Using SW2TRCK (v0.3)
 
Sw2trck.exe is a handy tool that will help you to switch between different tracks. Since GP2.exe supports only 16 tracks at a time, you will need to exchange tracks regularly if you want to race on the custom circuits.

Basically, the current version does only one thing: it exchanges the *.dat-files in the circuits-directory. This means that neither the names or trackmaps within the game are currently being adapted.

Future versions will possibly have further functionality (printing the track-configuration, changing the names in GP2.exe, verifying that all jamfiles are available....).

 
1. Why using SW2TRCK?
 
This is a good question. After all, switching *.dat-files isn't very complex or time- consuming in itself.

However, you will experience that SW2TRCK has some great advantages:

  • SW2TRCK simplifies switching tracks from DOS. Since it is virtually necessary to drive in DOS for HOF2.5, it enables you to switch tracks at the very last moment!
  • SW2TRCK shows you which tracks should be HOF2.5-compliant!
  • SW2TRCK tells you in which slot the track should be used for HOF2.5, and even puts it in the right slot automatically if you want!

 

2. To do before using SW2TRCK
 
Before you can handle a track with SW2TRCK, there are still some things that you have to do by hand. After downloading the zipfile(s) with the custom track(s), you will have to unzip the trackname.dat file in the \gp2\circuits  directory, and you also have to make a jamfile-directory and unzip the jamfiles in it (if necessary for that particular track).

Each zipfile contains the necessary instructions.

 

3. Using SW2TRCK
 
  1. download SW2TRCK
  2. unzip SW2TRCK.exe into your GP2-directory
  3. now you can execute SW2TRCK.exe or, even easier, integrate it in a batchfile "HOF25.bat" like this:

SW2TRCK.exe

GP2LAP cfg:HOF25.cfg

Where "HOF25.cfg" is a config-file with HOF2.5-mode enabled

  1. now you get the SW2TRCK screen:

Trackswitcher screenshot

On the left side is a table with all the available trackfiles in the \GP2\circuits -directory. The table shows the names as found in the datfile. Tracks in yellow should be HOF2.5-compliant, unless you edited them.

The table on the right shows which tracks are currently in the 16 slots (which tracks are currently  f1ct01.dat to f1ct16.dat)

The number in brackets behind each track is the "preferred trackslot", as found in the datfile. Remember that you always have to put HOF2.5-tracks in this slot.

Exchanging tracks: first choose a track from the left with the <up> and <down> cursorkeys, then choose one of the 16 current tracks with the <DEL> and <Insert> keys. When you press <ENTER>, SW2TRCK will exchange the two tracks. If you put a new track in the place of a standard track like for example Interlagos (f1ct01.dat), the standard trackfile will be renamed to sdf1ct01.dat, and will appear as Std.Interlagos in the table on the left.

Alternatively, you can press <A> instead of <ENTER>. This will automatically place the selected track in the preferred slot, regardless of the track selected in the righthand table.

By pressing <TAB> you can change the trackfile sort-order from alphabetic to "preferred-slot". By pressing <ESC> you leave the program and you can start GP2LAP.