Quote from Scawen :

Maybe the speedo and tacho should be moved UP instead, when F9 or F10 is pressed?

You can see this in the attachment. Seems OK to me, raised by 5% of screen height when F9 or F10 are displayed.

Quote from Flotch :

Tested with a VPN, and it is working fine like described

Thanks for the test! I look forward to results of a "real" test - how it is for people who had slow downloads before.

Quote from Flotch :

I still have this minor fault in D19 ... in case it is easy to fix ...

I'm not really understanding what the problem is, as you can press H as usual to clear message history. Maybe that extra keypress is annoying?

Automatically switching off the history seems like a bad idea. Maybe there isn't any need for message history to be switched on at the start of generation. I don't really know why it is, maybe so "Press ESC to cancel" remains visible? Obviously this AI path generation isn't done beautifully, it really is a dev tool that was enabled in the public version.

Last edited by Scawen, Mon 20 Mar 2023, 12:06.

Editor Test Patch D14

CTRL+O: load main object in modeller
CTRL+O: load vehicle (was CTRL+L in D13)
ALT+M: Merge points (previously known as Fuse points)
New feature to merge points by distance (in ALT+M dialog)
FIX: Crash on reload textures in map mode / wireframe view

Quote from BeNoM :

I've had this forever, even before the patches. Downloading mods or skins takes ages and seems to be max out at 200KB/s (usually hovers around 50-150). I'll often get timeouts just loading the mod browser or joining servers. This is on a gigabit connection too.

Quote from Ibtasim6781 :

A bit late, but decided to try D10 today. Cars and skins download faster with the HTTP buffer option enabled.

Test Patch D19:

We now have 3 download locations for mods (NL/JP/US)
If you enable Options... Misc - Allow HTTP redirect [EXPERIMENTAL]
Locations in Asia and Oceania should download mods from Japan
Locations in North and South America should download from USA
In that case you should see a yellow redirect chat message
Please let us know if this helps!

https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/102117

Thanks, I've reproduced and fixed this crash on reload textures in map mode with wireframe view.

I'll look at the suggestion threads and see if I can do anything else simple, for an update this afternoon.

EDIT: Fixed in Editor Test Patch D14: https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/102626

Last edited by Scawen, Sun 19 Mar 2023, 19:26.

Test Patch D18

New display in F9 / F10 views shows estimated laps given fuel usage
Mods to delete in Cleanup mode of mods screen are shown bright red
FIX: Some cars' live settings were not adjustable without F11 view
FIX: /altf and /ctrlf now cannot be followed by another command
More updated translations - thank you translators!

https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/102117

That is really good bug finding, thank you very much for doing that!

It seems that I missed something here. The /ctrlf and /altf commands can contain arbitrary text so they must be disallowed from line splitting.

I'll fix that now and release a test patch today.

Test Patch D17:

There is a new "Cleanup" mode in the mods screen. You can select to keep latest mods and test mods. There is not yet a feature to keep replay mods. I would like to add that but it's hard to do and I'd have to do it twice, in the public version and the development version. Better focus on more important things for now.

Car arrows are wider again more like the ones in 0.7D. They are also a tiny bit smaller. Let me know if they seem wrong on your screen.

https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/102117

I'm not a great driver at all but, maybe one or two of my thoughts are useful.

1) In theory it is true that more rearward braking could help regeneration but it's dangerous to set bias too far to the rear as you may lock up the rear and spin. It's important to have good brakes and a little to spare in case you brake late.

2) I believe it can be a good idea to adjust the gear ratio to improve acceleration, if you do not run out of top speed - this may depend on the track.

3) In the latest test patch there is a display that can help understand this. An EV charge/discharge power bar in place of the clutch bar (visible if Options - View - Show pedals is enabled). I find that if you brake very hard at high speed, that can be wasteful as the recharging is maxed out (blue bar reaches the top). Further rear braking at that point is done by the discs (total energy loss) So to get the best recharge it may be better to brake a little earlier, not so hard (blue bar just below maximum). But as your speed reduces you can apply more brake without exceeding maximum charge rate.

It is a complex system so even as programmer of the game, my assumptions and observations may miss some relevant points. I think it is about compromises and you need to find a trade-off between fast laps and energy saving. For example there's no point getting better regeneration if it means you will be doing slow laps.

Test Patch D16:

Driver and fuel buttons in garage are now only shown if relevant
Result text for /pitins and /liveset is shown even if menu is visible
Updated translations - thanks to our volunteer translators

Command updates:

Multiple commands can now be added on a single line, which sometimes
can avoid the need for a script file, e.g. suppose you want to set a
button to change tyres in a pit stop, you could use a double command:
/pitins ftyre super /pitins rtyre super

NOTE: some commands cannot be followed by another command:
/say /echo /join /rcm /pass /msg

Maximum length of command and F key text increased to 95 characters

Wider text display in CTRL+ and ALT+ tabs in controls screen

https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/102117

Hello Racers,

For the entertainment value, you might like to know I've entered Round 4 of this year's E-Challenge. I've been practicing a bit to hopefully not make a fool of myself, though I'm far from the level of the top guys. For me there has been a lot to learn and I've been inspired to do a few updates in a test patch to help with this event.

The event will be live streamed by Sim Broadcasts on Sunday at 18:00 UTC.
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/simbroadcasts
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimBroadcasts

EDIT: Event timetable
18:00 UTC Qualifying 1 - 10 minutes allotted
18:15 UTC Qualifying Duels
19:00 UTC Race 1 - 33 laps
19:45 UTC Race 2 - 34 laps - Grid order by race 1 finish, top 10 reversed

It's an interesting and complex event, with an unusual qualifying format, two races, the need for energy saving and the possibility of rain! Rain is simulated by the rules requiring racers to change to road tyres which are challenging with such a powerful car on a tight and twisty circuit. Anyway that probably won't happen, according to the weather forecast. But energy saving is certainly an issue that can cause a few upsets near the end of the race. There's also a power-up strip which can be amusing. [EDIT: no power-up strip this round as the track is too tight for it]

For anyone interested in a late entry, you can find all the necessary information, guide, rules etc. in the E-Challenge 2023 forum section.

Last edited by Scawen, Sun 12 Mar 2023, 16:03.

Quote from neonmateo :

I didnt know where to post this and didnt wanna create another thread but would it be possible to have an option to delete all previous versions of all the mods (and only keep the current) from the LFS folder, since my LFS folder is over 25GB now and over 4500 subfolders in mods folder.

This feature is often requested and I made a start on it last week. The idea to make a list of mod folders then you have 3 options of mods to keep:

- latest versions of mods
- local test mods
- replay mods

The first two are easy. I'd like to include the replay option as I know I have old replays in which the mods have since been deleted. Only trouble is I need to make a replay search function to identify the mods, which is a more complicated.

Quote from Racon :

Is it a small enough job to add a player's license level to the NCN (or NCI) packet? And if not, could it go on a list?

I have added a License byte to the IS_NCI packet and that will be available when a new server version is available. I haven't actually tested it yet but it is coded.

Quote from Scawen :

This thread is only about the modeller, not the vehicle editor or mods system in general.

Hmm, I got confused between this editor test patch thread and the modeller suggestions thread. Anyway, as a test patch thread it is not for off topic suggestions, please. Hotkey discussions are relevant but may be better on the LFS Modeller Suggestions thread.

Quote from ivancsx :

havent open Blender for a long time because LFSE more addicting and challenging to make something

Nice reason to use LFS editor!

A couple of features from LFSLazy are available in Test Patch D10 and you should check out the PACT Driving Assistant if you haven't already.

I don't know about the overlap of features between LFSLazy and PACT Driving Assistant but I do know that PACT has a lot of features.

Quote from Ibtasim6781 :

A bit late, but decided to try D10 today. Cars and skins download faster with the HTTP buffer option enabled.

Thank you for the test from Argentina.

I wonder how sure are you about that? Is it measurable? It would be interesting if you could do a direct comparison, if you don't mind.

For example, a possible test you could run:
- download a mod with test option disabled, see how long it takes (preferably using a stopwatch)
- delete the mod from your mods\vehicles folder
- download the same mod again with the option enabled

That would be useful information, to avoid the results being affected by other internet fluctuations.

BeNoM reported no apparent difference before, from Australia:
https://www.lfs.net/forum/post/2035622#post2035622

No, that is not available.

If that option is actually wanted, now would be a very bad time to start coding it.

Please remember, people, this is a test patch thread. It is exclusively to talk about any issues that were found in the test patch. It is not a random suggestions or technical support thread.

Improvement Suggestions: https://www.lfs.net/forum/8-Improvement-Suggestions

Technical Assistance: https://www.lfs.net/forum/5-Technical-Assistance

Thank you for that report. I did test new "object" but not car - and I get the same as you. Will fix!

Quote from BeNoM :

I love this, any chance we can get it in the editor as well?

Maximum speed for each gear is now available in Editor Test Patch D8: https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/102626

Quote from Evolution_R :

Even though the maximum limit of subobjects is not reached (64 I think), the head disappears when there are more than ~75 000 tris in 27 subobjects.

It's all about the number of subobjects, rather than the number of triangles. It was limited to 32 subobjects, but in Editor Test Patch D8 you can see up to 40 subobjects including the helmet (and two for each mirrored subobject).

Quote from iiiiil :

Mesh explodes in wire mode.
All i did was going to wire mode and click "reload textures". Some times LFSE crashes, some times i get this weird result

This is also fixed in Editor Test Patch D8: https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/102626

Hello Mod Creators,

Here is an update for the LFS Editor.


Changes in Editor 0.7D40:

Vehicle editor:

Hub object custom colours now appear in the list of wheel colours

Modeller:

Reflect object function is now available for individual subobjects
Combined clean object buttons into a single button with a dialog
Spoke mode "export SRE" saves combined spokes as a modeller object
Spoke mode "import SRE" function to load modeller object as a spoke


Changes in Editor 0.7D39:

Modeller:

Set subobject as "hub object" that moves and rotates with a wheel
- note that LFS must be updated to D32 or the object does not move

Misc:

FIX: Small camera movement on releasing LMB after 2-button rotation


Changes in Editor 0.7D38:

Modeller:

Export plain / shaded / wireframe for any texture (not only skins)
FIX: Merge subobjects, mappings wrong if subobject had pitch / roll
FIX: Map mode showed texture file for skin cutouts as [no texture]

Misc:

FIX: Alpha number plate texture went wrong if more than one on page
FIX: Modeller - reload textures - vehicle editor: 2 plates on page


Changes in Editor 0.7D37:

Dashboards:

Ability to set colours instead of using the system colours
Set background colour without supplying a backing texture
Adjustable black rectangle option if background is not black

Road clocks:

Digital and analog speedo may be used at the same time

Formula clocks:

Option to switch off numbers on the tacho display
Option to use a larger step on the tacho display

Modeller

Crash on undo/redo of subobjects in mapping/cutout/page modes
Message: The backing texture will appear in subobjects but must be set in the main object


Changes in Editor 0.7D36:

Vehicle editor:

Backing texture can now be used with all types of clock texture
Text colour and opacity can be set on the s_clock_formula clocks
FIX: Vehicle lost 'saved' status exiting modeller with no changes

Modeller:

Message if user attempts to set backing texture on subobject
Texture page marked as dash is shown green (if not used by model)
FIX: Model lost 'saved' status if cutout or mapping drag cancelled


Changes in Editor 0.7D35:

A new dashboard backing texture system
- only for s_clock and s_clock_white dashboards [restriction removed in D36]
- backing texture appears *behind* needle, numbers, markings
- appears illuminated (self lit) like the default dashboards
- recommended texture size is 512 or 1024 for future-proofing
- load the texture in page mode in the modeller
- click the "fixed" button to mark it as "dash"
- there is a reload button in the dashboard editor
- alpha channel has no effect


Changes in Editor 0.7D34:

Vehicle editor:

Engine damage light can be enabled (in Transmission tab)
Maximum value for main body drag increased from 1.0 to 6.0
Some tooltips added and descriptions adjusted in Aerodynamics tab
Estimated max speed (in Aerodynamics) shows speed in mph or km/h
FIX: Dashboard for electric vehicles was switched off in editor

Dashboard editor:

Speedo:
- set maximum value in km/h (steps of 5)
- option to show units (km/h or mph)

Tacho:
- set maximum value
- x100 or x1000
- gap 1/2 (x1000) or 5/10 (x100)
- options to show units (x100 or x1000)

Options on all gauges:
- needle colour = text colour
- needle is long
- needle above pivot
- hide pivot
- hide numbers
- hide symbol (if applicable)
- hide marks
- smaller text


Changes in Editor 0.7D33:

Vehicle editor:

A sky reflection (environment map) is included in mod screenshot
Undo "edit model" is removed if no changes were made in modeller
More tooltips in Allow, Light Colours and Object Positions tabs
Unsaved changes warning on clicking the X button to exit LFS

Modeller:

Unsaved changes warning on clicking the X button to exit LFS


Changes in Editor 0.7D32:

FIX: Crash when selecting overlay with no texture


Changes in Editor 0.7D31:

Vehicle editor:

A redo function to go with the new undo function

Modeller:

There is now a redo function to go with the undo function
Map / cutout / page selections are preserved when possible
Undo and redo deal correctly with map / cutout / page modes
Cutout mode works more like map mode and avoids button overlap
Overlay function from page mode is now available in cutout mode
Square buttons in map mode match mapping aspect ratio to cutout


Changes in Editor 0.7D30:

Vehicle editor:

Undo function for all editor operations
Exit warning only if changes have been made
C key to clear selected point and selected tube
Delete key deletes a point or tube (if only one is selected)
CTRL+RMB (copy) SHIFT+RMB (paste) now work with frame point values
Hide the bottom right buttons now hides the whole settings block
Rim modifiers moved to top right in rim editor avoiding overlap
Special view no longer includes wheel mass cuboids by default
Error message displayed if a vehicle file cannot be loaded

Modeller:

FIX: Bottom right screen layout was wrong in 2D views

Animation editor:

FIX: Driver in wireframe mode could be obscured by the vehicle


Changes in Editor 0.7D29:

Vehicle editor:

Included whole words "load" and "save" for setups and colours
New message on clicking "Animate" if the vehicle has no driver
Tooltips added to Steering tab and some in Object Positions tab
Question button and tip are shown for unusual FR configurations
Caster angle reduced to 2 decimal places (3 seemed excessive)

New vehicle:

Better initial values for engine and fuel tank positions
Light colours are now initialised (all were black except rear fog)
FIX: Editor buttons appeared during dialog in new vehicle screen

Animation editor:

Eye view button (beside origin and object buttons)
Keys O (view object) and SHIFT+O (options) now work


Changes in Editor 0.7D28:

Vehicle editor:

Various improvements in layout and organisation
Tooltips are now available (allows reduced button text)
A new button to show the view from driver's eye position
Editor sliders now have both arrows on the right
FIX: Spare wheel pitch now expressed in degrees
FIX: Nudging of RPM sliders in engine editor


Changes in Editor 0.7D27:

FIX: Position of screen buttons during 2D rotate or scale (D26 bug)


Changes in Editor 0.7D26:

Mod Export:

A new limit of 8192 triangles / 12288 vertices for LOD2
Groups are compressed when exporting for test or upload

Modeller:

A new function "reduce detail" is visible with triangles selected
A point is selected if unambiguous after merge to green or average


Changes in Editor 0.7D25:

Modeller:

A new style dialog is now used for merge points (ALT+M) options
FIX: Points more likely to remain selected after scale or lathe

Vehicle editor:

For flashing pit speed limiter light - choose brake or rear fog
Width / ratio / rim width move in bigger steps with right click
Frame position adjustments use expected steps for mouse clicks

Limited sidecar support:

Lone wheel (e.g. front) can be offset left (in Suspension tab)
- offset wheel to right is currently disabled for compatibility
Pair of wheels (e.g. rear) can be longitudinally staggered
- only the rearmost wheel of a staggered pair is driven
- anti-roll is disabled when the pair is staggered


Changes in Editor 0.7D24:

Switches for various options previously controlled by Race Class
- Indicators / Headlights / Pit limiter light (in 'Light Colours')
- Handbrake / Horn / Starter Motor (in 'Allow')
- Oval suspension arms (in 'Suspension')
- Grooved slicks (in 'Wheel Object')

Modeller move in list UP/DN: move more with SHIFT or right click


Changes from 0.7C to 0.7D23:

General:

H button at top left to hide/show message history like H key in game
Left click increments should now always be smaller than right click
- previously this was not consistent between all types of button
- as before, CTRL may do smaller steps, SHIFT may do larger steps
- this change should apply to distance, colour, angle and scale

Vehicle editor:

Spare wheel can now be offset laterally (set RIGHT value)
Maximum speed for each gear is now visible in the vehicle editor
- you will need to click the '-' button beside reload textures
Max subobjects to be drawn in editor increased to 40 (was 32)
Mod with too many materials cannot be exported to test in LFS
Keys: CTRL+O: load vehicle / CTRL+N: new vehicle
FIX: A fix for the cover image screenshot when exporting a large mod
FIX: Corrects an audio bug if a bad value is set in LFS sound editor
FIX: Save as SIT / STR name now limited to 7 characters
FIX: Dashboard texture can now be updated in a 2D view
FIX: Crash if vehicle mod had more than 64 materials

Modeller:

Ability to name subobjects (right click name or description)
New dialogs for extrude / lathe / create a circle of points
You can now undo "load main object" (reverts to old object)
New button to select a point by entering the point index
- index of a single selected point or triangle is displayed
Rearranged buttons in tri mode to align well with point mode
Helpful messages about bad normals are now shown at top right
- triangles that are too small or too thin are separately listed
- triangles as small as 1/3 of a millimetre can contribute normals
- click button to find error triangles or points with bad normals
New function "invert" to invert selection (selected - unselected)
Disabled point selection by middle button in build and point modes
Number plate texture s_plate is now visible in modeller 'page' mode
Rotated subobjects can now be correctly merged into the main object
You can now break off triangles from a subobject into a new subobject
Select or deselect multiple triangles by holding down CTRL and LMB
- move the mouse to nearby triangles to keep selecting or deselecting
Aligned "select selection's points" and "select connected triangles"
- these were misaligned in 2D modes if a selection box was visible
- it can be useful to click them repeatedly (much easier if aligned)
You can hide subobjects other than the selected one: show subobs NO
New feature to merge points by distance (distance can be specified)
Mouse control now works below 1cm from the plane (down to 1mm)
FIX: Crash on reload textures with no cutout or page selected
FIX: Wireframe view went wrong or crashed on "reload textures"
FIX: Rim disappeared on clicking "reload textures" in spoke edit

Modeller hotkeys / shortcuts:

CTRL+O: load main object

Keys for subob, point, tri, map, cutout, page modes:
CTRL+D: duplicate
CTRL+N: new
DELETE: delete

H: hide selected (points or triangles)
SHIFT+H: hide unselected
ALT+H: unhide all

E: extrude selected points (with trace enabled in point mode)
S: select selection's points / select connected triangles
CTRL+F: flip selected triangles (in tri mode)
CTRL+F: flip connected triangles (in point mode)
CTRL+I: invert selection (points or triangles)
ALT+M: Merge points (previously known as Fuse points)

Modeller mode selection:
SHIFT+S: subob
SHIFT+T: tri
SHIFT+P: point
SHIFT+B: build
SHIFT+M: map
SHIFT+C: cutout
SHIFT+G: page
SHIFT+V: view


DOWNLOAD:

LFS Editor PATCH 7A to 7D40 [If you already have LFS Editor 0.7A]
Editor 0.7A or later must already be installed!
https://www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_EDITOR_PATCH_7A_TO_7D40.zip [1.5 MB]

Last edited by Scawen, Mon 10 Jul 2023, 17:26.

For people who experience slow mods downloads, I have done a test in Test Patch D10.

Internet research has yielded little. This test is based on very little evidence, but I think it's worth a go. You need to enable it in Misc Options.

https://www.lfs.net/forum/post/2035565#post2035565

Test Patch D10

I've added an experimental option in Misc Options. Based purely on the suggestion in that link above, it seems worth a go. Let's see if it makes mod downloads any faster or slower for people who are far from Rotterdam and experience slow mod downloads.

Options... Misc... HTTP buffer test [EXPERIMENTAL]

https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/102117

Last edited by Scawen, Thu 9 Feb 2023, 17:44.

In case any TCP gurus are reading, I have only set one socket option on the HTTP receive socket. The rest I have left at default.

The one option I have set is SO_RCVBUF:


I'm not certain where I have got the information that default is 8K. However, if I do query that value without setting it, I do get the answer 8K. Various posts I have read in the past suggest a buffer size of 64K is good so that's why I have set it.

This is contradicted by one post I found on Microsoft's site:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/networking-blog/windows-network-performance-suffering-from-bad-buffering/ba-p/339668

But I'm struggling to find more info about it. I guess I could do a simple test of simply not setting that value, and we can check if your skin and mod downloads get faster or slower?

P.S. I've moved some off-topic posts. This thread is about the test patch.

Quote from r3zp3k7 :

All conditions were met. The pit stop was finished and the 0.7D6 user was spectating. The same was in reverse. Hard to tell how it happened though, because after the 0.7D6 user re-entered LFS.exe the bug was not found anymore. Anyway, if we find it again, I'll let you know. Tire physics is way more important for everyone, so please proceed in peace.

I've tested this now with a D and D9 version connected (to a D host). I did not encounter a problem taking over car, from D to D9 or from D9 to D. As nothing changed in that area, I will assume this is not related to the test patch and is extremely rare or related to conditions we don't know.

Quote from Tuttu The Dog :

I do been seeming to face a problem after downloading the patches, My mod loading time is too slow and it times out so often.. And it happens in singleplayer too! and got to try 3 times to join a server minimum. This have never happened to me before, another player also seems to be facing this issue.

It is unlikely to be test patch related as nothing has changed with the download code. It's probably something on the internet at your end, our end or somewhere in the middle. Have you tried using a D (or other) backup exe to verify that the slow download does not occur with D?

No, it is generated locally. I think the clue is that it is a translated message? Unless it's actually generated by your InSim program? I've looked in the code and can't see anything that would remove a dot from a user name, so was hoping for an easier reproduction.

I'm trying to do things in a simple way, rather than spending a long time creating fake user names, to try to reproduce the fault. This is to save me time as I have a lot of other things to work on. Maybe you could get your friend with a user name that starts with a dot to join a server to create a short MPR.

When i searched our system, I couldn't find a user called ".user1" so assumed it was an example and you are protecting the identity of the user?

A similar thing has happened on the test patch forum. A bug has been reported, I asked for a reproduction, but no-one is interested. That's fine but it'll take me longer to develop the tyre physics if I'm the only one reproducing obscure bugs.

Hey super, please let me judge for myself what's important.

For the record, it's very important if the test patch has a bug in it that means people can't change drivers. Most useful would be to go out and test it. If there's a bug, I'll fix it. That's how it works.

EDIT: But I now notice that I said "D8" in previous post. Sorry about that, I should have said "D9" as it's the latest test patch. All I really want to ask is to test D9 driver changes, perhaps one player in D9 and the other in D. You are right, it doesn't matter about D6 or D8.

Last edited by Scawen, Mon 6 Feb 2023, 18:58.