Project CARS – Build 260 Available

Slightly Mad Studios has released the newest development build of their WMD-powered Project CARS title.

The new build is available to all members with Team Member status and above and lets everyone experience the brand new dynamic cloud system in action among tons of other changes that are listed below.

Build 260 (20/7/12, Team Member+)

  • Quick fix for clouds popping. I am rendering the clouds in order of their cells. So no fancy sorting , therefore no switching of render order and thus no poping because of it
  • Changed Event Queue processing to use new Online Event Filters
  • Add new Online event Queue which will eventually replace all previous online related event queues
  • Modified DX11 handling of default texture to correctly set “write by CPU” flag (this removes an error reported by DX11 debug version)
  • Cloud Optimisations , spawning and rendering fixes:
  • - CloudLayers regions can be configured to sizes and we can vary their total densities
  • - Clouds share primitative resources and materials so no need for thousands
  • Added in code so IBL can be used forward and phase3 render passes. Changed the order so then I seed the enviroment random variable
  • Changed the camera far render clip plane. Added in code so IBL can be used forward and phase3 render passes in dynamic env maps
  • Change so percloud formation factor is stored in the clouds w.w component.. this is done cause we do not store 1 material per cloud instance (why because that would be a massive overhead)
  • Overlay shader modified to properly cope with being only in phase 3 of deferred rendering, which fixes specular and normal map issues
  • Removing experimental IBL Lighting from clouds
  • Fixed new_ground shader broad normal map to use correct UV mapping
  • WTC tweaks to optimise a couple of conditions. Cloud meshes re-exported with a single texture applied. Slightly lower res as a result but looks OK. console specific versions added for the new texture
  • Fix new_ground.fx not doing normal mapping properly
  • Caterham Classic max file: damage added
  • Various cars: fixed issue with tabs and readability in physics files
  • Ghosts system:
  • - Added texts to global text database, used primarily for save game support in the ghost system
  • - Ghosts that the cache manager knows about are of two distinct types now: server-side ghosts (present either on the server or in the local disk cache), or save game ghosts. They never mix together, and searches for one type igno
  • Adding experimental stratus cloud set up into the light rain slot, which is currently just a placeholder anyway
  • Belgian forest – 1st pass for trees done
  • Removed downward facing quads in stormy and thurnder stormy conditions as they don’t add much and are a frame hit. Also halved the number of clouds for further optimisation
  • Belgian Forest Circuit – add new textures for Atrium
  • Eifelwald – new slope grass texture psd source file
  • Eifelwald – new slope grass texture
  • Eifelwald – wirefence texture tweak
  • Metallic Matte paint support added to bodywork2 and bodywork2_skinned shaders
  • WTC edit to add new cloud densities for optimised weather system
  • Also added horizon altitudes for clouds. Setting these to just above the top of the sky ring looks best for now, but they will noticeably pop in until other issues are sorted
  • Belgian Forest – update crowds for new terrain and changes
  • Belgian Forest – create more darker temporary grass texture for outer terrain
  • Tweaked settings in CSD for Caterham Classic
  • BFC grass textures checked in
  • Caterham Classic: Fixed speed calibration
  • New Belgian Forest export
  • New Eifelwald export
  • New Sakitto exports

The new build is available via the Project CARS launcher that is available on the WMD Downloads Page, new members can register here.

Click Here To View The Changelogs Of All Builds Released During The Week

Build 259 (19/7/12, Senior Manager)
New Sakitto textures
Belgian Forest – add new textures and change kemmel bridge texture
Lotus 49 default setup changes: more front brake bias, higher brake pressure
caterham sp300r: added hand paddle animation stockcar 90: changed foor position on pedals
Lotus 49: Drivability changes and tweaks
Caterham 500: adjusted drag torque arms per Casey’s suggestions
Added Caterham Classic
Caterham Classic: First pass on the physics
Caterham Classic: Adjusted lower collision points
MAX file:driver anims pack 1: Caterham classic
Caterham Classic max file: CPIT complete
Caterham Classic: Exhaust position fixed
Caterham Classic: Replacing placeholder file
Caterham Classic: Calibrated gauges
Caterham Classic: Fixed path
New Formula Rookie export

Build 258 (18/7/12, Senior Manager)
Ghost system:
- Ghosts that the cache manager knows about are of two distinct types now: server-side ghosts (present either on the server or in the local disk cache), or save game ghosts. They never mix together, and searches for one type ignore ghosts of the other type. This allows the cache manager to perform whatever is needed automatically on the first set (including renames and deleted), and never touch the second type of ghosts (where any action must be initiated by the player)
- Added another source of ghost data: saved game (with empty implementation for now)
- Renamed disk load and save tasks to disk cache load and save, to make it clear that the local disk cache is used.
- All code (including declarations) relating to disk cache support is compiled only when the disk cache is enabled. This prevents things like constants being accidentally used in code that isn’t supposed to deal with disk cache.
- CRC is calculated (and kept for later reverification) even if the ghost file is saved to local disk cache. This triggers verification upon subsequent load just before server upload
WIP updates to BDbgMetrics and TCP connection code
- Added BDbgMetrics specific tcp byte buffer
- Standardised type usage in BTCPByteBuffer to avoid bugs
- Added proper error handling to BTCPByteBuffer
- Fixed potential buffer overflow bugs
- Added support to grow the byte buffer if it is full. If it grows more than once it will assert and inform to adjust initial size
Fixed handling of track damage effects data, which was leaking slowly due to loading every round but only releasing on shutdown
Corrected memory trace strings in HRDF code, which were mistakenly causing the impression that leaking data was from the animation subsystem
Fixed usage of explicit integer types when working with UserIds and RefIds
New added viewer placed spotlights for car selection scene
Caterham R500: drivabilty changes and tweaks. Alot was reverted to my last phyics changes and some tweakes on top of that. Kept Casey’s gearbox and gearing
New added texturemaps for car selection scene, baked neon-lightmaps
Belgian Forest Circuit – add new textures for PitTribunes_LODA
Eifelwald source textures
Fix for wrong build number info casuing issues with the Launcher

Build 257 (18/7/12, Senior Manager)
Added classes wrapping UserId and RefId values. This ensures type safety when using those ids and will simplify transition to platform-specific user ids in the future
Fixed order of initialization problems in various places
Fixed some type conversion warnings
Simplified the forced mempool destruction process to avoid crashes on app exit
General bug fixing

Build 256 (17/7/12, Manager+)
Online: Fixed broken log in: Several variables were duplicated in base and derived classes, which resulted in them not being updated
Ghost system:
- Lowered the maximum uncompressed binary ghost stream buffer size, based on the expected zip compression ratio and maximum compressed stream buffer size
- Added macro that controls support for ghost save game storage
Launcher:
- Added new error message for UAC timeout or cancellation, instead of showing the generic “failed to execute” error
- Reworded a few misleading error messages
- Added human-readable Win32 error messages to the log file
- Fixed incorrect line endings in log file
- Installed version is updated in the UI when a patch has been run
Adds back frontend weather conditions accidentally removed in previous checkin
Formula Rookie max: CPIT 65K tris, fixed UV mapping in cockpit
Adding backfire and crackle sounds (experimental)
Common glass texture update
Belgian Forest – add new treewall texture
Caterham R500 and Classic: unlocked rear toe and camber settings
Experimental: road noise effect added (affects physics and therefore FFB, needs testing on various different wheels)
Belgian Forest Circuit – slightly change textures
Heavy cloud lighting tweaks
New Formula Rookie export

Build 255 (16/7/12, Senior Manager)
First set of clouds in game
Extended weather descriptions to match conditions
Ghost system:
- Renamed server CRC to CRC, as it’s used regardless of storage location.
- Added debug output showing debug code that can be be used to select that ghost.
Setting CarSoundConfig fallbacks and generated values to the currently used ones
Added safety checks for audio code supporting multiple turbos
Added preliminary wet surface sounds for the player (AIs are using the dry ones for now). Tweaked jetstream sound so it operates on the track wetness rather than the weather condition
Disable 3D scene, replace with old FMV. Enable 3D scene on command line ‘-use3DScene’
Added support for sending 64-bit integers and hex-encoded binary data as HttpApi parameters
Code to setup the clouds on first tick
Only muffle the audio in helmet cam if the helmet is actually being displayed (up to the user in the options)
Fix for uninitialised variable in the main menu causing a crash on second load
Clouds spawn in over 20 seconds and disperse over 20 seconds no matter what the speed up factor is
Caterham R500: migrating a couple of physics ideas that worked on the Classic to the R500
Materials library. Updated Paint flat CPIT material
Asano X4 wheels textures. Metal tests
Surface skid and peel behaviour changes. Requires feedback/opinion
Belgian Forest:New textures first pass
Belgian Forest: Update emm map for House02
Belgian Forest: Add new textures for House03
Updates to wet weather effects
Cloud lighting tweaks
Improved text labels for weather descriptions
New Northampton export

To play the builds, Team Membership of Project CARS is required, membership starts at a one-time payment of 10€ for Junior access, including access to the busy WMD forum where members can talk to the development team and help shape Project CARS. For more info on pricing and benefits of membership, check out the WMD website.

GTOmegaRacing.com

  • http://twitter.com/mistic192 Johan Van Loon

    Man, I am so glad I bought into this project a few weeks back, it already has a LOT of content, is really fun to play and with every new build it just keeps on getting better and better, the interaction between gamers & devs is also on a level unheard of before this, I even got a response from one of the lead-devs on my very first post on their forum :-)

  • http://www.facebook.com/alan.dallas.1 Alan Dallas

     Same here Johan. Glad I dropped my 100 Euro on it already. Awesome investment. May invest more provided I can find the extra money. Manager level would be awesome but an extra 900 Euro isn’t in my near future that I can see. Beside, my real race car needs stuff too. :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003712360365 Lachlan Salter

    Not that I don’t love what these guys are doin with the clouds, but it wouldn’t hurt if they could let us know what is going on physics wise

  • Big Ron

    I asked Andy Garton a few days ago and Andrew Weber is still working hard on the new tire physics while some other guys are doing a new dynamic physics system and working on the cars physics the same time.

    But still, nobody can tell when there will be something to show since you can´t express physics as good through pictures as you can with cloud rendering or day/ night transitions ;)

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TJPEXIJK7G3DMSDBUOZJS4Q67U M

    I should probably know this but what is the incentive to put 900 Euros into this? Do you get some sort of cut of profits at the end? I am a ‘full member’ and paid for a friend to be the same level so we can get the game at the end of all of this (and I think asking price is a bargain and content is already fantastic), but other than the potential for extra involvement during development, what is the benefit of the high levels?

  • Big Ron

    Spend 15 minutes on looking for a specific post of Vittorio Rappa where he gave an calculation example of how much refunds you get depending on how much sales.

    But the forum is too big now, I couldn´t find it.

  • Alejandro Gorgal

    I remember that the game needs to sell about 250k units for you to get your money back, from that point on everything else is profit. Considering that this is also coming out in consoles and that the Shift games sold around 9 million copies combined I think that hoping to sell 1 million copies of pCARS is not so crazy, so that would (in theory) cuadruplicate your invesment.

  • http://twitter.com/buddhatree Mike Coleman

    It’s build 261, not 260 :)

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