X-Motor Racing (XMR) is an indie racing simulator developed by Russian studio Exotypos. The game features high precision physics simulation, online multiplayer and open architecture.
Featured is a fully customizable physics model — the tire model, suspension, or motor are available to tune in the game, including an advanced tire model with adjustable parameters, such as temperature and tire grip. X-Motor Racing has an advanced graphics engine, supporting True HDR rendering and FSAA. XMR SDK allows exporting all in-game physics data to build a motion platform, telemetry system or external controlling of the vehicles.
Open physics model and tools for creating cars and track allows using X-Motor Racing as professional software for driver training as well as entertainment. The game is used in education, real motor sport and automotive industry for R&D by some teams, for example, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, McGill University, ItalDesign or Red Bull Racing.
The developer releases new versions, updates and additional content very frequently. X-Motor Racing is a digital delivery product developed independently from scratch.
Gameplay
XMR works in single and multi player modes. Single player racing games includes Competition against AI, Hot Lap and Training modes. Multi player races can be launched through official or user hosted servers. There are several types of on-line sessions – practice, qualify and race. Multi player game supports up to 32 players. Max number of racers can be defined in the dedicated server software. Pit stop allows to recovery car, watch car state, temperatures, refuel and change tires. There is support for tuning of the steering system, brakes, suspension, transmission and tire changes in quick physics menu. Additional tuning including sprung/unsprung masses, aerodynamics, engine and tires can be done in "VehiclePhysics" software tool, which is included to the game.
Developer mode is a special mode for the modders that can help build most optimized cars and tracks. It displays current graphical information like scene triangles, cars triangles, reflection triangles, refraction triangles, triangles of the rear view mirror. Also it helps to tweak sounds for the engine and environment effects, displays list of the plying samples and its properties. Physics contour displays all contours for the physics simulation to optimize and convenience during creation.
Development and technology
The physics engine features real 3D tire simulation. The 3D simulator means that a car can move on any 3D surface, not only 2/2.5D racing track like in many other simulators. That's the main and fundamental difference between XMR and its competitors that use out of date simulation principles. Most of the present-day racing simulators are very limited due their physics engines and cannot move on any 3D surface.
Besides the physics engine covers all aspects of vehicle dynamics that can be tested immediately in the game. Many of the customizable car physics parameters include common mass and aerodynamic value, steering, brakes, engine, suspension, transmission properties and tyre model. XMR SDK allow reading internal physics information from the physics engine like position, speed, acceleration, forces, transform matrixes, suspension properties, tires data etc. XMR supports TORCS compatible UDP interface and can fully replace TORCS as more up-to-date alternative for "The TORCS Racing Board" competition.
X-Motor Racing has a telemetry system that displays all general parameters to control vehicle dynamics and tune vehicle physics real-time. Telemetry system displays properties, like engine torque, rpm. Suspension properties like offset, bump/rebound velocity etc. Aerodynamic information like drag, lift and side forces. Dynamical camber angles for the each tire. Longitudinal and lateral slip, longitudinal, lateral and vertical forces. G-G diagram. Force Feedback telemetry displays each component that influences on the final FF to tweak it very carefully. Tire model telemetry is a special mode that allows tweak tire model as much as possible precisely real-time. "VehiclePhysics" is a built-in utility that control more than 3700 vehicle physics parameters including full tire model based on the real researches.
Modifications
Modding is one of the strongest sides of XMR due to tools and open platform. High quality mods are available for downloading. Power XMR tools were released on October 6, 2007. WYSIWYG editor could create and edit tracks or cars. These tools can also be used to import any tracks or cars from many other racing games like rFactor, GTR2, Grand Prix 4, GTL etc. The full version includes a tutorial for creating/editing tracks and cars. All objects can be created using 3D Max and then exported to X-Motor Racing Editor which then exports to the game. The tool includes 3D Max export utility that allows exports any objects from 3D Max. A video tutorial how to create cars and tracks could be found on YouTube.
Vehicle Physics is a special utility that allows the customization of vehicle physics. This is the first software of its kind that allows full customization of its tire model. Aerodynamics, steering system, braking system, engine, suspension, transmission, damage model and tire model are customizable in the Vehicle Physics utility.
