Sol 2.

1
new features
Table of contents
Improved 3d Clouds ............................................................................................................................2
Position in 3d space ........................................................................................................................2
Shadows scaling ..............................................................................................................................2
Better clouds lighting in twilight-times ............................................................................................2
Better performance ........................................................................................................................2
Interface .............................................................................................................................................3
Reworked and new Sol apps ...............................................................................................................3
New config system ..............................................................................................................................4
Sol Config 2.0 app ...........................................................................................................................4
Displaying Value changes from Custom Config ............................................................................4
New custom config system .................................................................................................................5
Accessing Sol parameters via function call .......................................................................................5
Reworked Auto-exposure handling .................................................................................................5
Additional functions ........................................................................................................................5
Reworked and new Sol PPFilters/custom configs ................................................................................6
Sol Planner app ...................................................................................................................................7
Improved 3d Clouds
Position in 3d space
3d Clouds got a real position with Sol 2.1. The faked scaling of Sol 2.0 was fixed. If a cloud is 4 km in
the distance, you can travel 4 km and reach the cloud. Also their height is real now.

clouds seen from the ground Very high view position (2000 m)

Shadows scaling
With former version of CSP (< 1.68), the shadow map had some bugs. Since version 1.69 the shadow
map is fixed. With Sol 2.1 it is also scaled 1:1, which means a 3 km wide cloud will produce a 3 km
wide cloud shadow.

Better clouds lighting in twilight-times

Better performance
With Sol 2.1 many performance optimizations of the 3d clouds were made. Due to a better code, the
routines of 3d clouds have twice the performance of the ones from Sol 2.0.x.
Interface
With CSP 1.69 a shared memory was introduced. LUA scripts and AC python apps can now access a
mutual memory. With Sol 2.1 a complete library was build to use this shared memory to realize a
communication between LUA scripts and python apps.

Normally a weatherFX script got its settings from a file. If this file is changed, weatherFX will be reset.
E.g. If you changed parameters in Sol Config app, the sol_config.lua was changed, weatherFX was
reset and Sol started from zero with those settings.

With the new shared memory communication (interface), Sol can update its parameters while
runtime. Therefore, it does not need to reset itself. Some resets are still needed, if parameters of
very complex modules are changed.

LUA script Shared memory Python app

(Sol weather script) (e.g. Sol_config)

Ingame you can check this communication with the “Lua Debug” app in the “Stored variables” tab.

Sol interface uses a string-based commando structure, with extra checks of successful transmits (CTS
= Clear To Send).

Reworked and new Sol apps

New config system
With Sol 2.1 a new config manager is introduced.

In former version a LUA file contained all settings of Sol, the “sol_config.lua”. Changes were made if
this file was edited by hand, or the “Sol Config” app was used. The downside of this system was a
replacement of this file with every update of Sol, to be sure, it is up to date. Also changes of it, lead
to resets of weatherFX/Sol.

With the new system a config file is place in the documents folder:
C:\Users\xxxxxxx\Documents\Assetto Corsa\cfg\Sol\sol_config.ini

This file contains also all settings of Sol, but it is not overwritten with an update of Sol. The file is
updated by the config manager, if it is out of date. New parameters are added, if they are missing.

Sol Config 2.0 app

With the new Sol Config app 2.0, you can decide to save or load your personal settings after changing
them. If you don’t save your changes, the prior settings will be loaded with the next start of AC.

UI controls:
“X” close the app
“+” make the app bigger
“-“ make the app smaller

Save the settings to sol_config.ini

Load the settings from sol_config.ini

Reset all settings to their defaults

Displaying Value changes from Custom Config

A custom config is a script, which is loaded
with a Post-Processing filter (PPFilter).
PPFilter modders can decide, which
parameter is free to use or is needed to be
locked at a certain value.

If parameters are set to a certain value, an

orange “set” and bar is drawn within the
parameter.

If a value is relatively modified – the user can

still change it, but the default value is scaled –
a blue “modified” and bar is drawn.
New custom config system

Accessing Sol parameters via function call

In Sol 2.0 and former versions, custom configs were able to directly access Sol’s variables. This results
in errors, if the PPFilter/custom config is outdated and not adapted to an updated Sol version.

With Sol 2.1 custom config must use a function to access Sol’s parameters. With this system, much
more safety was established. But another big feature was introduced with the needed function call
too. Changes of the custom config can now be checked and they can be displayed in Sol Config app.

Reworked Auto-exposure handling

Sol 2.1 has a strait AE handling now. Via weather__get_AE() you get the AutoExposure value.
Weather HDR is separated and an unique graphic feature.

Additional functions
weather__get_Video_Settings(key, parameter)

To get AC’s video settings.

weather__get_Graphic_Settings (key, parameter)

To get AC’s DX11 settings.

weather__get_PPFilter_INI_Settings (key, parameter)

To get the settings of the current PPFilter.

Please read “Sol 2.1 Custom Config changes.pdf” to get detailed information.
Reworked and new Sol PPFilters/custom configs

__Sol, the default Sol filter. You can change all Sol parameters. This filter has a static exposure, which
is adapted for daytimes. The filter has a neutral color balance.

__Sol_Extra, the filter tries to have an optimal exposure for all situations. It uses a custom
Autoexposure. CSP’s emissive and bounced lights are dynamically optimized for day and night light.
The filter also adapts the color balance for different light situations.

__Sol_Extra_Reinhard, a clone of __Sol_Extra. This filter works with the Reinhard tone mapping. The
goal is to have less contrast in mid and high tones.

__Sol_FakeHDR, a filter for very bright monitors. It uses SDR dynamic and emulates some HDR
effects.

__Sol_color_neutral_Linear, this filter represents the colors with an accuracy of 98%, if a sun angle
of 45° is used. It uses the linear tone mapping to achieve this accuracy. Therefore, bright colors will
clip.

__Sol_color_neutral_Sensitometric, this filter uses sensitometric tone mapping. I realized a proper

gamma to be color-neutral for a wide range. In high tones (>220) it will compress, this prevents
clipping.

__Sol_Extra __Sol_Extra_Reinhard __Sol

__Sol_FakeHDR __Sol_color_neutral_Linear” __Sol_color_neutral_Sensitometric

,
*a modified variant of the “endless floor” track is used. The modification was made by trawa, to
compare and analyze PPFilters at “PP Filter Central”. Sol’s filters were calibrated with this tool.

On the Discord Server “PP Filter Central” https://discord.gg/NdsbskqxZJ, many great PPFilters are
available.
Sol Planner app

With this app, you can easily create dynamic weather without scripting. You have 9 weather slots
available to fill them with different weather. You can decide to have a timed sequence, or to use a
full day/night cycle. It will also bring you more weather simulations features like dynamic humidity
and fog, rain probability, manual humidity and rain for every weather type.

The weather plans are managed in 5 preset slots. You can set one of those presets to autoload with
the start of AC. You can import and export single weather plans or complete preset banks.

For a detailed description, please have a look in the included “Sol Planner manual.pdf”.