Add physics from one series to another series

[Shalon001]

Hi,

I was using the DTM 2022 Mod for rFactor 1 and I really liked the physics. I liked the speed, the grip, etc. I wanted to know if I could apply or add those physics to a different series such as the IMSA 2023 Mod.

 

[Speednut357]

Yes, you can do it, and it's pretty simple. However, the tricky part is comprehending the respective functions of each file.
Copying and pasting text from one file to another is easy, but issues can arise with file names. Some files contain strings that reference other files, and these names need to match. Organizing files can be confusing and overwhelming at first.

Everything starts with the ".Veh" file. If you go to the Vehicles folder and open the vehicle you want to edit, you will find a Veh file. Open it with Notepad and start looking carefully through the text.

You will see it has a line that says "HDVehicle=" This is pointing at the HDV file, which defines most of the car Physics. Locate the specified HDV file, open it, and again start carefully looking through. You will see other files are specified in this HDV file.

Veh file - Car-specific file with driver name and points to skin and HDV file.
HDV file - The main Parameters file for a car class (lots of changeable parameters)
TBC file - The tire file, Specifies the tire slip characteristics and parameters
PM file - Specifies the suspension geometry.

There is also a Gears file and an Engine file.

Once you get the hang of the files, you can copy and rename files as you see fit. Change tires or suspension to that of other cars. Just be careful with your file names, and you should be fine.

Be prepared for mistakes, and make backup copies. And when you get the hang of it, start using files and data from other games. Automobilista, GTR2, GT Legends, and Stockcar Extreme are all the same game engines. You can copy data from an almost unlimited supply of vehicles.

 

[Shalon001]

Ill try it after my exams this week.

 

[Shalon001]

Idk why the car is turning right by itself, but the physics seem to have changed. Can you try telling me what's wrong? https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BGCWQeaMTVLgPLrdkXVm1vZJ9Ts03I63?usp=drive_link

 

[Shalon001]

Yes, you can do it, and it's pretty simple. However, the tricky part is comprehending the respective functions of each file.
Copying and pasting text from one file to another is easy, but issues can arise with file names. Some files contain strings that reference other files, and these names need to match. Organizing files can be confusing and overwhelming at first.

Everything starts with the ".Veh" file. If you go to the Vehicles folder and open the vehicle you want to edit, you will find a Veh file. Open it with Notepad and start looking carefully through the text.

You will see it has a line that says "HDVehicle=" This is pointing at the HDV file, which defines most of the car Physics. Locate the specified HDV file, open it, and again start carefully looking through. You will see other files are specified in this HDV file.

Veh file - Car-specific file with driver name and points to skin and HDV file.
HDV file - The main Parameters file for a car class (lots of changeable parameters)
TBC file - The tire file, Specifies the tire slip characteristics and parameters
PM file - Specifies the suspension geometry.

There is also a Gears file and an Engine file.

Once you get the hang of the files, you can copy and rename files as you see fit. Change tires or suspension to that of other cars. Just be careful with your file names, and you should be fine.

Be prepared for mistakes, and make backup copies. And when you get the hang of it, start using files and data from other games. Automobilista, GTR2, GT Legends, and Stockcar Extreme are all the same game engines. You can copy data from an almost unlimited supply of vehicles.

Sometimes when I try and change the physics, the car does not appear in the game anymore. Why is that?

 

[jgf]

You must make sure the veh files reference the proper graphics files and the proper physics files. If everything doesn't match you could get a car on the spinner that will CTD when you try to load it, or a car in the menu with no spinner image, or the car doesn't appear at all.

The veh file calls the hdv file for its physics - "HDVehicle=xxx.hdv"; the hdv file calls the tire file - "TireBrand=xxx.tbc", the engine file - "Normal=xxx.ini", and the gear file - "GearFile=xxx.ini". All of these must be present and if not in the same folder the path must be specified with the file name.

The veh file also calls the gen file for its graphics - "Graphics=xxx.gen", the gen file calls the mas files which contain the 3D models and their textures -
"SearchPath=<VEHDIR>
MASFile=xxx.mas"
There are typically 2-4 mas files listed separately here, and usually require the path with the filenames.

The veh file then calls the "Cameras=xxx.cam, "Sounds=xxx.sfx", "HeadPhysics=xxx.ini ", "Cockpit=xxx.ini", and "Upgrades=xxx.ini".

You also must make sure all the cars have the correct entries in their class lines, otherwise you can "lose" a car because it's now in a different menu than where you expect it. And keep an eye on the "Manufacturer=xxx" lines; "This Car", "ThisCar", "ThisCar GT", may be the same car with different skins but will appear as different menu entries.

Unless you are combining mods into a common folder (a can of worms in itself) the most common errors are merely forgetting a path or misspelling something.

If the car doesn't appear at all, it's likely an error in the veh file; if it is listed but not showing in the spinner, check the hdv file; if it's in the spinner but can't be selected, or CTDs when selected, look for problems with the mas files.

(I recently went through all this with GTR2; tiring of trying to decide which of a dozen different GT mods, plus the default series, to use for a race - especially when they all consisted of the same variety of Porsches, Ferraris, etc. - I dumped all the various series and created my own "Global GT Series" with simple GT1, GT2, GT3, and Club divisions based solely on performance. All the GT2 Porsche 911 went into a common folder; all the GT3 Porsches went in a common folder; and a half dozen assorted "Porsche Cup" mods were combined into one folder. Same for Ferraris, Vipers, Corvettes, etc. This entailed weeks of renaming files, of extracting the contents of .gtr files to eliminate duplicate numbers; double checking that no driver was in two, or more, cars; cursing numerous CTDs when I forgot to rename a file or edit a path; of conflicts from multiple .gtr files for one type of car in the same folder; missing wheels; inventive renaming so a GT1 Corvette doesn't try to use a setup for a GT2 Corvette, or so a GT3 Viper doesn't appear in a GT1 category.)

 

[Speednut357]

One effective strategy to start editing physics files is to compare a file with good physics to the one that needs to be changed. Take some time to go through each line and adjust the values accordingly. It's important to understand the purpose of each line and its impact on the overall physics. Beginning with minor changes, such as modifying the brakes, before gradually tackling more complex sections is recommended. While it may seem straightforward at first glance, mastering the art of editing physics files can take a lot of practice and dedication.

Starting with file renaming and copy-pasting is a good idea, but as you've discovered, mistakes can happen quite easily.

 

[Shalon001]

I did it! All I used the physics from the DTM 2022 Mod on two seperate packs (IMSA 2023 & GTWC21) and they both work. All I did was copy and paste three files and edited them to work with the mod. (Common, engine, gears)