Test Patch 0.6N5 is available with more Rift support. In particular, VR focus management, so if you press the button to go to the Oculus home, LFS pauses itself as required, and disables the crosshairs to avoid erroneous clicking.

https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/89352

Test Patch 0.6N5: https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/89352

Please test this if you have a Rift or Vive. It may be the final test patch before Saturday's full version.

If you have not already, you may wish to test the automatic controller button / axis assignments. It should do a reasonable job with Logitech and Thrustmaster wheels and game controllers. To test, move or rename the relevant .con file in your data\misc folder before starting LFS so LFS does not read your existing controller setup.

Thanks for the testing!

Changes from 0.6N4 to 0.6N5 :

Translations :

Various translations updated. Thank you translators!

VR :

The intro replay is avoided if LFS is started in VR mode
LFS now pauses and hides crosshairs when Rift focus is lost
OpenVR support updated to 0.9.19

Controllers :

RGT wheel should now be identified as a Thrustmaster

Misc :

Added left and right arrows to the "Look function" option
Music in setup screens is no longer enabled by default

Thank you all for the testing. Pleased it seems to be working for most wheels / controllers and no actual bugs reported.

Quote from MadCatX :

Since you implemented some wheel-specific options in LFS, is there any chance you can look into supporting the LED lights on G27 & G29 so I can stop maintaining my horrible hack that makes them work with LFS?

Thanks for that code. I would be interested in looking at that but I not this time round. I have to work on the final VR updates today so we can release a full version on Saturday.

Quote from MandulAA :

Hey, tried out the new automatic config (by deleting my old con files) and the axes weren't correctly assigned.

• My throttle pedal (axis 2) was assigned to Brake function
  
• My brake pedal (axis 1) was assigned to Throttle function
  
• My clutch pedal (axis 3) wasn't assigned to any fucntion at all.
  

My wheel is a Thrustmaster RGT FFB with Clutch.

Thanks for the test. I should be able to add an auto setup for this wheel.

I need more info though:

- What are the axis names, e.g. X / RZ / Slider0 - I need these rather than the number
- Are the axes inverted?
- What is the name of the wheel as seen in the list of controllers in Controls Options?
- Were the button mappings OK?

Quote from Amynue :

Few years ago Scawen tried to implement that but something about Logitech's SDK was messed up and he wasn't able to do it, can't remember the details.

I can't remember what it was I didn't like about it. I quess it wasn't messed up but maybe there was code to link to and I thought they should use an escape interface (like the code MadCatX posted). I'll have to look at the SDK again (but not now).

Blimey! It seems such rushed software with not enough testing on different machines. Thanks for replying Scawen, makes me feel a little better. My rift isn't even plugged in yet I'm still trying to install the software first. I will try a full clean install of my entire PC and see what that brings. Fingers crossed. My cpu is an i7 2600k which is pretty old and actually doesn't meet their minimum specs however it is more powerful than their bottom cpu they do recommend so that might have something to do with it.

It's a shame because oculus vr products are very good, when everything is working it really is a game changer so to speak for sim racing but their customer service / software is letting them down over and over again. After dk1 and especially dk2 I was hoping things would be better for the CV1. Hopefully things will improve soon and I'm looking forward to testing lfs on 1.3

**Update**

My exact error from the oculus setup log is this:

Process C:\Program Files (x86)\Oculus\Support\oculus-librarian\OVRLibrarian.exe exited with code 104 (failure)

This is apparently a permission issue which Oculus were first told about 2 weeks ago. Cybereality said he would pass this onto the tech team but then never posted an update. I have bumped the thread again at oculus to try get an answer.

**2nd update**

cybereality has responded saying a fix for the installer is coming soon, in the meantime has pointed to a website with a new possible work around. Trying now...

Nope. Same 104 error. Only hope is to wait for updated Oculus software whenever that is.

Last edited by Alric, Wed 13 Apr 2016, 19:27.

Review of HTC Vive compared with Occ Rift using LFS as the gaming software, very ugly but accurate from what I'm reading ....

I hope you haven't actually paid for either of these 1 gen devices ...., Still, LFS gets a great review for providing support for 1st gen hardware.

Well done Scrawen. I can hardly wait for VR Gen 3, which will start to work properly IMHO.

Last edited by Racer X NZ, Wed 13 Apr 2016, 06:46.

Quote from Scawen :

I think this goes a bit further than what I can get into this week. I feel time is short because we need a full version up there that supports the new Rift. Many people can't or don't want to install a test patch so I think we need to go for a full version next weekend.

Totally understand that. I'm fine with it not being added right this second, but having this functionality in the future would certainly improve the driving experience and bring it more inline with other racing/driving games.

Quote from Scawen :

This sounds a bit like the existing "Thr / brk centre reduction" option.

Perhaps. I'll look at that more, though my original thought wouldn't be needed if the below was implemented.

Quote from Scawen :

I thought some more about this, and I'm not sure if this is just obvious or not (maybe is how it is in other games, I don't know) but I thought the two axes of the right stick could be useful to make a full 360 degree look system.

How it could work :

- X and Y axes are assigned
- A new "joystick" look function (probably default)
- Centre dead zone, nothing happens up to around 25% movement
- Moving stick to the edge in any direction will look that way
- Moving stick partially will provide an intermediate position

This way, moving the stick left or right would look 90 degrees left and right. You could look more forward or back from that position by moving the stick forward or back. I think you could quite quickly or smoothly look in any direction you wanted to. I haven't tried it yet but it seems the combined use of two axes to control look heading in this way could work well.

The idea sounds really good assuming I'm understanding it correctly. I feel like having this would make shoulder checks and that kind of stuff a little more natural for those not actually using a VR headset but are using a controller.

I also have DFGT,so I tried to connect after renaming old .con file. The name is shown as 'Logitech Driving Force GT USB' and most controls are like they should be - that is steering,pedals and shifter buttons behind wheel. Also look left/right buttons are assigned pretty logically and horn,handbrake,speed limiter and TC buttons are set to buttons,which have playstation cross,circle,square and triangle symbols. VR click is set to center button and virtual keyboard to small button below. For some weird reason gears 1 to 6 are assigned to few buttons and the shifter stick...
But for better overview I made a little grafical button chart,hope it will help.

Obviously I agree it is a pity there isn't more choice of licensed racing servers at the moment. We are working hard on things to improve the situation. We're beyond that slow period we went through a few years ago. I'm sure the new track and tyre physics will help, and some new types of vehicle, though these are still some months away. I've been trying to make sure LFS is the best VR sim racing experience to get some more people in that way.

One thing though, people could help by actually going online. I see a LOT of people saying, this would be fun if only there were people to race with. Well... guess who can do something about that? It's no good looking at the list of hosts then not joining. Instead, pick one and go there, even if it's empty. At least one person has to join or it obviously will be empty! The next person who comes along might just join you.

Not sure if anybody is aware of it but this may be something for Scawen to try and get into? Seems like a good way to reach VR enthusiasts and make use of a completely now form of interacting with game assets while talking about all kinds of decisions that went into building them.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/411820/ The Foo Show main steam page.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT3jZyOXqzU complete show for us non VR peasants.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyZeVJZBTSM and a quick review by some youtuber.

Xbox 360 controller: all axes are correct, but throttle/brake are reversed. It defaulted to throttle/brake invert 1, while invert 0 gives correct setup. (assuming we want throttle on right, brake on left)


Did some laps without sound, its amazing how much immersion breaks when the car starts to slide (or, how important sound is in immersion). I'm sure you were already planning on it, but I think updating the tire sound process while you're in that rabbit hole will provide a huge boost to immersion, especially for new VR users that may not have a FFB wheel.

Last edited by bobloblaw, Thu 7 Apr 2016, 19:03.

Thanks for the help. 0.6N3 is now available.

Controllers may now be plugged in or removed after LFS has started, and there is a refresh button on the controller setup screen. Multiple controller support is much better and should not lose your settings depending on which USB ports you use, etc, but multiple controller setups will need to be reassigned this time.

Some of you with a single game controller, please could you test the automatic controller setup? With LFS not running, look in data\misc and move or rename your controller's .con file, so LFS can't see it. Then when you start LFS it should try to set it up automatically, in a way that is similar to some other games. In particular, does it get the triggers right?

Thanks.

Changes from 0.6N2 to 0.6N3 :

VR :

Rift headphones are now used for sound output (default setting)
Rift remote can now be used for click / escape / virtual keyboard
Improved appearance of top row (ESC / F keys) of virtual keyboard

Controllers :

Controllers may now be plugged in and detected after LFS is started
Refresh button to detect controllers in Options - Controls screen
Controllers are now sorted (not dependent on order of connection)
Separate controller type setting for with / without controllers
Automatic controls assignment for various game controllers
Warning when you press ESC to exit controller setup screen
Button functions are now easier to see when in car

Fixes :

Axis names were previously displayed wrongly in Options - Controls
It was possible to enter a state where chat box could not be opened

https://www.lfs.net/forum/thread/89352

You can map the VR click to a button in Options -> Controls -> Buttons 2.

Ohh! That makes sense, thanks so much! How about for changing the VR click? I tried /press space and /vr click but that didn't seem to do it.

Last edited by phochina, Sun 3 Apr 2016, 19:34.

After some struggle to get runtime 1.3 running with my old cpu, lfs now runs with my DK2!

(I have some positional tracking issues, but that has nothing to do with lfs but rather with my hardware. I have this with other VR games too and also with the older runtimes)

One question though Scawen. The IPD slider is a great feature for the consumer version, but how did you solve the issue for yourself that it is not possible anymore to set the IPD in software for DK2?

Quote from Flotch :

Hope VR guys are enjoying Scawen's efforts !

Definitely!

was it a "byte" more ?
professional deformation as we say in France

Hope VR guys are enjoying Scawen's efforts !

NB : as always, do not fear to share some screenshots of Eric's work

No, I'm just doing a bit more on VR then back to the tyre physics. Meanwhile, Eric is working on a new track. No time estimates for these.


EDIT: but -> bit - thanks loopingz

Last edited by Scawen, Sun 3 Apr 2016, 08:01.

Quote from cupra M1K3 :

So let me get this straight, LFS is sticking with DX 9, still supporting Windows XP, and still waiting on physics. But, it does support, VR ...

I think this part sums it up nicely. As you can see, neither lack of DX11 or Win10 is blocking LFS from delivering one of best VR experiences...

EDIT : Official Version 0.6P is now available!
https://www.lfs.net/patch-6p


WARNING : THIS IS A TEST

NOTE : THIS DOES NOT CONTAIN NEW TYRE PHYSICS OR ANY NEW CONTENT

PLEASE TEST BEFORE YOU POST

PLEASE AVOID : OFF-TOPIC FEATURE REQUESTS / UNRELATED COMMENTS


Hello Racers,

Here is a new TEST PATCH : 0.6N7

- Support for the new Oculus 1.3 software and Rift CV1
- OpenVR support updated to 0.9.19
- Various improvements to controller support (see below)

0.6N7 is fully compatible with 0.6N

- You can connect online with 0.6N
- You can play replays from 0.6N

You cannot upload hotlaps made with this test patch because it is only a test patch, not an official patch.

Please keep a backup of your LFS.exe from 0.6N so you can easily go back if there are any problems.


Changes from 0.6N6 to 0.6N7 :

Translations :

Many translations updated. Thank you translators!

VR :

Default HUD field of view is now 70 degrees / HUD distance 0.5m
Improved centralisation of one-eye monitor view on desktop window
Auto-updater is avoided in VR mode and helpful options are offered
Crosshairs are always visible when watching a training replay


Changes from 0.6N4 to 0.6N6 :

VR :

Fixed an error in calculation of Rift's vertical FOV
The intro replay is avoided if LFS is started in VR mode
LFS now pauses and hides crosshairs when Rift focus is lost
OpenVR support updated to 0.9.19

Controllers :

RGT wheel should now be identified as a Thrustmaster

Misc :

Added left and right arrows to the "Look function" option
Music in setup screens is no longer enabled by default


Changes from 0.6N3 to 0.6N4 :

Controllers :

Controllers with 5 axes now default to combined brake / throttle
Combined brake / throttle axis now defaults to correct direction
Automatically set Clutch setting to axis if wheel has clutch pedal
Automatic preset is now attempted on first of multiple controllers
Controller screen in game now shows correct pedals and steer gauge
New joystick look mode using two axes to control look direction
Arrow keys can now be assigned to wheel buttons (default D-pad)
Default 900 degrees turn for Logitech G25 / G27 / Driving Force
Attempted reasonable presets for Thrustmaster and DFGT wheels
A scroll bar appears if there are more than 16 available axes
Removed axis calibration system that had various problems
You can now type in the active range of an axis function
Typed range can exceed input range to reduce axis effect
Look Roll axis function now has a full 360 degree range


Changes from 0.6N2 to 0.6N3 :

VR :

Rift headphones are now used for sound output (default setting)
Rift remote can now be used for click / escape / virtual keyboard
Improved appearance of top row (ESC / F keys) of virtual keyboard

Controllers :

Controllers may now be plugged in and detected after LFS is started
Refresh button to detect controllers in Options - Controls screen
Controllers are now sorted (not dependent on order of connection)
Separate controller type setting for with / without controllers
Automatic controls assignment for various game controllers
Warning when you press ESC to exit controller setup screen
Button functions are now easier to see when in car

Fixes :

Axis names were previously displayed wrongly in Options - Controls
It was possible to enter a state where chat box could not be opened


Changes from 0.6N to 0.6N2 :

VR :

New LFSRiftVR DLL supports Oculus 1.3 software
IPD slider movement is now detected and message displayed
Now correctly handles CV1's different up and down FOV values
User can now cause LFS to exit through the Oculus software


INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS :

A FULL version of LFS 0.6N must already be installed

To install the PATCH using the SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE :

1) Move or save the patch into your main LFS folder
2) Double click the patch to extract it to that folder
3) When you see "Confirm File Replace" select "Yes to All"
4) Now you can start LFS in the normal way

NOTE : You can see if the patch is correctly installed when you run
the program (LFS.exe). At the bottom of the entry screen : 0.6N7


DOWNLOADS :


EDIT : Official Version 0.6P is now available!
https://www.lfs.net/patch-6p


PATCH 0.6N TO 0.6N7 (SELF EXTRACTING ARCHIVE) (if you already have 0.6N) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6N_TO_6N7.exe (1.3 MB)

PATCH 0.6N TO 0.6N7 (ALTERNATIVE ZIP) (if you already have 0.6N) :
www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_PATCH_6N_TO_6N7.zip (1.6 MB)

Last edited by Scawen, Sat 16 Apr 2016, 14:38.

So let me get this straight, LFS is sticking with DX 9, still supporting Windows XP, and still waiting on physics. But, it does support, VR, because those who cannot afford to upgrade from XP or buy a decent GPU can surely afford to buy an accessory that costs well over 500 in most currencies.

Good game, LFS Devs win. Happy April 1st. LFS = Worlds longest April fools joke?

Turtles reproduce 10 times faster than LFS is developed.

Quote from Bmxtwins :

Christ, the guy was just offering you a way to use the AI until the devs can address he issue and you just crap on him. Way to go.

Didn't crap on op for his suggestion, never rejected it outright but said why should a end user have to fix flaws in devs work cause they are not interested in fixing it themselves? Hmmn? Having a quiet day at work and have nothing to do but post on forums, perhaps when you should be working?

Someone has to remind the devs of the little things that are breaking what could be a great sim. Instead most here revere the devs as some kinda Gods to be patted on the head just for typing a reply on the forum!!! To be sucked up to at every opportunity for fear they'll get the shits and stop development and take their "bat & ball" home

Scawen is NOT God or even close, perfection is not achievable by Scawen, he's only a man and LFS is only a nice sim that needs lots of work. I know there will be mention "its their sim, their way or no way", I and perhaps others are getting tired of that response as an excuse for everything.

While I don't wish to abandon LFS as I've been involved since 2003, just see the devs priorities get mixed up in consumerism (VR Tech) that they have always shied away from in the past.

If the diehards think this is an personal attack on the great God Scawen and His be all to end all greatest simulation in all existence . . . then nothing I can say will change minds, However I'm just pointing out a few things and entering into a discussion which last time I looked was the real object of a forum

Quote from Scawen :

... Also it will allow new types of vehicle and so on.

do you have examples ?

anyway, glad to see VR is going well, and the development brought to LFS in this way seems to be a good investment overall

Yes, the best way to do that is have graphics and physics on two different threads, so more CPU power is available for each of them (assuming the CPU has more than 1 core). The physics system must then store interpolatable snapshots of completed physics steps, for the graphics thread to render whenever it is ready.

It's a good system but requires a large overhaul of the program, on the graphics and physics sides. That is fine but, as I keep saying, it's far too difficult to do while I still have two separate versions of LFS, the development version and the public version. This is one of the reasons why the tyre physics is my top priority (after getting past this important month or two for VR). When it is done, we go back to having a single version of LFS. Also it will allow new types of vehicle and so on.

Was this posted yet? http://vr.mkeblx.net/oculus-sim/
Simulates view through the various VR headsets, can compare resolutions.

I think these "helmet-cam" videos maybe give idea of things to come? They are not from videogames but they might as well be.
It shows how drivers/drivers move their view around.

Try to do this with fixed forward view, without ability to move your head:

For games that simulate such situations VR will not only be about better imersion or graphics, but actually give an advantage.
All the reviews totally miss that. They test with jump&run games or such, that feels like playing Starcraft or Counterstrike to test gamepads.

Quote from Orgi23 :

Is anybody playing LFS with the Vive?

Hi
Personally I do not, but in "General LFS Discussion" are always many posts about Vive/Rift and other VR.

No they're not stealing, not in their current situation, stealing is about those who can own the game but choose to go through the wrong path because they don't give a damn about the devs jobs, but in Turkey and other similar places like I said there is no potential consumers for lfs that can buy the game anyway, and when we are dealing with no potential clients, cracking the game or not wouldn't do any harm to the devs incomes.

So let them be it's just a waste of time for scawen, he's already dealing with VR instead of physics and graphics so don't bother him with such infinite loop of fighting piracy.