Issues with huge REPLAY files

Pandamasque

I downloaded a server replay from a 12 hour endurance race with about 40 starters and have trouble loading it.
hugereplay.jpg

When I try to load the replay rFactor doesn't go further than the 'Replay Fridge' screen, just sits there for ages with 'not responding' in the title bar (windowed mode), until an error message appears with the following details
Code: 
Problem signature:
  Problem Event Name:	APPCRASH
  Application Name:	rFactor.exe
  Application Version:	1.2.5.5
  Application Timestamp:	4705a035
  Fault Module Name:	StackHash_0a9e
  Fault Module Version:	0.0.0.0
  Fault Module Timestamp:	00000000
  Exception Code:	c0000005
  Exception Offset:	e893bfed
  OS Version:	6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.1
  Locale ID:	2057
  Additional Information 1:	0a9e
  Additional Information 2:	0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
  Additional Information 3:	0a9e
  Additional Information 4:	0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
The trace file ends with this:
Code: 
game.cpp     1339: Entered Game::Init()
Replay.cpp   6061: Loading VCR File for playback
Others suggested decreasing gfx settings, I tried everything on minimum and that didn't help. In any case, according to the task manager rFactor is not using more than 120MB of RAM while attempting to load the replay. Meanwhile there's a *.tmp file in the 'Replays' folder that quickly gets up to 6.7GB and then stops 'growing' a while before the error message. There are a few more gigs of disk space so that shouldn't be a problem either.
I tried using a 4GB patch for the rFactor.exe with no success. It's not just me by the way. It seems everyone I spoke to has failed to load this file. And it's not the first time something like that has happened.

What are my options here? Is there any software that I can use to cut the VCR/race into smaller segments?

System Specs
Model: Home Built
CPU: Intel i5 2310 @ 2.9GHz
Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 LE
Memory: 4GB DDR3
OS: Win7 64bit
Video: nVidia GTX260 Gigabyte GV-N260C-896I 896MB GDDR3
Audio: Creative Labs. SB Audigy SE
 
Vcr files are small because they are zipped. Unzip it (using 7z, or winzip) put the resulting file in the replay folder and give a try. Perhaps the problem is that rfactor unzipping the file ends up in an unhandled exception.

Anyway, I've found problems when moving the replay position on large files (the events in the vcr file have to be parsed while you move the slider) so I don't think it is a good idea to work on that big file. If you manage to load it, the first thing I'd do is part it in several smaller files and save the parts.

If this does not work either, you can use rfVCRmerge to save groups of laps into smaller files.

Good luck!
 
Last edited:
sven said:
Vcr files are small because they are zipped. Unzip it (using 7z, or winzip) put the resulting file in the replay folder and give a try.
Click to expand...
When I unzip vcr files, the resulting files have no extension so rF doesn't list them ingame.
 
Yes. I was hoping you'd suggest some different extension, because rFactor seems to treat the upzipped vcr as a normal vcr and... (unpacks it?)... creates that 6.7GB tmp file, which is exactly the size of the unpacked replay by the way. It seems something goes wrong after the unpacking is complete.

rfVCRmerge gives 'Warning: unexpected replay data (1)', and when I click [OK] the message keeps popping up forever :)
 
and as you spotted, nobody was able to see that replay, right? might be because of a broken file? :confused:
 
I experienced the same problem with the next rounds' replay. This time it's 24 hour long, 2GB compressed and 10.2GB uncompressed.

Is there any way to edit replays outside of rFactor so that I could split the race into parts?

PS: It's funny that most info I could google on the issue is in THIS THREAD :confused:
 
I can bet that it is a problem with 32bit zip limitation which cannot be used for files bigger than 2GB (or resulting file cannot be bigger than 2GB). In case I'm right, the solution is to disable compressing replay files (somewhere in PLR). Of course it will work for new replays. This one is damaged already.
 
Interesting thought. Can creating uncompressed replays (on the server) in any way compromise server stability/performance in any way apart from the need of extra disk space?
 
Compressing is done after session is ended. Disabling it will ease the server for this moment. no more consequences excepting need of more disk space
 
Pandamasque, try contacting the the author of rFVCRMerge via email. He is a nice guy and has been responsive to my questions in the past. He may be able to help you out with this replay.
 
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