This release adds improvements to the computer-controlled cars. They handle just about any track without tweaking. They even account for humps, dips, and banking when deciding how fast to go and when to brake. They can be pretty stiff competition. The control algorithms are documented in detail.
The performance of robot cars was greatly improved. The "--demo" or "-d" option was added in case you want to ride along with a robot. Aerodynamic forces are now reduced when driving in another car's slipstream. The density of the air is reduced, resulting in decreased drag and downforce when a car is where another car has recently been. Compilation errors with GCC 4.3 have been fixed.
Computer controlled cars were added. The control
algorithm operates the steering, throttle, brakes,
and transmission to make the car follow a
calculated racing line. The car definitions
provide some performance parameters for the
Support for pit lanes is now provided. Collisions
with the ends of the pit wall are detected. Bugs
in the general handling of collisions have been
fixed. Another bug that caused the wheels to stop
spinning when they leave the ground was also
fixed. One symptom of this problem was loss of
control when hitting the kerbs in the F1 car.
This version moves to SDL for graphics and input handling and OpenAL for audio. The user-visible changes are an optional full-screen mode and audio effects like doppler shift and distance attenuation. If you're using the code, please note that the locations of some files have changed. Also, the formats of some of the XML definition files have changed.