ArgData is a .NET library for working with MicroProse Formula One Grand Prix (F1GP) data, such as car colors and driver performance. There is also support for working with various other game files, such as reading/writing name files and car setups.
This library currently supports the European and US (World Circuit) version 1.05 of the game.
It is used, among other things, in the F1GP editors ArgEditor and ArgTrack.
The ArgData API currently supports the following:
- Updating car colors
- Updating helmet colors (both in-game and menu)
- Updating pit crew colors
- Changing driver numbers/which drivers are enabled in-game
- Changing computer car horsepower levels
- Changing player car horsepower level
- Updating computer car performance levels for races and qualifying sessions
- Updating the general computer car grip level
- Editing track data such as track sections, object placements, computer car line
- Reading and creating new name files
- Reading and creating new single-setup and multiple-setup files
- Updating the points system
- Changing the likelihood of wet races
- Enabling/disabling the possibility of rain at the US GP
- Reading race results from a saved season game
- Set a name file to be read automatically when the game starts
- Updating the checksum of existing files (names, tracks, setups)
- Support for decompressed GP.EXE files
- Changing probability of wing damage/out-of-race damage when crashing
- Changing amount of time before retired cars are removed
- Editing menu helmet images and (to a certain extent) other background images
For an introduction to how to use the API, including simple examples and a full reference section, see the API documentation.
The API is continuously (albeit slowly) being improved and extended. To see what is in the pipeline, have a look at the roadmap.
This simple piece of software stands on the shoulders of giants. Huge gratitude goes out to:
- Steve Smith - for the amazing F1Ed
- René Smit - Chequered Flag and additional research material
- Barrie Millar - Chequered Flag and additional research material
- Klaus Six - Chequered Flag and additional research material
- Hrvoje Štimac - additional research material
- Alejandro Cáceres - object shape parsing and additional research material
- Trevor Kellaway - for an endless number of F1GP utilities, including GPEditor
- Paul Hoad - for the C++ code for calculating F1GP file checksums he sent me in 1998, and for the GP2 Track Editor
- Maxime Labelle - for "The Grand Prix 2 Track File Format (Beta 0.5)" web page
- Craig Heath - for the F1GP Driver Selection Screen Helmet Editor
- Adrian Walti, Martijn Keizer, et al