Windows 10 mod download tutorial

Grand Prix Legends (GPL)
Easy Installation Guide v [English]

05/ by Stefan Roess

1.    GPL Installation
    GPLPS GPL Installer
    GPLSecrets (GEM+, iGOR, GPL Setup Manager)
    Updating GPL
    GPL Demo and GPL Demo

2.    GPL Mods
    GPLSecrets (GEM+, iGOR, GPL Setup Manager)
    Creating a GPL Player
    Installation of GPL Mods
    GEM+ and GPL Settings

3.    Recommended GPL Updates and Patches
    4 GB Patch
    GPL Force Feedback v2 (FFB2) Patch
    GPL 60 FPS Patch
    Lee's GPL Motorworks Patches
    GPL Tracks
    GPL Replay Analyzer (GPLRA)

4.    GPL Links

FILE	SIZE	DOWNLOAD
GPL Easy Installation Guide GER v [German Version]	MB
GPL Easy Installation Guide ENG v [English Version]	MB

1.    GPL Installation

    GPLPS GPL Installer

GPL runs on modern PC systems, such as Microsoft Windows 10 (bit), Windows 8 (bit, bit), Windows 7 (bit, bit), Windows Vista (bit, bit), as well as under Linux, see SRMZ Forumsthread 1, Forumsthread 2, Forumsthread 3, Forumsthread 4, Forumsthread 5.

Insert your Grand Prix Legends CD into your CD/ DVD/ Blu-ray drive.
If you don't have a GPL CD please continue reading at " GPL Demo".

Install the latest version of the GPLPS GPL Installer Beta
www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar

Note: The newer installers will default to OpenGL v2 rasterisers. Please be advised that when you first launch GPL and you see the new driver information page please don`t rely on hardware cursor on text input fields like Driver Name. Simply use the mouse to select it and type in your characters! Or use TAB key to activate but you will not see a hardware cursor when text input field has focus!

To install on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista you will need administrator rights.

Choose the path where you want to install GPL (standard is C:\Sierra\gpl).
You can install GPL to any directory you like, also to another partition.
If you use Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and install GPL to the directory
“C:\Program Files (x86)” you need to have administrator rights.

Please restart your PC when prompted to do so!

Now you have updated GPL with the official GPL patch, the GPLEA car updates, track updates for all eleven tracks, Carsound patch (for individual car sounds), Bandwidth patch (for enhanced online multiplayer support), newer Rasterisers (Direct 3D v2 and OpenGL v2), Pribluda (for enhanced cockpit information, tire temperatures, sector times, race positions, refresh rates in FPS), as well as the latest GPL Community Patch, which also gives you long track support to drive tracks like the Targa Florio and Isle of Man.

Tip: You will find a backup of all installed updates in the “repository“ folder of GPL.

All GPL readme files are available in your Windows start menu at “GPL”.

GPLSecrets (GEM+, iGOR, GPL Setup Manager)

Install
GPLSecrets (GEM+, iGOR, GPL Setup Manager): www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar  
Get the latest version of the GPL Setup Manager here: www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar

With GEM+ you can easily adjust GPL settings like sound, layout, graphics, seasons, tracks, etc. outside of GPL. In addition GEM+ patches GPL with the physics of the mods. That means that you cannot drive GPL mods without using GEM+.
With iGOR you can join GPL online races with up to 20 drivers.
With GPL Setup Manager you can create and modify setups outside of GPL.

• Do not install GPLSecrets into your GPL installation!
• You need GEM+ or higher to run GPL mods!
• For GEM+ indexing needs to be activated (Windows default setting), because GEM+ needs to access the GPL player profiles!

To show the iGOR racelist you have to enter the new IP. To do this, you must edit the www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar Exit iGOR before editing! iGOR must not run while you are editing the www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar! Because on exit, iGOR updates www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar with any changes made during runtime, so if you edit it whilst iGOR is running, you'll lose those changes!

Go to the folder
(…\Program Files\GPLSecrets\iGOR\)

and edit the www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar file.
Change the old IP to:

[ RaceListServers ]
IP = www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar

Now you should see the iGOR Racelist with all available servers for online races.
If the iGOR Racelist does not appear, restart your PC.

Tip: In your GPLSecrets installation, see (\GPLSecrets\iGOR\docs\) for instructions on iGOR as HTML files.

If you have used an older version of the GPLPS GPL Installer than Beta , please also install:

Update Patch for GPL (67 Patch v / GPL Community Patch):
www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar?ir=Mods

Nigel's New Rasterisers v
www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar?app=downloads&showfile=19

Updating GPL

In case you have an outdated installation of GPL you can use the GPLPS GPL Installer Beta to update GPL to the latest level.

Please create a backup of your GPL installation before!
Then you can install the GPLPS GPL Installer Beta over your old installation and allow Windows to overwrite existing files.

If you need files of your old GPL backup you can copy them into your updated installation, like for example setups (\SIERRA\gpl\players\).

GPL Demo and GPL Demo

If you are not sure whether GPL is fun for you or if you don't have a GPL CD, you can also use the GPL Demo to play GPL. The GPL Demo includes the Watkins Glen track including graphics updates, all GPLEA car updates, Ducwolf's sound updates and is patched with the latest official patch version , as well with Nigel Pattinson's Carsound patch.

Download and install the GPL Demo ( MB):
www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar

Download and install Nigel Pattinson's Rasterisers v:
www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar?showtopic=
Run “gplrast_vexe” and point to your Demo folder.

Go to your Demo folder and find “www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar”, then open it with Notepad, change “www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar” to “www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar” and save. This step is optional. It changes the 3D Rasteriser that the game will use.

Tip:OpenGL v2 rasterisers (“www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar”) usually give better results than Direct3D v2 rasterisers (“www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar”). But on some systems OpenGL v2 does not work with GPL so you have to use Direct3D v2. Test what works best on your system.

Download and install the Update Patch for GPL (67 Patch v / GPL Community Patch): www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar?ir=Mods

Important: To use the GPL Demo with GEM+ and Mods you have to create a new folder in (X:\\SIERRA\gpl) called "exports" (X:\\SIERRA\gpl\exports).

Then you have a fully functional GPL installation with the Watkins Glen track and all seven cars. The other ten tracks of the CD are missing. But you can use hundreds of tracks available from the GPL Alternative Track Database (GPLTD): www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar
You can also install all GPL mods.

Another way to try out GPL is the GPL Demo.

The GPL Demo contains ten cars from the major mods, four tracks, all original patches, modernized graphics and latest fixes and improvements made by the GPL community, that have been created in the last 22 years. A full GPL mod normally includes a field of cars with individual car physics and tracks to fully represent that year of racing. This demo includes the best cars of all mods.

Download GPL Demo: www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar

Note: The GPL Demo is not suitable for updating an existing GPL installation! But you can extend the GPL Demo with mods and tracks.

2. GPL Mods

GPLSecrets (GEM+, iGOR, GPL Setup Manager)

In case you haven`t done yet install
GPLSecrets (GEM+, iGOR, GPL Setup Manager): www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar  
Get the latest version of the GPL Setup Manager here: www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar

With GEM+ you can easily adjust GPL settings like sound, layout, graphics, seasons, tracks, etc. outside of GPL. In addition GEM+ patches GPL with the physics of the mods. That means that you cannot drive GPL mods without using GEM+.
With iGOR you can join GPL online races with up to 20 drivers.
With GPL Setup Manager you can create and modify setups outside of GPL.

• Do not install GPLSecrets into your GPL installation!
• You need GEM+ or higher to run GPL mods!
• For GEM+ indexing needs to be activated (Windows default setting), because GEM+ needs to access the GPL player profiles!

To show the iGOR racelist you have to enter the new IP. To do this, you must edit the www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar Exit iGOR before editing! iGOR must not run while you are editing the www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar! Because on exit, iGOR updates www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar with any changes made during runtime, so if you edit it whilst iGOR is running, you'll lose those changes!

Go to the folder
(…\Program Files\GPLSecrets\iGOR\)

and edit the www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar file.
Change the old IP to:

[ RaceListServers ]
IP = www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar

Now you should see the iGOR Racelist with all available servers for online races.
If the iGOR Racelist does not appear, restart your PC.

Tip: In your GPLSecrets installation, see (\GPLSecrets\iGOR\docs\) for instructions on iGOR as HTML files.

Creating a GPL Player

Start GPL via Start -> Programs -> GPL -> Grand Prix Legends and create a new player for each mod, e.g.:

Firstname_LastnameLoG     (Legends of GPL Mod / 20th Anniversary Mod)
Firstname_Lastname55         ( Formula 1 Mod)
Firstname_Lastname65         ( Formula 1 Mod)
Firstname_Lastname66         ( Formula 1 Mod)
Firstname_Lastname67     ( Formula 1 Original)
Firstname_Lastname67x    ( Formula 1 Extra Mod / Historical Mod)
Firstname_LastnameF2         ( Formula 2 Mod)
Firstname_Lastname68         ( Formula 1 Mod)
Firstname_Lastname69x     ( Formula 1 Extra Mod)
Firstname_Lastname69         ( Formula 1 Mod)
Firstname_LastnameCA66     ( Can-Am Mod)
Firstname_LastnameCA71     ( Can-Am Mod)
Firstname_LastnameSC     ( Sports Cars Mod v of )
Firstname_LastnameGT     ( Sports Cars Mod v of )
Firstname_LastnameRX     (Stratos Mod)
Firstname_LastnameTC     (Thunder Cars Mod)
Firstname_LastnameN65     ( Formula 1 Night Mod)
Firstname_LastnameN67     ( Formula 1 Night Mod)

Calibrate your wheel, deactivate all driving assistants, adjust your resolution and activate the Grand Prix race mode in GPL.

GPL chooses for every new created driver the slowest car type “Basic Trainer”. Therefore you should change to the “Grand Prix” race mode in GPL at the track selection menu for all mods.

GEM+ and GPL Settings

After installing the mods start GEM+ and close it again and allow GEM+ to save.
Start GEM+ again and activate the carset of each mod via the button “Carsets“.
Make sure each mod uses the correct physics!

Tip: In case you need a new patched mod .exe (gplc**.exe), just delete your mod .exe (gplc**.exe) in your “gpl” folder and let GEM+ create a new one by closing GEM+.

Choose your player for a mod and the carset that belongs to the mod in GEM+.

Adjust GEM+ options via the button “Configure“. Check “Link Carset to Player” and uncheck “Confirm Changes on Exit”.

Administrate your tracks and “www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar“ via the button “Seasons”.

Set your graphics in GEM+ via the button “Rasteriser“ and “Graphics”.

Make sure you use the OpenGL v2 or Direct3D v2 rasteriser as they are needed to run the newer mods and tracks.

Tip 1:OpenGL v2 rasterisers usually give better results than Direct3D v2 rasterisers. But on some systems OpenGL v2 does not work with GPL so you have to use Direct3D v2. Test what works best on your system.

Set the following for GEM+ under "Rasteriser":

• Set LOD Bias to "". Higher values make objects look flickering and blurry in the distance.
• Check "32 Bit Graphics".
• Set Anisotrophic Filtering to "16 (4 levels)".
• Remove the check mark at "Enable VSync" if you are using 36 FPS, otherwise you will have massive FPS (frames per second) drops. But if you use the 60 FPS patch you have to activate "VSync" in GEM+. In the configuration menu of your graphics card, set the 3D settings under "Vertical Synchronization" to "Global Settings". This is the best setting for GPL with 36 FPS and 60 FPS.
• Check "Direct Mirror Rendering".
• Remove hook for "Trilinear Filtering.
• Set "Custom Resolution" according to your optimal monitor resolution.

Tip 2: Set the scaling to % under Windows 10, otherwise GPL cannot be displayed correctly.  See Windows 10 -> System -> Display -> Scaling and arrangement -> % (recommended).

In GEM+ “Graphics settings” set “Detail Level” to 99 or lower, or GPL won`t be able to load all polygons. The detail level steps are:

1)    0
2)    
3)    
4)     (works best)
5)    

If you are using an NVIDIA graphics card, I recommend using the NVIDIA Profile Inspector for advanced graphics settings. The Antialiasing Supersampling is e.g. not adjustable in the standard NVIDIA control panel.
www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar

When this GPL Guide was created, the current version was NVIDIA Profile Inspector

In order to use the NVIDIA Profile Inspector with GPL you have to create a profile for each GPL www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar, e.g. for the 65 mod (gplcexe). This allows you to use different graphics settings for each mod.

Below you see very moderate graphics settings for a NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics card, as a compromise between detail and good frame rate for online races with a full starter field. Please scroll further down for the settings for an AMD Radeon graphics card.

Raise the values for „Antialiasing – Setting“ and „Antialiasing – Transparency Supersampling“ when you think your PC system can handle it. But do a quick offline test race with a full grid after each value you have changed to see if GPL still runs smoothly with full 36 FPS (frames per second).

Tip: I highly recommend creating a backup of your profiles for NVIDIA Profile Inspector. Click on the button “Export user defined profiles” and choose the option "Export all driver profiles". As it can happen that your profiles are gone after a major Windows 10 update and also after a NVIDIA graphics card driver update.

Below you see high-resolution graphics settings for a NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics card for the best possible graphics. These settings can cause frame rate drops on weaker PC systems.

In NVIDIA Profile Inspector you should set among other things "Texture filtering - Negative LOD Bias" to "Allow". For further hi-res settings see screenshots.

Below you see high resolution settings for an AMD Radeon RX graphics card.

Set Force Feedback for your wheel in GEM+ via the button “Controls”.

Note: The subsequent values for a Thrustmaster T RS wheel are just meant as a basis to start with! These values can be different from driver to driver and particularly for other wheels!

Set the “FF Maximum Force” value to when using the FFB2 patch.
For details on the Force Feedback 2 patch, please go to

The higher the value, the lower the force!

Use higher values (e.g. ) for heavy cars such as Sports Cars.

Under "Options" in GPL, set the linearity to the far left:

In GPL set the wheel “steering ratio” of your car setup to , or

Windows Game Controller settings for a Thrustmaster T RS wheel.

Note: I use these Windows Game Controller settings for the Thrustmaster T RS for all PC racing simulations, i.e. ° rotation/angle and 60 % forces.

Note: As written before these values for a Thrustmaster T RS wheel are just meant as a basis to start with! These values can be different from driver to driver and particularly for other wheels!

3. Recommended GPL Updates and Patches

4 GB Patch

The 4GB Patch is a tool that patches any x86 executable so that it can access 4 GB of memory instead of just 2 GB. This patch should only be used by users with a computer that has a bit OS and more than 6 GB of RAM. This patch is particularly useful for players who are using many hi-res texture packs.

Several GPL drivers have reported that the 4 GB Patch has a positive impact on their system. For example the demanding Spa67 track runs smoother.

Download 4GB Patch: www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar

GPL Force Feedback v2 (FFB2) Patch

Here you get the Force Feedback v2 (FFB2) Patch by brr (Petteri Pajunen):
www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar?showtopic=

Note: This Easy Installation Guide does use the Force Feedback v2 Patch of brr (Petteri Pajunen). The Force Feedback and Wheel Settings of this guide are for the Force Feedback v2 Patch of brr (Petteri Pajunen).

GPL 60 FPS Patch

The patch modifies GPL to run at a maximum 60 frames per second instead of the original maximum 36 frames per second.

Here you can download the 60 FPS patches by brr (Petteri Pajunen):

60fpsaiv1
www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar?showtopic=&#entry

60fpsv1
www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar?showtopic=

60fpsv2 / 60fpsv2newmod
www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar?showtopic=

The 60fpsv2newmod patch is preferred as it contains an FPS check. Unfortunately, this only prevents you from joining a 60fpsv2newmod server with 36 FPS. So if it flickers every seconds when you are on a server, you can assume that you are either with 36 FPS on a 60 FPS server, or with 60 FPS on a 36 FPS server. Both are possible. Then please leave the server and enable/ disable in GEM+ the 60 FPS patch for the corresponding mod you want to run online.

GPL Legends of GPL Mod / 20th Anniversary Mod -> 60fpsv2newmod
GPL Formula 1 Mod -> 60fpsv2newmod
GPL Formula 1 Mod -> 60fpsv2newmod
GPL Formula 1 Mod -> 60fpsv2newmod
GPL Formula 1 Original -> 60fpsv2newmod
GPL Formula 1 Extra Mod / Historical Mod -> 60fpsv2newmod
GPL Formula 2 Mod -> 60fpsv2newmod
GPL Formula 1 Mod -> 60fpsv2newmod
GPL Sports Cars Mod v of (SC) -> 60fpsv2newmod
GPL Can-Am Mod -> 60fpsv2newmod
GPL Formula 1 Mod -> 60fpsv2newmod
GPL Can-Am Mod -> 60fpsv2newmod
GPL / Formula 1 Night Mod (N65 / N67) -> 60fpsv2newmod

GPL Stratos Mod (RX) -> 60fpsv2 (also works at Targa Florio)
GPL Thunder Cars Mod (TC) -> 60fpsv2

GPL Sports Cars Mod v of (GT) -> 60fpsv1
GPL Formula 1 Extra Mod -> 60fpsv1

The 60fpsv1 patch works with every mod.

To drive with the AI you have to use the 60fpsaiv1 patch.

Remember to deactivate the 60 FPS Patch in GEM+, when you want to join a 36 FPS server at iGOR!

Tip: In GPL, put the appropriate 60 FPS patch into the respective "Options" folder of the mod, for the 65 mod for example in …\SIERRA\gpl\Mods\GEM+\gpl65\options
If you do not have an "Options" folder, create one.
In GEM+, you can activate and deactivate the appropriate 60 FPS patch.

Lee's GPL Motorworks Patches

I also recommend the patches of Lee's GPL Motorworks:
www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar

For example:

• GPL Head Movement Patch:
  Moves the driver's head in reaction to steering forces.

• GPL No Letterbox Patch:
  Removes the top and bottom black bars for a larger viewing area.

Tip: Install these patches in GPLSecrets in the folder „Options“ (…\GPLSecrets\GEM+\Options\)
You can then activate and deactivate these in GEM + for each mod individually.

GPL Replay Analyzer (GPLRA)

Here you can download the latest version of the GPL Replay Analyzer by Martin Granberg:
gplra__beta2
www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar?showtopic=&st=60#entry

GPL Replay Analyser is a program with which you can load up your Grand Prix Legends replays and analyse/ compare driving lines and different kinds of "telemetry". You can replay the races to see how it developed and generate race reports, practice reports and various statistics.

You can select up to five different laps. It doesn't matter if the driver of the lap is a local human, AI-car, multiplayer human nor in what kind of session the lap was set. GPL Replay Analyser supports all tracks.

Furthermore you'll find lots of different tools and features in GPL Replay Analyser.
For further details please go to www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar