
                             GP2 Track Man 1.5.1

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1. Requirements

   - Microprose's Grand Prix 2 
   - DOS
   - gp2hipic.exe v0.9a (optional)  


2. What can Trackman do?
   
          
   - Exports the names for the tracks to gp2.exe.
   
   - Exports the number of laps for every track.
  
   - Exports the correct length for every track .
  
   - Exports the correct tyre consumption for every track (new).
   
   - Edit the grip for the human player 

   - Edit fuel load for qualifying and free practise

   - Enable the option: players car performance depends on
     selected team.
   
   - Manages unlimited configurations of track sets (new).  

   - You can choose between 112 tracks (if you have) (new).
 
   - Command-line parameters are possible.
     This makes it possible to use Trackman in a batch file.

   - The program manages 7 versions (c1state.sav - c7state.sav) of the f1gstate.sav. 
     After every start it will save the f1gstate.sav to its corresponding file. While
     exporting another configuration, the corresponding f1gstate.sav will be exported
     too. This makes it possible to save also track records for every configuration.
     If you don't want, that Trackman always save the f1gstate.sav you can select in
     Options(9)/Change names and settings(8) for every config that Trackman asks before 
     saving. Note: All configurations from no. 7 up share one copy of f1gstate.sav.
   
   - Can use the new program GP2hipic by Frank Ahnert. This makes it possible to exchange
     the images of the maps, shown in the track selection screen of GP2. (new)


   - Autodetect feature: This means it can read the track information in the trackfiles
     made with Paul Hoads Track Editor (new).


3. Whats new?
 
- Unlimited number of configurations. But you have still the fast access to 7 configs.
  Config no. 7 is a shared place where you can load as many different configs as you
  want. 

- Trackman can handle 112 tracks (16 original and 96 new tracks). If this is still not
  enough install Trackman twice or more.

- Autodetect feature: This means it can read the track information in the trackfiles
  made with Paul Hoads Track Editor.

- Export of the tyre consumption. This was the last missing feature of trackman. All
  known, track related values in the gp2.exe can be managed with Trackman now.


Bugfix v1.5 -> v1.5.1: Its possible to edit also tracks > no. 48.


4. Update from previous versions

Sorry, this is not possible. I changed the whole file formats. This was necessary for
future enhancements.

If you have a previous version you could delete all files in the main Trackman directory.
Unzipp all actuall files to the directory and execute install.exe. But be sure that the
game is patched with the original configuration while installing!!

If you want to keep your track records make a backup of the files c1state,sav - c4state.sav.
After the installation copy them back to your trackman directory and rename c4state.sav to 
c6state.sav.


5. Installation
   
   !! The files of this version are not compatible with the older version!!
      You can't use the old configurations with this version. If you want
      update from an older version save the cxstate.sav files. 
      After a new installation rename the old c4state.sav to c6state.sav and
      copy it to the trackman directory.   


   If you have a non english version of gp2 please read the readme.txt in the 
   newadj.zip file and patch gp2.exe with newadj.exe before installing
   trackman.

   Create a new directory  directory as \gp2\trackman.
   Unpack the files to the directory. 
   Be sure the game is neither modified with the trackpack of IA or the 
   previous version of Trackman nor !was! alraedy patched with the trackpack of IA
   while starting Track Man the first time.
   Otherwise it will copy the wrong names and circuits. Also make sure the game
   isn't patched with different values for the lapnumbers.

   !! If you have already patched the game with the perfect gp trackpack and restored
   the original settings with the IA trackmanager, use a new gp2.exe from CD!!!!
   This is because the trackpack trackmanager doesn't restore the original values for
   track length.
   
   You need a full installation of gp2 patched with the Nocdrom utility. Otherwise GP2
   uses the tracks in the gp2\circuits directory from CDrom and the tracks are not
   on your harddisk. If you don't have the Nocdrom utility, or if you don't want to use
   it, because you prefer your german or italian (or whatever) gp2.exe you can use the 
   TrakonHD.exe which comes with this program.

   !!If you don't use the Nocdrom utility use the TrackOnHD utility before you start
   trakman the first time. For use see readme.txt in the trakonhd.zip file!! 

   Start install.exe  
   Install will make a backup of your gp2.exe in
   the new directory (delete the backup if you see everything works fine).
   Next the program creates subdirectories with the names \oldc and \newc. 
   It will copy all your original tracks to \oldc. Do not delete any of this tracks
   because they are needed to restore your original configuration Then you will be
   asked if you want that the program copies the new circuits to \newc. Answer
   with yes if you know the path where the tracks are. Otherwise you can copy these
   files later by yourself to the directory \newc. 
   
   !!Make sure the tracks by IA have their original names like f1ct07.dat for 
     Circuit Paul Ricard before copying to this directory!! 
   
   
6. How to use
   
   At the beginning all configurations are the same: the original settings. So
   the first thing you should do is to change a configuration.
   
   The handling is easier now. If you want to change a track, type the number of the
   position whitch you want to change. On the next screen you can choose between
   all tracks which are present in the to subdirectories. Enter the number of
   the track. Now you will be asked for the new names. If you want you can answer 
   simply by pressing enter. The given names for the tracks
   will be copied. The reason for renaming is, if the trackname is longer than the
   available space. From v1.12 on the length is not longer restricted but the use of
   longer (or shorter names) can cause problems in the resuts screen at the end of
   a race. If the different length of the names cause problems do not use longer names
   then the original ones. If you want to use a shorter name, fill the name with spaces
   at the beginning.

   You have 7 different configurations available. For config 7 you can create and
   load as many new configurations you want.
   
   In the main menue you can decide which configuration you want export. Don't
   use the export option if your game is patched with the new circuits of IA at
   the same time!! This will definitly destroy your gp2.exe.
   
   Another way to export a configuration is to use the program with a
   command-line parameter. Use: Trackman x   whith x = 1, 2 .. 7. 
   x is the number of the configurationset you want to export. 

   If you want to know more about creating a good order of the tracks visit the
   Track Manager Homepage at: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/7479/

   Every configuration uses its own f1gstate.sav. A good possibility to use this 
   feature is: Create a new configuration. Export it to the game. Copy the crec.exe
   utility ((c) Brett Knuchel brett_knuchel@geocities.com) to the gp2 directory. 
   Reset the records for the exchanged tracks or fill in your own or official 
   track records for the track. 
  
   


Its possible now to change the length of a track in the menu "Options"(9), "Edit track
settings"(9).

If you are not familiar with km choose in "Options"(9), "Change names and settings"(8) 
the option: miles.

Frank Ahnert made a fantastic util called gp2hipic.exe. Trackman can use this tool and
automatically update the images in the track selection screen of gp2. The image files
have to be in the same directory as the track files. The small images have the same name
as the trackfile but with the extension: gif. The bigger images have the same name plus
the letter b added to the name. 

Example:
Brasil (the files have to be in trackman\oldc because its an original track):
Track file:   f1ct01.dat
Small image:  f1ct01.gif
Big image:    f1ct01b.gif

The same with all tracks in both directories, trackman\oldc for the original tracks
and trackman\newc for all new tracks.

If you want to use this feature together with GP2hipic, the program gp2hipic.exe must be
in the main directory of trackman usually gp2\trackman. If the file is present, you can
enable this function in the "Options"(9), "Change names and settings"(8) Menue.

I do not recommend to export the big pictures too. Its useless in my opinion and it 
needs too long. Nevertheless, if you want it enable it.

More information about the track manager, all needed tools and images is on the
Track Manager Homepage:

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/7479/

Another thing: If you want to use more tracks and configuration sets, install trackman
twice or more in different directories (tman1, tman2). Only be carefull, when you switch
between different trackmen, in this case allways config no. 6 should be active because
this config is the same for all different installations.




7. New tracks


   If you want to use new edited tracks copy them to \newc and give them a free name as
   it is f1ct04.dat. Possible are names from f1ct01.dat until f1ct96.dat The best 
   is not to use filenames whitch are used by tracks from the Track Pack.
   
   You can find the file than in the track selection screen. But without 
   a name its featured as: unknown (or with the name found by the autodetect function).
   If you only want to test a track just select it
   as usuall and enter the names and number of laps during selection. If you find a
   track is good and you want to use it further on, its better to change the default 
   values for the track to its correct names and numbers. Its more simple then, to
   select the track if you want to change a configuration. You can do this in the 
   Menue: Options / Edit track settings (9/9).


8. Players car performance depends on selected team

   This is already known from the Track Pack editor. It doesn't work correct in
   multiplayer modus. After the first switch to the next player during the race 
   the players car gets the whole power back. If you drive against someone else
   and you want to have different car power, its the best to select this feature
   !and! a value for race power in the middle beetween all players. Do this with 
   gp2edit. 
   



9. Miscellaneous

   This program has been tested with UK English and German v1.0b GP2 version.
   It should work with any other versions too.
   This program is freeware. Use it whenever you want and distribute it as long as 
   it is not modified in any way, no money charged and distributed with this file. 
   For any problem or idea contact me by e-mail: akrausse@ix.urz.uni-heidelberg.de.


10. Trouble shooting
   
   Problems during installation:
   Mostly the errors have a simple reason:
   Path not found/ file not found. This happens when you didn't install the 
   Track Manager utility in a subdirectory directly in the path of gp2. Use a directory 
   like C:\GP2\Trackman if this error occurs. Another reason could be that you don't 
   have a full installation of GP2 !AND! the Nocdrom utility, so Track Man can't find 
   the directory \gp2\circuits\*.*.

   Faults in the result screens:
   As the trackmanager by IA did, the use of longer (or shorter names) for the tracks
   causes faults on my Cx Pr 166+ with a Diamond Stealth 3D 2000 Graphicboard. The 
   screen "Accelerated time" and the result screens are full of wrong characters and 
   the computer can even crash. On my 486er the use of longer names makes nearly no
   problems. Sometimes there are 2 characters added to the name of the circuit in the
   result screens but thats all.

   What to do if your computer crashes when you are using longer names:

   The use of one or two different lengths in the names normally makes never any 
   problems. If you use more than this and you get the problems try to shorten one 
   name and if you use shorter than the original names, fill the names with spaces. 
   Try it again until the problems are gone. If you have real heavy problems with 
   this, better use v1.11 of the program (Tman1_11.exe in the zip file). v1.11 can't 
   change the length of names in the gp2.exe. This means you shouldn't use longer 
   names then the original ones. Otherwise the names will be cutted at the end during 
   export to the game. If you use a shorter name the program will fill the rest with 
   spaces at the beginning. This is mostly the best looking way.


11. Disclaimer

   I'm not resposible for any damage to your Grand Prix 2 files, so allways
   have a backup of GP2.Exe and the circuits (you allready have it on CD and the
   program creates it automatically too).

12. Thanks to Brett Knuchel for his informations about the track length format and for
    his crec util, thanks to Frank Ahnert for his gp2hipic util and finally thanks to 
    Paul Hoad for his incredible Track Editor.


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