Able to switch from right to left hand drive?

[the.hatter]

Did a search, but got nowhere with the results ... too many short, common keywords in my question is my guess.

Will we be able to switch cars from right to left hand drive? And vice versa I suppose.

It actually doesn't bug me as much as I thought it would in Prologue, but I would like to have the option to flip sides in the final version.

While I understand that a car's native country might use right hand drive, an import into the US is going to be left hand drive. It's probably opposite for American cars exported overseas - if this happens lol. Not sure anybody wants our cars.

Anybody know? Thanks!

 

[Seismica]

I don't think it matters to be honest. But it wouldn't take much effort to mirror the interior (Except for the dials and such). I don't see the point though.

 

[Smoke&Slide]

It's a possibility, it could be an option similar to changing from AT to MT.Or race and drift mode.

 

[Seismica]

It's a possibility, it could be an option similar to changing from AT to MT.Or race and drift mode.

Nah i think it should be an option when you buy the car.

I highly doubt it will be included in the game, but we can hope. Its too late to add it to the game now i feel.

 

[Raitziger]

I like my cars as they are on their domestic market. Old Jaguar with LHD just is not respectful

 

[Glubags]

I'm sure they'll be accurately modeled for their respective markets... for instance, the USDM S2000 will be LHD, while the JDM S2000 will certainly be RHD.

Even in GTPSP, the "cockpit" view for the cars mentioned above have the appropriate seating positions.

 

[WolfRacer543]

It'd be nice for common cars available in different configurations in real life to have the same option in game. I'd certainly rather buy the RHD version of a car if I have the option, unless its a purely LHD car in real life. My wheel is always set up so the shifter is on my right, which always feels awkward when playing a game in a LHD car, and I can't be bothered changing it all the time (not even sure how well I can change gears with my right hand).

 

[Dave A]

I doubt it, it would mean PD have to model each cars interior twice and save two models of each cars interior on disk. It'd be too big a job for a feature that doesn't matter.

 

[Raitziger]

It'd be too big a job for a feature that doesn't matter.

I would like them focus making hand animation something like it is in LFS or at least what it was in GT4. (match animation with real rotations of 900 degree wheel)

 

[the.hatter]

I doubt it, it would mean PD have to model each cars interior twice and save two models of each cars interior on disk. It'd be too big a job for a feature that doesn't matter.

Yea, I'm not too hopeful.

Before playing Prologue, I thought the right hand drive cars would feel odd to me, but they really don't.

I gotta think PD has included some surprise options though, it's no secret they've been working on the game for awhile lol!

 

[WolfRacer543]

I doubt it, it would mean PD have to model each cars interior twice and save two models of each cars interior on disk. It'd be too big a job for a feature that doesn't matter.

Well a lot of cars wouldn't have the option as the real life counterpart wouldn't, then the cars that do have the option many could just mirror the dash layout and rearrange the existing gauges. Only a few cars would actually require a complete different model.

 

[Hun200kmh]

As long as I don't have to use my left arm to use the G25 shifter unit, I really don't care.

PS - I use bumper cam

 

[Dave A]

Well a lot of cars wouldn't have the option as the real life counterpart wouldn't, then the cars that do have the option many could just mirror the dash layout and rearrange the existing gauges. Only a few cars would actually require a complete different model.

If it were that simple I'm sure they'd do it, unfortunately it's not. Just mirroring the dash is possible ofcourse, but it wouldn't be accurate. The dials and switches and everything would be in the wrong positions and you can't simply move them. Most of the mesh would have to be completely re-done.

 

[Strittan]

I think it couldn't be more correct than it already is. Japanese, australian and british cars should all be right hand drive. I use the cockpit view and I'm not the least bit bothered.

 

[WolfRacer543]

If it were that simple I'm sure they'd do it, unfortunately it's not. Just mirroring the dash is possible ofcourse, but it wouldn't be accurate. The dials and switches and everything would be in the wrong positions and you can't simply move them. Most of the mesh would have to be completely re-done.

A lot of cars would work fine simply mirrored. Like the ZR1 (just randomly picked a car)...

Most of it is a mirror, except the center console (barring the shifter). The gauges obviously aren't mirrored, but they are the same just fitted into the new location. How easy it is to move the gauges across depends on how PD have modeled them.

Or the i30 (again, randomly picked)

I know thats 2 different models with 2 different radios, but look at the curves, the vents, the glovebox, all looks pretty mirrored to me. If you want to recreate the LHD from the RHD of that, mirror everything except the centre bit, then copy and paste the gauges from the left to the right.

Not saying it'd be super easy, I sure wouldn't want to have to do it but its not like they have to make a whole new interior for most cars. If it takes, say, a week for 1 person to model the interior of the car, it might take half a day to model the other configuration of the same car, and most of the mesh files and textures would be common. Depends how PD have modeled it of course.

 

[myke6699]

A lot of cars would work fine simply mirrored. Like the ZR1 (just randomly picked a car)...

Most of it is a mirror, except the center console (barring the shifter). The gauges obviously aren't mirrored, but they are the same just fitted into the new location. How easy it is to move the gauges across depends on how PD have modeled them.

.... If you want to recreate the LHD from the RHD of that, mirror everything except the centre bit, then copy and paste the gauges from the left to the right.

Not saying it'd be super easy, I sure wouldn't want to have to do it but its not like they have to make a whole new interior for most cars. If it takes, say, a week for 1 person to model the interior of the car, it might take half a day to model the other configuration of the same car, and most of the mesh files and textures would be common. Depends how PD have modeled it of course.

What you seemed to forget is that you still have to deal with the exterior views (F+R) and most of all the replays (from all angles). That may not seem so important to sim-racer but for car lovers like me, the replay is the bread and butter of GT.

And once you mirror the inside, there's more to do including the driver (and in Rally race, the co-driver)- unlike the other games, they're not necessarily stuck to the headrest

 

[Jay]

Wont happen, we will be stuck with which ever car they modelled it off. Like prologue, which is fine by me and I wouldn't want it any other way.

 

[WolfRacer543]

What you seemed to forget is that you still have to deal with the exterior views (F+R) and most of all the replays (from all angles). That may not seem so important to sim-racer but for car lovers like me, the replay is the bread and butter of GT.

And once you mirror the inside, there's more to do including the driver (and in Rally race, the co-driver)- unlike the other games, they're not necessarily stuck to the headrest

I dont quite understand what you mean. If you flip the mesh and rearrange the gauges, it'll change it regardless of what camera angle you have (unless the game stores different meshes for each view, which would seem a bit silly). The driver and co-driver are as simple as moving them from one side of the car to the other, why would it be any more complicated than that?

I dont think it'll happen, but at the same time I dont see it as a hard thing to do.

 

[Raitziger]

Gearboxes aslo would not look right if animation is mirrored.

 

[WolfRacer543]

Gearboxes aslo would not look right if animation is mirrored.

Well they'd already have animations for both left and right hand drive cars. Not sure how complicated it is to modify them to make sure they reach the gearstick (or if they even bother reaching the gearstick properly).

 

[Dave A]

I don't think you understand, when you've made a complete wire frame mesh, it's not easy to just start moving things around. The shape of the dash would be fine mirrored, but then you've got all the dials and switches and the gearbox etc that all need to be moved then you'd have to re-texture because that'd be wrong as well, all the lettering would be backwards. It's a bigger job than I think you realise shifting them all around and re-texturing, especially for the hundereds of cars that would have left and right hand drive. Put simply, it's a big task for something that's not a problem in the first place.

 

[WolfRacer543]

I don't think you understand, when you've made a complete wire frame mesh, it's not easy to just start moving things around. The shape of the dash would be fine mirrored, but then you've got all the dials and switches and the gearbox etc that all need to be moved then you'd have to re-texture because that'd be wrong as well, all the lettering would be backwards. It's a bigger job than I think you realise shifting them all around and re-texturing, especially for the hundereds of cars that would have left and right hand drive.

Admittedly I dont do any modeling for games (except a bit of screwing around in older games like turning the Monaro in an earlier NFS game into a convertible), however I do quite a lot of 3D CAD and also work with meshes alot doing CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and FEA for University and also for work. I really dont see where the problem is. 95% of it comes down to one of two tasks, either mirror or cut and paste. Things that dont get mirrored (textures for text, steering wheels, gauges, radios, dials are the things that come to mind) will get cut and paste after the rest of the part has been mirrored. The last 5% is fixing the little geometries which don't want to be either mirrored nor cut and paste.

If you gave me a 3D CAD file in UGS NX format of non-textured car interior (simply because NX5/6 is the CAD program that I'm most familiar), complete with gauges, knobs, steering wheel, text (assuming the text is a 3D mesh and not a texture) and whatever, if it took you a week to make, I bet I could turn it from LHD to RHD in a couple of hours. Admittedly the textures I'm not brilliant with, but I know some great photoshoppers who could probably do the same for the textures. Its as simple as 1) identify geometries that are either mirrored or cut/paste jobs, 2) copy all the cut/paste jobs elsewhere temporarily, 3) mirror everything else 4) paste in all the bits that weren't mirrored, 5) fix geometry in areas where the cut/paste didn't line up properly (such in cars where the instrument panel isn't symmetrical enough to copy/paste from one side to the other).

If you gave me the pure mesh file, I could probably still do it quite quickly if you gave me a decent meshing program (and I assume graphic designers have far better meshing software than what I use for my CFD which is relatively simplistic and focused on efficient mesh generation rather than manipulation). Even some of the CFD meshers I've used let you delete nodes, mirror elements, and paste new elements in (in batches obviously, you dont have to do each node and element individually). The only thing would be fixing the geometry at the end would be slightly more complicated with a mesh rather than a CAD geometry.

It'd only be hard to do if the CAD program or meshing program you have is junk or you designed your models badly so they are difficult to edit.

Put simply, it's a big task for something that's not a problem in the first place.

I'm not denying its a big task, however I think you guys over estimate it. It'd take a fraction of the time it took to create the original interior models. Its not like pushing the release date back several months, its more like hiring another dude to work alongside your modelers for a couple of months to get through all the cars (and not all 1000 would need to be done, as many wouldn't have the option in real life anyway).

Is it worth it? I dunno. Will it happen? Probably not. Is it a problem? Well I think so... I'd like to be able to drive cars that have a RHD option in RHD given thats what I do every day and its how my G25 is set up.

 

[speedfreak69]

WolfRacer543 - Precisely my thinking. I've also done some 3D work in 3dStudio and it really isn't that hard to do. I'd prefer my cars in LHD thank you very much.

 

[cletus 669]

Or just use bumper cam!💡 Just kidding!

 

[Dave A]

WolfRacer, if we're talking about editing a single mesh for a simple dash your right, it's not a terribly difficult task on it's own. However, we're talking about doing this for hundereds of cars, many of which do not have simple dashes. At the end of the day it's work for the sake of work. There's no problem as it is and you are talking about a lot of man hours to create LHD and RHD interiors for every car that is available with them both. It ould also add an extra 50% to the data size of each of thoes cars models. It's simply not a practical suggestion in any way.

 

[Hun200kmh]

I suggest international law bans RHD cars so that Kaz can work on a perfect game without having to deal with this MAJOR issue. A few epic crashes in countries where people got used to drive on the wrong side of the road don't matter much anyway ...

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

-> I also prefer the option before purchasing the car. But to lessen complications on PD's part, just leave it as it is, because not all cars are available in RHD/LHD, like TVR (RHD) and Fisker (LHD). And I rather have more cars than sorting all this mumbo jumbo.

 

[TokyoDrift]

It's a neat idea in theory, but one I doubt will happen - certainly not this time around. RHD and LHD is a fact of global motoring, and so I'm quite happy to see cars left in their native guise, even if it does mean that my UK spec RHD car ends up LHD in the game! Ultimately it matters not anyway, because I prefer to use hood cam if available, or bumper cam failing that.

When I went to the US earlier in the year, it was my first time driving abroad, so my first time on the wrong side of the road and the car. But, you only need to follow one simple rule to avoid confusion - position yourself so that you are towards the middle of the road/carriageway. Still, even that doesn't prepare you for the 4-way mandatory stop crossings Get a few more roundabouts there guys!

 

[WolfRacer543]

However, we're talking about doing this for hundereds of cars, many of which do not have simple dashes.

I'm sure there's some that have complicated dashes that would take more time, but I dont think it would be THAT many, and I'm guessing a lot of the ones that do are only available in 1 configuration anyway so wouldn't be altered in game either.

I dont think most car manufacturers want to make it complicated, it makes life harder for them.

Have a look, see if you can find cars which would have dashes that can't be swapped from LHD to RHD with simple cut/pastes and mirroring. I'm sure you'll find some, but you'll probably also see that most cars can be easily swapped... all the random searches I've done thus far would be easy swaps. Another example...

Look at the instrument panel, speedo, tacho, etc, as well as the radio and climate control in the centre, the steering wheel, its all identical... just a cut and paste. All the curves of the dash, just mirror. Even the badge on the glovebox wouldn't be hard to move, just a bit of photoshop to blend it in properly... far faster than remaking it from scratch.

It doesn't make sense for car manufacturers to do it any other way... why would they want to design 2 separate instrument panels when they could just design 1. It wouldn't surprise me if even the curves of the dash are simply mirrored in CAD then the new numbers sent to a CNC machine of some description to make it. All the mechanical issues involved in converting a car are painful enough without having to redesign the visual features too.

At the end of the day it's work for the sake of work.

We'll jsut have to disagree on that point, because I dont think so, I think its work for the sake of some gain. In the time it takes to put 1 car into the game, you could probably convert 40 or 50 cars to have both LHD and RHD.

It may sound silly, but it does affect my ability to hit apexes in games when I'm in a LHD car instead of my "native" RHD, and feels unnatural to me to be driving a LHD car with my shifter on my left.

Obviously its not game breaking or anything like that, I'm not expecting PD to put in this detail and wont be crying when its not in the game, but its not a detail I'd gloss over if I were designing a game myself.

 

[cletus 669]

It's a neat idea in theory, but one I doubt will happen - certainly not this time around. RHD and LHD is a fact of global motoring, and so I'm quite happy to see cars left in their native guise, even if it does mean that my UK spec RHD car ends up LHD in the game! Ultimately it matters not anyway, because I prefer to use hood cam if available, or bumper cam failing that.

When I went to the US earlier in the year, it was my first time driving abroad, so my first time on the wrong side of the road and the car. But, you only need to follow one simple rule to avoid confusion - position yourself so that you are towards the middle of the road/carriageway. Still, even that doesn't prepare you for the 4-way mandatory stop crossings Get a few more roundabouts there guys!

Your right we definately need more roundabouts here!