floor spinner and made it all black and also adjusted the zoom and pitch a little so it is the perfect size for a 512x512 thumbnail. Then you run my tool with the working dir set to your Screenshots folder. Then you change your video settings to 1280x720 windowed and disabled HDR (you have to do this because all the black in my custom spinner makes the car washed out). Now run my tool and move it to the bottom of the screen and then launch rF2. Now pick a car that is missing a thumbnail and then click the tune button. You will notice at the top of the screen that is shows the full path to the car. You will now need to type that path into my tool. If your doing several different car makes then you will want to include the folder name so that your icons don't get all mixed up. Then go back to rF2, hit enter so it switches to full screen and then hit F12 to take a screenshot. My tool will then take the GRAB_3232.BMP, crop it and then generate the two needed DDS files with proper names for the car. Now repeat these steps for each car you want to make a thumbnail for. When you are done you just need to add these DDS files to the correct MAS files and then repack your components.

    Here is a video demonstration, including updating the MAS file and repacking/reintalling:



    This tool depends on Nvidia's DDS command line tool which you can download here:
    https://developer.nvidia.com/gameworksdownload#?dn=dds-utilities-8-31

    This tool is a massive time saver. This task used to be a massive pain in the butt if you had a lot of cars to do at once. You had to get the car on the spinner, rotate and zoom it where you want it. Take a screenshot. Then open the screenshot and crop it. Then export it as a DDS with the correct settings and correct file names. In the end you normally had a bunch of inconsistent thumbnails at different angles and zoom levels and often not centered the same way due to not cropping in the exact location every time.

    Download:
    http://www.mediafire.com/download/7bkbf7iybo0hq9b/rF2ThumbHelper.zip

    Change Log:
    1.0.0.0: First release
    1.0.0.1: Added warnings for when people don't have HDR disabled and/or don't have their screenshot format set to BMP. Also updated the Readme.

    Instructions are found in the Readme.pdf.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 14, 2014
    DanRZ likes this.
  2. PRC Steve

    PRC Steve Registered

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2012
    Messages:
    1,301
    Likes Received:
    10
    This is great !
     
  3. WiZPER

    WiZPER Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    1,517
    Likes Received:
    186
    Nice, Noel :)
     
  4. JWE

    JWE Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    97
    Likes Received:
    2
    Thank you for showing our car and my skin (SRVN Aston Martin)! ;)
     
  5. Saabjock

    Saabjock Registered

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2011
    Messages:
    906
    Likes Received:
    19
    It's obvious, ISI has their plate full with this project. It's probably one of many, so that I can understand.
    I've given them credit for the good things but I reserve the right to point out the not-so-good as well...but with suggestions.
    Build 880 seems to have broken as much as it fixed. I realize this can and will happen sometimes since this sim is a completely different 'animal'.
    Given the expertise and willingness of some here to effectively come up with solutions to UI cosmetic issues, I'd much rather see ISI give aid and off-load those task.
    More and more, other developers are off-loading certain non-essential aspects for outside development. It's not always a bad thing.
    Quite frankly, I'd much rather see them concentrate on sorting out the multiplayer debacle or other more important things.
     
  6. Noel Hibbard

    Noel Hibbard Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    2,744
    Likes Received:
    40
    Again, this isn't really a UI problem. A UI problem would be if a mod team supplied thumbnails and they didn't show up correctly in the UI. There are lots of non-essential parts of a car that a lot of modders skip. The thumbnail images is one example. It is a tedious task that isn't really essential in a mod, especially in a league mod where drivers only select their own car off the list and already know what it looks like.

    I'm not saying the UI couldn't use some improvements. I just don't think that modders not bothering to generate thumbnails is a UI flaw.
     
  7. Lgel

    Lgel Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2014
    Messages:
    1,267
    Likes Received:
    365
    Thanks a lot Noel,

    I'll begin testing as soon as possible.
    I don't fully endorse your statement "I just don't think that modders not bothering to generate thumbnails is a UI flaw", it affects not only modders but even the simple player that wants to add a skin in his sim.

    I tried to send you a PM relative to a customized Ferrucio skin but your inbox is full.

    Bye.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 14, 2014
  8. MaD_King

    MaD_King Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    1,827
    Likes Received:
    611
    Good job, can save some time for sure. Waiting for the release.
     
  9. Noel Hibbard

    Noel Hibbard Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    2,744
    Likes Received:
    40
  10. speed1

    speed1 Banned

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2012
    Messages:
    1,858
    Likes Received:
    0
    Maybe you should work with ISI, you are quickly and competently as it seems. Respect.
     
  11. Mikk Quickmikk

    Mikk Quickmikk Guest

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2013
    Messages:
    78
    Likes Received:
    47
    Superb helper, Thx mucha Noel !:cool:
     
  12. Lgel

    Lgel Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2014
    Messages:
    1,267
    Likes Received:
    365
    Hello Noel,

    Congratulations, it worked for me at the first try.

    Those are my first icons generated with your wonderful tool:

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/vtc6ez0cmmpd1i4/ALD_24ICON.DDS?dl=0
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/je5d6ubwsh4h208/JMW_66ICON.DDS?dl=0

    If I am not wrong, I noticed that in your pdf you omit to specify to uncheck HDR in the graphic options of RF2, as I had seen your video, I remembered to do it.

    Modders have less excuses now not to make those dammed icons, the saving in time is incredible (I made about 100 cars manually, along time, and I am still mad about it).

    Remember that if you clear your inbox I'll send you a custom ALD Ferrucio with the racing number you want, your racing pseudo as pilot name, to thank you for this splendid tool.

    Send me a PM when your inbox will be cleared or an alternate E-mail.

    Cheers.
     
  13. Noel Hibbard

    Noel Hibbard Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    2,744
    Likes Received:
    40
    Damn!! You're right I forgot all about the HDR warning. I will have to add that to the readme for the next release. I was also thinking about having my tool check to be sure you have HDR off and the screenshot format set to BMP and give a warning if they are not. It would be really cool if I could make a spinner that was offset to the left a little so that you don't have to hit enter to hide all the other stuff. That would speed up the process a little. I need to dig into this spinner thing some more and see if that is possible. Maybe a whole new UI for building thumbnails would help. hahaha.
     
  14. Noel Hibbard

    Noel Hibbard Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    2,744
    Likes Received:
    40
    Okay, 1.0.0.1 is released. It adds warnings about HDR and the screenshot format. Same download link as before.
     
  15. Lgel

    Lgel Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2014
    Messages:
    1,267
    Likes Received:
    365
    It was a pleasure to assist you in testing the tool.

    I have a suggestion, you switch often between your tool and RF2, it would help if the icon of your tool was more distinguishable from the RF2 (same one in yellow for instance).

    In the help I would maybe put a reminder to restore back RF2 to it's initial settings, I made it and forgot to restore the showroom (I thought there was a bug in build 880 when resetting HDR once de activated). I beg on my knees the ISI team to forgive me for having bad thoughts.

    Thanks again.
     
  16. Lgel

    Lgel Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2014
    Messages:
    1,267
    Likes Received:
    365
    It would be nice to be able to drop those icons in the mas file of alternate cars or virtual drives, would avoid repackaging, that even with your tools requires you to understand it's bases.

    Cheers.
     
  17. Noel Hibbard

    Noel Hibbard Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    2,744
    Likes Received:
    40
    I agree, it would be nice to be able to drop non-physics related loose files in a folder without having to build a new package. I sort of doubt this will ever happen though if it hasn't already.
     
  18. Lgel

    Lgel Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2014
    Messages:
    1,267
    Likes Received:
    365
    It'not a priority for dev I agree, but as I wrote in a thread and was seconded by Spinelli, in RF1 one of the things I tuned first for a car I was interested in was the SFX files.

    I remember cars driving like on ice, spinning when braking or out of slow corners. Were the physics wrong, the setup awful?

    In many cases it was the sound at low revs too low making you press to much on the gas, or the skidding sound not adequate or covered by motor noise. In some cases the gearbox sounds were to low or two loud, etc.

    I remember terrible rants on forums about Endurance Series GT cars spinning at low speed, tires being unpredictable for LMP, etc.

    My E.S. cars with tuned sounds didn't suffer from those problems, and I don't pretend to be a super driver.

    Sounds should be easily tunable, but this is very low on the agenda I agree (but in RF1 was better solved, at the cost of a big anarchy in file management I agree).

    Bye.
     
  19. Noel Hibbard

    Noel Hibbard Registered

    Joined:
    Oct 5, 2010
    Messages:
    2,744
    Likes Received:
    40
    I want to do an update that fixes the aspect ratio of the thumbnails to account for the stretching that happens on the widescreen UI. I doubt anyone runs 4:3 these days. The thumbnails look stupid once they are stretched in the game.

    Edit: Screw it. The Minimalist UI doesn't stretch. I also notice that the Minimalist UI doesn't cover up the car on the spinner so if you use that UI for thumbnails you don't have to hit enter to hide everything. Only problem is it doesn't show the full path so you just have to keep track of the folder names on your own. I need to make a custom UI for thumbnails I guess.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 14, 2014
  20. Rich Goodwin

    Rich Goodwin Registered

    Joined:
    May 3, 2012
    Messages:
    1,219
    Likes Received:
    9
    Just tried to use this......doesn't seem to do.....anything at all now? Followed the readme PDF.

    I'm using windows 8.1 x64 and build 930. No warnings or errors. Takes the screenshot, no DDS. DDS tools are installed, all paths correct.

    Any ideas mate?
     

Share This Page