PROFESSIONAL MOTORSPORT
SIMULATION SOFTWARE
Looking at 25 variables in one sight
We do agree that the animation might look a bit like a gimmick to the professional engineer.
But it enables you to look at about 25 parameters in one sight. That sometimes gives you a better understanding of the combination of data, especially if you are not an educated engineer.
And even if you do not have an engineering degree, you have a feel how a car should look like. So you quickly see if there is something wrong.
Middle of the zoomed area in plots is animation point
If you have zoomed in on a specific area in the plot menus and just subsequently select the animation, the animation will show you the situation at the yellow line of the plot menu.
Moving back to the plot menu, LapSim will go back to the area you were.
Can be very helpful to visualize on-car data
In the main figure, you see the vehicle with all the body movements. Roll, pitch and yaw. But also the individual suspension travel.
It very quickly shows you whether the data make sense, because you have a feel of how it should look like.
Size of contact patches relates to vertical load
On the top view, you see the tire forces displayed. The area of the contact patch is in direct relation to the vertical load acting on the tire.
The orange arrows show the combined forces. The long lines show you the momentary load distribution over the four tires.
Vehicle drift angle versus front and rear slip angle
On the dashboard, the right gauche shows the lateral slip of the two axes as well as the difference between them, defined as vehicle handling state.
In the vehicle animation the vehicle handling state is used shown as the yaw angle of the vehicle.
Helpful visualization of the LSD functioning
In the animation, the differential two appearances. A box, when there is a speed difference. A straight beam when there is no speed difference (representing a spool).
Furthermore an arrow is shown with the LSD force. The colour of the arrow and differential is blue when the differential force pushes the car towards understeer. Orange means the differential force pushes the vehicle in the direction of oversteer.
Turn in under braking
The first example is at the end of the braking when the vehicle turns into the corner. The differential slides because the ingoing braking torque of the engine is not enough to close the differential.
The LSD stabilizes the car, creating understeer.
Mid corner
In mid corner is the first moment where the driver applies the throttle, but he cannot go to feel power.
The LSD still slightly slides and creates understeer.
Exit
Finally the driver can apply (close to) full throttle and the vehicle accelerates out of the corner.
Due to the power input, the LSD closes and creates oversteer.
Just a left mouse click on the track map
There are several ways of selecting a point you wish to see. Use the edit boxes for a time or distance point.
But you can also click in the track graph to select a point. The button "back to " is always updated with the latest selected point.