Hi
I have made several CSP config files for tracks which were missing CSP features. I uploaded them to RaceDepartment, and sent a couple of them to the CSP team so it can be automatically downloaded when you start a race.
For these CSP configs, I mainly used a template file I had made and filled / reworked accordingly to the track. I thought that this template could be useful to the community if I release it with a small tutorial. So I give it to you. I hope this will help the community.
Prerequirements:
0. Disclaimer
This is the way I make CSP config files. I'm not pretending it's the the only or best way to do it. But I find that with this method, we can have something nice pretty quickly. You can of course change anything you don't like inside this template.
1. Create the file for the track
- find the name of the track you want to work on (for example by opening its folder with content manager
- copy its name into you clipboard
- if you want to create a csp config for a track you have made and want to bundle it with the track:
- open it with notepad++, then paste the content of the csp template file you have downloaded
2. Prepare CSP and sol
- first, enable all the CSP extensions you want to configure with the file: WeatherFX, grassFX, rainFX (you will need Patreon for this one), Lighting FX by going (In CM: Settings -> Custom Shaders Patch)
- make sure that you have sol apps enabled so you can change the time, date and weather conditions while in it. It will help to find objects and see how the csp config is applied
3. Start a session
- In the Quick Drive tab, start a long practice session with the track you want to implement
4. Fill the csp config file variables with the object inspector
- open the object inspector app
- keep your config file opened with notepad++ and set notepad++ always on top (in View) This way, each time you save the file, you will see it applied in assetto corsa
- in the csp file, find the line [DEFAULTS], below it are the variables you need to fill with the materials used by an object in the track (= mesh)
- to find an information about a mesh, Alt+mouse right click, its properties will be shown in the object inspector, the most important properties for us are "material" and "mesh".
- as an easy example, select a mesh where grass is supposed to grow on (something green), click on the name of its material, it will be copied in your clipboard, then paste it in the csp config file, in the variable called "GlassMaterials". Save your file, then grass should appear (move a bit the camera, sometimes it's only refreshing when moving the camera)
- you will see that most of the variables already have values which are common in several existing tracks. You might want to remove them if they don't fit the actual track't objects. For example for road materials:
RoadMaterials=?asph?,?road?,?Tarmac?
--> here we define as road material any object that as a material containing the words "asph", "road" or "Tarmac".
- "?" means that it will select the object even if there is some characters before or after what you are trying to select. For example, if you put "RoadMaterials=Tarmac", it will only select objects with the material named exactly "Tarmac", not objects containing "Tarmac".
- when filling variables, I find it easier to put a date in winter with Sol, this way, the objects done are in white and we can see easily the missing objects which are remaining
5. More explanations about variables
For those who are not familiar with CSP config file or generally with code, the variables you fill in "4." are variables. You will find references to theses variables in different other places in the config file. Using variables makes it easier to change the values in different places. We set the value in the variable and it gets used in all the places referenced.
6. Add features missing from the template!
When you are familiar with it, you will want more tuning, and sometimes you will want different values than the value of the variable. You can of course remove the variable in these places and put you own values. Variables are just here to quickly create something.
Also, I strongly recommend reading the official CSP documentation. Again, this template is only a convenient file. I repeat: it's NOT intended to be the final CSP config file of your track. You can add several more things, remove the ones you don't like etc.
7.. Share your work!
If you are happy with your work, don't hesitate to share it on RaceDepartment, or even you can send it to the CSP team by sending it on their discord (make sure to ask the original author before). The advantage to sending it to the CSP team is that your config file will be automatically available and downloaded by all the people using Content Manager!
I hope that will help the community and maybe we will have more tracks with CSP features
I have made several CSP config files for tracks which were missing CSP features. I uploaded them to RaceDepartment, and sent a couple of them to the CSP team so it can be automatically downloaded when you start a race.
For these CSP configs, I mainly used a template file I had made and filled / reworked accordingly to the track. I thought that this template could be useful to the community if I release it with a small tutorial. So I give it to you. I hope this will help the community.
Prerequirements:
- Assetto Corsa of course
- Content Manager
- CSP enabled (with rain if you want to add it)
- the CSP template file from me
- Sol > 2.1.2
- Notepad++
- you understand what are Sol and CSP
- you know how to open assetto apps when ingame
0. Disclaimer
This is the way I make CSP config files. I'm not pretending it's the the only or best way to do it. But I find that with this method, we can have something nice pretty quickly. You can of course change anything you don't like inside this template.
1. Create the file for the track
- find the name of the track you want to work on (for example by opening its folder with content manager
- copy its name into you clipboard
- if you want to create a csp config for a track you have made and want to bundle it with the track:
- go into you assetto corsa folder, then into "assettocorsa\content\tracks\folder_of_the_track\extension"
- create a file with the name "ext_config.ini" (make sure file extensions are shown by windows) and that your file is not finishing by txt
- go into you assetto corsa folder, then into "assettocorsa\extension\config\tracks\loaded"
- create a file with the name of the track and with the extension .ini (make sure file extensions are shown by windows) and that your file is not finishing by txt
- open it with notepad++, then paste the content of the csp template file you have downloaded
2. Prepare CSP and sol
- first, enable all the CSP extensions you want to configure with the file: WeatherFX, grassFX, rainFX (you will need Patreon for this one), Lighting FX by going (In CM: Settings -> Custom Shaders Patch)
- make sure that you have sol apps enabled so you can change the time, date and weather conditions while in it. It will help to find objects and see how the csp config is applied
3. Start a session
- In the Quick Drive tab, start a long practice session with the track you want to implement
4. Fill the csp config file variables with the object inspector
- open the object inspector app
- keep your config file opened with notepad++ and set notepad++ always on top (in View) This way, each time you save the file, you will see it applied in assetto corsa
- in the csp file, find the line [DEFAULTS], below it are the variables you need to fill with the materials used by an object in the track (= mesh)
- to find an information about a mesh, Alt+mouse right click, its properties will be shown in the object inspector, the most important properties for us are "material" and "mesh".
- as an easy example, select a mesh where grass is supposed to grow on (something green), click on the name of its material, it will be copied in your clipboard, then paste it in the csp config file, in the variable called "GlassMaterials". Save your file, then grass should appear (move a bit the camera, sometimes it's only refreshing when moving the camera)
- you will see that most of the variables already have values which are common in several existing tracks. You might want to remove them if they don't fit the actual track't objects. For example for road materials:
RoadMaterials=?asph?,?road?,?Tarmac?
--> here we define as road material any object that as a material containing the words "asph", "road" or "Tarmac".
- "?" means that it will select the object even if there is some characters before or after what you are trying to select. For example, if you put "RoadMaterials=Tarmac", it will only select objects with the material named exactly "Tarmac", not objects containing "Tarmac".
- when filling variables, I find it easier to put a date in winter with Sol, this way, the objects done are in white and we can see easily the missing objects which are remaining
5. More explanations about variables
For those who are not familiar with CSP config file or generally with code, the variables you fill in "4." are variables. You will find references to theses variables in different other places in the config file. Using variables makes it easier to change the values in different places. We set the value in the variable and it gets used in all the places referenced.
6. Add features missing from the template!
When you are familiar with it, you will want more tuning, and sometimes you will want different values than the value of the variable. You can of course remove the variable in these places and put you own values. Variables are just here to quickly create something.
Also, I strongly recommend reading the official CSP documentation. Again, this template is only a convenient file. I repeat: it's NOT intended to be the final CSP config file of your track. You can add several more things, remove the ones you don't like etc.
7.. Share your work!
If you are happy with your work, don't hesitate to share it on RaceDepartment, or even you can send it to the CSP team by sending it on their discord (make sure to ask the original author before). The advantage to sending it to the CSP team is that your config file will be automatically available and downloaded by all the people using Content Manager!
I hope that will help the community and maybe we will have more tracks with CSP features
