TeamBPR Wrote:
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> ....
> With regard to curve radii one thing I have always
> done which is different to what you described,
> but I'm not saying it's better.. is to split a
> corner into two sectors. Both sectors have two
> curves. Here's an example:
>
> Sector 1
> Curve 1: 12500
> Curve 2: 10500
>
> Sector 2:
> Curve 1: 10500
> Curve 2: 13000
>
> The idea here being that the car slows down to
> it's slowest speed before the apex, you split the
> sectors so the slowest/tightest curve is just
> before the apex. Then the car should accelerate
> out of the corner, as humans drive it. This makes
> it harder to pass the AI out of corners. It's
> also how you drive in real life - slow in, fast
> out, that's the golden rule.
What you do is just correct. It's what I described as:
"... use cc-line sectors with curve2 option enabled. Set the curve1 value of the next cc-line sector equal to the curve2 value of the previous cc-line sector, to achieve a smooth transition."
Constant radius permits in some cases higher speeds through the apex.
In your example...
> Sector 1
> Curve 1: 12500
> Curve 2: 10500
>
> Sector 2:
> Curve 1: 10500
> Curve 2: 13000
>
... if I can use a constant radius of e.g. 11500, it would allow higher speed through the apex.
In that case, as TeamBPR correctly says:
> Constant radius is ok with some corners, but it
> seems to cause the AI to sit half on the throttle
> the whole way through it and then gently
> accelerate away from the corner's apex,
and this is something we see often in on-board videos of real F1 at tight turns or hair-pins.
We see drivers sit half on the throttle and then go full throttle.
But when it comes to GP4, what I really think is that whatever way of the two (constant or variable curve radius) you choose to design a tight cc-line section, it will have no significant effect in the lap time.
TeamBPR Wrote:
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> One thing I wasn't aware of was the shift. I
> didn't know what it does so I have never edited.
> What does it do exactly??
>...
> Can you share more about the "Shift"...?
"Shift" allows moving the end of the first sector of a cc-line section outwards or inwards.
I 'll give an example from the Montreal2010cc-line I've edited:
Here's the un-shifted curve.
We see that first "red"sector of the turning cc-line section causes an immediate change of direction of the AI cars.
This is not good, as the cars still brake and affects badly their stability and driving performance while entering the curve.
Now let's see the same section after using "shift":
The first red sector is now aligned in the same straight line as the previous cc-line section, nr. 29.
cc-line section 29 is now 1 sector shorter: length is now 12 - was 13 in the unshifted version.
cc-line section 30 is now 1 sector longer: length is now 15 - was 14 in the unshifted version.
Practically we "moved" the last "straight" sector of cc-line section 29 to the turning cc-line section 30.
AI cars now enter the "turning situation" of section 30, without the need for immediate change of direction and the transition to turning is much smoother and natural.
I think now is more clear the way "shifting" works when entering tight turns.
I also use it in some cases to cause or correct minor deviations in curves of wide radius or even straight sections, to make the cc-line pass exactly where I want to and to make it fit better to the specific track layout.
In some cases I have noticed that I can bring the end of a cc-line section to the desired spot on the track, by changing a little bit its radius or by shifting it a little bit.
Choosing "radius change" or "shifting" affects differently the shape of the following sections of the cc-line, so I choose what gives better results.
... after all, making a good cc-line is a piece of artwork ...
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some of my GP4 works ...