Biffo

Me again,

I'd just like to thank everyone who has actually bought the book, The Stock Car Ghosts', since April as we have now raised, between us, just over £670 for a worthy charity, The Rowans Hospice in Hampshire.

If you haven't got around to buying it yet Amazon will print you one off for a mere £9.99. Amazon have also released it as an ebook for £3.99.

Regards

Steve Daily - Alias BIFFO

Hi Guys,

Those of you that have been in UK dirt for ten years or so may remember me as Biffo racing Banger 720 on-line. (I did get one mention on the Hall of Fame in 2010).

I had a quick chat the Leek and he said it would be fine to post this on the forum.

I have spent the past year researching the American tour of England by the USA stock car team who came across in 1955 and raced against England.

They were brought over by the promoter Digger Pugh, to kick off the second season of stock car racing in the UK. The seven drivers were all from the Southern States, as you can imagine, and drove some mighty fast race cars.

I got information for the story from as far away as Australia and America and was lucky enough to talk to the only two US team drivers that are still alive, Bobby Schuyler, who is 85 and Neil 'Soapy' Castles who is 86 years old.

The book covers the early days of NASCAR through to the tour and tracks down just what became of them all, including the two US promoters that were the team managers.

The book is a paperback called, " The Stock Car Ghosts" and is available from Amazon for £9.99 and I am donating all of the royalties to charity, The Rowans Hospice., Purbrook, Hants.

So if it interests anyone GO BUY IT, please, and then we can raise some much needed funds. It comes with over 30 images and photographs.

Thanks for your time and good luck with the on-line racing.

Steve Daily  - alias BIFFO

Thanks for the racing , finally made it an F2 track.

Hope I didnt get in the way too much.

Thanks for the loan of a set up which I seem to have left in a folder on line somewhere, was better than mine.

I`ll be back but wife wont let us race Mondays and Tuesdays so don`t know when yet.

At least I now know it all works on line, need more practice tho.

Been fuffing around getting F2 working and finally got the skins sorted properly with last skin pack.

After a few wrong turns I think we`re there and everything appears to work nicely, even Knockhill.

Given up trying Joypad and dusted off the old wheel and pedals set up.

Will be joining you all Monday

Please be gentle , I`m a F2 virgin who`s used to going round the tracks in the other direction.

Biffo

Have been experiencing some problems since trying to get into rFactor F2

I have an rFactor DVD v1.255 as specified is needed, and works fine.

When I`ve put in the F2 v 3.1 on I`ve found some tracks were giving problems and some were fine.

Alls well during the practice but not so good for the race.

Problems such as start car parks on the track and causes chaos during race or start car cant get out onto the track so race cant start.

Even had my car smashing into the barrier before lining up and then is lined up with 3 wheels ( this is before I get any control at all).

Sometimes after pressing the race button all the buildings are drawn up in the sky and you have to press restart race to line up.

Keep un installing everything and re installing again only to find same old problems.

Now on to rfactor then F2 v4 only to find same again.

Been onto uksom & rfactor central sites looking for clues but cant see whats going wrong.

I am using windows 7 and rfactor loads straight into program files (x86) no problems.

Then get the F2 v4 on in the same way and then have to change all the track downloads to go into program files (x86) otherwise they`d go straight into program files.

nVidia GT 620 is set to XD19 instead of the XD17 first shown.

Is there a nocd patch as there is on Heat or do I keep throwing the DVD in to get the game to work?

Any ideas , otherwise I`ll have to forget F2 which would be a pity seeing as I`ve spent ages doing the skins ready for next grading ( the first ones were a bit wishy washy and drab )

Regards Biffo

Checking out the F2 2013 fixtures

Been on main site but can`t see the Bristol anti-clockwise track download and Sexbierum just says Not found.

Any pointers ?

However back in Paint Shop Pro , when I flatten the layers on the skin and go to File then, Save As , theres still do sign of DDS ??

=================================================

Sorted Finally got there and seen my skin in the Novice line up , phew ! Only one small question before finishing off skins and passing them on to Dave......

I followed the Site guide and reduced the PSD file to 512 x 1024 before saving as a DDS file but along side the DDS skin files mine is only 342 kb the others are 1,366 kb ???

Regards Biffo

Ok , now I have: - Program Files (x86)\ Jasc Software \ Paint Shop Pro 9 \ Plug-ins \ File Formats \ dds64.8bi

However back in Paint Shop Pro , when I flatten the layers on the skin and go to File then, Save As , theres still do sign of DDS ??

Try this

 

https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-texture...adobe-photoshop

=================

I`ve read the F2 skin painting guide on the Main site and tried to download the nVidia DDS Photoshop plug-in (v6.74).........

.........its not there ??

I`m using Jasc Paint shop pro 9 but I believe it works in there if I can get hold of a download.

Any ideas......

Regards Biffo

Looking into the rFactor skin painting at present.

Noticed that the Temp-base cars in F2 are 2048 x 1024 pixels when loaded into Paintshop.

Is that normal size as I`m used to having to keep down to 512 x 512 with the Heat templates ?

Cheers - onwards with my rFactor learning curve

Just as I thought I was there , no sign of setups folder.

This is what I now have in my "Biffo" folder, as you can see the .plr folder is there and I`ve change that to the reccommeded settings but the "settings" folder only contains empty track files.

I`m under the impression that there`s a "setups" file somewhere to drop into the settings folder ?

Still cant find TomD`s folder either.

Try right clicking on the rFactor icon and then run as administrator, that should create the folder.

As Tom says if you click on documents in Computer there will probably be a folder in there called rFactor and then inside that your userdata folder

===========================================================

Success , just ran it as administrator and that created the folder where it should be.

Presume I dont have to run it as Administrator any more ?

Thanks lads.

Setups folder is located...C:\Program Files\rFactor\UserData\Biffo720(for example)\Settings then all the tracks you have entered will have a folder each.

 

As for the /plr file that is in C:\Program Files\rFactor\UserData\Biffo720(for example)

===========================================================

Forgot to mention am using windows 7 so presume thats C:\program Files (x86)\rFactoir\UserData\........no sign of Biffo folder, just CONTROLLERS, LOG, and SCEENSHOTS plus some SVM files

as shown above.

Cheers anyway , cant even find the TomD112 folder in there so think we may have to uninstall and start again.

So far have got rFactor V1.255 and added the F2 Stockcars v3.1

I had no previous version so didnt see any problems.

Unfortunately cant find " Setups folder "

Says the folder (if I could find it) should be added to the setting folder found at rFactor\ userdata\ < your player name > \ settings

Even though I`ve set up a couple of user names no such folder appears in userdata

All I`ve got there is this :-

Strange unless I`m looking in the wrong place...???

Needless to say there is no sign of the F2 Stockcars setups appearing in the Garage setups in Game.

Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction in the meantime.

P.S. while we`re on the subject of cant find, where`s the .plr file or are we back to the missing < your player name > folder ?

Trying to download all the F2 bits to R Factor and just tried to download this Superstox mod but it wants to just download to = Program Files (x86)\

Shouldn`t that be = Program Files (x86)\RFactor .......??

Confused dot com

Hard earned dosh my erse, thats NOT what the winter heating payment is for Mr Daily !!!

========================================================

Oops , I`ve been rumbled..........lol

Well, after a chin wag whilst in chat on Tuesday night the general opinion is Win7 to run Nascar Heat as its such an old game now.

Off to spend some hard earned dosh on Saturday.

Ok looks like I`m off out round the shops to find a new pc.

We know NHeat will run on Windows 7 but will it still run on Windows 8 .

Everyone selling these things seems to be pushing the latest Win8 but dont want to get the wrong one in case there`s a problem loading NHeat.

Any feed back would be helpful ................?

As I remember those long ones like that without Exception remarks used to be solved by just re-installing the patches again but if you have tried that and no joy then sorry but I am out of ideas. Hopefully someone else might know the issue here

======================

Thanks anyway , I`d read somewhere that you have to put a few laps onto the game before adding the No cd patch etc. but as it crashes before you can start the game thats out.

Fact is it loaded onto the wife PC no prob so the dodgy PC here could be the main problem.

tried installing again but now it wont play at all............

Here`s the whole log

23.05.437: ======================================================================

23.05.437: Aug 8 2000 11:40:33 N W32 M6 R dave_p

23.05.437: ======================================================================

23.05.468: Joystick 0: "SIGHT FIGHTER ACTION USB"

23.05.468: joy: x-effect unsupported

23.05.468: Config Dir: C:\Program Files\Hasbro Interactive\NASCAR Heat\

23.05.718: ddraw: created directdraw with nv4_disp.dll (NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GS)

23.05.718: ddraw: version 0.0.0.0

23.06.171: vid: 64 meg card (reported:510.703125)

23.06.171: vid: using AGP textures (660), total: 64

23.06.203: vid: triple buffer on

23.06.421: mr: 3D performance: 1007 MPix/sec, 9253 KTris/sec

23.06.421: mr: fill rate is AWESOME, poly rate is AWESOME

23.26.250: using sound mixer Sound

23.35.406: refresh: detail_level = 3

23.42.859: setting driving video mode = 3

23.43.281: vid: triple buffer on

23.43.359: Texture: 3 @ 0.16 Megs (0 other)

23.43.593: records: using actual track length: 2400.000000 m

23.43.609: skill_range_fudge!

23.43.609: AI: Warning: No ghost data.

23.43.609: oinker range: 5.0m ->112.3m

23.43.609: Can't load default.ili

23.43.828: res: ResourceGet("Hood.tex") not found, returning NULL!

23.43.859: lite_grip: 1.15

23.43.875: record_mode: 1

23.43.875: replay: Allocing 60:00s frames and 36246K data (81920K avail)

23.44.734: res: ResourceGet("Hood.tex") not found, returning NULL!

23.44.734: Texture: 150 @ 15.98 Megs (48 other)

23.44.843: Texture: 150 @ 15.98 Megs (48 other)

23.45.015: res: ResourceGet("show.stp") not found, returning NULL!

23.58.343: vid: triple buffer on

23.58.375: possible fps: 158.886330 (759)

23.58.421: Texture: 3 @ 0.16 Megs (0 other)

24.06.359: refresh: detail_level = 3

24.27.140: using sound mixer Sound

24.27.328: Can't open pro file

24.34.968: Spoofing 43 as Richard Petty,0

24.34.968: Ghostcar: *ghostcar.res/rtp1_Miami.gcf

24.34.968: SCO file !exists or !legit; creating empty one

24.35.375: ghost: Loading trackline *ghostcar.res/Miami.gcf (Tman) [34.896000 sec]

24.35.375: ghost: Loading custom *ghostcar.res/rtp1_Miami.gcf (Eski Pi) [+35.979 sec]

24.35.375: setting driving video mode = 3

24.35.765: vid: triple buffer on

24.35.859: records: using actual track length: 2400.000000 m

24.35.859: skill_range_fudge!

24.35.859: oinker range: 5.0m -> 70.2m

24.35.906: res: ResourceGet("Hood.tex") not found, returning NULL!

24.35.968: lite_grip: 1.25

24.35.968: record_mode: 1

24.35.968: power_factor = 0.82

24.35.968: replay: Allocing 60:00s frames and 6714K data (81920K avail)

24.36.562: res: ResourceGet("Hood.tex") not found, returning NULL!

24.36.578: Texture: 136 @ 8.08 Megs (48 other)

24.36.765: DoRace: load time 1.399 s

24.36.843: old_flag = FLAG_GREEN

26.46.625: CheckLaps(2/10)

26.47.109: vid: triple buffer on

26.47.781: res: ResourceGet("Hood.tex") not found, returning NULL!

26.47.796: Texture: 136 @ 8.08 Megs (48 other)

26.47.859: fps: 63.941534

26.47.890: possible fps: 338.001221 (8303)

26.47.953: pro: best lap 37.27

26.51.640: Spoofing 43 as John Andretti,26

27.10.859: unloading ui: 59.6 MB

27.10.859: unloaded ui: 59.7 MB

27.10.875: loaded race: 61.7 MB

27.10.984: ghost: Loading trackline *ghostcar.res/Martinsville.gcf (Tman) [20.208000 sec]

27.10.984: setting driving video mode = 3

27.11.375: vid: triple buffer on

27.11.468: records: using actual track length: 841.600000 m

27.11.468: skill_range_fudge!

27.11.468: oinker range: 5.0m -> 96.3m

27.11.703: res: ResourceGet("Hood.tex") not found, returning NULL!

27.11.750: record_mode: 1

27.11.765: power_factor = 0.85

27.11.765: replay: Allocing 60:00s frames and 36246K data (81920K avail)

27.12.609: res: ResourceGet("Hood.tex") not found, returning NULL!

27.12.625: Texture: 128 @ 14.74 Megs (48 other)

27.12.843: DoRace: load time 1.864 s

27.12.843: ============================================================

27.12.843: EXCEPTION: Task "<main>" @ 739A1567 : EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION

27.12.843: NON-DEBUG

27.12.843: ( 004199D0 , none , my_handler )

27.12.843: ( 739A1567 , EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0047619C, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 00475CE8, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0046BC7E, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0048ACAD, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0046CBC0, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 00486352, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0040DBFF, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0040D920, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004B6825, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004F4720, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004ED462, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004ED462, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004ECE71, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004EC9E6, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004ED462, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004ED383, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 00418ED3, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 00418F5B, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 00412E62, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004ED462, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004ECE71, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004ED462, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004ED383, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004EAF6F, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004193E4, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 00498157, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 00497C34, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0041DF33, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0041DD02, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004B9FC2, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004B65CA, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004B1317, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0041B741, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004ED462, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004ED383, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0041BC73, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0041BD4E, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004193E4, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0041BF1B, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004193E4, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0041BC2D, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0041BC73, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004193E4, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0041BC2D, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004EAF6F, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 004193E4, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 00498157, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 00497C34, call-stack , ? )

27.12.843: ( 0041DAD1, call-stack , ? )

27.12.859: ( 004193E4, call-stack , ? )

27.12.859: ( 004193E4, call-stack , ? )

27.12.859: ( 0049B255, call-stack , ? )

27.12.859: ( 004193E4, call-stack , ? )

27.12.859: ( 0049AA50, call-stack , ? )

27.12.859: ( 004988D8, call-stack , ? )

27.12.859: ( 0049834E, call-stack , ? )

27.12.859: ( 004B11EA, call-stack , ? )

27.12.859: ( 004013C8, call-stack , ? )

27.12.859: ( 00415C59, call-stack , ? )

27.12.859: ( 004EB940, call-stack , ? )

27.12.859: ============================================================