rFactor 2 Beta
Modding and Development

Night racing at Mills Metropark

Some of the biggest questions we have about rFactor 2 centers around the new Developer Mode and how to create a mod with the new rfmod packages.

Modding

If online racing is the heart of rFactor, it's soul is the hundreds of fabulous mods available to download for free. But the downside is trying to keep up with what current version is running on a server. If you do pick-up races, the task becomes even more daunting. That is why the rfmod package was created. We are told it is a way to ensure compatibility on servers.

Below is a write-up I received from Scott Juliano at ISI about creating a mod in rFactor 2. There is an extended document that is to be available once the Beta is released that will get into much more depth. The info below should be enough information to help everyone understand the basic structure of the mod package system.

"In general, creating content for rF2 is unchanged from rF1, if you're familiar with that. Visual files (.gmt) are exported from 3DS MAX and texture files are still in .dds format. Likewise, most of the vehicle physics files will be familiar, but there have been some changes and additions to be sure. Files get placed in proper sub-folders of the \ModDev directory (which was "\GameData" in rF1). During this time you'll be able to test your work in rF2's "Developer" mode, which is the only time loose file can be freely used.

Once initial testing is complete and you're ready to start testing online, or you're ready to release the component/mod to the general public, you'll need to pack this data up. This is a potentially three-step process.

1) Using MAS2.exe you'll pack all the loose files into .mas files (again, this should be familiar if you've done any modding for rF1). For a track you may have something like:

• Mills.mas
• Mills_GMT.mas
• Mills_MAPS.mas
• Mills_Layout1.mad

2) Again, using the Component Packager in MAS2.exe, you'll pack these .mas files into a single component file (.rfcmp). These components are given a signature based on the contents. Any change will cause the signature to change and allows us to check the validity when a client joins a server, thus helping to prevent mismatches. Components can be of type: track, vehicle, sound, UI, HUD, and Talent. There are many things that can be modded...

3) At this point, you can either release a single component, or pack a bunch of components together into a single mod file (.rfmod). This allows easy installation of multiple components. When you create a mod you'll request a ModID from ISI, and send us the mod's signature. Only mods that have a valid ModID will appear on the matchmaker currently.

You can create updates for both components and mods, and both are easily installed using the external Mod Manager or in-game controls. Finally, you can create a partial or complete "Virtual Mod" that includes references to components, but does not pack the components in the file, thus keeping the download size very tiny. Users would be responsible for having the proper components pre-installed (and you're given a list of missing components if any when you go to install the mod). This type of mod is very handy when you want to quickly set up a list of tracks and cars for use with the dedicated server. Think of it as a play list.

We very much expect the mod system, and its use in-game, to grow and expand as we start to get feedback from the community during open testing. What we wanted was a clean, stable base system to start with that included all the basic features we expected modders to need for these first few months..."

Thanks Scott for the info!

Developer

Hats off to all you who create the amazing rFactor mods as a labor of love for sim racing. The new Developer Mode in rFactor 2 should prove interesting to you. Not that I would know. I've opened up a mas file.... a few times. I get excited when I can get the multiplayer.ini, CCH, and PLR files edited for our dedicated server, so your work is not what I know. That is why I'll show the screenshots below so you'll have a peek, and then I'll be quiet!

Click here to go to top of this page.