I`m a league admin. I need to setup a sever for our next race, its Meganes in LRP (WBC). So, in rF2 for this we need to create server configuration for selected car and track, aka VMOD file. Here is what I did: 1. Opened mas2.exe, clicked "create new mod package", named it Megane_LRP. Choose LRP track, choose Megane mod, didn`t choose any other component (why would I? and if I must, how could I know which ones to select?). Clicked "Package", received "Ok". Pressed "Done". 2. Opened folder rFactor2\Packages, transfered file Megane_LRP.rfmod to dedicated server machine. Removed file Megane_LRP.rfmod from my rFactor2\Packages, because as league admin I must check this from a point of other users. I want to download this vmod like others will, when connecting to server. 3. Through remote access, I`m connecting to server PC. I install Megane_LRP.rfmod there. Open up multiplayer.ini, set Enable Autodownloads="1". Start up rF2, press "Host", select Megane_LRP mod and LRP-WBC track. Start server. Server is running. At this point vmod is installed on server, but not on my local PC. 4. I start rF2 on local PC, go to the lobby, click on my server an see this: View attachment 7034 Wait a minute. How is this possible if I didn`t install vmod yet?? I click Join and join server successfully. Why? 5. Ok, so I exit server. May be vmod already installed somehow - I thought. I open rFactor2\Installed\rFm, and no, there is no Megane_LRP_10.mas there. So how is server allowing me to connect? 6. I close rF2, and reopen it again. Go to the lobby again, and surprise: View attachment 7035 Now it says "no mod installed" and button Join not active! Shouldn`t it be "Get Vmod"?? I did set Enable Autodownloads="1" in server config earlier. 7. If I restart rF2 again it may return to state described in 4. - allowing connect, restart rF2 again and 6. - no connect. Looks random or I don`t know whats happening... Bottom line is this. How do I run my league race in 2 days? How to make VMOD downloadable from server? And why is this happening at all? This is not a behavior I expect from software years in development and not in Beta anymore. And for the millions time, decision to go from rF1 simple "unzip mod/track to folder" system, to this huge complicated vmod-mod-rfmp-cmp track-car tied together system was a big mistake, and wrong design. I`m saying this, because I`m disappointed and frustrated. I`m very much interested in strong rF2, we had very high hopes in our community with it, but year after release there is no enthusiasm for rF2 at all at our forum. We wanted to move our leagues to rF2 a year ago, but we keep staying with rF1, because almost nobody wants to race rF2, because its buggy, nothing appear to be finished and this is not appealing. And for admin its a nightmare, I can not setup a simple race without trouble. I`m waiting and waiting when some serious changes in usability of rF2 will come and month after month - nothing changes. Its just sad, because I know situation can be fixed, but its like somebody made a decision ans sticks to it, not paying attention to what many people are saying.
Ok, it turns out, Megane_LRP.rfmod file must not only be installed on server, but also present in rF2/Packages folder. Now it allows to download vmod on connect. Is there a description of this process somewhere? Will there be a manual for rF2? So on server I must have duplicates of mods which I want to upload from server. Because I do not use Packages folder to install mods on server, but another folder. But bug described in first post stays. If I open rF2 press Online, in Lobby it allows to connect even if no vmod installed. If I restart rF2 open ModManager (so this may be a trigger), close it, then go to lobby, it offers vmod to download.
After you have selected vmod components and clicked on "package" (get ModID with your username and password) you can also click on "install" when it installs vmod without you having to visit mod manager separately. If you do this (as I always do), you don't have to use "get mod" and can "join" right away. I always place my vmods (with mas. tool) to packages folder...do not understand why somebody would not
I can not click Install after I created vmod on my PC. I wrote why. I want to join server (which is different machine located in other country) like all users would join it. I want to test it. An I didn`t put vmod to Packages folder on server because I don`t use this folder on server to install mods. I use other folder, which contains all other rfmods and is shared folder on FTP server. So I will duplicate all vmods thats need to be uploaded though rF2 from now on. And I can not make vmods on server because it requires authorization, which it has not, because hosting server is free for rF2 as far as I know.
To be fair, there is rFactor2\Support\Tools\ModMaker.chm help file, which I didn`t notice before. But it does not specify which "additional components which are required by the Mod" must I choose when creating server configuration vmod. Also I didn`t find there info that even if "Packages directory" set to custom dir on server, any mods that need to be uploaded through server must be duplicated in default rFactor2/Packages directory.
This is old and I can't find reference to it on the rF2 site, but it illustrates how to create a vmod and how quickly at can be done. It shows an older version of MAS2, but the differences are not significant in this instance. rFactor 2 VMOD (vs RFMOD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjQ_eo2zsl4 Take note of the component choices at around the 2 minute mark.
Thanks for reminding about this video. I watched it when it was released, but not today. It actually not answers me question, but serves as demonstration of it. She selects HistoricOpenWheelers mod, than in components she says "we want to take some other components like the talent and the sounds" and selects "fva sound" and "historic talent". So my questions remain: 1. "some other components like sounds and talent" is not strict definition. Do we actually need all other components from this car for server config or not? Because I created vmod without them and it looks like it works. If we need them, then except sounds and talent what esle? (I`m not a modder, so I don`t know) 2. If I must select sound file for mod, how am I supposed to know which one. In a video its "fva". How do I know thats this fva is from HistoricOpenWheels? They are two different names. Imagine what a mess it would be with all new mods. Not every "other component" has a name like mod itself. Many are cryptic and user like me will not have any chance to select right one. Also she installs created vmod right away, which I do not want to do. I want to get it from server. Already solved how to do this, except strange bug described in post #1.
