Misc GTR2 Sun Positions and Lighting 1.0

[templarnot4]

templarnot4 submitted a new resource:

GTR2 Sun Positions and Lighting - Updated Sun positions and optional lighting for GTR2

The sun positions in GTR2 aren't particularly accurate so I have taken the time to update them.

View attachment 355394

Features:
Adjusted Latitude of tracks to be correct.
Race dates changed to what they were in 2003 and 2004.
North direction changed to be closer to what they would be in real life.
Optional adjusted lighting with a darker night.

View attachment 355395

Notes:
Sun positions are not 100% accurate but a massive improvement on the default tracks...

Read more about this resource...

 

[Livvy Morales]

Do I install this mod just like every other mod? (Drop the GameData folders into the game's directory despite there being Location folders inside those data folders)

 

[Shovas]

Oh wow thanks for doing this! @GTR233 might be interested for GTR210/HQ Mods?

 

[templarnot4]

Do I install this mod just like every other mod? (Drop the GameData folders into the game's directory despite there being Location folders inside those data folders)

Yes and overwrite

 

[GTR233]

Great idea but I have a question : did you reproduce the sun position from real videos or did you only copy-paste real coordinates in GDB ?
I wonder that because simbin devs did not respect exactly the N-S/E-W positions when they built the circuits.

 

[templarnot4]

Based positions off photos, videos, google earth, so a lot of trial and error with changing some of the tracks

 

[gwaldock]

Great idea but I have a question : did you reproduce the sun position from real videos or did you only copy-paste real coordinates in GDB ?
I wonder that because simbin devs did not respect exactly the N-S/E-W positions when they built the circuits.

They apparently ignored "North Position", as well. Google Earth makes accurate settings easy (if you know how to use it)

 

[GTR233]

Based positions off photos, videos, google earth, so a lot of trial and error with changing some of the tracks

Great, do you authorize me to add your updated sun position to hq tracks in 10th Anniversary Patch please ?

 

[templarnot4]

Go ahead

 

[Bjarne Hansen]

Good job! Much better than the default values.
Nice to see somebody still care about our old sim

Tried a couple and didn't get your exact values.
But hard to get exact values.

Found the easiest way is to find the circuit in Google map and turn on satellite view.
And /or Google map for exact lat and long values

Now start 3dSimed orientate the track layout like in real life (Google map) with the YAW function
The YAW value is now the correct value for Northdir!

To check find a Sun angle calculator like this one

SunCalc sun position- und sun phases calculator

Application for determining the course of the sun at a desired time and place with interactive map.

www.suncalc.org

Find a part of the track where you drive strait into the sun direction and the given date and time and use external view to check the direction of the shadow on the car.
One disadvantage of using real Latitude is that you now have to guess the time based on latitude the times for Sunset and Sunrise.
Kind of split between using easy setting or correct settings

 

[templarnot4]

There is going to be an update soon with multiple options for track lighting and revised sun positions since I refined my method a bit more

 

[GTR233]

I have made many tests last days and it is obvious for me now that NorthDir feature is broken in GTR2, I precise that it is not your fault templarnot4, because there are issues (see screenshots) as long as you are far away from default NorthDir=270


The only way to get real North seems to rotate every track with 3dSimEd with the good angle of rotation of course...so a lot more work.

At least, your latitude and race date seems to be good

 

[templarnot4]

The rotation works as it should for latitude 0 and march 21 race date and donington is the one that has the most issues