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 How To Add New Courses 
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Post How To Add New Courses
As there seems to be a few 550.wav errors floating around which in the large part comes from new tracks not being fully created, just want to put a guide up on the full way to add a racecourse into the game to try and cut out any more errors appearing.

The way some courses are being added means they are sharing WP files which with commentary preset to 'on' when installing modded schedule will in some cases cause a 550.wav error.

To add a new racecourse -

Take the data from the decrypted courses.dat file containing the track you want to copy located in the appropriate folder number in data. This does not have to be from the same country that you want to add a course to.
Paste it into the decrypted courses.dat file of the country you want to add a track to, change the course name and encrypt.

For example if I'm adding Deauville but I want the track to be like Goodwood I would take -

Goodwood
0
1
RH386
F,0,A3


from courses.dat in folder 1(UK), paste it into courses.dat in folder 5(FRE), then change Goodwood to Deauville and encrpyt.

Deauville
0
1
RH386
F,0,A3


Then go into the WP folder in folder 1, copy file 13 (goodwood track data) paste it to the desktop, rename it to 4 (as there are 3 initial French tracks) and paste it into the WP folder in folder 5.

Finally in the gfx folder, go to race. In tracks 1 copy 13 (goodwood track picture) paste to desktop, rename as 4 and paste it into tracks 5.


Job done.

If your getting a 550.wav error from a modded schedule, and the raceday it is crashing on has a non game original track on it, you need to copy an appropriate WP file, (one from a track with the same design), paste and then renumber to match the track causing the issue.


Fri Jan 29, 2010 8:21 pm
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Thanks Dancing Brave!!

I don't suppose you could explain what all the figures mean ie the 0, 1, RH etc

Cheers.


Fri Jan 29, 2010 8:55 pm
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Afraid not, only know one line.
The 1 is for a grass surface. Can also have 2 and 3, which is for the all weather. I presume one is for polytrack, the other for fibresand but it's hard to tell which is which as Kempton and Wolverhampton have a 3, Southwell and Lingfield have a 2. I would have expected Lingfield/Wolverhampton and Kempton/Southwell as the surface pairings if that was the case so not 100% sure on that.

The fourth line either starts R or L, obviously to signify Right or Left handed but that isn't much use as I have no idea about the rest of it.


Fri Jan 29, 2010 10:17 pm
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I thought some of that may state where the start and finish positions are located. I'm not sure though.


Sat Jan 30, 2010 3:35 am
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Post 
Just in case, if anyone doesn't know this..

You will need to put the modified course files back into their appropriate folders after installing patches, just like modified schedules and showcases.
I was pulling my hair out wondering why my game wouldn't load up after installing a patch, until it finally dawned on me.


Sat Jan 30, 2010 9:20 am
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Scatters wrote:
I don't suppose you could explain what all the figures mean ie the 0, 1, RH etc


The first line of data is to do with draw effect and straight course, and only applies to flat courses (jumps courses will always just be RN000 or LN000).

The first letter denotes right or left-handed course, and will obviously only ever be L or R.
The second letter denotes whether a high draw or low draw is favoured, or whether there is no draw effect. This will always be H, L or N (for no draw advantage).
The first digit denotes the significance of the draw effect, and can range from 0 (when there is no draw advantage) to 9, which is the highest possible draw advantage.
The second digit denotes the maximum race distance to which the draw advantage has effect. Again, a 0 here means no draw advantage, while a 6 would mean that the draw advantage has effect in races up to 6 furlongs, and so on. Only one digit can be used, so for courses where the draw advantage has effect over distances longer that 9 furlongs, letters are used, so 10 furlongs would be A, up to 20 furlongs, which would be K.
The third digit denotes the maximum race distance which can be run on a straight course. If no races can be run on the straight (such as at Chester) this is shown as a 0, while, for example, if there is a straight mile course, this would be an 8.

The second line of data is to do with course characteristics.

The first letter (or series of letters) refers to how flat (or not) the course is, and the following abbreviations are used:
F = Flat
G = Galloping
S = Stiff
U = Undulating
MU = Minor Undulations
Combinations of these can also be used, so sometimes you might see GS or GMU, for example.

The number after this refers to the total length of the course. However, some courses show as 0, and I'm not sure why! It usually denotes the total length of a course where there is no loop, such as at Epsom or Newmarket, or the total length of one circuit on all other courses.

The final letter(s) (and occasionally numbers) denote the following (for flat courses):
S = Sharp (when accompanied by a number, for example 4, this means the final 4 furlongs are sharp)
T = Testing (when accompanied by a number, for example 4, this means the final 4 furlongs are uphill and testing)
V = Very Sharp (same as above applies)
X = Very Testing (same as above applies)
A = Downhill & Sharp (can only be accompanied by a number, for example 4, meaning the final 4 furlongs are downhill and sharp)
B = Downhill & Very Sharp (same as above applies)
Please note, for courses where none of the above is relevant, this part is just left blank. For jumps courses, the same codes tend to apply, however an S by itself tends to denote stiff fences, while N,S seems to denote sharp. Not sure why this is.

There is also an optional line of data that can now be entered, before the first line detailed above. It enables you to set a maximum distance that can be run at any flat course where it's not possible to run 2m4f. So, Epsom, for example, has an extra line Limit:12 added, meaning the maximum distance that can be run at that course is 12 furlongs.


Sat Jan 30, 2010 10:32 am
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Panther,

Brilliant stuff, you any idea what the 0 stands for in the example. I've looked through the different nations and although it changes for some, I can't seem to see a pattern or work out what it relates to.


Sat Jan 30, 2010 1:33 pm
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Not 100% sure, to be honest. I know that in previous versions, when all the courses were in the one file, there were different country codes, but obviously this wouldn't apply to SO4, as there are separate files for each country.


Sat Jan 30, 2010 5:36 pm
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Wow, many thanks panther!!


Sun Jan 31, 2010 3:32 am
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Post Anyone any idea about the wp files
I know each one corresponds to the course, and i'm hoping the game uses this data to describe the course i.e turn,uphill downhill. I would like to alter a couple of tracks beverley and pontefract so they have uphill finishes. I have done it on the courses.dat file for the description but the courses still remain flat. Does anyone know what all the numerical fields mean :?:


Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:38 pm
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Think Panther covered that -

Quote:
T = Testing (when accompanied by a number, for example 4, this means the final 4 furlongs are uphill and testing)
V = Very Sharp (same as above applies)
X = Very Testing (same as above applies)


Wed Feb 03, 2010 7:46 pm
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I've done that, but it doesnt change the course charactaristics just the description, i.e you dont get the up arrow when they are going uphill.


Thu Feb 04, 2010 4:36 pm
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Thinking about it, the actual course configuration is in the WP file, so to actually make a course have an uphill finish, you'd need to adjust that but I couldn't begin to tell you whats what with it.


Thu Feb 04, 2010 9:21 pm
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does this guide apply to all, or just UK flat and jumps?


Mon Jan 03, 2011 12:28 pm
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As far as I'm aware it should apply to all.


Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:32 pm
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