PLEASE READ ME FIRST! Challenge PC1 Readme This version of the Challenge PC1 software is release v1.7 build 88. You can find the build numbers under Help / "About Challenge PC". ***********DirectX 7.0**************** DirectX 7.0 or higher Required! If you do not know what version of DirectX you have on your PC you can type DXDIAG from the Run command in your Start Menu. This will run DirectX Diagnostics and will tell you what version you do have. If this program fails to run, or you have a version earlier than DirectX 7.0, then install the DirectX program supplied on your CompuTrainer CD-ROM before running this software, or you can download the latest version at: www.microsoft.com/directx/ ************WHAT'S NEW IN BUILD 1.7.88***************** Increased the 1000 leg limit imposed when courses were built by hand. This will allow courses built by the DeLorme Topo USA - RacerMate Edition and the Topo Course Creator program to run. Please be aware that DeLorme course data can have up to 40,000 legs or more of data, and as such the course may take a few seconds to load. ************WHAT'S NEW IN BUILD 1.7.78***************** Removed the Direct Connect Option for Rider Two, which was a test function anyway. Relocated the Options SpinScan Source to a direct sub-option of SpinScan. Altered the Test Comm Ports program to ignore errors in the system and only produce the report - no "file not found" complaints or errors. Moved the Options Enhanced Graphics to the Racer.ini file to minimize the potential of setting Enhanced Graphics on low graphic capable PC's. Power Users can still turn this option on by editing the Racer.ini file. Program won't crash now if the courses or saved race files are in folders other than the PC1 folder. Known issue: Some users may experience new problems with modem racing communications. We're still working on a fix for this. ************WHAT'S NEW IN BUILD 1.7.69***************** Added Windows 2000/XP support Fixed an error in the Metric selection procedure. ************WHAT WAS NEW IN BUILD 1.62.243************ Fixed a bug that locked up the PC during a test of the Comm Ports. Changed the line in the Options from "3D" to "Enhanced Graphics" to minimize the confusion between PC1 and CompuTrainer 3D. ************WHAT WAS NEW IN BUILD 1.62.242************ Fixed a bug that caused the SpinScan display to go bad when Rider One raced against a saved race. Added a print utility for the race screen and SpinScan. Hit the "P" key and send a screen capture to the printer. Unfortunately, due to the way graphics a sent, the program will exit. But this should help those that want a hard copy of their pedal stroke. ************WHAT WAS NEW IN BUILD 1.62.226************ Fixed a bug that caused the timer to continue to run in saved races even when the F1 pauses the race session. Fixed a bug that caused the course selection screen from opening directly after a previous race. Fixed a bug that made it appear as though a race you just finished didn't exist - even though you just previously opened it. This was accomplished by ignoring the "file name" line in the course file header and having the program look only at the name as Windows saw it. ********WHAT WAS NEW IN BUILD 1.62.170********** Fixed a bug that kept you from saving SpinScan sessions. Added a timer to the Bargraph SpinScan window. Fixed the SpinScan timer that wouldn't allow it to go over 59:59 minutes. Fixed a Windows 98 path problem - always wanting to save to My Documents. Fixed a Windows path problem not allowing you to save or retrieve files from other than the working directory. Added the % signs back into the Polar SpinScan window for displayed power splits. Removed the unused Help menu item. Changed the sub menus in Rider One and Rider Two from "Setup" to "Comm Port". ********WHAT WAS NEW IN BUILD 2952********** If you had version 1.3 before this build, you couldn't use these files any longer. This version added a new 3D sub-heading in the Options Menu. If this option is checkmarked, the graphics will display a moving textured road with a Start and Finish Line on the road and with this, the video card requirements increase. If 3D is un-checkmarked in the Options Menu, the graphics will show a black road and Start and Finish Banners over the road (as was true with version 1.3). In this mode the graphic requirements are not as high and you will now be able to use version 1.6 on Laptop PC's. PLEASE NOTE: If you have a previously installed version of the Challenge PC1 software, version 1.6 will not function properly until you FIRST uninstall the old version, or move it to a new folder, including any files created by it. The only files that can migrate over to version 1.6 will be custom courses you have created. This build fixes the Full Screen SpinScan not displaying on the TV without having the Display Windows Desktop on TV Output type accelerator cards enabled. This caused the screen to overscan and numbers to disappear off the edge of the screen. Full Screen SpinScan will display on the TV as a 3D function as long as 3D is check-marked in the Options menu. There was a bug with the Direct Draw Initialization when going from SpinScan to a Race Screen (or visa versa). This appears to work OK now. **********FRAME RATE CHECK************ VIDEO FRAME RATE CHECK REQUIRED! THIS PROGRAM, WHEN IN 3D MODE, USES 3D TEXTURES AND MAY NOT RUN ON A PC THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO RUN CHALLENGE PC1, VERSION 1.3. The Challenge PC1 is a REAL TIME RACING PROGRAM and trying to operate it on a machine with slow frame rates WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS. To determine the capability of your machine to run version 1.6 in 3D mode you will need to install version 1.6 and setup the program as you normally would. Checkmark 3D in the Options Menu and Start the race. If the race screen appears normal, press the "D" key on the PC Keyboard and look for a number to appear above the mountains to the right side of the display window. THIS NUMBER MUST NOT EVER DROP BELOW 20. If it drops below 20 frames per second an upgrade to the video card or video card driver will be required or you can uncheck the 3D option in the Options menu within the PC1 Setup window and run in 2D mode. If the race screen fails to show correctly, you will also need to run in 2D mode. If you encounter any problems, read the section regarding Log Files in this readme.txt and e-mail a copy of the log file to techsupport@computrainer.com and be sure to add a description of what failure you saw. *************VIDEO CARDS************** UPDATE YOUR VIDEO DRIVERS! You should always check to see if there are updated drivers available for your video card before calling about problems with this software. A majority of problems we've encountered with this software are due only to the use of out-of-date video drivers. **********LAPTOP COMPUTERS************ LAPTOP PC's - 3D Mode - Version 1.6 requires Hardware Acceleration for the video card and Laptop PC's, for the most part, have no Hardware Acceleration. The outcome will be Frame Rate Checks below what is required for real time race data collection when PC1 is run in 3D mode. RacerMate has "de-tuned" this version of 1.6 to include a 3D mode switch, which if disabled (un-checked), will run on low performance machines in 2D. **************LOG FILES*************** Log Files - The last 10 log files are available in the working directory created by your last ten attempts to run the program. If problems occur, you can e-mail us your log file(s) for the race(s) or session(s) you had problems with. By default, log files contain a bare minimum of information to keep their size small, but you can edit the Racer.ini file (located within the Challenge PC1 folder) and change the line which states: loglevel=8 (default) change to: loglevel=0 (this will maximize the diagnostic log file size). Log File Contents - An added debug level to log file collection has been included with this version to diagnose communication errors between Handlebar Controller and PC should they occur. We also include in the log file the name of the user as shown in the Rider Data File so log files e-mailed to RacerMate can be easily identified. **************SETUP PC1*************** After Setup - An uninstall program is included to remove the program if needed. Some files are created by running the PC1 program which will not get uninstalled. Should you wish to uninstall the program, you should use the Uninstall program first then use Explorer or My Computer to be certain all the files and the directory have been deleted. No Windows registry changes are made by this program and no other files are stored in a folder other than in the working directory. Test Comm Ports - A program included with this software will test for CompuTrainers installed (connected) to the PC and installed modems. A very small percentage of PC's will not communicate to CompuTrainer PRO Handlebar Controller's which were in production from 11/95 until 4/97. All current production Handlebar Controllers have been modified to solve this problem. If you are an upgrade customer and you are fairly certain everything is set up correctly and the Test Comm Ports program will not detect your CompuTrainer, the Handlebar Controller will need to be sent in for a free upgrade. Call RacerMate for a return authorization if you experience this problem. Test Comm Ports Results - This test, even if it detects the CompuTrainer, will not make the configuration setting in the Rider One or Rider Two Comm Port menu. You must still - after running the test - choose Rider One - then Comm Port - then choose the Com Port the test said the CompuTrainer was found on. Failure to do so will cause the PC1 software (the Race Screen or SpinScan) to fail to communicate to the CompuTrainer. Modem Racing - During a modem race, be sure the baud rate is set to a minimum of 9600 to allow the fastest data transfer. Handicap Mode - When selected, along with a saved race for Rider Two, will keep the riders within a "shadow" distance apart from each other and the saved race will adjust by a percentage point until the finish line. The two riders will finish very close together - regardless of the strength of the two riders - and the handicap value will be the percentage comparison between the two opponents. Handicapping only works with a saved race file in Rider Two, no live rider handicapping is available. Cadence Driven Leg Movement - If you insert a cadence sensor, but it does not pickup the RPM because of a mis-adjustment, the legs will not move on your rider (in other words, you will just hover - float - down the road). To fix this, either adjust the cadence sensor or remove it from the Handlebar Controller. The legs drive based upon speed when no cadence sensor is present. Custom Course creation requires manual edit in Windows Notepad. Using Explorer, open the Challenge PC1 folder and find the Custom Template.txt file and double click on it to start Notepad and open the file. This displays the structure of the courses as instructions to follow to create the course. You should, as a way of creating real courses; open, save as, change name and edit (or just look at) any existing course profile. When you first install the program, you will need to associate .crs files to Notepad if CRS files are associated to any other program. If you encounter any problems with this software - please notify RacerMate ASAP @ 800-522-3610 so a fix can be expedited. You can also e-mail us at END OF README