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CART Precision Racing Patch Readme January 1998 ⌐ Copyright 1997, 1998 Microsoft Corporation. This document contains important information specific to CART Precision Racing and the CART Precision Racing patch that is not included in the manual or online Help. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: To read this file in Notepad, click Word Wrap on the Edit Menu. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON CART PRECISION RACING: Frequently Asked Questions: FAQ.txt (file located in the folder where you installed CART Precision Racing), includes the answers to questions frequently asked about playing and optimizing the performance of CART Precision Racing and about what changes are made to CART Precision Racing when you install the patch. Gameplay Help, the online Help system for CART Precision Racing, includes helpful information on playing the game and maximizing your performance. To access Gameplay Help, click the CART Precision Racing Help menu and then click Gameplay Help. Also, don't forget to visit our World Wide Web site to obtain the latest information! The Web site will have a CART Precision Racing product support page with up-to-date tips, FAQs, and articles. Just click the Web Page button on the game's opening screen or click Microsoft On The Web on the Help menu. The URL for the CART Precision Racing Home Page is: http://www.microsoft.com/games/precisionracing/cart/ ================================================================= Table of Contents ================================================================= 1. Notes on Late-Breaking Features 1.1. Notes on installing the CART Precision Racing patch 1.2. Improving frame rate 1.3. Adjusting forward visibility (CTRL+F and CTRL+H) 1.4. Turning on pit stops 1.5. Displaying MPH and KPH on the HUD display 1.6. Car setups for each track 1.7. Changing the font used to display text in simulation 1.8. Adjusting Null Zone setting reduces twitchy handling 1.9. Adjusting the amount of force you can feel in your force feedback controller 1.10. Turning Off Graphic Textures 2. General Notes and Troubleshooting 2.1. 3D accelerator card improves look and speed of game 2.2. Race start position is different from Qualifying results 2.3. Default race length is 5 percent of real-world race 2.4. Default number of drivers in race depends on your microprocessor 2.5. Limit length of install path 2.6. Printing Racing School topics 2.7. Formatting problems in Racing School, Track Info, and Driver Info 2.8. Windows NT 4.0 and Racing School videos 2.9. Windows NT 4.0: Trouble switching between full-screen and windowed modes 3. Controller Configuration Notes and Troubleshooting 3.1. ThrustMaster NASCAR (R) Pro Racing Wheel (outside U.S., ThrustMaster Formula One Racing Wheel) 3.2. ThrustMaster Formula T1 and T2 3.3. ThrustMaster Grand Prix 1 3.4. CH Products Pro 3.5. Force feedback control devices 3.6. Using multiple game devices 3.7. "The selected control type could not be found..." message 4. DirectX 5.0 Notes and Troubleshooting 4.1. System appears to stop responding when installing DirectX 5.0 4.2. CYRIX computer installation notes 5. Video Adapter Notes and Troubleshooting 5.1. List of video adapters with known issues 5.2. If you are using an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) video adapter 5.3. Distorted sky when switching between full-screen and windowed modes 5.4. Top one-third of screen looks OK, other areas incorrectly painted 6. Audio Notes and Troubleshooting 6.1. List of sound cards with known issues 6.2. Windows NT 4.0 sound issues 6.3. Windows power saving/power management sound issues 7. Multiplayer Notes and Troubleshooting 7.1. Synchronization problems pausing a multiplayer game 7.2. Realism settings match host's after multiplayer session 7.3. Multiplayer races: Quit all other programs before starting ================================================================= 1. Notes on Late-Breaking Features ================================================================= 1.1. Notes on installing the CART Precision Racing patch. If you are experiencing problems running CART Precision Racing after installing the patch or trial versions, installing the latest version of DirectX and Indeo (R) Video Interaction Version 4.3 may fix the problem. To install latest version of DirectX, visit one of the many World Wide Web sites that offer free downloads. The URL for the Microsoft DirectX download is: http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/ To install Indeo Video Interaction Version 4.3, visit one of the many World Wide Web sites that offer free downloads. The URL for the Intel Indeo Video Interaction Version 4.3 site is: http://www.intel.com/pc-supp/multimed/indeo/ivi_nt95.htm Please note that, due to the constantly changing nature of the World Wide Web, the URLs above may become inactive or disappear completely. Use your Web browser's search engine to locate download sites if the URLs above are no longer active. 1.2. Improving frame rate. While you are driving, press LEFT BRACKET ([) to reduce the size of the simulation window and improve frame rate. Press RIGHT BRACKET (]) to increase the size of the simulation window. You can also set the default size of the simulation window using the Window Size slider control in the Graphic Options dialog box (Graphics command on the Options menu).To reduce the size of the simulation window and improve frame rate, drag the Window Size slider control to the left. Reducing the clipping pane, which affects how far ahead you can see in your forward field of view, can also make the game run faster. While you are driving, press CTRL+H to reduce the distance you can see in front of you. (To increase the distance, press CTRL+F.) You can also set the default clipping pane using the Clipping Pane slider control in the Graphic Options dialog box (Graphics command on the Options menu). To reduce the clipping pane, drag the Clipping Pane slider control to the left. Other suggestions to make the game run faster: Experiment with turning Graphics options (Graphics command on the Options menu) on and off to find the right combination of graphics and speed. For example, set Image Quality to Good, turn off the Textured Sky, Draw Hills, and Track-Side Objects options. You can also try setting Tire Effects to Tracks Only or None to speed up the game. Reducing the number of computer opponents you're racing against may also make the game run faster. To reduce the number of computer opponents, click Realism on the Options menu, and then drag the Maximum Field Size (Single Player) to the left to specify the number of opponents, and then click OK. 1.3. Adjusting forward visibility (CTRL+F and CTRL+H) While you are driving, press CTRL+F to increase the distance you can see in front of you. This reduces the "popping" effect, where billboards, flag stands, and other scenery objects in your forward field of view appear to suddenly "pop" into view. If the game runs too slowly as you increase the distance, reduce the distance by pressing CTRL-H. You can also set the default forward field of view by adjusting the Clipping Pane slider control in the Graphic Options dialog box (Graphics command on the Options menu). 1.4. Turning on pit stops. All pit stop settings are automatically turned off by default. To turn on pit stops, click Realism on the Options menu, and then click Pit Stops. With Pit Stops turned on, you can also choose to turn on realistic fuel consumption, tire wear, and crash damage. When you select these items in the Realism dialog box, you can choose to add fuel, replace tires, and repair damage on the Pit Stop menu whenever you drive into the pits. Also, with Pit Stops turned on, you can press X to turn Crash Damage on and off while you are driving. If you sustain damage on the track and then press X to turn Crash Damage off, your car will be repaired instantly without you having to drive into the pits. 1.5. Displaying MPH and KPH on HUD display. While you are in cockpit view, press D to display the HUD, and then press E and then C to display your current speed in MPH (miles per hour) above the HUD display. Press E and then C again to display your current speed in KPH (kilometers per hour).To turn off this MPH/KPH display, press E and then C again. 1.6. Car setups for each track. In addition to the default car setups for each track type (ovals, superspeedways, road courses, and street circuits), CART Precision Racing also includes sample car setups for each individual track. File names include the name of the track (i.e., Miami sample), and the files are included in the Current Settings list on the Garage screen. They are included in the Garage folder in the location where you installed the game. 1.7. Changing the font used to display text in simulation. The default font used for text display in the simulation is used for optimal speed. By making a change to your Cart.ini file,you can change the display font to Arial, which may look smoother. To change the font used in the simulation, open Cart.ini (file located in the system folder in the location where you installed CART Precision Racing). Search for each of the following items and set its value to 1: useOSFonts, useOSFontNormal, useOSFontLarge, and useOSFontOverlay. Save and close the file. If the game runs dramatically slower after making this change, reset these values to 0. 1.8. Adjusting Null Zone setting reduces twitchy handling. Adjusting the Null Zone setting for your joystick or steering wheel may help make your driving experience a little less twitchy. To increase the Null Zone setting and reduce the twitchiness, click Controls on the Options menu, confirm that the controller you want to adjust is selected under Primary Driving Control, and then click Customize Controller. Drag the Null Zone slider control to the right to increase the setting. You may have to experiment to find the perfect setting for your driving style. 1.9. Adjusting the amount of force you can feel in your force feedback controller. By adjusting the Crash Force and Center Spring settings, you can tweak the feel and response of your force feedback controller. To adjust the settings, click Controls on the Options menu, and then click Customize Controller. Confirm that the Use Force Feedback check box is selected, and then drag the Crash Force and Center Spring slider controls to adjust the amount of force you can feel with your force feedback controller. You may have to experiment to find the perfect settings for your force feedback style. 1.10. Turning Off Graphics Textures. Turning off textures can make the game run faster, but you sacrifice a lot of scenery detail when you do, including the text on billboards, chain-link fences, grandstand details, etc. To turn off graphic textures, click Graphics on the Options menu, and then turn off the Use Textures check box. Click OK to close the dialog box. ================================================================= 2. General Notes and Troubleshooting ================================================================= 2.1. 3D accelerator card improves look and speed of game. Purchasing a 3D accelerator card (3DFX or better) is the single best way to improve the speed and look of CART Precision Racing. 2.2. Race start position is different from Qualifying results. When participating in a single race weekend, you can choose to race in one or both of the qualifying sessions (Friday Qualifying and Saturday Qualifying). If you do not race in either qualifying session, your grid position for the Sunday race is determined by the 1997 qualifying time of the real-world driver whose car you are driving. If you race in only one qualifying session, your results are compared to the real-world driver's for the session you didn't drive, and the better of the two qualifying results determines your grid position for the Sunday Race. For example, if you choose participate in only the Saturday qualifying session and the real-world driver's recorded time for Friday Qualifying is better, the Friday result will be used to determine your Sunday Race start position. To view the 1997 real-world grid positions for each race, click Track Info on the Tracks screen. 2.3. Default race length is 5 percent of real-world race. The length of a race is set by default to be 5 percent of a real-world race, not 10 percent as stated in the manual. You can set a different default race length by the following these steps: On the Options menu, click Realism. Under Race Length (Default), drag the slider to the right to increase the default race length, or drag it to the left to decrease the default race length. You can also specify the exact number of laps for a Sunday Race at a specific track by following these steps: On the Tracks screen, under 1997 Tracks, click the track for which you want to specify the number of laps. Under Sunday Race Laps, drag the slider to specify the number of laps. 2.4. Default number of drivers in race depends on your microprocessor. The default number of drivers included in a race is determined according to your computer's microprocessor speed. For machines less powerful than P90's, your default field size is 6. For machines powered with P-90's through P-133's, the default field size is 8. For machines more powerful than P-133's, the default field size is 12. You can change the number of participants in a race by following these steps: On the Options menu, click Realism. Drag the Maximum Field Size slider to the left to reduce the number of drivers in a race, or drag it to the right to increase it. 2.5. Limit length of install path. When you install CART Precision Racing and enter a destination folder for the installation of the game, limit the path to fewer than 120 characters. Otherwise, you may not be able to start CART Precision Racing after you've installed it. 2.6. Printing Racing School topics. When printing a Racing School topic (Print Topic command on the Help menu), click in the frame that contains the topic text before choosing Print Topic. 2.7. Formatting problems in Racing School, Track Info, and Driver Info. If your Windows display is set to display Large Fonts, you may experience overlapping controls and formatting problems when viewing Track Info, Driver Info, or Racing School. To correct the problem, change your Windows font setting to Small Fonts. To do this, click the Start button, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Display. Click the Settings tab. In the Font Size list, click Small Fonts. Click OK. 2.8. Windows NT 4.0 and Racing School videos. If you encounter an error when attempting to play movies in Racing School, you may need to download the latest Indeo(R) drivers. Visit the Intel web site to download Indeo Video 4.3. 2.9. Windows NT 4.0: Trouble switching between full-screen and windowed modes. If you are using Windows NT 4.0 and you encounter problems switching between full-screen and windowed modes while you are driving in CART Precision Racing, close the game and set your Windows resolution to 640 X 480. Then, restart CART Precision Racing. ================================================================= 3. Controller Configuration Notes and Troubleshooting ================================================================= 3.1. ThrustMaster NASCAR (R) Pro Racing Wheel (outside U.S., ThrustMaster Formula One Racing Wheel). If you are using a ThrustMaster NASCAR Pro Racing Wheel, follow the steps below to ensure that it is installed and configured properly for use with CART Precision Racing. (1) Click the Start button, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Game Controllers. (2) Click Add. (3) In the Controllers list, click [Custom...]. (4) Under Axes, click 2 axes. (5) In the Buttons list, click 4. (6) Click Special Characteristics, and then click Is A Race Car Controller. (7) Under Name, type a name for the racing wheel. (8) Click OK. (5) To calibrate your NASCAR Pro Racing Wheel, click Properties. (6) DO NOT select the Rudder/Pedals checkbox. (7) Click Calibrate, and then follow the directions on your screen. (8) When you're finished calibrating, click OK. (9) Start CART Precision Racing. (10) On the Options menu, click Controls. (11) In the Primary Driving Control list, click Race Car Controller. (12) To customize your NASCAR Pro Racing Wheel, click Customize Controller. (13) Click OK to exit the dialog box when you are finished. 3.2. ThrustMaster Formula T1 and T2. If you are using a ThrustMaster Formula T1 or T2 wheel and pedals/race car controller unit, follow the steps below to ensure that it is installed and configured properly for use with CART Precision Racing. Make sure CART Precision Racing is not running when you start this procedure. (1) Click the Start button, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Game Controllers. (2) Click Add. (3) In the Controllers list, click Thrustmaster Formula T1/T2 with adapter. (4) Click OK. (5) To calibrate your T1 or T2, click Properties. (6) DO NOT select the Rudder/Pedals checkbox. (7) Click Calibrate, and then follow the directions on your screen. (8) When you're finished calibrating, click OK. (9) Start CART Precision Racing. (10) On the Options menu, click Controls. (11) In the Primary Driving Control list, click Race Car Controller. (12) To customize your T1 or T2 settings, click Customize Controller. (13) Click OK to exit the dialog box when you are finished. 3.3. ThrustMaster Grand Prix 1. If you are using a ThrustMaster Grand Prix 1 wheel and pedals/race car controller unit, please note the following: this controller requires a custom setup that is explained in the documentation provided by the manufacturer. Also, older versions of this controller require an adapter: make sure you are using an adapter if the version of the controller you are using requires it. 3.4. CH Products Pro. If you are using CH Products Pro pedals/controller with CART Precision Racing, acceleration and braking are assigned to the same pedal unless you calibrate the controller using the following steps: (1) Set the switch on the controller to "plane." The switch can be found on the top of the controller between the two pedals. (2) Click the Start button, point to settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Game Controllers. Click Add. In the Controllers list, click Thrustmaster T1/T2 without adapter, and then click OK. (3) In CART Precision Racing, on the Options menu, click Controls, confirm that the race car controller is listed under Primary Driving Control, and then click Customize Controller. (4) Click the Swap Pedals check box, and then click OK. 3.5. Force feedback control devices. If you are using a Microsoft SideWinder (R) Force Feedback Pro or other force feedback control device, set Master Gain to 100% for best results. you can set Master Gain to 100% by following the steps below: (1) In CART Precision Racing, on the Options menu, click Controls, confirm that the appropriate control is listed under Primary Driving Control, and then click Customize Controller. (2) Click the Force Feedback check box, and then drag the Master Gain slider to the right until it reaches 100%. (3) Click OK. 3.6. Working with multiple game devices. When connecting and installing multiple game devices (i.e., a gamepad and a joystick) while playing CART Precision Racing, you may need to exit and restart the game in order to make the control you specified the active one. 3.7. "The selected control type could not be found..." message. You may see the following message when configuring your controllers: "The selected control type could not be found. The primary controller has been set to keyboard." This message is displayed when there is no controller assigned to controller ID 1. To fix this problem, follow the steps below, and be sure that CART Precision Racing is not running when you start the procedure. (1) Click the Start button, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Game Controllers. (2) Remove all installed game controllers (3) Add the controller you want to use with CART Precision Racing, and then click OK. (4) Click OK again to exit the Game Controllers dialog box. (5) Start CART Precision Racing. (6) On the Options menu, click Controls. (7) In the Primary Driving Control list, click the control that you just assigned Controller ID 1 to in Control Panel. (8) Click OK. ================================================================= 4. DirectX 5.0 Notes and Troubleshooting ================================================================= 4.1. System appears to stop responding when installing DirectX 5.0. When DirectX 5.0 is being installed on your computer as a part of the setup process for CART Precision Racing, a dialog box that asks you to insert your Windows 95 CD-ROM may be obscured by other dialog boxes, which makes it appear that your system has stopped responding. To switch to the DirectX prompt and continue setup, press ALT + TAB. 4.2. CYRIX computer installation notes. When you install CART Precision Racing on CYRIX MediaGX 133MHz 30 MB computers, do not install the DirectX 5.0 drivers that Setup recommends. Otherwise, sound may be disabled when you start CART Precision Racing. ================================================================= 5. Video Adapter Notes and Troubleshooting ================================================================= 5.1. List of video adapters with known issues. If you are using any of the video adapters listed below, you may experience problems playing CART Precision Racing. Known workarounds, when available, are included below. If you experience problems when playing CART Precision Racing, contact your video adapter's hardware manufacturer for the latest drivers for your video adapter. Many manufacturers maintain World Wide Web sites that offer updated drivers and troubleshooting advice for their products. Video adapters with known issues when running CART Precision Racing: --Alliance Semiconductor AT3D video adapter. Workaround: use drivers supplied by the hardware vendor for this video adapter. You may experience problems with drivers supplied by Alliance. --ATI 3D Rage II (ATI Mach 64) video adapter --Cirrus Logic Laguna video adapter --Creative Labs Graphics Blaster 3D video adapter --Diamond Stealth 3D 2000XL video adapter (S3 Virge chipset). Workaround: turn off the Direct 3D (Most Hardware) option in the Renderer list box (Graphics command on the Options menu). --Diamond Stealth II video adapter (Rendition V2100 chipset with driver V2KSIIXL.DRV ver.# 4.10.01.0100) --Diamond Stealth SE video adapter (Weitek 9100 chipset with driver ver.# 4.03.00.2030) --Diamond Viper 330 video adapter --Divine 3D video adapter with GLINT (R) Delta --Hercules Stingray 128/3D video adapter --Jaton Corporation Video-70P video adapter --Matrox Millenium video adapter with the original drivers that shipped with it. Workaround: choose a Simulation Resolution (Graphics option) other than 320 X 200. --Matrox Mystique 220 video adapter --Number Nine Imagine 128 video adapter. Workaround: do not use DirectX 5.0 drivers. --Number Nine Motion 531 video adapter (S3 Vision 868 chipset). Workaround: run CART Precision Racing in 320 X 200 or 320 X 400 resolution (Graphics options). --PowerVR video adapter. Workaround: do not turn on Use Hardware Acceleration (Graphics option). --STB Horizon 64-V video adapter --STB Lightspeed 128 video adapter --STB Velocity 3D 4MB video adapter (S3 Virge VX chipset). Workaround: turn off the Direct 3D (Most Hardware) option in the Renderer list box (Graphics command on Options menu). --TechWorks Ultimate 3D video adapter --Trident cyber9385 chipset (designed for notebook computers) --Video Logic Grafixstart 550 video adapter 5.2. If you are using an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) video adapter. If you are using one of the new AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) video adapters, you can enable it for use with CART Precision Racing by making a change to your CART.ini file (located in the system folder where you installed CART Precision Racing). Open Cart.ini, search for useAGPFlag, and set its value to 1. Start CART Precision Racing, click Graphics on the Options menu, and then, in the Image Quality list, click Best (Slower). You may experience problems with some AGP video adapters if you enable the Direct 3D (Most Hardware) option in the Renderer list (Graphics command on Options menu) with the AGP flag enabled. To fix the problem, check your video adapter manufacturer's Web site for the most up-to-date drivers for your AGP video adapter. If you are using an 8MB or (16 MB) video display adapter such as a Matrox AGP Millenium, enabling the Direct 3D (Most Hardware) option in the Renderer list (Graphics command on the Options menu) may result in improved graphics performance. 5.3. Distorted sky when switching between full-screen and windowed modes. If you experience distorted sky when switching between full-screen and windowed modes while playing CART Precision Racing, set your Windows color palette to High Color (16-bit). To do this, click the Start button, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Display. Click the Settings tab. In the Color Palette list, click High Color (16-bit). 5.4. Top one-third of screen looks OK, other areas incorrectly painted. If you experience this, making a change to your Cart.ini file may fix the problem. To change your syncRetrace setting, open Cart.ini (file located in the system folder in the location where you installed CART Precision Racing). Search for syncRetrace and set its value to 1. Save and close the file. ================================================================= 6. Audio Notes and Troubleshooting ================================================================= 6.1. List of sound cards with known issues. If you are using any of the sound cards or computers listed below, you may experience problems with audio when playing CART Precision Racing. Known workarounds, when available, are included below. If you experience problems with audio when playing CART Precision Racing, contact your audio card's hardware manufacturer for the latest drivers for your sound card. Many manufacturers maintain World Wide Web sites that offer updated drivers and troubleshooting advice for their products. Sound cards and computers with known audio issues when running CART Precision Racing: --Creative Labs Sound Blaster Pro 2 (chipset 1600) sound card. Workaround: do not choose the High (16-bit) Quality option in the Sound Options dialog box (Options menu). --Creative Labs AWE 64 16-bit sound card. Workaround: install the DirectX 5.0 display and audio drivers (available on the CART Precision Racing CD-ROM disc). --CYRIX MediaGX 133MHz 30MB computer. Workaround: Do not install the DirectX 5.0 drivers that the Setup program recommends. 6.2. Windows NT 4.0 sound issues. If you experience sound problems while playing CART Precision Racing on Windows NT 4.0, try muting sound (CTRL+M) or downloading the latest audio drivers for Windows NT 4.0 from the Microsoft Web site (http://www.microsoft.com). 6.3. Windows power saving/power management sound issues. Windows power management can cause CART Precision Racing to disable sound. If you experience this problem, disable power saving/power management while you are running CART Precision Racing. ================================================================= 7. Multiplayer Notes and Troubleshooting ================================================================= 7.1. Synchronization problems pausing a multiplayer game. A multiplayer game can get out of sync if one of the players pauses the game. Although the pause keys (P and ESC) are disabled in multiplayer mode, it is still possible to pause the game by pressing ALT to activate the menu bar. It is strongly recommended that you do not do this. If you do activate the menu bar during a multiplayer session, your race positions and results may not match other participants in the race. 7.2. Realism settings match host's after multiplayer session. After finishing or exiting a multiplayer race that you have joined, your Realism settings are set to match those of the host of the race you just left. To retain your single-player Realism settings, create a new driver profile for use when you're racing multiplayer sessions. 7.3. Multiplayer races: Quit all other programs before starting. It is highly recommended that you close all other programs when participating in multiplayer races. Otherwise, session results may be unreliable.