AI-based Virtual Race Engineer incl. Pitstop Handling

The main feature of this week is the initial integration with the Google Cloud Services. You now are able to use the famous Google voices for the Assistants, beside the already available Windows based speech generation and the support for Azure Cognitive Services. Further integration with the Google Cloud in the next releases will make Google speech recognition available and will also provide you with the opportunity to use the Google Generative AI services as a foundation for the Virtual Driving Coach. Google provides a free contingent for most of its services similar to Azure. Therefore we have a good alternative here.

And I also created a short video for all newcomers which demonstrates how to setup Simulator Controller within a couple of minutes. Sure, you will have to come back later, to get to the more complex stuff, but you will be up n running with a few clicks, I promise.



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Download: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller#latest-release-build
Release Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Release-Notes
Update Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Update-Notes#release-543
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/5N8JrNr48H
Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/simulatorcontroller
Support the project: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=7GV86ZPS95SL6

 

Today we're completing support for Google Speech Services. Speech recognition is now also available. In addition, there is a new set of settings in the "Session Database". With their help, the autonomy of the assistants can be fine-tuned to give them the freedom to make decisions independently and take action accordingly, without asking the driver for consent. I recommend only using these settings if enough data has been collected and stored in the "Session Database" so that the assistant's decisions, e.g. in the event of an upcoming change in the weather, are appropriately based.

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Download: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller#latest-release-build
Release Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Release-Notes
Update Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Update-Notes#release-544
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/5N8JrNr48H
Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/simulatorcontroller
Support the project: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=7GV86ZPS95SL6

 

I'm trying to follow your instruction, but I must admit they are a bit obscure for people that don't know what they are doing.
I BELIEVE to have subscribed to google cloud, they I'm quite sure I added TTS api to my project, I THINK i created the correct key for the TTS api, in the end I copy/pasted the key into the appropriate space in your software, but still the voice say "maybe you have exceded your google service quota" or something like that. This I suppose mean that I made something wrong.
The other thing I've not understood is relative which service to associate to the COACH, is there one that work out of the box without making further steps on unknown land?

 

It would be great if you would put out a subscribed service so that we pay you for your work and your app simply do those stuff behind the scene.

 

I think it would be best to start with a "Basic" configuration using only the Windows builtin speech synthesizer and voice recognition, before tapping into Google and Azure. When the "Basic" configuration works, then the time has come to play with the more complex stuff like OpenAI, Azure and Google.

Join our Discord and contact me there, and I will help you to create a running configuration.

Regarding the Coach, you have to register and account on OpenAI or Azure, since I am using ChatGPT as the engine for this one.

 

Feel free to become a Patreon

 

Addition - If you want to use Google TTS, do this:

View attachment upload_2023-11-6_19-16-0.png

View attachment upload_2023-11-6_19-17-8.png

 

Thank you, I'm having mixed results, now I'm able to talk to the coach, and this is a plus.
But overall functionality of the software seem compromised somehow*.
I even had problem joining discord it says that your link is expired. But after insisting, it worked, this evening I will try again.
* Now after RF2 start the software stop detect the push to talk button after some time.
*Sometimes when RF2 start, the assistants and the RF2 "connection" close.
* Now after I try to close the app and restart it, it is unable to terminate some scripts and I have to manually close them.
* Sometimes it does not connect to the database
I will try to reset to default settings now that I've more clear how openai api must be used and to configure the rest.

Thank you for your work, once I will have sorted out I 'll gladly give a look at Patreon...

 

Hi, I saw you joining on Discord and already contacted you there, assuming that "Comante" is a clear identifier...

 

It's me, I don't use discord a lot even if it is always running in background, yesterday I got lost in the wall of text of your instructions and probably I was too confident in my computer skill and probably messed something.
I want to thank you for being so helpful and patient, a skill that lately I'm lacking.
Cheers!

 

Many small improvements are part of release 5.4.5. Take notes in the "Practice Center" about changes or special conditions or experience the new model additions of OpenAI for the "Driving Coach", to name a few. And, thanks to our Discord community member @SlatMars, who is currently working on a translation for the French language, you can experience large parts of the user interface in French. The translations will be completed with the next releases, including the grammars for the Assistants.

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Download: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller#latest-release-build
Release Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Release-Notes
Update Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Update-Notes#release-545
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/5N8JrNr48H
Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/simulatorcontroller
Support the project: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=7GV86ZPS95SL6

 

Even though I'm not using this tool (so far I'm just too lazy to install it), let me say thank you for 2.5 years of dedication on the development!

 

, then you are really late to the party...

 

I've been following along all this time. A neat idea that keeps growing.

 

The most important addition this week is the integration of a runtime for large language models like GPT 3/4 as part of Simulator Controller. You can configure the Driving Coach to use this runtime instead of the API services of OpenAI or Azure and alike. Unless you have a really High-End PC setup, you will not be able to interact with the Driving Coach, while you are running a simulation, though, and it will be much slower than using the OpenAI integration. But it is really exciting, what has become possible lately.

Other important changes and additions:

- You can set your preference for different pitstop strategies (early stop vs. late stop) for strategy simulations in “Strategy Workbench”.
- UI translation for the French language has been enhanced.
- The reliability of the automated pitstop setting for ACC has been further improved.

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Download: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller#latest-release-build
Release Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Release-Notes
Update Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Update-Notes#release-546
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/5N8JrNr48H
Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/simulatorcontroller
Support the project: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=7GV86ZPS95SL6

 

With today's release, the assistants have mastered the French language - many thanks to @SlatMars for his work and dedication. Additionally, the Spotter no longer annoys you with proximity warnings during the formation lap and you can find further improvements in the release notes.

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Download: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller#latest-release-build
Release Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Release-Notes
Update Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Update-Notes#release-547
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/5N8JrNr48H
Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/simulatorcontroller
Support the project: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=7GV86ZPS95SL6

 

This week we have some new stuff in the session info widgets in the "System Monitor" and the French translation has been alsmost completed. Only the setup wizard is left for translation. And a new version of the "Tactile Feedback" plugin reflects the latest changes in SimHub.

Beside that, I have moved the version repository for installation and updates to the Amazon cloud, since we had seen a couple of stability issues with DropBox recently. Nevertheless, this is really new stuff, therefore let me know immediately, if you have problems with install or updating Simulator Controller.

Next stop: Anniversary release on the 6th December...

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Download: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller#latest-release-build
Release Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Release-Notes
Update Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Update-Notes#release-548
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/5N8JrNr48H
Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/simulatorcontroller
Support the project: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=7GV86ZPS95SL6

 

Today Simulator Controller celebrates its third birthday. The first commit on GitHub was on December 6, 2020, exactly three years ago, and a lot has happened since then. Some numbers:

7 supported games
23 applications
4 AI-Based Assistants

7 programming languages (C, C#, C++, JavaScript, AutoHotkey, Python, Rule Engine (self developed))
200.000 lines of code (roughly)
7000 and more commits on GitHub
400 pages of documention
25+ hours video tutorials

4-5 hours per day working on the project, roughly 5000 hours in total

As in previous years, this year there is also a very cool new feature with the Anniversary Release. A new switch has been added to the "Race Settings" that allows you to give the assistants full autonomy in terms of strategy and pit stop handling. This means that the Assistants will no longer ask the driver for confirmation when they want to change strategy, go for an undercut, prepare for a pit stop, etc. And they take action independently whenever necessary. This turns the Assistants into Agents and you can concentrate 100% on driving. This will work even in team races as long as at least one "Race Center" is connected to the session.



And there is another gift from a community member for today. @Jordan Moss has built a plugin for SimHub that allows all the data provided by the Assistants to be integrated into a dashboard in SimHub. For example, you can now see when the next pit stop is due and what service is planned for the stop, and much more. To get the plugin, all you have to do is register with us in Discord.

As you can see, the development of the Simulator Controller Assistants into a completely virtual, intelligent pit crew continues. And maybe you'll use the 3rd Anniversary as an opportunity to support the project if you haven't already done so. I don't drink coffee, but training AI Assistants is a very complex and expensive task...

IMPORTANT for rF2: A couple of bugs has been fixed for the automated handling of the pitstop settings, incl. the permanent change of the selected option in the pitstop menu. There is a setting now available to control the update frequency. Please read the Release Notes carefully.

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Download: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller#latest-release-build
Release Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Release-Notes
Update Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Update-Notes#release-550
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/5N8JrNr48H
Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/simulatorcontroller
Support the project: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=7GV86ZPS95SL6

 

Last feature release for 2023. It includes a couple of improvements in the "Race Center" and you can now change pitstop settings using the standard game controls after a pitstop has been planned and prepared by the Engineer. The changes will be reflected in the pitstop plan, at least in ACC, rF2 and iRacing.

I will be back in the next year with a new startup wizard that helps you preparing everything for your next session.

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Download: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller#latest-release-build
Release Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Release-Notes
Update Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Update-Notes#release-551
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/5N8JrNr48H
Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/simulatorcontroller
Support the project: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=7GV86ZPS95SL6

 

Happy new year to all of you and welcome to the first release of 2024. After being quite diligent between the years, I can give you an interesting new feature in our first release of the year, the so-called startup profiles. Using these profiles you can manage in one place many interesting settings for a specific session type, for example a solo training session or a team-based endurance race, just to name two very different types of sessions. Startup profiles can be activated with one click, which makes things very easy.



And I would like to draw your attention to a few extensions that are available in the #share-your-mods area of our Discord. Using the SimHub plugin from @Jordan Moss, I built a few overlays for SimHub that show you important information about the strategy or the upcoming pit stop at a glance.



Another important change under the hood concerns the Driving Coach, which can now correlate information about lap and sector times with information about handling problems that have arisen and provide appropriate advice after the end of the session.

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Download: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller#latest-release-build
Release Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Release-Notes
Update Notes: https://github.com/SeriousOldMan/Simulator-Controller/wiki/Update-Notes#release-552
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/5N8JrNr48H
Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/simulatorcontroller
Support the project: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=7GV86ZPS95SL6