rFactor 2 | New Build Update Released

[Paul Jeffrey]

Studio 397 have deployed a new build update for rFactor 2, adding a number of fixes and improvements to the simulation.

• New build adds VR flat desktop mode.
• Various art fixes and tweaks.
• 32-bit installers ceased.

The new build has been deployed in anticipation of the upcoming Spa-Francorchamps release this Friday 20th November, and comes complete with a number of fixes and tweaks to the simulation. It is worth noting as part of this build, as detailed in the October Development Roadmap, going forward Studio 397 will no longer be supporting 32-bits version of the simulation, and the Dutch team also recommend migrating to the 'new UI' to maximise current and future developments within the title.

Of interest in the new build are various performance improvements for the UI and the addition of VR flat desktop mirror, plus new controller profiles and some further tweaks to the graphic aspects of the title.


Update Notes:

• Removed the 32 bits builds, we are now officially 64 bit only. To ease the transition, we have left some 32 bit utilities in their usual locations for this build only. Please migrate and report any issues you might have.
  • Note: there is a known issue that the ModMgr.exe inside Bin64 folder on SteamCMD dedicated server distributions may crash when toggling certain settings. Please use ModMgr.exe inside Bin32 folder for now.
• Changed the way the new UI gets rendered, making it smooth even when the back-end is busy.
• Fixed several memory leaks and a possible crash on changing graphics settings in-game.
• Ensured that when a user is entering text in a text field, keys he/she presses don’t accidentally trigger other controls.
• Fixed the mouse cursor from going missing when pressing ESC in VR after driving the car.
• Fixed an issue where sometimes when restarting or forwarding sessions, the UI would not (re)appear after that transition.
• Fixed several aspect-ratio related rendering issues with the new UI.
• Fixed the new UI being one pixel too wide and too high on triples.
• Added new VR flat desktop mirror. Please note this is only available in the new UI on the public_beta branch.
• Controller profiles
  • Simagic M10 new profile added.
  • VRS Direct Force Pro corrected typo in controller profile.
• Re-enabled & Improved Sun God Rays / Light Flare settings (requires PostFX enabled, mostly only visible when the sun is occluded slightly)
• Tweaks to Air Pollution colour blending and params
• Corrected Moon Brightness
• Reviewed various lighting parameters
• Moved “Atmospherics” section for Track Weather file (.WET) to Track Game Database file (.GDB)
• Added option for static mappers to disable omni lights
• Fixed auto static mapper assignment, so Static01 mapper is auto assigned only. (prevent mappers for specific situations being auto assigned to assets)
• Fixes for issues with No Rain Zones including when falling back to bounding box, and sorting issues with the currently rendered no rain zones.
• Fixed an issue where reflections would stop updating after rejoining track
• Fix for track side cameras not always showing the correct number of objects
• Updated PBR track shaders to make use of new sampler methods to allow for more textures to be used.
• Fixed an issue where DXT1 and DXT5 textures would not sample sRGB when they should when using new sampler method (This was an issue on the Road Shader only previously)
• Fixed a rare issue causing texture animations to stop working
• IBL Road and IBL Curb:
  • Added ability to use a second normal map (overlay on road, switch on curbs)
  • Tweaked Groove Blending logic (This may result in more noticeable dust, you may wish to tone this down in your Road Details Map)
  • Updated default settings for Groove & Dust IBL Standard
  • Fixed some issues with the Detail Map
• IBL Standard & Blend
  • Added option to use detail map as an alpha masked decal IBL Standard Blend
  • Added the option to use a detail map with the same logic as IBL Standard
  • Removed Multiply Square albedo blending mode, since this can be achieved by saving the texture in the correct format.
• IBL Terrain:
  • Added the ability to set per Albedo strengths for Pattern map
  • Added an optional splatter overlay map, which applies alpha to specular mask
  • Added Albedo Tinting to Specular on Terrain Shaders
• IBL Vegetation
  • Added a new Vegetation Specific shader, which contains only appropriate logic from IBL Standard
  • Added Specular Tinting with a static colour in the Vegetation Shader.

Steam Build IDs
Old UI (opt-out)

• Client build ID: 5842885
• Dedicated server build ID: 5842895

New UI (public_beta)

• Client build ID: 5842938

The new build is available now, and should download automatically the next time you restart your Steam client.



Original Source: Studio 397

rFactor 2 is available now, exclusively on PC.

Check out the rF2 sub forum here at RaceDepartment for a great place to hang out with your fellow fans of the title, discuss the latest news and get advice on how to make the most from your simulation. Join in and start a new thread today!

 

[Mekonrider]

Now the game won't even load for me. Quite a few others having the problem apparently.

Rf2 is love/hate for me but I know which way it's swinging. Oh well, Raceroom and AMS2 it is tonight.

 

[Vomit]

10 mn to load Nords with Porsche cup.
I will not invest anymore in RF2

try disabling hyper-threading in your bios, helped a lot for me and my sandybridge i7

 

[Kenny Paton]

10 mn to load Nords with Porsche cup.
I will not invest anymore in RF2

Ah it brings back sweet memories

 

[rand777]

Do we need to do anything special to avoid running the new UI? I"ve opted out of all betas. I tried the new UI a while back and prefer the old UI and want to avoid any potential interruption. I also run a dedicated server which was listed under the 'Old UI' and not the new UI, so not clear if that is going away with the new UI.

 

[Dady Cairo]

For mine rF2 AI are the best AI, they keep you on your toes and make you sure you are 1/2 alongside a car and not driving into a closing gap
Some of the moves they do I see the same in real races actually some worse moves in real racing

To have perfect field of drivers ? how boring

Hint for some, use much higher aggression then make the AI limiter bigger
also how many ever try using a locked setup which also makes difference

learn to drive defensively and don't drive into ever shrinking gaps

P.S. Higher aggression makes them more decisive when passing

@Durge Driven
What "stressless" settings can you suggest for an average driver after work?
Does the number of opponents have a influence of crashing behavior?
As i started in 2017 i loved the AI,but today it is more a Jackpot of Track/car combo.

 

[Bonehead]

I just tried the new UI, and it is terrible to look at and use.

 

[Ciccina2016]

It does, it's creating the shader cache, so it does not have to do that the next time you load the track.

I couldn't care less I just want to play the game

 

[Dady Cairo]

I just tried the new UI, and it is terrible to look at and use.

Takes some time to get used to it,like everything in life,wich is "new".

 

[Dady Cairo]

I couldn't care less I just want to play the game

This starts in 0,5 seconds,try this!

 

[GuitarTech]

I've been using the new UI almost since it came out. It slowly got better, until today that is. I've had to go back to the old UI, because my mouse doesn't work any more in the new UI. You can move it about, but you can't actually select anything, as the click doesn't react. This isn't the first time that an "update" has broken something else for me...fF2...one step forward,two steps back.....

 

[Bonehead]

I agree. Steam shows me over 10,700 hours on RF2 and all content purchased.

 

[Durge Driven]

I tried the new UI, but I prefer the old one. One feature I liked about the new UI is the ability to search tracks.

Me too

Also the old mod manager is better then using the launcher alternative, for one you don't need to start Steam or rF2 to use it

 

[stealsomefish]

Flat VR menus

This evening I thought I had finally accidentally found a setting I had missed all this time...

And then I read this

Thank you 397

Looking forward to Spa

 

[Durge Driven]

@Durge Driven
What "stressless" settings can you suggest for an average driver after work?
Does the number of opponents have a influence of crashing behavior?
As i started in 2017 i loved the AI,but today it is more a Jackpot of Track/car combo.

Is very dependent on vehicle, track Historics have not been touched since inception some tracks are 100% ai others need 120% ai
more AI limiter will spread cars out less concertina effect

On a fresh rF2 I can run F3 @ Belgium 120% AI 40% aggression and 10% limiter

First race start a car will crash at Eau Rouge or Malmedy if not there
Stavelot ("stack a lot" ) After restarting race a few times they stop crashing lap 1 then after that they spread out you still get accidents but only 1/2 cars and quick yellow flags

I have had near faultless one hour races with pit stops even then you still must look out for things. Like at Belgium when cars are pitting if a ai runs down the right side beside pits they will slow down ....never been fixed so you just have to be thinking all the
time ...I like it

ACC race at Bathurst I could go to sleep the cars are so predictable and almost run like they in replay mode , seriously you seen how many crashes GT3 races have real life ...do ACC cars even crash ?

All I can say is keep trying different settings with each combo you drive make them use a more balanced setup

Remind me again how do you change AI garage setups in other sims

rF2 has 2 real bad AI faults 1. Cars hold gears too long 2. They brake at the slightest thing even if you have 120% strength .....

 

[Davy Jones]

Do we need to do anything special to avoid running the new UI? I"ve opted out of all betas. I tried the new UI a while back and prefer the old UI and want to avoid any potential interruption. I also run a dedicated server which was listed under the 'Old UI' and not the new UI, so not clear if that is going away with the new UI.

Maybe take a look at this video

As far as I'm aware the only way to avoid using the new UI once it becomes the default is to stop updating the game. Which isn't practical of course so all will have to start using it.
You can still run a server (I assume you meant on the same PC) to you just need to start the game first and then run the server executable.

I also made a server tutorial (released before the video above) you don't need it of course as you already have a server running but there might be a few options included that might be of use

 

[Case_]

The updated rendering of UI is great. I can now watch the animated wheel spin in smooth 60 fps as the track is loading for 4 minutes off my SSD.

(Sorry. It's not like I don't appreciate updates/fixes and it will probably eventually mean more improvements. But at the same time...yeah. The image from Kenny's post certainly came to my mind a couple of times in the past 40 minutes or so, before I even saw it.)

Also not sure what's happening, but my VRAM usage has skyrocketed without me being aware of doing any changes to the game's config.

Takes some time to get used to it,like everything in life,wich is "new".

I really hate when people handwave criticism of bad UI design as "people not being used to new things" or even "hating change". If a UI is good, you shouldn't need getting used to it, because it would be easier and more intuitive to use. If you need getting used to it, it means it's not that good in the first place.

 

[JimLee]

The only thing I have found so far in the "New UI" is that replays from save files are no longer full screen on my ultrawide (34" 3440x1440 - Giant black bars) but are semi-full screen in-game at the track with the "R" key .

See https://www.racedepartment.com/threads/dark-grey-patch-on-full-screen-playback.192200/#post-3280104

 

[GuitarTech]

The updated rendering of UI is great. I can now watch the animated wheel spin in smooth 60 fps as the track is loading for 4 minutes off my SSD.

(Sorry. It's not like I don't appreciate updates/fixes and it will probably eventually mean more improvements. But at the same time...yeah. The image from Kenny's post certainly came to my mind a couple of times in the past 40 minutes or so, before I even saw it.)

Also not sure what's happening, but my VRAM usage has skyrocketed without me being aware of doing any changes to the game's config.


I really hate when people handwave criticism of bad UI design as "people not being used to new things" or even "hating change". If a UI is good, you shouldn't need getting used to it, because it would be easier and more intuitive to use. If you need getting used to it, it means it's not that good in the first place.

I've been using the new UI almost from the start, until today that is. After the latest update it's broken for me. The mouse pointer doesn't work. You can click on things, but nothing happens. And the mouse pointer disappears when you hover over something you want to click. It has made it unusable, I've had to revert back to the Stone Age version, it's as ugly as sin, but at least it works.
Ya gotta love Studio397: every update breaks something else. Remind me: how long have they been working on the new UI? In that time span, other developers write a whole new game engine for Christ sakes. rF2 updates: one step forward, two steps back...
But I'll still be buying the new Spa DLC. Why? Because I'm an idiot...

 

[Emery]

Remind me: how long have they been working on the new UI?

4 years and two months. Lots of stuff on the back-end (that we don't see) are working great, but the actual UI has been in user hands as a Beta for 11 months now and it's still not ready for primetime.

 

[boxer]

4 years and two months. Lots of stuff on the back-end (that we don't see) are working great, but the actual UI has been in user hands as a Beta for 11 months now and it's still not ready for primetime.

The new UI is a clear step backwards. Honestly I would take the old UI and just add the track and car search options, plus real vs AI player count to MP and just trash the new UI.

If the new UI tech is crucial tothe MP side then just recreate the old UI using the new tech. With this S397 would have the best of both worlds.. keep compatibility with existing content intact, keep the procedures on how to use rF2 exactly the same but have the ability to add and re-shape the UI over time.

IMO they have put technology over functionality and usability. I hope they don't stop the support of the old UI anytime soon.