Tach needles showing

On some of my cars, I notice that the tachometer needle will show during Open Practice but not during actual races. Any help out there?

This is due to conversions between GTR2 and GTL. Because each game uses a different pattern for the name of the tachometer texture, tac_01 for gtl, and cockpit_tachometer for gtr2. So when your car texture does not match the standard nomenclature for the especific game and at same time theres another car with a texture of the same name inside a _text.gtr file (for example), this kind of incompatibility occurs.

Okay, I get it now. Thanks. I didn't say it was in GTL-GTR2 but that's where it occurs.

Okay now I have eliminated the extra cars and it still does not show the tach needle except at some tracks. So it seems to be related to the total selection of car and track.

davidstaiji wrote:

Okay now I have eliminated the extra cars and it still does not show the tach needle except at some tracks. So it seems to be related to the total selection of car and track.

My problem is the same.
Texture names right, correct, GTR2 basic, but not working - mystical.
I made few car a long time ago, all works fine - now what is the problem?

From what I remember hearing was that some mods when installed somehow manage to turn the needles off, sometimes you can get them back if you have asigned a key to show dials.

GeeDee wrote:

From what I remember hearing was that some mods when installed somehow manage to turn the needles off, sometimes you can get them back if you have asigned a key to show dials.

Mate, where do i find the key assigned option?
Buttons > extra > "motec" exists, "needle" or "dials" doesn't exist.
The needles in GTL show... I just in GTR2 experience the problem.

Okay, maybe just in my PC exist texture crash with other cars or tracks.
Test it please... you see the needles?
https://www.mediafire.com/file/m706x0ra493xj13/98T_GTR2_BETA.zip/file

Sorry carTOON, I could have sworn that there was a toggle button for them in GTR2 like there is in GTL...

#4 or 5 key, I don't think it shows them or not, just "freezes" them.......

So standard in GTR2 is number key 1 is for turning mirrors on/off, 2 changes HUD and 3 turns on/freezes tach.

I am running Volvo Amazon and depending on which track I am on the needles show or not. Have not compiled list of which ones work or not.

freeracer wrote:

This is due to conversions between GTR2 and GTL. Because each game uses a different pattern for the name of the tachometer texture, tac_01 for gtl, and cockpit_tachometer for gtr2. So when your car texture does not match the standard nomenclature for the especific game and at same time theres another car with a texture of the same name inside a _text.gtr file (for example), this kind of incompatibility occurs.

I'm seeing this problem when adding various GTL/GTR2 mods into a single championship.

Does anyone know in which files the tachometer texture files that freeracer describes are stored?

Thanks
DM

Should be in the xxxx_xxxx_CPIT.GTR file........

Thanks joeschmoe, found it now

I was hoping I could just rename the tac_01 file to tach_cockpit but now I get an error saying it can't load the tachometer background texture, so I'll just keep trying...

Actually, what Freeracer said about the material naming conventions is not quite true.
tac_01 comes from rFactor and also works in GTL.
I believe the Simbin convention is to use tach_cockpit and this works in BOTH GTL and GTR2.
(To demonstrate, open any default GTL simbin car in 3DSimEd and look at the material list).
All 3 games essentially use the same base game engine - gmotor, so tac_01 working in GTL as well as rFactor is due to this, a carry over if you like.
Also, I'd suggest that early on, a lot of conversions from rFactor to GTL were 'quick and dirty' conversions and the converter(s) left the tacho material name as tac_01 and it worked............

BUT you CANNOT have some cars using tac_01 and others using tach_cockpit in the same race and have the cockpit needles showing. All cars need to use the same material and texture naming convention.

Personally, I ONLY use tach_cockpit in GTL and GTR2 as that seems to be the Simbin way and always works. I'd recommend everyone to do the same
Having said all that, tac_01 may even work in GTR2 but as I only use tach_cockpit, I don't know (or care ).

Damon Myrax wrote:

Thanks joeschmoe, found it now

I was hoping I could just rename the tac_01 file to tach_cockpit but now I get an error saying it can't load the tachometer background texture, so I'll just keep trying...

You must also have the texture associated with the tach_cockpit material named correctly e.g tach_cockpit.tga or tach_cockpit.dds.
Perhaps you didn't rename the texture and only changed the material name...or vice versa ?

carTOON wrote:

Okay, maybe just in my PC exist texture crash with other cars or tracks.
Test it please... you see the needles?
https://www.mediafire.com/file/m706x0ra493xj13/98T_GTR2_BETA.zip/file

If you rename your car's .GTL files to .GTR (don't forget to change the references in the CAS too !), you should see your needles
I have just downloaded and tested and apart from an error with the brakelights (I commented them out of the CAS to get the car to load without crashing back to the desktop), renaming the .GTL files to .GTR fixed the problem of the needles not showing.

Do that and let us know if you still don't see your needles

Ok, perhaps as your question was almost a year old, you have already solved it !!

Thanks Loose Ether; nailed it!

Damon Myrax wrote:

Thanks Loose Ether; nailed it!

No worries mate or as we say in my neck of the woods, 'No wucken farrees !'

Loose Ether wrote:

Actually, what Freeracer said about the material naming conventions is not quite true.
tac_01 comes from rFactor and also works in GTL.
I believe the Simbin convention is to use tach_cockpit and this works in BOTH GTL and GTR2.
(To demonstrate, open any default GTL simbin car in 3DSimEd and look at the material list).
All 3 games essentially use the same base game engine - gmotor, so tac_01 working in GTL as well as rFactor is due to this, a carry over if you like.
Also, I'd suggest that early on, a lot of conversions from rFactor to GTL were 'quick and dirty' conversions and the converter(s) left the tacho material name as tac_01 and it worked............

BUT you CANNOT have some cars using tac_01 and others using tach_cockpit in the same race and have the cockpit needles showing. All cars need to use the same material and texture naming convention.

Personally, I ONLY use tach_cockpit in GTL and GTR2 as that seems to be the Simbin way and always works. I'd recommend everyone to do the same
Having said all that, tac_01 may even work in GTR2 but as I only use tach_cockpit, I don't know (or care ).

Damon Myrax wrote:

Thanks joeschmoe, found it now

I was hoping I could just rename the tac_01 file to tach_cockpit but now I get an error saying it can't load the tachometer background texture, so I'll just keep trying...

You must also have the texture associated with the tach_cockpit material named correctly e.g tach_cockpit.tga or tach_cockpit.dds.
Perhaps you didn't rename the texture and only changed the material name...or vice versa ?

yep, you're right, I changed the balls ... looking here at the original gtr2 cars, the only analog instrument present (correct me if I'm wrong, I may be) is the rpm of the Lotus Elise, and it uses "tach_cockpit" material with texture "tach_cockpit.tga" ... I will test something here and then post it later, because I am convinced that what really matters is "tac_something" for the engine to recognize the instrument..will see

freeracer wrote:

... I will test something here and then post it later, because I am convinced that what really matters is "tac_something"  for the engine to recognize the instrument..will see

That's an interesting premise
I've never tried anything else but tac_01 and tach_cockpit but they do both contain tac.
So, I'm guessing you mean one could use say, tacky or tac_tic or tach_tik for materials and provided you name the textures the same as the materials, ala tacky.tga or tac_tic.tga or tach_tik.tga, it should work ?
Or have I misunderstood ?

Again, that is interesting.

Loose Ether wrote:

freeracer wrote:

... I will test something here and then post it later, because I am convinced that what really matters is "tac_something"  for the engine to recognize the instrument..will see

That's an interesting premise
I've never tried anything else but tac_01 and tach_cockpit but they do both contain tac.
So, I'm guessing you mean one could use say, tacky or tac_tic or tach_tik for materials and provided you name the textures the same as the materials, ala tacky.tga or tac_tic.tga or tach_tik.tga, it should work ?
Or have I misunderstood ?

Again, that is interesting.

lol, exactly, that's what I thought.. I will test right now

ok, I only tested speedometer and tachometer, in GTR2, with alt + tab, changing the material names and saving the textures in cpit.gtr and alt+tab to returning to the game, and I reached the following conclusions:

any material name (really any one) works, but it only works with speedo_cockpit.tga and tach_cockpit / tac_01.tga ... speedo_lalala.tga or tacho_lol.tga do not work...rsrsrs

Yeah I also tested it but only as far as matching texture name to material name and that definitely didn't work unless it was the two standard material/texture combo we all know.

But that's good to know that any material name can be used as long as the standard textures are employed - even though I can't see any reason not to use the standard material name of tach_cockpit as that makes for a uniform naming of all cockpit gauge materials i.e *_cockpit