GP2Lap

Log System

Introduction

While you're playing GP2, GP2Lap is just sitting around, doing nothing but waiting for specific events to happen. These events include: starting GP2, starting a session, loading a game, entering/leaving the pit, crossing the finish line, etc.

At all these specific events, the log system gets some information about the event, which is then stored in memory buffers. When you save your hotlap or game, most of the information is attached to the file being saved. These are called GP2Lap extended files.

As of version 1.07, it's possible to save this information to a separate .GLx file. The following line in gp2lap.cfg will enable this:

logGLX = 1

Additionally, this option will allow you to log computer cars by enabling the following option:

logCC = 1

Hotlaps

Extended hotlaps will contain general information and info for this specific lap.

General information includes all "physics" (of which some can be edited with the so called Quick 'n' Dirty editor), car damage limit values, pit speed limit, track information, computer car performance, and more.

Lap information includes lap time, average and maximum processor occupancy (to detect "slomo" driving), and more.

Extended info can be extracted from the hotlap with HOF2Lap, version 0.50 or later. Go to the HOF2Lap home page to download it.

Saved games

Extended save games will contain general information and lap information for all laps. This information can be extracted by HOF2Lap too. When an extended game is loaded, its logged data for each lap will be loaded too.

Authentication disclaimer

If you're being disqualified do NOT contact us. Contact the competition director(s). If the extended save game or hotlap seems to be corrupted in some way causing the disqualification, the director will contact us, and we will look into it. Remember that things like an edited track (no matter how little the change) is logged by GP2Lap and might cause your disqualification. Make sure you always use the correct car set and tracks (the ones specified by the competition rules).

Also remember that validating the saved games is done by the director, a database script, and/or a verification team, not by GP2Lap or HOF2Lap. GP2Lap just logs raw data, it doesn't interpret it.

Debug info

GP2Lap can dump some debug info about most events in a separate logfile called gp2lap.log. This is readable text, so you can see what has happened exactly, or you can send it to us in case you suspect there's something wrong. It's of no other use, so you can as well ignore it. It can be turned on by specifying this line in the configuration file:

logDebug = 1

logDebugName = "gp2lap.log"

Note: this is not the main log file of GP2Lap! It's just for debugging purposes. The real log information is attached to save files.

You can view this info in-game by pressing the 2 key while you're in the cockpit.

Extension of perf files

logPerf = 1

Warning: with longer laps (about 1m40 and longer, or bigger than 75KB), the internal GP2 perf viewer will complain about the size when you load the perf file. If you're using the internal viewer and not F1PerfView, disable the logPerf option to prevent this error.

At The Line

Introduction

GP2Lap provides some additional timing information to improve gameplay. Have you ever wondered about your inpit/outpit laptimes? Now you'll get them. Are you tired of waiting for the next straight to take a quick look at other cars' laptimes? You'll get them too and much more...

Usage

Just hit 9 while sitting in the car to turn it on. Within "At the line", display can be changed using the following keys:

9	turn on / change the size of the board
~	scroll through positions (note: this is the key above the TAB key and left of the 1 key)
TAB	switch between different tables
0	turn off

Currently, the following tables are available:

(1)

Pos	Driver	behind
01.	Hill	1:43:47.407
02.	R Schumacher	+0.932
03.	Alesi	+7.240
04.	Frentzen	+32.242
05.	Diniz	+51.682

Shows the gaps between the cars.

(2)

Pos	Driver	laptime
01.	Hill	1:47.407	<- 3
02.	R Schumacher	1:49.932
03.	Alesi	1:47.240	<- 2
04.	Frentzen	1:32.242	<- 1
05.	Diniz	1:51.682

Shows the actual lap times of all cars. The three fastest laps will be marked.

Notes

• These tables will be updated in real-time, but may contain some glitches, especially after a replay or loading a game.
• These tables only work in race sessions. In non-race sessions they are replaced by two other tables that show sector times and the ideal lap time. The sector times can be compared with any other driver.
• Displaying these tables can add upto about 10% to your processor occupancy, depending on your system configuration.

Configuration

atlNoFastestLap

Don't show "Fastest Lap by...." if active.

atlSplit1Color

Taken from gp2's color palette, default: 135 (lblue).

atlSplit2Color

Default: 125 (blue).

atlLineColor

Default: 151 (dblue).

atlAcrossTop

Show info across the top of the screen.

atlMarkTopX

How many cars to mark on the laptime board, range is 3..9.

Track Map

For example, during qualify it will be easier to determine when the track is clear (or not, if you want slipstreams), so you can start your flying lap at the right moment. It also helps to know when you can rejoin the track without crashing into other cars after you went off.

The map will show a black track, a gray pit lane, split section borders and all the cars on it as little dots (or off it if they went off-track).

Usage

While the track map is enabled, press the TAB key to change the zoom level. There are six zoom levels. The smallest one will show you the whole track, and it won't move. The other zoom levels will center the selected car's position, so the track will scroll while you're driving. It will also rotate according to the selected car's speed angle. This can be toggled with m.

You can press 0 (or a different page) to disable the track map. Press ~ (above TAB) to change the track color.

Car Colours

The computer cars are white. If they go to the pit, they will be yellow. If you select a computer car (up/down arrows), that car will be blinking green, even if it's going to pit.

If a car has retired, it will be dark red. It stays in view, even if it has been removed from the track (it's lying there behind the wall).

Notes

Configuration

mapZoom

Zoom level, range 0..5, 0 shows the whole track.

mapTrackColor

Initial color of the track to start with.

mapHAlign

Initial horizontal alignment. 0 = left, 1 = center, 2 = right.

mapVAlign

Initial vertical alignment. It's relative to mapMaxY. 0 = top, 1 = center, 3 = bottom.

mapRotate

Initial rotation setting (1 is enabled).

mapMaxY

Y clipping. Maximum is the DrawLines setting. Note that the outside view is 400 pixels high. VGA will use half the value specified here.

mapDotSize

Dot sizes of cars at each of 6 zoom levels. Default 122358, min. 111111, max. 999999.

mapDotSizeVGA

Same as mapDotSize, but for VGA. Default 111235.

Car Info

It is on a separate page, and can be activated by pressing 1. Pressing 1 again toggles the alignment from left to right.

Track Manager

f1ct01

Path of track file. E.g. "circuits\brazil99.dat".

f1ct02

...

f1ct16

Further options:

CatchTrackInfos

Try catching GP2INFO's from custom track files. This info will be shown at the bottom of the track menu. More importantly, this will patch hardcoded tables within GP2 that will fix distances, average speed, multiplayer turns, etc.

CatchSplitSegs

Try catching new splits from custom track files.

MenuTrackMap

Draw a simple track map layout in the track selection menu. This replaces the usual bitmap. Default 0 (off).

IpxLinking

Since version 1.01 GP2Lap contains ipx network support for GP2's dual-player link mode.

A few notes:

• You can only play head to head with another person.
• It's exactly like a normal serial linking, but using Ipx interface instead of a null-modem cable.
• Don't expect performance wonders, although one person claimed it's being slightly faster than serial link.

Usage

1. In preparation to starting a link, specify the following in gp2lap.cfg:

   UseIPXLink = 1 MyLinkName = "YourName Here"

2. After starting gp2lap.exe you'll see:

   >>>Searching players [-]

3. Once GP2Lap found some players, it will change f.i. to:

   >>>Found 2 players. Choose player -["Paul Tracy" (00001B30BC57)]

4. Select the player you wanna race against, using UP/DOWN or ENTER key. Next, you'll see this:

   >>>Awaiting reply from "Paul Tracy" [/]

5. You'll get notice whether the person wants to play with you or not.

Tech Stuff

• Currently using ipx socket 0x5100 only.
• The handshake is quite clumsy, but please don't complain.
• We did some successfull tests under DOS and(!) Win95.

HOF2.5

hof25Enable = 1

During this mode, GP2Lap will do some extra checks for hotlapping, specifically for hotlaps that will be entered in the Hall Of Fame 2.5, although it will be of use for other leagues too. So make sure you only activate it when it's required for the league you're competing in.

Extra checks

• Tracks must be HOF2.5 compliant. All default tracks, and all custom tracks being downloaded from the HOF2.5 home page are HOF2.5 compliant. GP2Lap will check a track file after it's being loaded. Tracks must also be placed into the correct slot.
• Cutting chicanes. At some chicanes GP2Lap checks if they're being cut off. If that is the case, you will lose each wheel that is not on the track.
• Load from saved game. If you load your unlimited practice session from a saved game, this game must have been saved while GP2Lap was active, and in HOF2.5 mode.
• Slowdown before start of lap. When you load your game to the end of the warmup lap, you must have saved it before the last corner. To mandate this, GP2Lap checks if you've slowed down between the load and the start of the lap for at least about half a second. If you haven't slowed down, the 2 output will appear with a warning that this lap will be disqualified.
• Detail changes. To prevent influencing the processor occupancy during a lap, GP2Lap checks any detail level changes (alt-d). If it's detected, the lap is disqualified.
• Indestructability changes. In HOF2.5, usage of F4 is not allowed. If GP2Lap detects that it has been used during a lap, the lap will be disqualified.

For some of these checks menu messages may appear while loading a track or while saving the hotlap, informing you of the disqualification. In some of these cases (last four of the above checks), the saved hotlap will not contain GP2Lap extended information at all. Visit the analog and digital HOF2.5 home page for more information.

Thanks

We'd like to thank the following people:

• Jo Helsen. Without him GP2Lap wouldn't exist.
• Furthermore (in alphabetical order): Marc Aarts, Marcel Borsboom, Christopher Brylka, Anton Dachounine, Robert Doyle, Viktor Gars, Dimitry Gerards, Chris Graff, Steve Holgeth, Ruben Jubeh, Brett Knuchel, Enrico Marcolin, Chris Meech, Cesar Mello, Barrie Millar, Ari Nieminen, Christopher Orr, Rafa, Daniel Roscoe, Jacques Rousseau, Daniel Ryan, Marcel Schot, Robin Smit, Malcolm Tedd, Marc Thibeault, Ivanhoe Vasiljevich, Vincent van Vugt, Mike Wallace, Larry Watson, Ralf Weissbach.
• Trevor Kellaway, for creating GPLapTim, the program that has directly inspired GP2Lap.
• Anyone else we forgot.

Contacting us

All bug reports, complaints and suggestions should be sent to: gp2lap@gmx.net

The GP2Lap home page is located at: http://gp2lap.tsx.org