Racing Academy JISC Prototype
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RacingAcademyJISC_setup_1_05.exe 12.8 MB (12,848,288 bytes)
New Version uploaded 18 Nov 2008 (uninstall the previous version before installing the updated version)
Please Note
Existing profiles and control setups will no longer work with versions later than 1.02 because they are now stored in a different location. However they are still valid, so they can be copied from the old location and moved into the new. The old location is ‘Documents and Settings\[Username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Lateral Visions\Racing Academy Jisc’ where [Username] should be replaced by the appropriate windows logon username. The new location is ‘My Documents\Lateral Visions\Racing Academy Jisc’.
Version History
1.05
Mouse throttle control:The throttle can now be controlled using the mouse. This can be enabled via the controls options menu. Once enabled, a bar will appear near the dials on the left hand side of the screen. The bar will display the current throttle level, all blue means full throttle, and all red means zero throttle. To control the throttle level, hold down the left mouse button, and position the mouse along the bar, the higher up the bar the more throttle that will be applied.
Print screen:When on the results screen, the user can now capture screenshots of the graphs. To do this the user can press Print-screen, which will grab the current graph, and save it as a jpg image in printer friendly colours. The location of the file can be found in: My Documents\Lateral Visions\Racing Academy Jisc\GraphImages - The name of the file will be built up from the user name, graph axes and a timestamp.
Straight line in skidpan:There is now a straight line marking in the skidpan mode, so the user can test the vehicle under straight line runs. There is also an extra AI option to assist in controlling the vehicle, to maintain its direction along the straight line.
1.04
- Changed the engine power readouts from bHP to kW
- Addied in the new Twin Rotor engine
1.03
- Profiles and control setups are stored in My Documents folder instead of Local Application Data folder (See Q4 in the FAQ below)
1.02
- Corrected a problem with the control code, when changing directly into neutral.
- Corrected a problem in the recording of the engine torque information at high engine speeds.
1.01
- Poor initial default setup when first entering skidpan and test circuits modes
- AI Speed slider value step changed (from 5 to 1 mph)
- New Test Drive mode
- Tyre pressure setup option in Vehicle Setup
1.0
FAQ
Q1. What requests for functionality on the work plan were not implemented in the time available?
- 1.3: Tyre characteristics: We are in process of allowing the adjustment of tyre pressures.
- 3.1.1: Time vs. Individual forces graphs: It was not practical to make graphs of the individual forces.
- 3.1.3: The graphs are only available in replays, not ‘live’.
- 3.1.11: The test circuit is much simpler this time, so there was no need for a map.
- 3.2.1: We did not show vector arrows for these individual forces and vectors. Note that some of the debug displays do show vector arrows.
- 3.3.1: We have not exposed aerodynamic vehicle setup options.
- 3.3.3: The money-for-parts idea would be a completely different approach to the main game design.
- 3.3.4 : There is no glossary within the application.
Q2. Can I change the camera view?
A. Yes, use the number keys to switch between different cameras. We recommend the bonnet view or the in-car view for race driving.
Q3. How do I set Racing Academy JISC up to use a particular steering wheel?
A. First, make sure the wheel is connected, calibrated (use Control Panel -> Game Controllers) and working properly. Then, in Racing Academy JISC, select the ‘Controls’ option form the workshop screen. Select the ‘Configure Input’ tab. For each control that you wish to bind, first make sure the wheel is centered, then select the control that you wish to bind, and then perform the appropriate action on the wheel. For example, center the wheel, select ‘Steer Left’, then steer the wheel to the left to associate steering left on the wheel with the ‘Steer Left’ control. The ‘Extra’ tab has additional options for force feedback wheels. In particular you may need to set ‘Reverse FF Effects’ for certain wheels to get correct force feedback. The only way to determine if you need to set this option is to try it on a track and see if you get appropriate (usually ‘centering’) forces. If not, change the value of ‘Reverse FF Effects’. When you have set up the controls, they will be automatically saved in your profile, but you can also save them from the ‘Main’ tab of the ‘Controls’ screen. This allows you to save separate setups for different wheels, or for keys and a wheel, and then easily swap between them.
Q4. Where does Racing Academy JISC store its data?
A. All data is stored in ‘My Documents/Lateral Visions/Racing Academy JISC’. This includes Exported graph data, Vehicle Setups, Profiles and Control Configurations.
Q5. Export graph data: when files are saved, where do they appear on the hard disk?
A. The graph data should appear in ‘My Documents\Lateral Visions\Racing Academy JISC\’ as .csv (comma separated value) files.
Q6. From work plan: "3.2.1: Display vector arrows for: Displacement/Distance travelled" etc. Are these implemented - I can see vectors for many properties in the debug displays (circuit and skid pan) but not these?
A. No; unfortunately it proved impractical to pull these things out separately.
Q7. Is it possible to alter screen resolution after installation - I used default, but want to try a higher resolution - even uninstall/reinstall does not destroy the setting - is it in the registry?
A. You can run the application in a config mode by adding ‘-doconfig’ to the command line that runs it. For example, you can copy the shortcut to the application, and add ‘ -doconfig’ to the ‘Target’ line. Then, when you run it, a config dialog will appear allowing you to select the required screen resolution. Note however that the application tries to pick an appropriate mode for the hardware available; if your graphics card isn’t very powerful, higher resolutions will slow the frame-rate to a crawl.
Q8. I get an error message ‘d3dx9_30.dll missing‘. What can I do?
A. The Racing Academy JISC installer should install this file to your computer. If this part of the installation failed, you will see this message. To remedy the situation, try using the standalone d3dx installer available here (1.65 MB)