GP4 project for Virtual Reality

GP4 project for Virtual Reality

I’ve started a personal project to enters GP4 in the Virtual Reality world using SBS methodology format.

I’ve explored many ways to implement it and after several attemps I found a method that give me an initial acceptable result. I used the GP4 multiplayer option to display two GP4 scenes on the same graphics monitor and to avoid the GP4 block for start two GP4 instances at the same time on the same PC I used Sandbox.

The two GP4 instances has two slightly different onboard camera positions and produces two SBS different images on the monitor. To visualize GP4 in 3D I used my smartphone LG G4c inserted on the Homido Virtual Reality Headset and connect it to my PC using the Wifi connection.

I’m working to improve the obtained results and I plan to buy a 5 inch Full HD display using an HDMI connection to my PC to improve the realism of the game outcomes. The main current limitaton of the project is that at the race start I need to select manually the right side driver to obtain an SBS game view.

Any suggestion to improve this initial results of the project is welcome. I’ve attached here a short SBS video of the obtained results and the instructions to allow anyone to implement this solution.
Be patient, the first video scenes display preliminary setup actions, then there are two SBS race scenes.

[www.youtube.com]

Basic installation operations

Execute Grand Prix 4 activities from an administrators account

Install Sandbox from [www.sandboxie.com].

Install inst-gpxpatch423

Install GP4 Tweaker (gp4tweak_1045CU1_setup)

Install WinAero Tweaker from [winaero.com], start, it select Colored Title Bars\Enable Colored Title Bars, create Custom Accents Black and White.

Create folder “Grand Prix 4\Scripts\tools”

Download Cmdow from [sourceforge.net]
unzip cmdow.zip and copy cmdow.exe on “Grand Prix 4\Scripts\tools”

Download sleep.exe from [www.sleepcmd.com] unzip sleep.zip and copy the extracted files on “Grand Prix 4\Scripts\tools”.



“Grand Prix 4” Left and Right folders creation

Copy all “Grand Prix 4” folders and files on “Grand Prix 4 – Left” and Right.

Modify “Grand Prix 4 – Left\GP4.lnk” file properties:
Target "C:\Program Files\Infogrames\Grand Prix 4 - Left\GPxPatch.exe" /R
Start in "C:\Program Files\Infogrames\Grand Prix 4 - Left"
same modifications for Right.

Copy a GP4 Performance file on “Grand Prix 4” folder.

Modify “Grand Prix 4 – Left\ GPxPatch.exe” :
Host IP address 192.168.1.n
Use CPU 1
Enable Debug mode
Enable GPxSet
GPxSet Enable Car power team dependent
Enable Performance file

Modify “Grand Prix 4 – Left\ f1graphics.log” :
1 ; f1graphics.cfg controls all settings (default 0)
Horizontal Screen Resolution/2 ; [RELEASE] Game 3D Horizontal Resolution
Vertical Screen Resolution/2 ; [RELEASE] Game 3D Vertical Resolution
0 ; [RELEASE] Run in a window

Launch GP4.lnk (This actions solves a GP4 resolution strange behaviour when run in a window)

Modify “Grand Prix 4 – Left\ f1graphics.log” :
1 ; [RELEASE] Run in a window

Copy a GP4 Performance file on “Grand Prix 4 - Left” folder.

Modify “Grand Prix 4 – Right\ GPxPatch.exe” :
Host IP address Don’t fill in
Use CPU 0
Enable Debug mode
Enable GPxSet
GPxSet Enable Car power team dependent
Enable Performance file

Modify “Grand Prix 4 – Right\ f1graphics.log” :
1 ; f1graphics.cfg controls all settings (default 0)
Horizontal Screen Resolution/2 ; [RELEASE] Game 3D Horizontal Resolution
Vertical Screen Resolution/2 ; [RELEASE] Game 3D Vertical Resolution
0 ; [RELEASE] Run in a window

Launch GP4.lnk (This actions solves a GP4 resolution strange behaviour when run in a window)

Modify “Grand Prix 4 – Right\ f1graphics.log” :
1 ; [RELEASE] Run in a window

Copy a GP4 Performance file on “Grand Prix 4 - Right” folder.

Create tweak.bin Left and Right

Start GP4 Tweaker, select onboard camera position, enable this tweak, export current tweak, on the created file change all the fields
VIEW01=0.0000,
to
VIEW01=-0.0238,
import current tweak, apply, copy tweak.ini to “tweak – Year – Left.bin”

Start GP4 Tweaker, select onboard camera position, enable this tweak, export current tweak, on the created file change all the fields
VIEW01=-0.00238,
to
VIEW01=0.0238,
import current tweak, apply, copy tweak.ini to “tweak – Year – Right.bin”.



Create GP4 VR batch file and launch it

Create “GP4 VR.bat” file on “Grand Prix 4\Scripts” (red values are valid only for 1920x1080 screen resolution, needs to be adjusted for other screen resolutions)

echo off

setLocal EnableDelayedExpansion
cd "%ProgramFiles%\Infogrames\Grand Prix 4\Scripts"

:: Start Grand Prix 4 - Left
cd "%ProgramFiles%\Infogrames\Grand Prix 4 - Left"
start GP4.lnk
cd "%ProgramFiles%\Infogrames\Grand Prix 4\Scripts"
tools\sleep 1 /quiet
:: Window position settings
tools\cmdow "Grand Prix 4" /MOV 0 240

:: Start Grand Prix 4 - Right
cd "%ProgramFiles%\Infogrames\Grand Prix 4 - Right"
"%ProgramFiles%\Sandboxie\Start.exe" "%ProgramFiles%\Infogrames\Grand Prix 4 - Right\GP4.lnk"
cd "%ProgramFiles%\Infogrames\Grand Prix 4\Scripts"
tools\sleep 1 /quiet
:: Window position settings
tools\cmdow "[#] Grand Prix 4 [#]" /MOV 640 240

:: Put Grand Prix 4 windows on top
tools\cmdow "Grand Prix 4" /TOP
tools\cmdow "[#] Grand Prix 4 [#]" /TOP

Create a link to “GP4 VR.bat” and set it to run as administrator, insert “GP4 VR.lnk” on the Start Menu.

Select Black background color and Black title bars color using Setting\Personalizations.

Run “GP4 VR.lnk” from Start Menu and manage GP4 using the procedure visualized on the Youtube video example.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2016 01:41PM by sergio_poletti.