rFactor1 to rFactor 2 Conversion Tutorial - Quick Guide

[gianluca]

I haven't quit completely, there are some cars that I would love to port in RF2 just for the sound. It's just that is very, very time consuming and messed up.
For example. I would love to port the Lancia 037 from the RallyWorld mod (and some others Group B and Group A cars). But the mod has a really shitty and complex structure of files, divided in different shared folders and mas files.
I managed to find all the gmt, textures and sounds of the car, but when I look at the files such hdv, gen, etcetera, there are eight .gen and spinner.gen files and an upgrade file.
.gen and spinner files are for the four different skins.
The upgrade files is there because the RF1 car has three tire models (tarmac, tarmac with rims ventilators, and gravel), extra lights on the front bonnet, a safari kit with external rollcage and a tire over the roof.

So, right now I can't get the car in game, I can't see it. There is some error somewhere.
So I was thinking of making my life easier.
I want to leave the car with just one set of wheels (asphalt), get rid of the extra lights, of the unused wheels and of the safari kit.

1) I want to know if I can (or if I have to) delete the correspondent gmt and texture files from the MAPS folder (leaving the files shared with other elements of the car).
2) I want to know if I can delete the upgrade.ini file.
3) When the RF1 car has its gmt and textures separated in different mas files (one in the car's folder and the others in some other mas files shared with other cars), can I put all the required files inside the MAPS folder?

As for the physics, the only official car that resemble the 037 for engine disposition, suspensions, weight and tire size is the Megane Eurocup. So I was thinking of using its chassis, pm, tbc and tgm files (it comes with slick and rain tires, similar in size).
For the engine and the gears I'd use the 037 files. As for the hdv, I'd tweak the one of the Megane.
Cockpitinfo, cam, headphysics, damage can be from the Megane too.
The gen file has the reference of the 037 files, so I will use the original.

The other way around, is to just tweak the Megane in a way that is behaves and sounds like the 037. So I make the engine supercharged, I replace the sounds, I add the handbrake, I modify the mass and inertia.
In this case, I was wondering, can I replace the 3D model and textures of the Megane with the ones from the RF1 037? Would be enough to replace the lines in the gen file in order to make it work?

 

[juanarg70]

I haven't quit completely, there are some cars that I would love to port in RF2 just for the sound. It's just that is very, very time consuming and messed up.
For example. I would love to port the Lancia 037 from the RallyWorld mod (and some others Group B and Group A cars). But the mod has a really shitty and complex structure of files, divided in different shared folders and mas files.
I managed to find all the gmt, textures and sounds of the car, but when I look at the files such hdv, gen, etcetera, there are eight .gen and spinner.gen files and an upgrade file.
.gen and spinner files are for the four different skins.
The upgrade files is there because the RF1 car has three tire models (tarmac, tarmac with rims ventilators, and gravel), extra lights on the front bonnet, a safari kit with external rollcage and a tire over the roof.

So, right now I can't get the car in game, I can't see it. There is some error somewhere.
So I was thinking of making my life easier.
I want to leave the car with just one set of wheels (asphalt), get rid of the extra lights, of the unused wheels and of the safari kit.

1) I want to know if I can (or if I have to) delete the correspondent gmt and texture files from the MAPS folder (leaving the files shared with other elements of the car).
2) I want to know if I can delete the upgrade.ini file.
3) When the RF1 car has its gmt and textures separated in different mas files (one in the car's folder and the others in some other mas files shared with other cars), can I put all the required files inside the MAPS folder?

As for the physics, the only official car that resemble the 037 for engine disposition, suspensions, weight and tire size is the Megane Eurocup. So I was thinking of using its chassis, pm, tbc and tgm files (it comes with slick and rain tires, similar in size).
For the engine and the gears I'd use the 037 files. As for the hdv, I'd tweak the one of the Megane.
Cockpitinfo, cam, headphysics, damage can be from the Megane too.
The gen file has the reference of the 037 files, so I will use the original.

The other way around, is to just tweak the Megane in a way that is behaves and sounds like the 037. So I make the engine supercharged, I replace the sounds, I add the handbrake, I modify the mass and inertia.
In this case, I was wondering, can I replace the 3D model and textures of the Megane with the ones from the RF1 037? Would be enough to replace the lines in the gen file in order to make it work?

Gianluca.. reach me through private message maybe I can help you. in deed.. rf1 mods could be a mess. I recommend taking an rf2 .gen and spinner and start to little by little to call for the gmts of the rf1 car (trial and error). There are a lot of gmt's that could be merge into a single gmt file or even delete entirely from the mod. so your .gen files could be considerable simpler than the rf1 version. The same happens with the sound part.. you might just need the .sfx sound file a a few .wav files (6 to 8) to get the sound of rf1 into rf2. The rest of the sounds like sound efects and so on you can use the ones already used in rf2. you just need the engine sound

 

[gianluca]

So, I managed to get the car working in game. The problem was in the veh files, the lines that "call" the hdv and other files had still the old rf1 reference.

I loaded the car also in devmode and here I had several error messages for audio files missing and audio files that needed to be converted to mono.
I fixed the sounds. The missing file error was caused by some wrong lines in the .sfx file. But the files were already in their folder. Then I converted the ones that needed to be transformed from stereo to mono. So they are all good now.

I had also a couple errors about missing textures: "undershadow.dds" and "longheadlight1.dds". These are two textures that are not included in the mas file of the car, but are inside a "stex.mas" file, that is referenced in the original rfactor 1 gen file of the car. I found them, added them in the MAPS folder where there are all the gmt and textures of the RF2 conversion. Now I don't have these errors anymore.

The car driven by me in game looks like a yellow low-poly box. I haven't figured out this yet.
The AI cars instead looks fine, with the 037 3D model.
The game gives me still one missing texture error: a missing HLLF.dds for the HLGLO_DS.gmt. The gmt is the 3D model of the front headlights and the missing texture is apparently the light itself, the glow. I can't find this anywhere in the original mod and looking inside some S397 cars (NSX, Clio, Megane) I can't find it. It's the missing texture in the Secondary Maps, Channel 1, Diffuse Map T2.
The screenshot didn't take it, but the material named HLLF in 3dsimed is a green square around each headlight.

When the game gives the texture error, it refers to this line in the gen file:
Instance=HlightDS //Headlights -Driver Side
{
Moveable=True
MeshFile=hlglo_DS.gmt CollTarget=False HATTarget=False LODIn=(0.0) LODOut=(200.0)
}

The next are screenshots that show the problems. As you see, the front lights are white.
There is a texture problem also with the front and rear rubber pads behind the wheels: they look white in game. In 3dsimed they are black. I'll make these red in the future.
And of course there is a problem also with the tires, the Megane wheels axle is larger than the original RF1 037. But that is a secondary problem right now.




Physics seems good enough. Needs to be adjusted, but for now is like the Megane. Engine and gears seems fine. The sound is like in RF1, it seems to have a cat trapped in the engine bay. Love it.
Whoever did the original sound, nailed the volumetric.

 

[juanarg70]

So, I managed to get the car working in game. The problem was in the veh files, the lines that "call" the hdv and other files had still the old rf1 reference.

I loaded the car also in devmode and here I had several error messages for audio files missing and audio files that needed to be converted to mono.
I fixed the sounds. The missing file error was caused by some wrong lines in the .sfx file. But the files were already in their folder. Then I converted the ones that needed to be transformed from stereo to mono. So they are all good now.

I had also a couple errors about missing textures: "undershadow.dds" and "longheadlight1.dds". These are two textures that are not included in the mas file of the car, but are inside a "stex.mas" file, that is referenced in the original rfactor 1 gen file of the car. I found them, added them in the MAPS folder where there are all the gmt and textures of the RF2 conversion. Now I don't have these errors anymore.

The car driven by me in game looks like a yellow low-poly box. I haven't figured out this yet.
The AI cars instead looks fine, with the 037 3D model.
The game gives me still one missing texture error: a missing HLLF.dds for the HLGLO_DS.gmt. The gmt is the 3D model of the front headlights and the missing texture is apparently the light itself, the glow. I can't find this anywhere in the original mod and looking inside some S397 cars (NSX, Clio, Megane) I can't find it. It's the missing texture in the Secondary Maps, Channel 1, Diffuse Map T2.
The screenshot didn't take it, but the material named HLLF in 3dsimed is a green square around each headlight.

When the game gives the texture error, it refers to this line in the gen file:
Instance=HlightDS //Headlights -Driver Side
{
Moveable=True
MeshFile=hlglo_DS.gmt CollTarget=False HATTarget=False LODIn=(0.0) LODOut=(200.0)
}

The next are screenshots that show the problems. As you see, the front lights are white.
There is a texture problem also with the front and rear rubber pads behind the wheels: they look white in game. In 3dsimed they are black. I'll make these red in the future.
And of course there is a problem also with the tires, the Megane wheels axle is larger than the original RF1 037. But that is a secondary problem right now.




Physics seems good enough. Needs to be adjusted, but for now is like the Megane. Engine and gears seems fine. The sound is like in RF1, it seems to have a cat trapped in the engine bay. Love it.
Whoever did the original sound, nailed the volumetric.

Gianluca.. the yellow box car is an indication that you have missing textures. Once you drop all the textures needed by all the gmts you will see the car correctly. Search for every missing texture and add them to the gmt/maps .mas file. YOu can use the hglow files from an rf2 free content mod. White texture indicate a posible missing texture. add any other black or red texture to the wheel pad. Give it a try

 

[redapg]

@gianluca Because of the loaded "yellow Car", check also, if all Font Files, that get used for the Gauges and that are linked in the Cockpitinfo.ini are present.
If i remember it right, if they are missing, it also can cause, that the Car doesn't get loaded properly.
And there is no Error Message for them, if they are not present.

And i don't agree with some Things that are written before.
I, e.g., would always use the original Physics as Basis for a converted Car, to keep it's own original Character.
To convert the Physics isn't that hard in my Opinion, even if you use the Physics Spreadsheet.
And a bit more Work in most Cases, is to give them a good basic Setup.
The most work in my Opionion, is the Work to add and Setup the new Shaders, convert and improve the Textures and, not to forget, to merge the old high Poly Cockpits, that were used in rf1 and almost never did match the Sizes of the Rest of the Car, with the Body, to get them into the new Structure in rF2.

 

[gianluca]

Ok, I found the missing textures. Also I checked for the fonts and they were missing too (with no error messages). They were inside the stex.mas that is called in the original gen file.
As for the HLLF missing texture I used a light glow dds that is already in the 037 mas, but for some reason wasn't linked to the material. The result is ugly, but at least it works and that error has gone too.

This screenshot shows the problem that I have now. Two steering wheels and two steering racks. The one in the hands of the driver doesn't move, while the other yes.


The gear lever is attached to the one in the hands of the driver.
I have to inspect the meshes with 3dsimed.

In the main folder I have the upgrade.ini file that calls different tires, extra lights and a safari kit. The options appear in game, but they don't apply.

To be honest I don't know if I'll keep doing this. I got already a S397 Megane with engine, gears and sound of the 037, and took me half an hour to make it. And the car comes with two different versions, 2009 and 2013, and different physics and tires files for them. Would be way easier for me to customize this car, instead of messing around with RF1. Would be the time that I start making my own skin.

As we can see in the screenshot, the 037 mesh is too small and doesn't fit properly over the Megane physics files. So, now that I have fixed the errors, I'll try to bring the car in game with its own original physics files, using only some S397 tgm. I want to see if it looks bad also like this.

Also, I downloaded the RallyWolrd 037 converted for Assetto Corsa and the mesh is better and more simple. Mesh and textures can be converted, but I would become crazy porting everything to RF2.

 

[gianluca]

After a quick inspection, there are two separate steering columns, paired with two different gmt files (037.gmt and 037_cpt.gmt).
The steering wheel is a separate 037_volante.gmt.
I can't delete the steering column near the instruments, because is a material in common with many other cockpit elements.


I don't know if this thing is a common problem. Is there a way to tell the game to load only the steering wheel in the hands of the driver and animate it?

[edit]
Oh, wait, maybe it the upgrade.ini file that is messing things up. Maybe the safari kit call also for a different steering and gear lever. I'll check and report back.

 

[juanarg70]

Ok, I found the missing textures. Also I checked for the fonts and they were missing too (with no error messages). They were inside the stex.mas that is called in the original gen file.
As for the HLLF missing texture I used a light glow dds that is already in the 037 mas, but for some reason wasn't linked to the material. The result is ugly, but at least it works and that error has gone too.

This screenshot shows the problem that I have now. Two steering wheels and two steering racks. The one in the hands of the driver doesn't move, while the other yes.


The gear lever is attached to the one in the hands of the driver.
I have to inspect the meshes with 3dsimed.

In the main folder I have the upgrade.ini file that calls different tires, extra lights and a safari kit. The options appear in game, but they don't apply.

To be honest I don't know if I'll keep doing this. I got already a S397 Megane with engine, gears and sound of the 037, and took me half an hour to make it. And the car comes with two different versions, 2009 and 2013, and different physics and tires files for them. Would be way easier for me to customize this car, instead of messing around with RF1. Would be the time that I start making my own skin.

As we can see in the screenshot, the 037 mesh is too small and doesn't fit properly over the Megane physics files. So, now that I have fixed the errors, I'll try to bring the car in game with its own original physics files, using only some S397 tgm. I want to see if it looks bad also like this.

Also, I downloaded the RallyWolrd 037 converted for Assetto Corsa and the mesh is better and more simple. Mesh and textures can be converted, but I would become crazy porting everything to RF2.

Gianluca.. check the gen files carefully. rf1 and rf2 work differently in the way they handle cockpit. I dont know exactly how to explain it but in rf1 the cockpit seems to be duplicated and not loaded on the outside view or a special cockpit loaded for the driver camera. I recommend checking carefully how its done on an rf2 car and try to duplicate the methodology. A posibility could be getting all the gmts that look to be part of the cockpit and merging them into one gmt. Try to have lower quality versions of it to load it from outside or at certain distance from car.

On the side note.. Chris Redapg is absolutely right. Its always better to work with original physics when posible. And if original physics are not available.. building them from scratch is the true modder way to do things and should be promoted in the community. But in my personal experience and the type of mods I ended up trying to put in rf2 it was really tuff. The rf1mod that had physics developed were taken from a formula 1 car and the mods were touring cars.. so in my case it didn't make sense to use them. Also in my case.. the cars used solid rear axle and in rf2 theres only the stock car and dissenter mod with that type of chasis. I literally tried editing them hundreds of hours.. even small tweaks with the same result over and over.. broken physics. Hope it helps

 

[gianluca]

Oh, there is not a chance that I will spend hundreds hours in a conversion. In fact I can stop here, because I'm terribly bored and every time I fix something, there is something new coming up. But writing here at least is useful for the ones who want to try, because some errors solutions and routines can help others. Spending so much time for such an ugly 3D model is really a waste. For me and for you who read. But thanks for the answers guys.
I'm done with this car. I'll tweak the Megane and learn to make my custom skin.
It's already a great result to actually had it working, because the original mod is really a mess. Probably it took them years to make it.
From now on, if I make something, I wait until is finished and then create a thread and describe the process in detail, sharing the result. Maybe will be of help for someone.

Anyway.
I checked the cockpit and there is no ref. In the gen file there is only the line that calls the right steering wheel gmt.
There is a line somewhere that is telling the game to load both of them. No idea where it is. The second wheel appears even when in the options I turn the steering wheel off.
Finally, I've deleted the second column/wheel using 3dsimed, deleting the material from the mesh where it was. Now it's gone, but the drivers hands are far behind the correct steering wheel and they aren't animated.

 

[juanarg70]

Oh, there is not a chance that I will spend hundreds hours in a conversion. In fact I can stop here, because I'm terribly bored and every time I fix something, there is something new coming up. But writing here at least is useful for the ones who want to try, because some errors solutions and routines can help others. Spending so much time for such an ugly 3D model is really a waste. For me and for you who read. But thanks for the answers guys.
I'm done with this car. I'll tweak the Megane and learn to make my custom skin.
It's already a great result to actually had it working, because the original mod is really a mess. Probably it took them years to make it.
From now on, if I make something, I wait until is finished and then create a thread and describe the process in detail, sharing the result. Maybe will be of help for someone.

Anyway.
I checked the cockpit and there is no ref. In the gen file there is only the line that calls the right steering wheel gmt.
There is a line somewhere that is telling the game to load both of them. No idea where it is. The second wheel appears even when in the options I turn the steering wheel off.
Finally, I've deleted the second column/wheel using 3dsimed, deleting the material from the mesh where it was. Now it's gone, but the drivers hands are far behind the correct steering wheel and they aren't animated.

that steering wheel that you cannot turn off is the steering wheel that an spectator sees from the outside of the car. In theory you could delete it. but use a low poly steering wheel to load lets say at 5 meters away.. so when watching replays you'll see the driver moving his arms and wheel inside the car. Again.. try to use other rf2 mods as reference. Maybe I had bad luck editing physics.. so it could not take hundreds o hours.. but sure it isn't easy to get to quality like apex mods, enduracers, s397 and others

 

[redapg]

@gianluca Yes, Conversions, if you want to make them with a satisfying Result, can not be made in a few Hours.
And you need a lot of Patience and Enthusiasm.

 

[EmperorOfFinland]

Yeah well it took like 2 years for me to finish porting F1 1982 League Edition. it still lacks drivers animations but i did not have tools for it back then. now i do but im far too lazy to do it anymore since i have not animated stuff in 3dsmax and would need a driver model ported into 3dsmax anyways. So yeah conversions like that will take a long time to make even if you do it full time.