How to control rFactor's behavior when cutting the track

MerlinC

Within the AIW file there is an opportunity to define the "cut zones" of a track (in fact it defines the part of the track where you supposed to drive). It is easy to modify the "cut zones" using the AIW Cam Editor or other tools.

Unlikely I don't know where I can tell rFactor that it should penalize / or warn a driver if he is cutting the track (just like flag rules). Any advise is highly appreciated.
 
As far as i know, rFactor is automaticly showing the message that the lap is not counted, when you've cutted the track (set all flags on, i guess).

The bigger problem, i think, is, that sometimes the settings of the cutting-zones in some tracks are so "worse", that you get this message even when you just leave the track because you've braked much too late.

For these tracks we are always creating new AIW files to use them in championships.

Otherwise it would be too disapointing for the participating Drivers when they loose laps in races because of "braking too late".
 
Re-working the AIW file is not an issue. It's time consuming but seems to be straight forward by using the AIW Cam Editor.

Unlikely I do not get any warning or penalty when cutting the track by intention later. Furthermore I would be interested whether you get a penalty during the race?!

Where do I have to set / enable the flag rules as you described?



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You can set the Flag-rules at "CUSTOMIZE/SETTINGS/RULES/Flag Rules".

Set them to "FULL" and you should get the message that the lap is not counted, when you cut the track.

BUT.... i'm of the opinion that the cut-detection is not working reliable.

Sometimes you get a flag, sometimes not.

I really don't know how the detection in game is programmed by ISI.
And that, i think, is the most difficult part in cut detection. How to program it?
How can the game know, if you have left the track intentionally to get an advantage, or just because you braked too late, or get pushed off the track by another driver....

And the other thing, i would say is, how the cutting areas are defined on the track (this can be looked at and changed with the AIW-editor).

And maybe (i am not sure about that) the materialname of the track-parts in connection with the entries in the *.tdf-file has an influence too.
 
Did set the Flag Rules on the dedicated Server to Full - still no warning and/or penalty.

Did upload the track and hope that somebody can tell me what I'm doing wrong?!
 
It's only the AIW-file :)

Can you upload the whole track?

And give me some points on track where you've tested the cutting.
 
Please finde enclosed the whole track. Did test cutting the track by cutting at the inside of turn2 and turn 4.

View attachment 11716

Was not able to upload the whole track with the ISI Upload Manager - therefore I had to use another file upload manager. http://1drv.ms/1mlBcwB
 
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Bad news....

I've tested and played around a lot and the result is, that i couldn't get it to work like wanted.

First i thought that the *.tdf could be a part of the problem, because it contains 80% entries that are not needed, because the track has none of the listed materials.

I've changed some of the material-names of the *gmt, changed the *tdf, created and tried a new *AIW file too (deleted old HAT file more than 1 time) but, ...no changes.

It is like you've posted.

In turn 1/2, it is impossible to get a flag for cutting, when you do it on the outside. You only get one, when you start cutting on the right side over the gras.

In turn 4, i sometimes got a flag and sometimes not. But i don't know what the difference in my behaviour was.
I tried to drive always the same line/speed.

Then i tried the same with ISI's default rFactor1 Silverstone GP track.
It's the same there. You can cut like hell over the gras and get almost never a flag.

I think we need exact information how the cut-detection is coded (anybody from ISI could help us out here??)

Because the lines of the corridors and cutting are where they should be, on both tracks, but they don't really work like expected.
So there must be something that is "hidden" in the code.

I fear you will have to use the good old method to keep the people away from cutting in rFactor1:

Make the material-properties in the *.tdf file so worse (you will have to change some of the *gmt-files to new material-names), that staying on track gives them the advantage. ;)
 
@redapg: Do you think it might be possible that the distance of the way-points is making a difference? Looked at another track (Austin from the RFT Mod) where people did get the warning for cutting in turn1. And there - due to the tight turn - the density of waypoints is much higher?! Will give it a try and do the Melbourne track with a waypoint distance of 1-2 m - lets see what happens

P.S.: Does anyone know how big the number of waypoints is having an impact on performance? Is there a way to increase / decrease waypoint distance without doing all lines from scratch?
 
I, some time ago, made some changes at a track by deleting some waypoints.
I did that, because the AI slowed down too much on some places.
There was a little elevation on the track, where the AI didn't jumped over and slowed down in front of it.
After deleting some waypoints on the elevation, the AI didn't slow down anymore and was jumping :).

But i never tried adding or deleting waypoints, to better up the cutting-detection.

But maybe it works, give it a try.

And i don't think that a larger amount of waypoints will decrease performance in a noticeable way, think at Nordschleife....

And i fear you will have to create a new AIW file, to higher up or lower the amount of waypoints.
 
Made a new AIW file with a waypoint every 1.5 meter (previous 4.5 m). No difference in the cutting the track feature of rFactor. I fear the implementation (algorithm) isn't working reliable at all.

Hopefully it is getting better in rFactor2.


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I think the main problem with programming a cut-detection, is the question how to tell the programm if the cutting happened by mistake (e.g. braked too late) or intentionally.
And i would say, that it is impossible to realise that in a way that it works as needed.
 
I don't see the algorithm to detect is so complicated at all.

In my mind a driver should be punished for cutting the track if he leaves the regular track - which can be set in the AIW file - and gains an advantage compared to other drivers. Wether a driver did gain an advantage could be assessed by comparing his previous sector times to an average and the last sector time. If the driver left the track and is not slower in the sector to some percentage (should be an individual parameter) than he should get punished. If a driver makes a mistake like breaking too late he very likely is already loosing time in this sector/section.

Furthermore in our league we do have an online race control the driver can make contact to them and ask to verify the situation, the race control (3-5 people) has the opportunity to look at the scene and judge whether it is a valid penalty or not. If necessary they can remove the penalty from a driver.


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Live stewards.....wish we had those, sounds pretty awesome :)

We never found a satisfying way of auto-detect. Nor did anyone else (or at least we didn't find it)

It's more complicated then one would think and perhaps that's the reason why this was never figured out on a base level. years of stewarding in our league showed not one situation is similar to another. there's always a slight or big difference which needs to be looked into.

For auto-detect as you put it Merlin, one could cut the track, not gain much time but a driver in front slows down for whatever reason and you still end up having to review it. Whatever we tried in the past, we always ended up reviewing races.
At one point we placed tire stacks in chicanes to force lines. it worked well but we never pulled through as modified tracks meant fewer visitors on the servers.
(we didn't have much of a cutting issues mind you, we just wanted to get away from many hours stewarding to ensure all was equal and fair)

Btw I think speed-detection is one of the keys as well when talking auto-detect. just like a yellow wont show until under 50kph the cut detection could be assigned to a certain speed as well. (i.e. a driver cuts full force by mistake, but slows down right away within the detection waypoint and penalty wont be assigned)

In rf2 I opted for material detection, imo a much easier way. ID for tarmack, ID for curbs, ID for non-race surface like grass and sand and a server admin could select whatever combo he wants and that would be the limit. 2 tires on whatever legal surface is set, otherwise its a cut.

I'm afraid though, seeing the amounts of requests and discussions about it here and in rf2, that ISI wont (or can't) do much about this and we end up having to spend loads of time regulating stuff.
 
Yes indeed, live stewards is the best, when you have people that are doing it ;).
But with the automatically cut-detection i could give you a few examples where it won't work in a way that you could call "reliable" or "fair".
But to start that discussion is completely senseless. So i let it be :)
 
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