Misc SpecialFX tec for Race07 GTR2 and related games 202402

[abrimaal]

abrimaal submitted a new resource:

SpecialFX tec for Race07 GTR2 and related games - compiled into one file

This file defines car vs terrain reactions.
It may be used in Race 07, GTR Evo, GTR2 and related games.
Backup the original file and paste it into Locations folder.

It is compiled from:
Original GTR Evo file
+ original GTR2 materials than were not defined in GTR Evo
+ materials added by track makers to GTR2 tracks (snow, dirt, dust, etc..)
+/- checked for repeating entries and used only one of them

It was tested in GTR Evo and GTR2
Not tested in rFactor terrain.tdf

Some...

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[abrimaal]

abrimaal updated SpecialFX tec for Race07 GTR2 and related games with a new update entry:

added textures, sounds

Specialfx.tec for GTR game series
Tested in GTR 2, GTR Evolution, Race 07, Alltimer GrandTour
Not tested in GTL, GTR, Race, Power&Glory, Ultramod, RaceRemaster

This 2023 version features .dds textures instead of .tga
Textures go to GameData\Teams
Sounds go to GameData\Sounds
The file specialfx.tec goes to GameData\Locations (make a backup of the previous version)

Not all textures are used.
This is possibly the very beginning of building a versatile specialfx.tec
Some textures are numbered...

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[abrimaal]

abrimaal updated SpecialFX tec for Race07 GTR2 and related games with a new update entry:

quickfix

Added only one texture: camglow02, because there were textures for "effect on" and no "effect off".
Camglow (camera flash) is unused in specialfx.tec yet
View attachment 638431

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[FishGaming]

Abrimaal, have you, or anyone else who uses this file, tested it on the games that the info file states it has not been used for?

 

[abrimaal]

What "other games" do you mean?
It will work in GTR2, GTLegends, Race 07 and all its variants (GTR Evo, STCC, Race Injection, GT Evolution, Race On, Volvo the Game, M3 Challenge)...
but, the earlier releases of Race 07 (version number lower than 1.2.1.10) don't support hillclimb tracks. Some shaders may be not supported too, but I think you can copy them to Shaders folder and maybe they will work (?)
It was not tested in GTR and Race.

For RFactor, I'm not an expert.
The game uses a file terrain.tdf, that does the same work, as specialfx.tec in the GTR series,
but every track may use its own .tdf,
I am not sure if the track.tdf has priority above the general terrain.tdf
Textures are also different, and shaders.

 

[FishGaming]

Sorry for not being clear. I was asking if anyone had information using this specialfx.tec in the following games:

GTL, GTR (non evolution), Race 07, Power&Glory, Ultramod, or Race Remaster

 

[abrimaal]

It should work in Power and Glory, Ultramod and Remaster, but maybe the developers built a dedicated file for these games.

 

[abrimaal]

I'm working on a very special track.

SURFACE TEST
It will be a long, flat, futuristic track for testing drivability, reactions, visual and sound effects of specialfx.tec file.
The road will be divided into many segments, each of them will be a different surface.
The road texture will remain the same, to see clearly the differences in reactions.

Now there are only a few types of road used:
roada (at start), ovalrd (oval road), road (standard road), b1road (bumpy level 1), lgroad (Low grip road) and b3road (bumpy level 3).
Each segment will begin with a sign, that informs what surface we are driving on.

The track will be done for the GTR 2 and GTR Evo, Race 07 and co.

I need a little help to finish this track:
1. Define garage positions in AIW (the race cannot be finished, because the third garage is undefined for GTR games)
2. Remove the "hook" in the road at start, it was caused by adjusting the terrain in Bobs Track Builder. I cannot locate any object there, that makes the cars jump after start.

General View - grey, silver, red, white, long and flat

Signs with material names (road and roadside). Now the whole roadside is icerd (ice road with white skids)

The "Hook" must be removed before the further work

Preview video

The track contains the newest specialfx.tec, but it will be uploaded soon with textures.
It will work with the previous versions of specialfx.


Test version download:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/977ee31kj3rg49n/ATGT_SurfaceTest.7z/file

 

[Spinelli]

"This file defines car vs terrain reactions."

Does this mean that the SpecialFX.tec file can affect affect physics / laptimes? I'm trying to make sure all physics, laptimes, etc. are 100% identical to the vanilla game so I can compare laptimes now from my old laptimes from when I played the vanilla game a long time ago. I just want to update graphics, audio, etc. but nothing that will/can affect laptimes in any way at all, not even 0.001s.

So is the SpecialFX.tec file not actually special effects (ie. graphics) but, rather, it affects vehicle-to-track-surface behaviour?

 

[abrimaal]

1. Yes, it can affect, because various road types use various parameters for road grip, bumping and so on.

2. It will not affect, because the original parameters are not changed. They refer only to the road types not present in the original game - offroad tracks, ice, snow, water, mud.

 

[abrimaal]

Aha, what else...
The file has been compiled to work both in GTR2 and Evo.
I have to take a look at the original specialfx files from both games.
If the numbers are the same, it would be great.
If they are different, what now?
Use GTR Evo, because they are the newer (improved or simplified?)
or GTR2, because they are original.
RFactor was the base for all GTR series games, so it should be the reference.

 

[abrimaal]

abrimaal updated SpecialFX tec for Race07 GTR2 and related games with a new update entry:

+ Surface Test track

Minor updates of spark textures
Added a few textures that may be usable
List of all materials (a text file)

SpecialFX pack (file + textures + sounds) will be distributed together with the test track Surface Test

The pack may be used both in GTR Evo and GTR 2
If it asks to replace files - what to do?
specialfx.tec - make a backup of the original, then replace.

Textures - the original specialfx uses .tga textures, this one uses .dds only.
Leave all .tga textures in GTR2 (the game is...

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[abrimaal]

abrimaal updated SpecialFX tec for Race07 GTR2 and related games with a new update entry:

reactions for drive and crash

I think that specialfx should contain two types of reactions "drive on material" and "crash with material".
Crashing with concrete, metal, glass causes different visual effects that driving on a material with the same name.
Unfortunately, the effects for crashing are stored in car audio files, different for every car.
I will take a look if it is possible to add these basic crash effects to specialfx.tec.
These effects should not have priority over car .aud files.
Whatever can be done, soon...

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[abrimaal]

abrimaal updated SpecialFX tec for Race07 GTR2 and related games with a new update entry:

Major Specialfx and test track update

SpecialFX update:

Added "undefined, unidentified" materials, that their names start with
MAT,TEX,OBJ,ELEM,0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,#,_
They use the definition of low grip road LGROAD.
The "definition of undefined" materials is an experimental feature, but it works correctly.

Added materials:
SIGN (sometimes used) added to WOOD
ALU - added to metal
WFALL - waterfall is restored, although it caused unexpected water splashes on dry roads in the past. if it happens again, the definition...

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[roby13]

Thx for your continuous work and keeping the project alive!

Ps: AFAIK spring and damper define object behavior during a collision and how they absorb energy. If you test them at tyrewalls you can clearly see how they become more rigid or more elastic and behave like a spring that either absorbs energy or it bounces back moving the cars back.

 

[abrimaal]

Thanks @roby13 , this discovery will help, with my intention to separate "drivable" and "crashable" materials.