We are extremely happy to announce the release of version 4 of the Z1 Dashboard software! First a huge thank you to all the beta testers!
There are some very big updates in this version with the main one being screen switching. You can now have up to 10 dashboards associated with each car and switch between them with a click of a button. We've also added several new dashboards, improved the display, improved the settings dialog, and much more.
If you are an existing user you can download version 4 from this page by entering your order number: http://www.z1simwheel.com/dashboard/MyDashboard.cfm (You will receive an email soon that includes your order number in case you have forgotten it.)
If you do not already have the software and would like to try it out please download the demo here: http://www.z1simwheel.com/dashboard/demo.cfm?source=krp
In addition we have modified the pricing structure to provide more options for purchasing the software. Previously the price was a flat $49 for the software and all future updates. Going forward the price has been reduced to $24.99. This includes the software and one month of updates. You then have the option of subscribing for updates at $1.99 per month, or purchasing a single update for $14, or simply staying with the version you purchased. (This change does not effect users who purchased the software previously. They will continue to receive all updates for free.)
The full list of updates is as follows:
* You can now have up to 10 dashboard screens associated with a single instance. You can switch between these screens by pressing a button on your wheel or joystick, or by touching the Z1 LCD Screen. The default screen rotation is: main dashboard -> Track Map -> Timing & Scoring -> Telemetry Dash -> Adjustment Dash -> Pit Info Dash. You can choose from any of the dashboards, and put them in any order using the Settings Dialog. Each instance can have up to 10 dashboard associated with each car, each with their own switching order. (That would be a theoretical maximum of 60 dashboards per car!)
* There is now a "Limiter Dash" option in the Car 1 tab. This lets you choose which of the dashboards that can be displayed for the specific car will be displayed when you engage the pit limiter. This allows you to select any dashboard when you enter the pits.
* A new Track Map dashboard has been created, called Track Map 2. This displays the track map along with speed, rev, shift lights, gear, lap number and position.
* The Pit Dash and Fuel Dash are now stand alone dashboards. They can be inserted into your car's dashboard rotation just as any other dashboard would be.
* A new Telemetry Dashboard has been created, called Telemetry Dash 2. This displays in real time, traces for steering position, suspension travel on all wheels, gear, throttle position, brake position, RPMs and speed.
* The Settings Dialog has been updated to allow for the new multiple screens. In addition all buttons and text fields now have tool tips to let you know what each function does.
* A new Save Location settings has been added. This allows you to specify whether or not the Z1 should save the location of the screen when you exit.
* If you run with Auto-Resize on, then the Z1 will now remember the exact dimensions of the window you were using. Previously it always resized based on the current scale settings.
* There is a new Auto-Scaling option. This is on by default. When you resize the window the app will pick the best scaling to suit the size of the window. If you have Auto-Resize on it will fill the window. If it is off, then the screen may not take up the full window. As before Auto-Resize takes up more CPU power, and is off by default.
* All the ini files have been replaced by XML files. This new XML file structure allows for the multiple dashboards per instance.
* Each instance now has its own specific XML setup file for settings and car definitions. This fixes an issue where the ini file could become corrupted if they were written to simultaneously by multiple instances.
* Changes to the dashboards associated with a car now take effect immediately once the settings dialog has been closed. Previously you had to restart the Z1 to see any changes.
* Joystick button selection is now done in the Settings Dialog. The new Display tab allows you to specify whether or not the joystick buttons are enabled, and to select each button without having to restart the Z1. Just click the buttons associated with the desired function and click the appropriate button on your wheel or joystick. Each instance can now have its own joystick button assignments. This allows you to control multiple instances with your joystick.
* Screen sizing has been improved. Now when hiding or showing the title bar, the screen will keep the correct size based on its previous size.
* There is now a setting to determine the time between checking for joystick button clicks. The default is 150 milliseconds. The smaller the number the more responsive the app will be to button clicks. Using a larger number will allow you to hold a button down and cycle through the dashboards at a reasonable speed.
* The 'flip' option now only flips the display if you are using the Z1 LCD Screen.
* If you have an instance setup so the dashboard displays even when you are not in the car you can still cycle through the dashboards for the car using the joystick buttons, or by clicking on the left side of the screen. Clicking on the right side of the screen, when not in the car, will display the settings dialog.
* There is a new plugin for the 64 bit version of rFactor 2.
You can download the demo here: http://www.z1simwheel.com/dashboard/demo.cfm?source=krp
There are some very big updates in this version with the main one being screen switching. You can now have up to 10 dashboards associated with each car and switch between them with a click of a button. We've also added several new dashboards, improved the display, improved the settings dialog, and much more.
If you are an existing user you can download version 4 from this page by entering your order number: http://www.z1simwheel.com/dashboard/MyDashboard.cfm (You will receive an email soon that includes your order number in case you have forgotten it.)
If you do not already have the software and would like to try it out please download the demo here: http://www.z1simwheel.com/dashboard/demo.cfm?source=krp
In addition we have modified the pricing structure to provide more options for purchasing the software. Previously the price was a flat $49 for the software and all future updates. Going forward the price has been reduced to $24.99. This includes the software and one month of updates. You then have the option of subscribing for updates at $1.99 per month, or purchasing a single update for $14, or simply staying with the version you purchased. (This change does not effect users who purchased the software previously. They will continue to receive all updates for free.)
The full list of updates is as follows:
* You can now have up to 10 dashboard screens associated with a single instance. You can switch between these screens by pressing a button on your wheel or joystick, or by touching the Z1 LCD Screen. The default screen rotation is: main dashboard -> Track Map -> Timing & Scoring -> Telemetry Dash -> Adjustment Dash -> Pit Info Dash. You can choose from any of the dashboards, and put them in any order using the Settings Dialog. Each instance can have up to 10 dashboard associated with each car, each with their own switching order. (That would be a theoretical maximum of 60 dashboards per car!)
* There is now a "Limiter Dash" option in the Car 1 tab. This lets you choose which of the dashboards that can be displayed for the specific car will be displayed when you engage the pit limiter. This allows you to select any dashboard when you enter the pits.
* A new Track Map dashboard has been created, called Track Map 2. This displays the track map along with speed, rev, shift lights, gear, lap number and position.
* The Pit Dash and Fuel Dash are now stand alone dashboards. They can be inserted into your car's dashboard rotation just as any other dashboard would be.
* A new Telemetry Dashboard has been created, called Telemetry Dash 2. This displays in real time, traces for steering position, suspension travel on all wheels, gear, throttle position, brake position, RPMs and speed.
* The Settings Dialog has been updated to allow for the new multiple screens. In addition all buttons and text fields now have tool tips to let you know what each function does.
* A new Save Location settings has been added. This allows you to specify whether or not the Z1 should save the location of the screen when you exit.
* If you run with Auto-Resize on, then the Z1 will now remember the exact dimensions of the window you were using. Previously it always resized based on the current scale settings.
* There is a new Auto-Scaling option. This is on by default. When you resize the window the app will pick the best scaling to suit the size of the window. If you have Auto-Resize on it will fill the window. If it is off, then the screen may not take up the full window. As before Auto-Resize takes up more CPU power, and is off by default.
* All the ini files have been replaced by XML files. This new XML file structure allows for the multiple dashboards per instance.
* Each instance now has its own specific XML setup file for settings and car definitions. This fixes an issue where the ini file could become corrupted if they were written to simultaneously by multiple instances.
* Changes to the dashboards associated with a car now take effect immediately once the settings dialog has been closed. Previously you had to restart the Z1 to see any changes.
* Joystick button selection is now done in the Settings Dialog. The new Display tab allows you to specify whether or not the joystick buttons are enabled, and to select each button without having to restart the Z1. Just click the buttons associated with the desired function and click the appropriate button on your wheel or joystick. Each instance can now have its own joystick button assignments. This allows you to control multiple instances with your joystick.
* Screen sizing has been improved. Now when hiding or showing the title bar, the screen will keep the correct size based on its previous size.
* There is now a setting to determine the time between checking for joystick button clicks. The default is 150 milliseconds. The smaller the number the more responsive the app will be to button clicks. Using a larger number will allow you to hold a button down and cycle through the dashboards at a reasonable speed.
* The 'flip' option now only flips the display if you are using the Z1 LCD Screen.
* If you have an instance setup so the dashboard displays even when you are not in the car you can still cycle through the dashboards for the car using the joystick buttons, or by clicking on the left side of the screen. Clicking on the right side of the screen, when not in the car, will display the settings dialog.
* There is a new plugin for the 64 bit version of rFactor 2.
You can download the demo here: http://www.z1simwheel.com/dashboard/demo.cfm?source=krp