RaceRoom Racing Experience DOF Previews

[Paul Jeffrey]

Sector3 Studios have previewed a new Depth of Field (DOF) effect due to be added to RaceRoom Racing Experience in the upcoming new patch, showing off a surprisingly effective visual enhancement to the title.

Depth of Field is nothing new to racing games, however this particular post processing effect has been missing from Sector3's flagship title until now, and as the preview images show, its inclusion has a devastatingly positive effect on the game visuals. According to Wikipedia, Depth of Field is described as "the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in a scene that appear acceptably sharp in an image. Although a lens can precisely focus at only one distance at a time, the decrease in sharpness is gradual on each side of the focused distance, so that within the DOF, the unsharpness is imperceptible under normal viewing conditions". The idea behind the effect is to simulate the way real trackside cameras focus on objects and vehicles out on track.

The new feature due to be added to RaceRoom greatly enhances the realism of replays within the game, and should prove a hit with those of us keen on creating own on screenshots of the cars in action throughout the game.

Sector3 have confirmed DOF will also be available in Free Camera mode (although players will have the option to disable the feature if they so desire). When enabled, players have the ability to enable "Manual DOF Mode" using a pre mapped button, giving the ability to adjust the DOF width, position and blur intensity using a mix of both the mouse buttons and scroll wheel.

Understandably DOF settings will not apply in cockpit view.

The latest update is still in under testing and development, with no confirmed release date other than the customary "soon".

RaceRoom Racing Experience is available to download on Steam for free, with a small selection of cars and tracks available at no charge. Additional cars and tracks can be purchased via the in game RaceRoom store.

Check out the RaceRoom Racing Experience sub forum here at RaceDepartment. We have the latest news, community discussions, useful mods, custom setups and of course, our excellent Racing Club. Head over today to see what all the fuss is about...



Do you like the new DOF setting in the above images? What do you think of the graphics in R3E? How does the game stack up visually to its sim rivals? Let us know in the comments section below!

 

[Paul Jeffrey]

Judging by all the shots containing the Audi TT, anyone want to be a fiver the cars will be made available in the new patch too

Looking forward to seeing how the DOF looks in replays as I bounce through the gravel trap....

 

[ouvert]

nice .. I hate LMB+Scroll combination

 

[Andy_J]

Looking great.

 

[LeSunTzu]

Looking great indeed!

 

[Christian Moreau]

Depth of Field effects, new patch, new Audi TTs. Gimme gimme.

 

[Serj]

Oh yeah....its all that we need and expected . Nice.... Instead of flags, rules, physics of damage, tyre compounds, names overlay, asymmetrical car setup, what I missed??? Oh yes, forgot something, we need more liveries for gt3 classes.

 

[Christian Moreau]

Oh yeah....its all that we need and expected . Nice.... Instead of flags, rules, physics of damage, tyre compounds, names overlay, asymmetrical car setup, what I missed??? Oh yes, forgot something, we need more liveries for gt3 classes.

We've heard this one a million times. Unfortunately, due to the business model and with the Raceroom Entertainment company controlling what content gets developed, those features we've always requested get put on the backburner. There was a tweet put out by the Raceroom twitter account recently showing that early development on the flag system is under way. Sector 3 is working on it, but they still have an obligation to Raceroom and no brigading of the same rehashed comments is going to change anything.

I apologize if I'm coming off as a little rude. I've seen this comment so many times now I can't tell if people are being serious or sarcastic anymore.

https://twitter.com/raceroom/status/784423067325898753

 

[Gerbuho]

Great!

 

[Lars Hansen]

Meh.....
Not that I don't like the DoF effect, it's just that.....
Well, it only applies to replays, and replays doesn't do live instruments or positions.
Which means you can either do the recording live and get in-car only, or you can do a replay but without the race-info.
If they somehow manage to get the broadcast overlay to work with replays, then we could get some epic action recorded.

 

[mister dog]

Seems that looong summer break is over at sector 3 finally

 

[robnitro]

I don't like DOF period. In Assetto I turned it off. Real life driving doesn't have DOF, you just look and there's focus.

Replays, I guess it's cool. But still, it's annoying like bloom and motion blur. Give me sharp textures and SSAA over that stuff anyday Too bad newer games aren't too SSAA friendly anymore. FXAAxMSAA will do.

 

[Jerec]

Hmmm, I would more like to see headmovement to the left and right in cockpit view.

 

[Boby Kim]

What is a DOF flag?
(sorry could not resist)

 

[Andy_J]

I don't like DOF period. In Assetto I turned it off. Real life driving doesn't have DOF, you just look and there's focus.

Not really worth moaning about though if you have the choice to have it on or off. I love DOF in games. I think it actually adds something.

 

[GTAce]

Too bad it's such a simplistic DOF effect, no bokeh or other lens effects. It looks pretty low quality in the screenshots, but at least the transition seems rather smooth. Anyway, better than nothing, it's needed for replays and screenshots.

 

[budlix]

Too bad it's such a simplistic DOF effect, no bokeh or other lens effects.

I personaly prefer natural looking effects than the lens effects like bokeh, flares, vignette, etc. Human's eye isn't camera lens. Flag. erm... Period.

 

[GTAce]

I personaly prefer natural looking effects than the lens effects like bokeh, flares, vignette, etc. Human's eye isn't camera lens. Flag. erm... Period.

You're not watching with the human eye, when you watch a replay, you're pretty much watching through simulated TV cameras. I agree about these effects while driving in a cockpit view point, but all other view points basically simulate a camera. It's also almost impossible to simulate actual eye focus, especially without VR and any eye tracking software. If we're talking about realistic graphics, TV replay cameras need these effects.

 

[Boby Kim]

S3 has updated the camera's on some circuits but not all. First i would like to see good replay cams (ala TV cams) on all circuits.

 

[budlix]

You're not watching with the human eye, when you watch a replay, you're pretty much watching through simulated TV cameras. I agree about these effects while driving in a cockpit view point, but all other view points basically simulate a camera. It's also almost impossible to simulate actual eye focus, especially without VR and any eye tracking software. If we're talking about realistic graphics, TV replay cameras need these effects.

well, I have to agree with that, you're right
personally will prefer natural/decent look, not a J.J. Abramish style but maybe these fine-tuned replays would may attract some future newcommers, who knows