[REL] DAMPlugin for rF2

[Ronnie]

Hi
I'd like to report that for me the auto installer didn't work with Steam version. It copied all the files somewhere but definitely not into the pointed Steam rF2 folder ;-) Manual copying however did the trick

For me it did work, so it's a problem on your end.

 

[Lazza]

Hi
I'd like to report that for me the auto installer didn't work with Steam version. It copied all the files somewhere but definitely not into the pointed Steam rF2 folder ;-) Manual copying however did the trick

Thanks for that, I'll be sending you a pm (I can't see myself getting a steam version to test on)

For me it did work, so it's a problem on your end.

You're probably right, but the non-steam version should always work unless someone manually moves folders around, which likely wouldn't be happening at all with a steam install, so if something is sometimes different (without user intervention) it would be good to work it out

 

[Lazza]

Updated to v0.74a.

The plugin hasn't changed at all, but the handler/installer will hopefully now work with steam installs (and non-steam installs) that for whatever reason have a relative data path reference instead of an absolute one (normally ".\" I'd imagine). No idea why all steam installs wouldn't do that, and why the non-steam either sometimes or always doesn't (I've long installed the game to a single folder, which seems a good candidate for the same treatment... but no...).

When I get some time I will try and address some of the reported issues above (like GPS), sorry for the delay.

Thanks to Davvid for the help with narrowing down and testing the steam issue,

I'd like to report that for me the auto installer didn't work with Steam version.

And sorry to fivethreefived for completely missing (or maybe just not thinking about) the data.path detail below... in hindsight it makes perfect sense

I found 'data.path' in the rFactor 2\Core folder, pointing to '.\'

 

[Davvid]

Could anyone share some more details about the differences between the normal and filtered controls channels ? I've noticed that during driving I get this kind of steering logged:

Why the steering input is filtered at all? And there are pretty big differences: ~ 11%. Where are they coming from ? Does it mean that when I steer my real wheel by 34% (selected on screenshot) the sim passes only 23% to the physics engine ?

Thanks in advance for any info.


PS. I wouldn't know about it if there weren't a telemetry plugin! It's always useful. Big compliments to Lazza for maintaining constant support for such a long time!

 

[Lazza]

Does it mean that when I steer my real wheel by 34% (selected on screenshot) the sim passes only 23% to the physics engine ?

In this case yes, but it's not as bad as it sounds

Could anyone share some more details about the differences between the normal and filtered controls channels ?

Depends on the channel.

Throttle: the game will alter your incoming throttle based on things like traction control, pit speed limiter, and obviously some driving aids could affect it as well. Brake mapping, which applies some throttle in coast situations, will also show up in the filtered input.

Brake: ABS.

Clutch: Running an auto gearbox will obviously engage the clutch when changing gear, while (if you don't touch the clutch pedal) the unfiltered obviously won't move. By the same token sitting still with auto-clutch on will make the game engage the clutch for you.

Steering: Steering help, probably some other aids.


The game won't 'help' you or filter what you're doing without you telling it to or some interaction of setup/car parameters making it happen (like brake mapping applying throttle even when you're not pressing it). To me your graph looks to be most likely steering help.

I was thinking the axis sensitivity settings would affect this, but a test says no.

 

[whitmore]

What is needed to set up to get the steering angle operating and slide PCT operating?

 

[Lazza]

What is needed to set up to get the steering angle operating?

For most uses it should suffice to average the front wheel toe angles.

First in the .ini, set a non-zero value for Wheels_1 (to get the Toe values logged)

- In motec, go to Tools -> Maths (or Ctrl-M)
- Add Expression
- Call it "Steered Angle"
- Set Quantity to Angle
- In the Expression area, put this in:

('Toe FL' [deg] + 'Toe FR' [deg])/2

- Make sure to set Result Unit to degree (because I've used [deg] above; they have to match)
- The display unit you can set to whatever you want.

Hit Ok, and if you have a wheelbase set the oversteer graph should work.


I can see you've asked about Slide PCT, you can log Grip Fraction (1.0 full grip -> 0.0 full sliding) with the Tyres_1 group; is that what you're after?


Just a reminder, the full channel list is here.

 

[whitmore]

Thanks Lazza, yes oversteer graph does not operate but neither it or the steered angle channel I created mimic the steering input I do while driving around the track.

I see that the steered angle channel I created and the logged "steering" channel are the same graph.

Can I also ask about the three tyre temp channels;

Tyre Temp
Tyre Carcass temp
Tyre Rubber temp

Are these all different places on the tyre temps are being monitored?

 

[Lazza]

The oversteer should definitely work with the steered angle channel set up, which will 'look' the same as the steering channel but will be up to a certain number of degrees (or radians, or whatever else you choose) instead of 100%. Having said that I'm not really sure how useful the oversteer graph is for setup (you tend to know when you're over- and under-steering anyway!)

Tyre temp is at the surface (actually *very* slightly below it), inside - centre - outside.
Tyre Carcass is a single-figure-per-tyre rough average of the carcass as a whole, apparently.
Tyre rubber is deeper, more reflective of the work done by the tyre over time instead of just the last slide (or cooling down the straight), again inside - centre - outside. The surface temps above can be a bit too dynamic to read much from, depending on the tyre/track.

 

[Davvid]

In this case yes, but it's not as bad as it sounds

[...]

Steering: Steering help, probably some other aids.

The game won't 'help' you or filter what you're doing without you telling it to or some interaction of setup/car parameters making it happen (like brake mapping applying throttle even when you're not pressing it). To me your graph looks to be most likely steering help.

I was thinking the axis sensitivity settings would affect this, but a test says no.

Thanks Lazza for this additional info. The problem is I've got no aids at all. When I looked at the filtered throttle and clutch I saw differences there either but as you said it was understandable. It was at precise moments of changing gears so it was auto-lift, auto blip and semi automatic clutch. That's normal. But you pointed me to the solution (setup related) and after some investigation I found the culprit for steering behaviour. It turned out to be steering lock. Steering = filtered steering only when steering lock is at the maximum. The lower the steering lock, the more filtered steering channel gets.

 

[Lazza]

Thanks Lazza for this additional info. The problem is I've got no aids at all. When I looked at the filtered throttle and clutch I saw differences there either but as you said it was understandable. It was at precise moments of changing gears so it was auto-lift, auto blip and semi automatic clutch. That's normal. But you pointed me to the solution (setup related) and after some investigation I found the culprit for steering behaviour. It turned out to be steering lock. Steering = filtered steering only when steering lock is at the maximum. The lower the steering lock, the more filtered steering channel gets.

Ah ok, interesting. Perhaps related to the new steering system, where the current lock is set as a fraction of that specified in the chassis file; maybe this is reflected in the filtered/unfiltered values.

 

[newtonpg]

Could anyone share some more details about the differences between the normal and filtered controls channels ?
Why the steering input is filtered at all? And there are pretty big differences: ~ 11%. Where are they coming from ? Does it mean that when I steer my real wheel by 34% (selected on screenshot) the sim passes only 23% to the physics engine ?

In this case yes, but it's not as bad as it sounds

Depends on the channel.
...
Steering: Steering help, probably some other aids.

The game won't 'help' you or filter what you're doing without you telling it to or some interaction of setup/car parameters making it happen (like brake mapping applying throttle even when you're not pressing it). To me your graph looks to be most likely steering help.

I was thinking the axis sensitivity settings would affect this, but a test says no.

Hi Davvid and Lazza

I'm a happy user of Lazza's Data Acquisition Motec plugin and I suppose that “Steering Filtered” is not a filter strictly speaking, only act as a filter in a broad sense and IMO deserved a more precise naming like “Steering Transform” or anything even more appropriate. Its misleading name leads to the wrong conclusion that it is related to filtered inputs.

Assuming a user that opted to let the game calculate wheel rotation by checking “Vehicle set” at the game “Controls” menu:

Steering Filtered [%] = Steering [%] * Steering Rotation Factor * Steering Lock Factor

where:
Steering Rotation Factor = Turns LTL in .hdv * 360º / Hardware LTL (degrees)

and
Steering Lock Factor = Garage SL / Ideal SL

This last factor is 1.00 ever since actual and Ideal Steering Lock are the same. But how to set up SL accordingly? It is an easy task if you scatter plot “Wheel Drive Angle” against “Steered Angle” into a Motec worksheet. Even an old wheel like my G25 will show data fitting a linear equation with a good r² (0.97 or better) and an angular coefficient equal to WDA/SA aka the Ideal Steering Lock.

Even though a driver could set any SL at garage, extreme values tend to result in over/under steering and I dont see any reason not to set up SL accordingly.

The graphical example included give a SL=24 (23.9) and a SLFactor=1.04

Setting up Steering Lock equal to 24, when you plot Steering [%] against Steering Filtered [%] you will find a (close to) 1:1 relationship. And yes Davvid youre right about the influence of Steering Lock.

I am not an expert and of course could be wrong.



Edit1: Changed Planned SL to Ideal SL

 

[Associat0r]

I'm quoting this from your old rF2 Telemetry Plugin thread.

i2Pro has had GPS for a number of years, which you can set up realistically (drive the left side of the track, then the right, select those in i2Pro and then future GPS plots will be laid against the track layout). My rF1 plugin includes a tool for pulling track layout information out of the track files (AIW) directly and generating i2Pro track map files, but in rF1 the track files are sitting out and easy to check/read; I haven't revisited this for rF2 at this point.

FYI, the rFactorToMotec.exe does work with manually extracted rF2 AIW/GDB files and the old i2Pro, but the new i2Pro isn't compatible with the old .mt2 trackmaps.
I'm looking forward to those auto-generated track bounds in this new plugin. Thanks in advance.

 

[alpha-bravo]

@newtonpg very interesting. Will try this procedure next time to recheck my used SL.

 

[lemming77]

I think there's something funny going on with the boost pressure channel recording. Could you take a look at it please, Lazza?

I'm not entirely sure what it's recording, but it doesn't look like boost pressure. It looks like it's tied to engine RPMs somehow. But it still ranges from 0 to about 650kpa throughout a lap. It's the same in non-turbo cars with only ram intake effects, like the stock cars.

 

[Lazza]

Ah yes, I do remember seeing something strange in that channel.. I'll take a look

 

[lemming77]

Ok cool, thank you.

 

[whinos_AK]

Lazza, i run some endurance races 3 ,6 and 12 hours, with pilot changes in race. i enter in pit to change pilot, the log data come with error.
For exemple the log come with 50 mb, but the laps totaly wrong, one race in Silverstone with my stint 60min generate 8 laps only, and laps with 18min lenght and other times. When the change finish and the other pilot enter in car, i dont hear the "BIP end".
I think have bug when change the pilots in pit, or on enter in middle race.

I apreciate if this fix come to help the endurance pilots.
Thanks very much for this plugin.
whinos_AK

 

[Lazza]

Sorry, I've not yet tested driver swaps.

 

[Nielsen]

Hey Lazza I have just registered to say thanks to you for creating this MoteC handler plugin(0.74a).
I come from iRacing where the Mu.exe thingie does about the same as your handler.
But I must say that both your automatic installer and specially the voice telling when the log is enabled/finished is absolutely top notch.
Your handler is just working 100% perfect - at least for me.
So thank you man. Multo appreciated. Maybe I should make a lil donation.

The only issue I have is not your plugins fault but to get one of the params in my iRacing workbook translated to an rF2 workbook.
Its the parameter "Wheel Speed [km/h]" from iRacing which is called "Wheel Rot Speed [rad/s]" in rF2.
Its not the name that is the problem. But its the units used.
I use it to calculate the wheel spin by comparing this Wheel Speed/Rotation with "Ground Speed".
But the problem is that iRacings param is displayed directly in km/h (just like Ground Speed) where rF2s param is displayed in rad/s - which is not directly comparable to Ground Speed.
As I understand rad/s then you have to know the circumference of the wheels/tires to be able to calculate the translation from Wheels rotation rad/s to km/h.
And that is poison for the function in my workbook.

Somebody please enlighten me?