Simhub Plugin/Overlay for race setup checklist

[Milky28]

Having a Simhub overlay that would walk through the race setup checklist would be very helpful. No alt-tabbing between the game and the career app.

[factoryseatlmuapp]

Love this idea, thanks! Alt-tabbing during setup is a real pain point. Not for 1.1 (that's locked), but I'm keeping it on the list.

Two questions to figure out the best way to do it:

1. Do you run LMU in VR, fullscreen, or borderless/windowed?
2. Would a small always-on-top "setup card" window from Factory Seat itself do the job, or do you specifically want it inside SimHub (e.g. because you already use SimHub overlays or VR)?

Anyone else who'd use this, 👍 the post and say how you play. That helps decide which way to build it.

[Milky28]

I run LMU borderless because I use other simhub overlays that I've created.

A setup card from Factory Seat itself would work too, but I think we can go a step further.

I looked into it more and LMU's rest api exposes the race setup values. I confirmed with a powershell script that reported everything as I changed the settings in game. So everything is already there to grab. But because the api is undocumented and could change, I would leave this as an optional simhub companion app. That way if it breaks in the future it doesn't impact Factory Seat itself, only the companion overlay would need to be updated separately. The user could still check everything manually.

So my thought is the overlay grabs the race settings JSON from your app, then it grabs the game values in real time, showing the user checkmarks as everything matches, and then a "ready to race" message or something. It would be read-only. No alt-tabbing and they would get immediate verification as they change each setting. And no new dependencies to Factory Seat.

An additional possibility would be keeping the overlay useful during races, displaying planned stints, pit stops, and career objectives.

Automatic race configuration might be possible too in the future, but I understand you'd probably not want that at this time. Maybe if LMU ever fleshes out their API more and keeps it from changing unexpectedly.

If you want, I can build out a proof of concept as a separate companion app. Or if you'd rather integrate it directly into Factory Seat that might be cleaner, although I think keeping them separate would be easier to maintain. Love this app and happy to help - Let me know!

[factoryseatlmuapp]

Awesome, looking forward to it!

[Milky28]

Finished the beta release of the overlay and tested it with your 1.1 beta release: https://github.com/Milky28/factory-seat-companion

Let me know if you get a chance to test.

[factoryseatlmuapp]

Tested it end to end with the Factory Seat 1.1 beta, and it's great. Install was painless, and it went straight to work on a Lusail round. Notes:

What worked

• Circuit, layout, car, class, fuel, tyre wear, time scale and start time all matched and went green as expected.
• The race-length reminder caught a real mistake: I'd left LMU on 6 hours for a 30-minute round, and the To do line told me exactly what to change.
• It hid itself as soon as the race started loading, and the ToggleOverlay hotkey worked first time.
• On a 32:9 monitor at normal seating distance the text is easy to read. The fixed size works fine there.

One bug: the Team row on custom team rounds
On a round with round.car.customTeam: true, the Team row compares the team name from the briefing with LMU's vehicle description, which for a Race Control car is the generic "Lexus Custom Team 2026" (the desc is "Lexus Custom Team 2026 #397"). Those will never match, so the banner says SETUP MISMATCH instead of NOT VERIFIED, and the To do line asks to select a livery by the custom team's name, which doesn't exist in the livery list.

I searched navigation/state, rest/garage/UIScreen/SessionSetup and rest/sessions/ for the custom team's name and it isn't in any of them, so I don't think it can be checked through the API. Suggestion: when customTeam is true, show the Team row as Any (–) and leave it to the Custom team identity row, like you already do for the car number.

Layout mappings for every track
I own every track, so I went through LMU's picker and captured cmpName + sceneDesc for all 38 layouts Factory Seat knows, and matched each one to its layoutFile. Your three existing ones match what I captured. The four ELMS layouts at Spa, Portimão, Imola and Silverstone are separate entries in LMU's picker ("4 Hours of …"), easy to miss. Tip: GET /rest/race/track lists every track with its sceneDesc and name, if you ever want to spot new layouts after an LMU update.

Ready-to-paste layoutMappings (38 layouts)

  "layoutMappings": [
    { "trackFolder": "BahrainWEC_2023", "sceneDescription": "BAHRAINWEC", "layoutFile": "layoutBahrain" },
    { "trackFolder": "BahrainWEC_2023", "sceneDescription": "BAHRAINWEC_ENDCE", "layoutFile": "layoutEndurance" },
    { "trackFolder": "BahrainWEC_2023", "sceneDescription": "BAHRAINWEC_OUTER", "layoutFile": "layoutOuter" },
    { "trackFolder": "BahrainWEC_2023", "sceneDescription": "BAHRAINWEC_PADDOCK", "layoutFile": "layoutPaddock" },
    { "trackFolder": "Barcelona_2025", "sceneDescription": "BARCELONAELMS", "layoutFile": "layoutELMS" },
    { "trackFolder": "CotAWEC_2024", "sceneDescription": "COTAWEC", "layoutFile": "layoutCota" },
    { "trackFolder": "CotAWEC_2024", "sceneDescription": "COTAWEC_NATIONAL", "layoutFile": "layoutNational" },
    { "trackFolder": "Daytona_2026", "sceneDescription": "DAYTONARC", "layoutFile": "layoutDaytona" },
    { "trackFolder": "FujiWEC_2023", "sceneDescription": "FUJIWEC", "layoutFile": "layoutFuji" },
    { "trackFolder": "FujiWEC_2023", "sceneDescription": "FUJIWEC_CL", "layoutFile": "layoutFujiCl" },
    { "trackFolder": "ImolaWEC_2024", "sceneDescription": "IMOLAWEC", "layoutFile": "layoutImola" },
    { "trackFolder": "ImolaWEC_2024", "sceneDescription": "IMOLAELMS", "layoutFile": "layoutImolaELMS" },
    { "trackFolder": "Interlagos_2024", "sceneDescription": "INTERLAGOSWEC", "layoutFile": "layoutInterlagos" },
    { "trackFolder": "LagunaSeca_2026", "sceneDescription": "LAGUNASECA", "layoutFile": "layoutLaguna" },
    { "trackFolder": "LeMans_2023", "sceneDescription": "LEMANSWEC", "layoutFile": "layoutLeMans" },
    { "trackFolder": "LeMans_2023", "sceneDescription": "LEMANSWEC_MULSANNE", "layoutFile": "layoutMulsanne" },
    { "trackFolder": "LongBeach_2026", "sceneDescription": "LONGBEACH", "layoutFile": "layoutLongBeach" },
    { "trackFolder": "Monza_2023", "sceneDescription": "MONZAWEC_GRANDE", "layoutFile": "layoutGrande" },
    { "trackFolder": "Monza_2023", "sceneDescription": "MONZAWEC", "layoutFile": "layoutMonza" },
    { "trackFolder": "PaulRicard_2025", "sceneDescription": "PAULRICARD1A", "layoutFile": "layout1A" },
    { "trackFolder": "PaulRicard_2025", "sceneDescription": "PAULRICARD1A-V2", "layoutFile": "layout1AV2" },
    { "trackFolder": "PaulRicard_2025", "sceneDescription": "PAULRICARD1A-V2-SHORT", "layoutFile": "layout1AV2Short" },
    { "trackFolder": "PaulRicard_2025", "sceneDescription": "PAULRICARD3A", "layoutFile": "layout3A" },
    { "trackFolder": "PaulRicard_2025", "sceneDescription": "PAULRICARDELMS", "layoutFile": "layoutELMS" },
    { "trackFolder": "PortimaoWEC_2023", "sceneDescription": "PORTIMAOWEC", "layoutFile": "layoutPortimao" },
    { "trackFolder": "PortimaoWEC_2023", "sceneDescription": "PORTIMAOELMS", "layoutFile": "layoutPortimaoELMS" },
    { "trackFolder": "Qatar_2024", "sceneDescription": "QATARWEC", "layoutFile": "layoutQatar" },
    { "trackFolder": "Qatar_2024", "sceneDescription": "QATARWEC_SHORT", "layoutFile": "layoutQatarShort" },
    { "trackFolder": "RoadAtlanta_2026", "sceneDescription": "ROADATLANTA", "layoutFile": "layoutRoadAtlanta" },
    { "trackFolder": "Sebring_2023", "sceneDescription": "SEBRINGWEC_SCHOOL", "layoutFile": "layoutSchool" },
    { "trackFolder": "Sebring_2023", "sceneDescription": "SEBRINGWEC", "layoutFile": "layoutSebring" },
    { "trackFolder": "Silverstone_2025", "sceneDescription": "SILVERSTONEELMS", "layoutFile": "layoutELMS" },
    { "trackFolder": "Silverstone_2025", "sceneDescription": "SILVERSTONE_INTERNATIONAL", "layoutFile": "layoutInternational" },
    { "trackFolder": "Silverstone_2025", "sceneDescription": "SILVERSTONE_NATIONAL", "layoutFile": "layoutNational" },
    { "trackFolder": "Silverstone_2025", "sceneDescription": "SILVERSTONEWEC", "layoutFile": "layoutWEC" },
    { "trackFolder": "Spa_2023", "sceneDescription": "SPAWEC", "layoutFile": "layoutSpa" },
    { "trackFolder": "Spa_2023", "sceneDescription": "SPAELMS", "layoutFile": "layoutSpaELMS" },
    { "trackFolder": "Spa_2023", "sceneDescription": "SPAWEC_ENDCE", "layoutFile": "layoutSpaEnd" }
  ]

With these in my %AppData% override, every Factory Seat round's layout row can go green.

I'll link the companion from the README and the 1.1 release notes. Really nice work!

[factoryseatlmuapp]

Heads-up on timing: Factory Seat 1.1.0 goes out Tuesday 13 October, in the morning (US time). This time the release and the announcement go out together: GitHub first, then Reddit (r/LeMansUltimateWEC and r/LeMans_Ultimate), the community Discord and OverTake.

The companion will be in the release notes and the announcement, linked to your repo. If you'd like to put out a release of your own at the same time (say, with the custom-team fix and the layout mappings in), Tuesday morning would be the moment. No pressure at all; if it's still a beta by then, I'll just say so.

Two quick questions so I get it right:

1. Is there a one-line description you'd like me to use? Right now I have: "Factory Seat Companion: a SimHub overlay that shows a checklist right on LMU's race setup screen and turns green when everything matches."
2. Should I link the repo's front page, or the Releases page?

briefing.json doesn't change between the beta and 1.1.0, so anything you've tested against the beta will work with the release.

[Milky28]

Sounds good! For your questions:

1. Yeah what you have is perfect
2. Link the front page please, it will always link to the latest release and have all the instructions, screenshots, etc.

I've just released beta.3 which has your fixes if you want to try it out. If I don't have any additional releases by Monday night I'll promote this one to v0.1.0 so it will be ready to go with your release.

[factoryseatlmuapp]

Quick heads-up: GOWENonYT, who just did a YouTube video on Factory Seat, asked about setup between races, so I've passed him the link to your companion. He's thinking about running a longer career with Race Control custom team cars, so the custom-team path (Team row = Any / NOT VERIFIED) might get real use soon. I'll test it on my next Lexus custom-team round Monday and report back. No action needed, just didn't want you to be surprised if new users turn up!

[Milky28]

Oh sweet! Yeah let me know how it goes. Looking forward to the video.

[factoryseatlmuapp]

It's actually already out! Went live this afternoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e2cZNEWPqg

Your companion isn't in it since he recorded before he knew about it, but it's what he asked about afterwards, so it should get some use. I'll report back after Monday's custom-team test.

[factoryseatlmuapp]

Tested the custom-team path tonight on a Lexus Race Control round (Imola), and it works as intended: Team and Car number show Any, the To-do no longer asks for a livery by team name, every other row matched, and race duration went green after the 30 → 45 → 30 toggle.

One idea, not a bug: on a custom-team round everything verifiable can match, and the banner still sits at amber NOT VERIFIED because Custom team identity is always Unknown. A custom-team player will see amber every single round, which could train them to ignore it. Maybe a distinct state for "everything checkable matches, only the custom team can't be confirmed", e.g. a green READY TO RACE (custom team: not checkable)? Totally your call, and fine to leave for after v0.1.0.

Either way, beta.3 looks good to promote from my side. Thanks for the quick turnaround!

[Milky28]

Thanks for testing the custom team path, your suggestion is in beta.4 now along with some other minor fixes.

[factoryseatlmuapp]

That was fast! Thanks, I'll give beta.4 a run on my next custom-team round (Spa).

[factoryseatlmuapp]

Beta.4 confirmed on a custom-team round (Spa, Lexus): READY TO RACE with Custom team identity = Not checkable, Car number/Team = Any, everything else matching. Race duration showed the "change it once and back" to-do as expected. Exactly what I hoped for, thanks for the quick turnaround!

One small thing from updating beta.3 → beta.4: the overlay's visibility went back to the default and I had to set "Forced Visible" again. I didn't watch for it on earlier updates, so I'm not sure if it's new. Maybe the installer replaces the layout file? Could be worth keeping an existing layout's settings on upgrade, or adding a "re-check visibility after updating" line to the notes, since a lot of people will be updating around Tuesday.

[Milky28]

Thanks for confirming beta.4 on Spa! I looked into the visibility reset. The installer isn’t the cause, because it never touches SimHub’s overlay layouts folder. “Forced Visible” is a temporary switch in SimHub that isn’t saved anywhere, so it turns off every time SimHub restarts, and every update needs a restart. Setting the layout’s visibility to Manual is saved, and it carries over through updates.

I’ve added an “Updating” note to the README and the release notes explaining this, so it’ll be covered for everyone updating on Tuesday.

[factoryseatlmuapp]

That explains it. I'd been using Forced Visible instead of Manual. I'll switch it to Manual. Thanks for digging in and for adding the Updating note, that'll save some confused messages on Tuesday. See you on release day! 🏁

[factoryseatlmuapp]

1.1.0 "Grid Walk" is out as Latest: https://github.com/factoryseatlmuapp/factory-seat/releases/tag/v1.1.0

briefing.json is unchanged from the beta (still format v1), as promised, so Companion 0.1.0 works with it as is. Your repo is linked in the release notes and in the announcement (#13). Thanks for building it and for all the beta testing 🏁

[factoryseatlmuapp]

The beta is up: https://github.com/factoryseatlmuapp/factory-seat/releases/tag/v1.2.0-beta

briefing.json is exactly the shape in my last message, and the full write-up with an example is in docs/briefing-json.md. It's a pre-release, so the app's update notice won't offer it to anyone yet. If Companion trips on anything, or a field would be easier in another form, tell me before the full release and I'll change it.

[Milky28]

Thanks for the beta! I ran Companion 0.1.1 against the 1.2 briefing-json.md, both your example and a busier one with ahead/behind, an openBet, history, a targetLap and a mid-season local sponsor. It reads them all exactly the same as 1.1, so nothing breaks it.

I'd like to show pace advice in the overlay at some point, since AI Strength sits right next to the settings Companion already checks. Two things would make that easier, if they're cheap for you:

1. AI Strength as a number. "BitHard" doesn't tell the driver where to put LMU's AI Strength slider. If Factory Seat can work out a suggested percentage, or a signed step like -3%, Companion could show "Set AI Strength to X" like its other hints. If it can't, the word is fine and I'll show it as it is. Or is this field not intended for the user to set manually? I'm not sure how you've been handling AI strength.
2. Most important stakes line first. The overlay is small, so if lines[0] is always the headline, I can safely show just the first one or two.

Everything else reads well. Seconds for lap times and the gap sign convention are both easy to work with.

[factoryseatlmuapp]

Great to hear 0.1.1 reads it all cleanly, thanks for testing it that thoroughly. Both are in 1.2.0-beta.2, out now: https://github.com/factoryseatlmuapp/factory-seat/releases/tag/v1.2.0-beta.2

1. AI Strength as a number. To your question: yes, the player sets AI Strength by hand in LMU, and Factory Seat only advises. It can't see where the slider is right now (LMU only saves it to its settings file when the game closes), so a "set it to X" could easily be wrong. Instead the advice now comes with a step: round.pace.step (and round.practice.aiStrengthStep when it's from practice) is the change in points on the slider: 3 for TooEasy, 1 BitEasy, 0 Matched, -1 BitHard, -3 TooHard. So Companion can say "Raise AI Strength 3%" or "Lower AI Strength 1%".
2. Most important stakes line first. That's how it already worked; it's now documented and pinned by a test. lines[0] is always the championship position (or "no points on the board yet"), then the drivers ahead and behind, then double points, an interview bet and a sponsor's podium ask when they apply. Showing the first one or two is safe.

version stays 1 and nothing else moved. The docs are updated: docs/briefing-json.md.

[Milky28]

Companion 0.2.0 is out too - https://github.com/Milky28/factory-seat-companion/releases

[factoryseatlmuapp]

Congrats on 0.2.0, and great timing, landing the same day as 1.2! Really cool to see the AI Strength step and the stakes line show up exactly the way we talked about. I'll run it on my next round and let you know how it looks. I'll also add a line about 0.2.0 to the 1.2 announcement so people updating know there's a matching Companion. Thanks again 🏁