Live for Speed PATCH S1 0.3E8
=============================


www.liveforspeed.net - www.liveforspeed.com


Welcome to Live for Speed TEST PATCH E8!


Important :
-----------
This is a TEST PATCH for Live for Speed S1.

This software comes with no warranties of any kind.

By installing this software you agree that you do so at at your own risk
and you accept full responsibility for any damage caused by the use or
installation of the software.

The producers of the Live for Speed racing simulator make every effort
to ensure the program is safe but can not accept any responsibility
whatsoever for personal injury or death that may arise during the use
of the software, or any damage of any kind to your system including
corrupted files, lost data or damage to hardware.


Test Patch Info :
-----------------
Patch S1E or full version S1E must be already installed.

This patch can improve frame rate significantly if you have a high end
graphics card. This is achieved by making use of Hardware Vertex
Shading. In old versions, this could be attempted by turning on "HTL"
but the performance was poor because of a flaw or bug. The new version
is known as "HVS" and can be turned on or off in Options...Graphics but
to see the effect you will need to restart LFS. HVS is switched on by
default when you run this patch, if your card supports it.

Z buffer depth is now selectable in Options...Graphics as well, also
needing LFS to be restarted.

A new graphical feature is included - Haze effect. This is a light
fog which improves the graphics and depth perception. It's possible
that it may not work well on some graphics card / driver combinations.

NOTE : when HVS is used, "simple car" and "simple track" will cause a
reduction in frame rate because they do not take advantage of HVS.
So these options are not recommended and will be switched off when you
run the patch for the first time.

These options are saved in a special cfg file, "card_cfg.txt"

In addition, the old keyboard steering system has been replaced by two
new keyboard steering systems, "no help" and "stabilised".

These are intended to improve the LFS experience for keyboard racers, by
making the steering less helped and so more interesting to drive. And
to improve LFS for wheel / mouse drivers as well by providing fairer
racing. Keyboard users must be much more careful about skid control now
than before.

The two keyboard steering systems in this test patch are :

"no help" - keyboard steering translates directly to physical steering.
the user can steer too far, forcing the car to understeer.

"stabilised" - the steering range is limited to help keep it within the
useful steering range, and some automatic skid correction is provided.
The user must take action to prevent a skid, because the skid correction
is not perfect (although it is predictable).


Installation :
--------------
To install patch E8 :

- Place the contents of this zip file into your main LFS folder.
- Start LFS in the normal way.


Changes in patch E8 :
---------------------
Updated translatable text with the new strings
Reduced lower limits of sliders for keyboard rates and limits


Changes in patch E7 :
---------------------
Two modes of keyboard steering : "no help" and "assisted"
Fast Steer and Slow Steer slider bars and key assignments
Mouse / Keyboard steering mode included in the SPR file
E7 hosts only accept connection from E7 or later guests


Changes in patch E6 :
---------------------
New keyboard steering modes rewritten
Added one new keyboard steering mode
Z buffer depth and HVS mode are selectable in Options... Graphics
Important hardware options saved to special file card_cfg.txt


Changes in patch E5 :
---------------------
Added slider bars for keyboard control :
- Return rate multiplier (0.5 to 1.0) - affects steer return speed
- Quick rate multiplier (1.0 to 3.0) - speed when CTRL key pressed
Z buffer depth is selectable in cfg.txt
- Can take values 16, 24, 32, or 0 (default) meaning "automatic"
- Cards that support HVS will auto-select 24-bit
- Cards that do not support HVS will auto-select 16-bit


Changes in patch E4 :
---------------------
Hardware Vertex Shading is now available and useful on high end cards
Higher resolution Z buffer is used and removes some graphical glitches
HVS status and Z buffer depth visible in Options...Graphics screen
New option to turn off Track LOD reduction - affects trees and track
Three new keyboard steering methods have been introduced as a test
FIX : Controllers now keep the same value when the window loses focus


Changes in patch E :
--------------------
New S1 car is included : MRT5
Added Norwegian language pack
Hotlapping mode displays sector times
Handbrake is applied when leaving pits
MP Replay can now be paused with P key
Added drivers with grey and black suits
Mouse can be selected as a control axis
Resets with direction towards racing line
Shiny helmets - can change colour or skin
Improved AI speed (a bit) and reliability
Car is displayed in on-screen race results
View heading and view pitch stored per car
Follower view starts behind car when selected
Virtual mirror moves up when view pitched down
Graphical speedups - spokes, subobjects, drivers
Distance measurement in autocross editor - Press D
Refresh rate is selectable if supported by drivers
Can use command file instead of a long command line
Car is drawn at full resolution in pits / garage
FIX : Position of shadow has been improved
FIX : Minor change to smoke output by cars
FIX : Lighting bug at the edges of tyre tread
FIX : Overlapping timing text in translations
FIX : message logging crash with % in message
FIX : Replays going OOS on use of reset key
FIX : SO reset in mid air or on top of flyover
FIX : AI drivers can now get off the long grass
FIX : Added protection against some cheating methods
FIX : Crash caused by overflow in name and plate entry


Changes in patch C / D :
------------------------

---Multiplayer---

Multiplayer system allows 16 connections in S1 mode
New multiplayer physics LOD system for remote cars
Multiplayer speedup option disabled in external views
New command line options /ip /admin /patchc
Host can specify the IP address to use
Admin password allows admin guest to control host
Host admin guests are immune from vote kick or ban
Host Option : Version C protocol - new functions

---Version C protocol---

Extra cheat protection for a known loophole
Allowed cars can be changed while host is running
Settings can be changed while host is running

---DEDI host changes---

Text input for messages and commands (see below)
DirectX® installation is no longer required
The "nogfx" window size has been reduced

---Views---

Central view is now an editable custom view
View sequence (V key) includes overhead camera
SHIFT + V - Go through view sequence in reverse
SHIFT + F1 - Return to default driver view
ALT + F1-F5 : Instant view selection
View option : Virtual start lights
New option for in-car view : Rotate view
List of names in-game : V button to view player
FIX : Instant look return when using steer view

---List of Games Screen---

Host filter options : Private / Public / Empty / Full
New meeting room system to meet other racers
Scroll bar added to the list of games

---Various---

Car sounds limited to 4 nearest cars to improve FPS
High security firewalls : Port 80 option in cfg.txt
Difference timer duration increased to 12 seconds
Scroll bars added to setups and colours in garage
Text entry improved (CTRL + left / right / delete)
German, French and Portuguese translations updated
New Finnish translation pack included
FIX : ALT + some keys on french keyboard
FIX : Some crash bugs found in patch B


Changes in patch B
------------------
cars joining race - delay texture load to avoid glitch
faster track generation after first load of each track
list of games shows allowed cars and host settings
translation system - see readme.txt for more info
simple car draw headlights improved by removing glass
right-click now moves race laps or qualify mins by 10
version and copyright message now shown on entry screen
small improvements to dynamic lod system improving fps
qualifying : restart uses default system after a race
show names (N keypress) setting is stored on exit
game control keys now not affected by caps lock
quick key to skip current tune : SHIFT+K
font : updated and added some characters
misc option : dynamic LOD reduction switch
misc option : skip intro and exit screen
FIX : South City walls lacking HLVC check
FIX : hotlapping error (early start + limited laps)
FIX : MPR - races appearing as qualifying or practice
FIX : exhaust going to wrong side on left-drive car
FIX : non-ded host had to select at least one demo car
FIX : locked demo crashed loading replay with S1 track
FIX : editor buttons vanishing with too many objects
FIX : could not connect to a demo host with password
FIX : shifter could select higher gear than allowed
FIX : "host is loading track" bug - host repairs itself
FIX : special dedicated host can now support autocross


To run LFS S1 :
---------------
Double-click the program file LFS.exe

Note : Microsoft® DirectX® 8.1 is required and can be downloaded from
www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/downloads/default.asp
DirectX is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation


Unlocking the full version :
----------------------------
When you first run this S1 version, you will only have access to the
same content that is available in the demo. To have access to the
full features, you must visit www.liveforspeed.net, register and pay
£12 to upgrade to S1 license. Then in the racer status section you
can request an unlocking key which you may use to unlock the full
features of Live for Speed S1.

In addition to the demo content, S1 contains :

- 4 new cars, including fwd, rwd and 4wd
- 20 new race track configurations in two track areas
- a drag strip, an autocross area and an autocross editor
- automatically gathered online statistics on our website


Game controller information :
-----------------------------
To set up one or more game controllers :

1) In LFS options...controls select "Wheel" at the top of the screen.
2) Select Combined or Separate axes to match your controller's settings.
3) Select the button functions and press buttons to assign.
4) Press the button "Axes" to assign axes.
5) Click on the function you wish to assign to an axis.
6) Move the controller to see which axis to assign.
7) Click on the button next to that axis, to assign the function.
8) You may need to invert some of the axes by clicking "invert".
9) You can click on "recalibrate" to adjust the calibration limits.
10) For axes which need to be centred, click on the C button at centre.
11) You may wish to lock calibration after calibrating your controller.
12) To use a shifter, select the correct shift mode and assign gears.

Force Feedback :

1) You can turn on or off Force Feedback with the on-screen switch.
2) If you have more than one FF device you can select the required one.


Switching to other programs :
-----------------------------
The ALT-TAB key press is not recommended during a multiplayer game
as after ALT-TAB the game is never called by the operating system
and cannot maintain its connections with the other computers.
Instead, please use the quick key SHIFT-F4 to temporarily run the
game in a window.

SHIFT-F4 - toggle between window / full screen


Command line options :
----------------------
LFS can be run from a command line or another application.
A dedicated host mode is available with no hardware draw : "nogfx".
Before selecting your options, you may find it helpful to run LFS
and try out the options on the Start New Game screen - the required
upload bandwidth for those options is displayed on screen.

1) Host options :

Example :

LFS /host=test host /cars=FR /dedicated=nogfx /maxguests=4

/host=Host Name :FIRST IN LIST
/pass=Pass :if required - password
/admin=Pass :if required - admin password
/ip=X.X.X.X :if required - local specified ip address
/port=63392 :a high number below 65536
/mode=demo :demo / s1
/usemaster=yes :no / yes / hidden
/track=Blackwood :Blackwood / Skid Pad
/config=1 :config : 1-GP / 2-RALLYX in Blackwood
/reversed=no :no / yes
/weather=1 :weather : 1,2,3 in Blackwood
/cars=FRTBO46M :xFgti/xRgt/xrTurbo/rB4/fxO/lx4/lx6/Mrt5
/maxguests=4 :max number of guests that can join host
/carsmax=5 :max number of cars in a race
/carshost=1 :max number of cars (real+ai) on host pc
/carsguest=1 :max number of cars (real+ai) per guest pc
/pps=4 :smoothness (3-6) number of car updates per second
/qual=0 :qualifying minutes, 0 for no qualifying
/laps=5 :number of lap, 0 for practice
/wind=1 :0 no wind / 1 low wind / 2 high wind
/dedicated=no :no / yes / nogfx / invisible
/vote=yes :no / yes : can guests vote to kick or ban
/select=yes :no / yes : can guests select track

NOTE - alternative way to use the command line options :

A command file xxx.txt can be used instead of a long command line.
The command file would contain the command line parameters.
The parameters can be spread onto several lines.
The command file can contain comments, starting with two slashes //
Then the command line would be simply :

LFS /cfg=xxx.txt (where xxx.txt is the name of the config file)

2) Guest options :

Example : LFS /join=test host

/join=Host Name :FIRST IN LIST
/pass=Optional Pass :password if required by host

3) Status file "host63392.txt" - updated whenever info changes :

63392 is the port number of the host.
It contains the following information:

lfs=0.3E :version
status=ingame :offline / online / ingame
guests=4 :current number of guests
maxguests=4 :maximum guests allowed
host=Host Name :game name as listed on master server
pass=Optional Pass :host password
usemaster=yes :no / yes / hidden
trackcfg=BL1 :short name for track and config
cars=FRTBO46M :cars allowed on host
qual=0 :qualifying minutes
laps=5 :number of laps
conn=Host :player name
conn=Guest 1 :player name
conn=Guest 2 :player name
...

4) Status file "guest.txt" - exists while connected :

lfs=0.3E :version
status=online :status
joined=Host Name :host name


Host commands :
---------------
You can use text commands to control normal or nogfx dedicated hosts.

Using the normal text message system (pressing T in a normal host or
simply typing into a nogfx host), the message becomes a command if you
start it with a slash character.

Simple commands with no parameter :

/restart :restarts the current race
/end :return to entry screen
/names :toggle display between player and user names
/exit :clean exit from nogfx host (host only)
/help :get list of commands

Commands with a parameter - entry screen mode :

/track X :track and config (e.g. BL1 / SO3R / FE4)
/weather X :lighting (e.g. 1, 2, 3...)
/qual X :qualifying minutes (0 = no qualifying)
/laps X :number of laps (0 = practice)
/wind X :0 no / 1 low / 2 high

Commands with a parameter - any time :

/maxguests X :max number of guests that can join host
/carsmax X :max number of cars in a race
/carshost X :max number of cars (real+ai) on host pc
/carsguest X :max number of cars (real+ai) per guest pc
/pps X :smoothness (3-6) number of car updates per second
/msg X :send system message

Kick and ban commands - any time :

/kick X :disconnect user X
/ban X Y :ban user X for Y days (0 = 12 hours)
/unban X :remove ban on user X
/pass X :set new password (blank = no password)

Host settings commands :

/vote X :no or yes - guest voting
/select X :no or yes - guest selection
/cars X :FRTBO46M - set allowed cars

These commands are also available to any user who has connected to the
host using the admin password if one was specified when the host was
started.


Replay Analyser File :
----------------------
This feature is provided for use in external analyser applications.
It stores data from one lap of driving.

- USER information :

Press ESC while viewing the car in a replay, on the lap BEFORE the
lap you wish to analyse. Click on "Output lap data" and enter the
name of the output file. This file will be saved in a "raf" folder.
Use an external application to open the .raf files (not supplied).

The file will be created when the car crosses the start line and
will be closed when the car crosses it again 1 lap later.

- PROGRAMMER information :

www.liveforspeed.net/RAF.txt


Translation :
-------------
To create a language pack :

- First run LFS. This will create a file "English.txt" in a folder
"data\language". Please do not edit English.txt as it will be
overwritten each each time you start LFS. Instead, make a copy of
the file with the name of your language replacing "English".

- After creating your new file, it can be edited in a text editor.

- Load your language in Options...Player.

- Reload the language file any time with SHIFT+F5, for convenience.

- The help.txt file can also be edited, in the data\misc folder, copy
the file help.txt to a new file help_XXX.txt (where XXX.txt is the
name of your language file).

- Only the ISO character set is supported. Languages which require
characters not included in the ISO set are not yet fully supported.


Motion Simulator Support :
--------------------------
The user's car in multiplayer or the viewed car in single player or
single player replay can output information to a motion system while
viewed from an internal view.

This is controlled by four lines in the cfg.txt file :

OutSim Mode 0 :0-off 1-driving 2-driving+replay
OutSim Delay 1 :minimum delay between packets (100ths of a sec)
OutSim IP 0.0.0.0 :IP address to send the UDP packet
OutSim Port 0 :IP port

Each update sends the following UDP packet :

unsigned int :time in milliseconds (to check order)
Angular Velocity :3 floats
Orientation :3 floats Heading, Pitch, Roll
Acceleration :3 floats X, Y, Z
Velocity :3 floats X, Y, Z
Position :3 ints X, Y, Z (metres x 65536)

Note 1 : X and Y axes are on the ground, Z is up.

Note 2 : Motion simulators can be dangerous. The developers of the
Live for Speed racing simulator do not support any motion systems in
particular and cannot accept responsibility for any injuries or death
connected with the use of such machinery.


Thanks :
--------
Thanks to all hosts and racers for your support.


Copyright :
-----------
(c) 2002-2003 Scawen Roberts - Eric Bailey - Victor van Vlaardingen