The SIM Dashboard Community Designs Thread

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by XTRMNTR2K, Apr 9, 2022.

  1. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    I need help. HELP! I think I'm addicted to making SIM Dashboard designs. :oops:

    While I said that I would most likely work on the F-USA Gen 1 and G55 GT3 next, there was another one that had caught my eye recently - the McLaren 570S GT4. I'll be the first to admit that I haven't driven the GT4 cars in AMS2 as much as they deserve (yet) - they are great fun, especially with the latest revisions to the tires.

    McLaren 570S GT4 for AMS2
    mclaren_570s_gt4.jpg

    Most of the work spent on this dash (while watching the Nürburgring 24h :D) was getting the overall layout right and finding the right widget and settings for the RPM bar. The first iteration had a straight horizontal bar, but then I remembered the custom curved RPM widget had pretty much all the options I needed, so I went with that one.

    There are a few more features not seen in the image above, such as brake bias and pit limiter popups, and orange-colored flashing RPM LEDs when the pit limiter is active. And speaking of the LED bar, it is well in sync with the in-game display... Even though I think the maximum RPM values are set too low (so the blue lights activate way too early)... But that's up to personal taste, I guess.

    It's not too crazy or flashy, but it looks decent and gets the job done.
     
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  2. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    Since the Formula Classic cars were included in the latest batch of updates to the tire carcass model, I spent a few hours with them yesterday. Aside from the fact that all of them are now even more fun to drive than ever before I noticed a distinct lack of SIM Dashboard designs for them! Not anymore!

    Formula Classic G1 & G2 for AMS2 (F1 1986 & 1988)
    formula_classic_g1_and_g2.jpeg

    A very simple design that is faithful to the original with the exception of the shift light that I found a useful addition. The RPM gauge also starts at 2,000 rather than 5,000 RPM which is currently a limitation of the app.

    This dash is used by the Formula Classic G1M1 as well as the entire F-Classic Generation 2.

    Formula Classic G1M2 for AMS2 (F1 1986)
    formula_classic_g1m2.jpeg

    Similar to the one above, this design covers the F-Classic G1M2 car, which has its own dashboard. Unfortunately turbo boost pressure is not yet supported (not sure if it's an AMS2 or SIM Dashboard thing right now), so I decided to go with an oil pressure dial instead.

    Otherwise the same as the one in the sim, but with an added shift light.

    Formula Classic G3M3 for AMS2 (F1 1991)
    formula_classic_g3m3.jpeg
    Pretty much exactly the same as in the game. Though I hope I didn't get the model number wrong - but this should be the Gen 3 Model 3.

    The remaining Generation 3 models will probably follow when I have the time to do them.
     
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  3. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    As I promised earlier, I covered the remaining two cars in the F-Classic Generation 3 as well. Here are the results:

    Formula Classic G3M1 (F1 1991) for AMS2
    formula_classic_g3m1_v2.jpeg

    Not much to say, really. The features are rather minimal, but what I find interesting as that the G3M1 apparently uses the same dashboard as the Mercedes CLK LM GT1 with only a few minor differences.

    Formula Classic G3M2 (F1 1991) for AMS2
    formula_classic_g3m2.jpeg

    Another relatively basic dash. Similar to the other Formula Classics, the RPM graphics doesn't match the one in-game 1:1 because the one in the sim doesn't start until 6,000 or 9,000 RPM. Sadly this isn't possible in SIM Dashboard right now when using a type of display that dynamically generates the RPM range; and even for those that support custom values, the highest starting value is still 2,000 RPM.

    Other than that? I like it - and I hope so do you!
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2022
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  4. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    Spent some time racing the F-Ultimate Gen 2 on Sunday, but also ended up driving a few laps with the F-Ultimate 2019. I noticed that my previous designs aren't quite up to date - and, additionally, the car is still missing an ERS display as well. Naturally I decided to fix this. Note that this is not an update to the existing designs but an independent one in case anyone still prefers the old layouts.

    Formula Ultimate 2019 for AMS2
    [​IMG]

    The look and features are as close to the in-game display as possible, with a few notable differences. These changes and additions are:

    • Pit Limiter (green) and Rain Light (red) Indicators left and right of the RPM LED bar
    • Instead of the previous Sector Delta, the number display below the current Lap Time is the Live Delta to your Personal Best. (While some AMS2 cars have this Last Sector Delta function, SIM Dashboard does not.)
    • ERS Bar
    • Brake Bias and Pit Limiter Popups: These occupy the space otherwise used by the Lap Time display, so I essentially tried to make these as unobtrusive as possible.

    Furthermore, the white RPM bar as well as the LED bar have been adjusted to closely match the behavior of the in-game display - the margin of error should be within 1% of minimum and maximum RPM respectively.

    I hope you enjoy using this design!
     
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  5. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    Two new entries for today!

    Porsche Cayman GT4 for AMS2
    [​IMG]

    First up is the Porsche Cayman GT4. I'll have to admit it had been a while since I drove it, and I never spent that much time with it in the first place. It's a fun car though, and I was shocked to see that no one had uploaded a proper dashboard design for it yet.

    Look and functionality are almost fully identical to the in-game dash; a few changes had to be made, in particular on the right part of the display. The left side also features session time and lap time instead of an odometer. Otherwise it's as close to the real thing as possible (including illuminated dials when headlights are turned on).


    Formula USA Generation 3 for AMS2
    [​IMG]

    A few weeks ago I promised that I would work on the Formula USA Gen 3 next. Turns out I kept getting distracted by other dashboard designs among other things and I'm a little late...
    Today it has finally arrived!

    It's not too spectacular, but works well - and I'm proud for successfully using some trickery to get the LED bars to work as intended. :D

    Functionality is the same as in AMS2, with the exception of the bottom display - as I said before, last sector delta isn't supported by SIM Dashboard yet (not even sure if it's possible), so I used Live Delta to PB instead. The cockpit background is based on a screenshot from the game, by the way.

    Enjoy!
     
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  6. Eric Rowland

    Eric Rowland Well-Known Member AMS2 Club Member

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    Splendid!
    Beautiful designs and nice to see AMS2 getting the attention it deserves!
    Continue the good work!
     
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  7. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    Thank you so much! I greatly appreciate your feedback! :) It's hard to tell how many people even find these designs useful, as there is no metric in the app or on the website to see how many times a given design has been downloaded, for example.

    To be honest, coming up with new SIM Dashboard designs is approximately half of my motivation to do any sim racing these days... The other half is pretty much the amazing content and driving experience in AMS2 that only keeps getting better and better.

    Considering that there is still a bright future ahead for this sim and there are more car dashboards to cover it looks like I'm not going to stop making these designs anytime soon. :D
     
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  8. 2ndLastJedi

    2ndLastJedi Free speech matters AMS2 Club Member

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    I really like your work, Sim Dashboard looks really nice.

    I made the GT4 Porsche (and many others) but in SimHub
    Screenshot_20220628-220508_Chrome.jpg

    But after seeing your work I wonder if SimHub or Sim Dashboard do a better job?
    I really struggle with the Merc GT1 and similar rev gauge in SimHub, really tedious, is it tedious in Sim Dashboard?
     
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  9. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    Oooh, I love what you did there! :cool: Especially how faithful the design is to the real thing. :)

    And thanks a lot for your input! As for your question, it's hard to give a definitive answer, especially since I never really tried SimHub for more than a few minutes aside from having a quick look at the software a while ago. By then I had already been a long-time SIM Dashboard user, so I didn't get a chance to dig in too deep.

    I take it you are talking about curved RPM displays, and to be honest those are probably going to be tedious to get right due to their nature, regardless of the software used. Making those isn't that different between the android app and the browser-based SIM Dashboard Studio on PC - but other than that I have pretty much switched to the PC-based Studio one hundred percent, because it is so much easier to work with. Not to mention more precise, as you can adjust positioning of individual widgets using the arrow keys if need be.

    Back on the topic of curved RPM displays with custom shapes, the way it works is that you get 4 upper and 4 lower points in the curve, each with X and Y values you can adjust. You can do some cool stuff with those - within certain limitations. For instance, I tried making an almost complete circle using this function but it doesn't look very good. But for most intents and purposes it gets the job done well enough.

    Overall I like the ease of use of the app, not to mention the sheer versatility if you play a lot of different racing, driving (trucking!) or even flight sims. Heck, there's even support for farming simulations if that's what you like! :D And sharing designs with the community as well as downloading them is pretty easy as well - no matter if you look from within the app or scan a QR code from the website.

    Right now, there are a few downsides when using it in conjunction with AMS2 though, as certain values and features aren't integrated for AMS2 yet, such as ERS deployment state among other things. These things are going to be added with an update, though, so it's just a matter of time. :)

    If you're unsure I'd say give the free version a try. You are limited to three widgets (or some more complex widgets that can count for a maximum of three simple ones), but other than that you should get a feel for what working with it feels like. After all, the most important aspect is that you are comfortable with the app of your choice. :)
     
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  10. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    Alright everyone, today is a first for me: I present to you my first multi-page dashboard, consisting of three pages!

    Porsche 911 Cup / GT3 for AMS2 Page 1/3
    [​IMG]

    Porsche 911 Cup / GT3 for AMS2 Page 2/3
    [​IMG]

    Porsche 911 Cup / GT3 for AMS2 Page 3/3
    [​IMG]

    stryder-it's already excellent Porsche 911 GT3 R Endurance dasboard was used as base for this design. Both Cup 911s as well as the GT3 version in the sim use the exact same display, which consists of three different display modes. It's easy to forget about these modes, since not a lot of cars make use of multi-page designs in AMS2 (yet)!

    The original SIM Dashboard design already does a great job replicating the main page as well as throwing in some extra info such as the position and number of laps. I started by adjusting a few details in some places, such as font sizes and colors, until I was satisfied with the result. The next step was adding a visual indicator so you immediately see which one of the pages is currently active - this is denoted by the three rectangles below the ABS and TC displays (which are not functional yet, but will be once this feature is enabled for AMS2 in SIM Dashboard!).

    There is quite a bit going on in the info bar at the bottom, such as ABS, PIT limiter, fuel warning and other indicators - feel free to change or remove them if you find them distracting.

    When using these designs in any combination I suggest binding shortcut keys in your SIM Dashboard Server software so you can quickly switch between different designs; there is also at least one thing I need to fix in an update, which is the LED bar - I forgot to swap the number of medium (blue) and high (orange) RPM lights, and only noticed my mistake after uploading all three pages. Oh well - it's one more thing to do once the ABS/TC info becomes available... Or an easy fix to make for yourself if you are so inclined. :)

    I hope you enjoy these!


    P.S.: Next up should be the 911 RSR GTE, though I can't say when. But I will do that one as soon as I can!
     
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  11. torsteinvh

    torsteinvh Active Member AMS2 Club Member

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    Very nice work as usual :)
    I've currently switched from a 49" Ultrawide to triples, and to get the correct screen height for the triples to align correctly, I've had to mount them higher than the 49". As a consequence the on screen dashboards no are longer visible behind my wheel, so now I use the Sim Dashboard all the time.
    So your designs have arrived perfectly timed :)
     
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  12. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    Thanks again for your support! :)
    Not being able to see the in-game dashboards can indeed be an issue depending on one's screen setup, and although I use TrackIR and could always simply look down, I prefer having a clearly visible SIM Dashboard substitute in front of me these days. :D
    (Also used to play with animated driver and wheel for years but recently switched to static wheel without driver, and I find it to be less distracting when using my tablet with SIM Dashboard, particularly when there would be some movement just at the edge of the visible area otherwise.)
     
  13. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    SIM Dashboard has just been updated... I guess I know what I'll be doing for the rest of the day. :D
     
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  14. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    Lots of improvements and new stuff today, folks!

    With the arrival of new sim data in SIM Dashboard's latest update, I started updating and fixing a few of my existing designs. If you're only here for the new stuff, feel free to skip this one and scroll ahead to my next post!

    Formula Ultimate 2019 for AMS2
    [​IMG]
    I made a few tweaks for the F-Ultimate 2019, such as adding a small number-based ERS mode indicator, as well as implementing the DRS function in a similar fashion to what you see in-game. It works like this: If DRS is available, the second LED (blue) turns on. When DRS is activated, LEDs #3 and #4 light up in green. The only difference to the in-game display is that the blue light stays on even when DRS is active. Maybe I am missing something but I have not yet been able to figure out how to make it so it turns off when DRS is actually activated (it should be easy enough if an "off", "on" and "intermediate" state were available, which is already the case for the smart text widget, but not for smart lamps). Other than that... Pretty much the same as before.

    Porsche Cayman GT4 for AMS2
    [​IMG]
    Not a huge thing, but I had actually messed up the RPM dial before. Oops. Should be fixed now.


    Ferrari F1-75 Leclerc Display for AMS2 (F-Ultimate Gen 2)
    [​IMG]
    Ah, one of my favorites! The F1-75 dash was obviously the main inspiration for the F-Ultimate Gen 2 display, so while adding new functionality I tried keeping it true to the original. Aside from a few color adjustments I adjusted the RPM LED range so it was more in line with other cars (I previously forgot to increase the minimum range, so it was something like 25% of max RPM, which is ridiculous for high-revving F1 engines).

    In addition, it now features proper ERS mode and DRS indicators. Oh, and I removed the brake bias popup, since brake balance is already displayed at all times.


    Formula Classic G1 & G2 for AMS2 (F1 1986 & 1988)
    [​IMG]
    A few simple tweaks to make it as close to the in-game dashboard as possible. The creator of SIM Dashboard implemented higher minimum RPM values for custom dials as I suggested, for which I am extremely grateful! Now this one is as authentic as it gets (except for the shift light, but you can easily delete it if you don't want that). :)


    Formula Classic G1M2 (F1 1986) for AMS2
    [​IMG]
    Another fix that only became possible with the latest update. Since boost pressure is now officially supported, I removed the oil pressure dial (which was sort of faking the effect), and also adjusted the RPM dial in terms of minimum RPM and angles.
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2022
  15. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    Alright folks, here comes the new stuff! As promised, the first one is a dashboard for the lovely Porsche 911 RSR GTE - which, needless to say, is an absolute blast to drive!

    Porsche 911 RSR GTE for AMS2
    [​IMG]
    Okay, so I think this one turned out super cool. Similar to what I did with the F-USA Gen 3 I decided to use a screenshot of the in-game cockpit as base for this, and then recreated the actual display with a combination of Photoshop and the app itself.

    Most features are self-explanatory, but what's really cool is the lockup and wheel-spin indicators. If you want an explanation of the real thing, look no further than this great tour of the cockpit by Kevin Estre:


    One minor difference is that I decided to go with a more pink-ish color for front-locking wheels rather than the purple that Estre mentioned. This was a deliberate decision to make it easier to differentiate between rear wheel-spin (blue) and the front locking up (pink). Locked up wheels in the rear are displayed in yellow.

    Oh, and Traction Control level is also shown (in the top right, the other aspects of TC adjustment such as timing are obviously not available in AMS... yet?).


    Alright, so we already got the F1-75 for the current-gen F-Ultimate. But what if you want something slightly more generic and closer to the actual F-Ultimate Gen 2 display?

    Formula Ultimate Gen 2 for AMS2
    [​IMG]
    I present to you the F-Ultimate Generation 2 display! Once again, I opted to use a screenshot as base and worked my way from there. Features are pretty much the same as in the sim, with one tiny difference in the LED behavior for DRS data (same thing as the F-Ultimate 2019).

    Works pretty well, if I may say so! Might add some kind of Pit Limiter popup in the future though, not sure about it yet.


    This is what I have been working on yesterday. I'll try and update a couple more designs later today, so they should hopefully be ready by tomorrow.

    As always, I hope you enjoy these! :)
     
  16. torsteinvh

    torsteinvh Active Member AMS2 Club Member

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    With the addition of working ABS and TC values the Sim Dashboard is now actually more functional than the in game dash :)
     
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  17. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    True! And I also find that data popups can be a viable way to keep track of certain changes (brake bias, ABS, TC, ERS mode) without them having to occupy space in a given design. Which means we now have a choice between similar behavior like the AMS2 in-game HUD for this information (as popup) or as permanent piece of information depending on the dashboard design. :D
     
  18. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    Another day, another update!

    Three of my BMW designs received a minor update. The M4 GT, M6 GT and M8 GTE all received ABS/TC info where applicable, and the M8 also got new background graphics and wheelspin/locking LED strips like the other GTEs have as well.

    BMW M8 GTE for AMS2
    [​IMG]


    Speaking of GTEs, I love Corvettes and the C8.R GTE is no exception to this (even though I miss the iconic front-engine layout of previous generations!)
    Corvette C8.R GTE for AMS2
    [​IMG]

    I know there are other C8.R dashboards available, but I decided I wanted to make it more personal, and this was a fun exercise anyway. Functionality is pretty much the same as in the sim - slightly expanded, actually, as I don't think the in-game TC state is working right now.

    The RPM LEDs had to be realized with three separate widgets, so please let me know if there is anything weird about their behavior. At least based on the limited time I spent testing the design there were no obvious issues.


    Oh, and I almost forgot: I attempted to update my multi-page 911 Cup / GT3 dashboards as well. Unfortunately I could only upload my changes to page 1. While I can upload the modified pages 2 and 3, the app won't allow me to do so as an update. I'm trying to find a fix for this. Anyway, the fixes are relatively minor - I fixed the number of mid/high RPM LEDs and added working ABS and TC info. So nothing too fancy that you couldn't do yourself if you want to. :)
    Porsche 911 Cup / GT3 for AMS2 Page 1/3
    [​IMG]

    Enjoy! :)
     
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  19. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    Today I have something special for all you vintage F1 lovers out there! :D

    Formula Vintage (generic) for AMS2
    [​IMG]
    Seeing how the F-Vintages of both generations are among the coolest and most fun cars to ever grace our computer screens (although far from being an easy drive), I finally decided it was time to show them some dashboard love.

    Look and functionality are pretty much the same as in AMS2 - the red RPM limit / shift needle position actually corresponds to the V8-powered G1M1 / G2M1. You can also use it with different, higher-revving cars such as the V12-powered generic model, in which case the needle starts moving until around max RPM (max RPM for the V12 anyway, which is slightly below 12,000).

    It's not flashy and doesn't have tons of information, but I am happy with the result. Took a while to get the look and feel right, but overall I am quite satisfied - and I'm a perfectionist, so that's saying a lot. :D


    This thread, however, was never meant to feature only my own designs - it just so happens I have mostly been occupied with those lately. There are tons of fantastic SIM Dashboard designs out there, some of which work great with the cars of AMS2.

    One such design is the 1978 Team Lotus 79 dash made by Tom Kruijssen:
    1978 Team Lotus 79 Classic Dash by Tom Kruijssen
    [​IMG]
    This works really well with the F-Retro Generation 1 (and to some degree Gen 2) cars, particularly the Lotus (duh!) , McLaren and generic V8 and V12 models, all of which share the same basic layout. The Brabham does have a different, simpler dashboard, though.

    Considering how well done this one is I'm not sure if I am going to attempt my own recreation, although I am most likely going to cover the Brabham next, along with the F-Vintage Lotus and Brabham.

    (Sidenote: As a personal modification I enabled the red shift light here, which is easy enough to do.)
     
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  20. XTRMNTR2K

    XTRMNTR2K I WANNA GO FAST! AMS2 Club Member

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    More Formula Vintage goodness today! :D

    Brabham BT26A for AMS2
    [​IMG]

    This one is pretty close to the in-game dash of the BT26A with a few differences. First off, I modeled this after reference photos for the BT26 - and even so, there appear to be several different configurations - so the positions of oil and water temperatures and such may be different. In fact, I think the in-game dashboard doesn't even feature an oil temp gauge! :eek:

    As for the fuel, the real car apparently has a fuel pressure gauge rather than a load indicator, but while the data is available, SIM Dashboard doesn't have an analog dial option for this type of information yet. That's why this design has a traditional fuel load dial instead.

    Visually speaking, the RPM dial is slightly closer to the real thing in my design, as the white circle bordering the numbers and lines doesn't actually go all the way around in the real thing, yet it does in AMS2.

    Either way, I really like the result! And it also makes me wish we'll see the BT24 in AMS2 as well some day... Those last wing-less F1 cars really hold a special place in my heart.


    On a positive side note, I managed to upload the improvements to pages 2 and 3 of my Porsche 911 Cup / GT3 design. As I said before, the only changes are the inclusion of ABS/TC info and a fix for the number of mid/high RPM lights. You can find them here:

    Porsche 911 Cup / GT3 for AMS2 Page 2/3
    [​IMG]

    Porsche 911 Cup / GT3 for AMS2 Page 3/3
    [​IMG]
     

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