Simcar 6.1.2 - Car simulation with software 3D rendering (no 3D acceleration
               required)

Copyright 2010-2025 Matei Petrescu


Some executable files are already available: simcar.exe, simcarlargepx.exe
and viewtrack.exe (Window$), simcar and viewtrack (GNU/Linux, 64 bits).
The wind0w$ files were compiled with Wine (https://winehq.org) and OpenWatcom
(http://openwatcom.org). The resolution is controlled in file "config". More
details about the SDL library are in file "SDL.txt".

     1. SOME OBSERVATIONS
     2. INSTALLATION
     3. RUNNING
     4. MAKING NEW TRACKS OR CARS


1. SOME OBSERVATIONS

  * The replay has no sound. This is a design feature.

  * Accelerating while the car is in the air pushes the front of the car up
    and the rear down (i.e. if the wheels are pushed in one direction, the car
    is pushed in the other direction). This is the only way in which the car
    can be controlled during jumps and is necessary for obtaining a good
    position at landing.


2. INSTALLATION

SDL library is required, see "SDL.txt". Make sure you have it installed. Then
open a terminal/console window, change the current directory to "simcar-6.1.2",
using the command "cd", and type:

./comp-graph

This compiles the graphical functions, for which you have to use the desired
options shown on the screen, and then:

./comp simcar

To change other options you can modify "graphics/genconf.c" at lines 22-24. If
you have an old processor (Pentium 2), remove "-mfpmath=sse" and replace the
current CPU with "pentium2". Other changes can be made after line 140. There-s
also a program for viewing tracks:

./comp viewtrack


3. RUNNING

Window$: click on skunks.exe, skunkslargepx.exe, or press MSDOS.bat and write:

viewtrack tracks/track2

GNU/Linux: First, open a terminal/console window and change the current
directory to "simcar-6.1.2", using the command "cd". To change the screen size
you can modify numbers 800 and 600 in file "config".

After compilation, you can start the game by typing:

./simcar

For viewing tracks:

./viewtrack tracks/track3

22 tracks are available in the directory 'tracks'.

The parameters of the cars can easily be modified. Below are a few details
about the 4 cars:

car1: open wheel, rear wheel drive, with wings which generate downforce
car2: open wheel, rear wheel drive, without wings
car3: rear wheel drive
car4: 4 wheel drive

All cars are electric and therefore don't need gearboxes. The 3D models were
imported from TORCS (http://torcs.org) and Speed Dreams
(http://speed-dreams.org). More details in directory "newdata".

The buttons which control the car are:

Q or UP - accelerate
A or DOWN - brake
O or LEFT - left
P or RIGHT - right
SPACE - handbrake
S - rocket; this is actually most useful on tracks made for Stunts, which are
    not reproduced here, due to copyright reasons; more details on my site:
    https://matei.one/idxscr.html
R - reverse
C - change camera
N and M - rotate (the 3rd) camera
ESCAPE - exit


4. MAKING NEW TRACKS OR CARS

Look in the file "README" from directory "other/newtrax" for details about
making new tracks. It's easier than with any track editor of any other game.

The files which define the parameters of the cars ("cars/car*") can also be
edited. After "objects n", the numbers on each of the next n lines have the
following significances:

1st: object type, from the list above;

2nd: object function (1 - body of vehicle, 3 - motor wheel,
     4 - steering wheel, 5 - motor and steering wheel);

You should probably not modify the next numbers on the line except for the
last number, which is the friction coefficient.

Axes X, Y and Z are like this (not like in OpenGL):

^ X   __
|     /| Z
|    /
|   /
|  /
| /      Y
|-------->
