DiRT Read Me (version 1.

03, updated 2007-5-22)

Thank you for purchasing DiRT . This document contains last minute information abo
ut DiRT and other information not found in the manual. Please read through if you
are experiencing any difficulties running the game.
- DiRT development team
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Contents
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- System Requirements
- Supported Controllers
- Installation Instructions
- Known Issues/Troubleshooting
- Further Troubleshooting
- Advanced Features
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System Requirements
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TCP/IP mode (2-100 players) Requirements
Broadband internet connection required - 512kbps + Recommended
TCP/IP Network
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Minimum Specifications
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- Windows XP
- DirectX 9.0c
- Pentium 4 @ 3.0GHz or Athlon 64 3000+
- 1GB RAM.
- Graphics Card: GeForce 6800 / Radeon X1300 or above
- DirectX Compatible Sound Card
-€Dual Layer Compatible€DVD-ROM Drive
- 12.5 Gb Hard Drive Space
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Recommended Specifications
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- Windows XP/Vista.
- DirectX 9.0c
- Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.66Ghz or Athlon X2 3800+
- 2GB RAM.
- Graphics Card: GeForce 8800 or Radeon X1950
- Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Sound Card.
- Dual Layer Compatible€DVD-ROM Drive
- 12.5 Gb Hard Drive Space
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Supported Graphics Cards
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- ATi Radeon x1300, x1600, x1800, x1900, x1950
- nVidia Geforce 6800, 7100, 7300, 7600, 7800, 7900, 7950, 8800
Not compatible with all integrated sound/graphics solutions (inc.Laptops)
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Supported Controllers
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DiRT can be configured to use almost any PC controller, however we recommend the
following controllers for the best game play experience:
- Logitech G25
- Logitech MOMO
- Logitech Driving Force Pro
- Microsoft X360 controller
DiRT provides default configurations for all of the above, meaning that you shoul
d be able to plug-and-play, with no tweaking required.

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Installation instructions
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It is advisable to close down all applications before either starting the instal
lation or running the game. Not doing so may cause the game to lose focus or run
poorly.
Place the DiRT disc into your DVD drive and close the disc tray. If you have Auto
run enabled on your PC, the game should launch automatically simply click Install
to continue.
If Autorun is disabled, open up My Computer from the desktop or start menu. From t
here, double click on the icon for your DVD drive to explore the contents of the
disc. Locate the file called Setup.exe and double click it to begin installation.
DiRT requires the presence of DirectX 9c on your system in order to run. Your ver
sion of DirectX will be automatically updated (if required) during installation.
Once you have entered the game and created a profile, you can alter your graphic
s and resolution settings from within the Options Menu.

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Known issues/Troubleshooting
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i) The game won t install!
If you find that you are getting file not found errors (or other similar messages)
during installation, it may be that your DVD drive is malfunctioning. There are
several simple tests you can perform to verify this:
- Does the same disc install correctly on a different PC?
- Does the same disc install on your PC using a different DVD drive?
- If you browse the DVD manually, can you locate the missing file?
- Try copying the contents of your disc directly onto your hard drive do y
ou get a standard Windows Insert disc error (or similar) whilst copying?
If any of the above tests succeed, then it is highly probable that there is an i
ssue with your DVD drive. Such problems may not manifest themselves with all dis
cs, so even if other games appear to install correctly then this may still be th
e case.
Other installation issues are generally caused by the user having insufficient p
rivileges to modify elements of the operating system. The installer requires acc
ess to the Windows registry, in addition to access to the selected DiRT installat
ion directory.
If you find that you cannot install the game due to insufficient privileges, you
should ask somebody with administrator privileges on your system to either inst
all the game for you, or else elevate your account privileges so that you may do
it yourself.
ii) The game won t save!
As with the installer, you should make sure that you can access the folder where
DiRT save games are being stored. This is specified during installation and is,
by default, in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Codemasters\DiRT in
Windows XP, or the equivalent Vista folder. If a location other than the defaul
t one was used, and you have limited file access on your user account, you may n
ot be able to read or write to the save game directory.
iii) Where have all my vehicle set-up files gone?
Saved set-up files cannot be transferred between different vehicles. If you choo
se the Load option on the vehicle set-up screen, you will only see the files that
you have saved for that particular vehicle.
You also cannot transfer vehicle set-up files between different user profiles.
iv) I changed my graphics settings now the game won t boot!
If you changed your graphics settings and now can t get into the game don t panic! T
his can occur if you enable an option unsupported by your graphics card, or set
the resolution beyond what can be handled by your monitor. DiRT includes a Safe Mo
de to help under such circumstances, which can either be run using the shortcut u
nder the start menu, or else by launching the game using the safemode parameter. Sa
fe Mode will simply boot the game using the lowest possible resolution and graph
ics settings, so that any PC meeting the minimum spec should be able to at least
reach the options menu to rectify the problem. Alternatively, simply delete the
hardware_settings_config.xml file, and the game will generate a new one the nex
t time it is run.
v) I ve unlocked an event why isn t it showing up in Rally World Mode?
If you unlock any event in the game (using either Bonus Codes or through normal
gameplay) you can only race in it if you own a suitable vehicle. Once you own at
least one eligible vehicle, you will be able to access it from the Rally World
screens.
vi) Visible shearing/tearing
You may experience tearing across the picture. This can be avoided by editing th
e hardware_settings_config.xml file, located in your savegame directory. Under t
he resolution settings, simply set 'vsync' to '1'. Please note that this may red
uce the performance of the game, and so is disabled by default.
vii) Poor frame-rate
DiRT has been designed with multi-core processors in mind, and as such will run s
ignificantly better when one is available. If you are running in Vista, the game
may also require a larger amount of RAM than if you were running in XP.
If the game run at an unsatisfactory framerate, try turning off some graphics sy
stems from the graphics options menu. Mirrors and Wind Effects can both be disab
led for a significant performance increase with little loss in visual fidelity.
More advanced users may want to tweak the settings in the hardware_settings_conf
ig xml file, located in your savegame directory. Turning down the shadow mask qu
ality to 0 has been found to provide good framerate improvements for those with
older graphics cards.
viii) The game looks stretched/squashed!
Check that the aspect ratio and resolution settings that you are using are suppo
rted by and are applicable to the monitor you are using.
ix) My rear speakers are silent!
The software mixer does not support surround sound output. Try the OpenAL or Dir
ectSound3D audio options, after checking that your sound card drivers are up to
date.
x) I can't select High DSP Audio!
You need a Sound Blaster X-Fi or Audigy card, set to game mode.
xi) Graphical Corruption Warning!
Using extremely high resolutions on Graphics Cards with less than 512MB of memor
y may result in graphical corruption. To resolve these issues simply run the gam
e using the safe mode executable.
xii) I'm experiencing unusual speedup/slowdowns during gameplay
Users experiencing timing issues within DiRT who are using an Athlon64 X2 Dual C
ore processor should try downloading the corrective driver update found at AMD's
own site: http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_182_871
_13118,00.html under the "AMD Dual-Core Optimizer" heading (at time of publicati
on).
It should also be noted that similar timing issues can occur at low frame rates.
To mitigate this, we recommend turning down your graphics settings to achieve
a higher sustained frame rate.
xiii) Input lag
Due to the way the game handles input, the frame rate affects the latency betwee
n user input and visual feedback. This means that at particuarly low frame rate
s users may begin to notice input lag. If you are experiencing input lag, we ad
vise you seek ways to increase your frame rate (such as lowering details in the
graphic settings found in the options menu)
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Force Feedback and Steering Wheel Setup
---------------------------------------
As well as saturation and dead-zone controls, the following force feedback wheel
options are available in the DiRT controller setup screen. Modifying these value
s may increase the amount of 'oscillation' felt in the force feedback - eg. the
wheel vibrating slightly when driving straight.
i) Force Feedback Strength
The overall strength of force feedback. Higher values may increase the level of
oscillation.
ii) Force Feedback Weight
Higher values make the force feedback feel 'tighter' - only small changes in whe
el orientation are required to cause large forces. This increases the perceived
strength, but removes some of the subtlety and smoothness.
iii) Steering Linearity
Negative values make the steering concentrated around the centre of the wheel -
moving the wheel only a small way will give you most of the steering response, a
nd then moving the wheel all the way to full lock will give only a little more.
Positive values do the opposite - moving the wheel around the centre accomplishe
s little, but as you approach full lock you start to get the full steering effec
t. Wheel linearity is very much an issue of personal preference. You may find th
at using negative values requires the force feedback weight to be decreased in o
rder to reduce oscillations.

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Audio
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i) Performance
The audio system in DiRT has been designed to scale greatly, to suit all machine
s and cards.
- Software
This option gives you a stereo software mixer. This gives the maximum compatibil
ity with all sound cards but does not make use of all their features. You can se
lect Low level DSP, but this will consume extra CPU time.
- OpenAL
This option uses the OpenAL system, and is designed for use on Creative Labs Aud
igy and X-Fi cards. It allows the selection of high DSP quality and supports har
dware audio acceleration on Vista, unlike other Audio options.
- DirectSound3D
This option uses the Windows XP DirectSound3D format, to take advantage of drive
rs for systems that do not yet support OpenAL natively. The quality and performa
nce of this translation depends on the compatibility of the underlying DirectSou
nd3D driver and your 'hardware acceleration' settings in Windows. If the DirectS
ound3D driver has bugs (e.g. some RealTek systems) performance suffers.

ii) DSP (Digital Signal Processing) settings

- Off
This turns the DSP off entirely. This is the fastest option.
- Low
This enables a single reverb and filter effects. This is much slower than having
 no DSP, and is not recommended for Software mixing.
- High
This uses multiple reverbs and filters, and gives a large boost to the quality o
f the reflections and reverberation in game. It requires Creative Labs Audigy or
X-Fi hardware.

iii) Drivers
You should ensure you have the latest drivers for your soundcard. If your driver
s aren't up to date, you may not be able to choose OpenAL or DirectSound3D mixin
g, or you may be limited to DSP being LOW or OFF.

-----------------------
Further Troubleshooting
-----------------------
If you are still experiencing problems the please contact our customer support w
here we will be more than happy to help. Details can be found in your DiRT manual
or on the Codies website www.codemasters.com
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Advanced Features
-----------------
If your system has a motion platform, then DiRT should be able to control it. Thi
s feature is completely untested beyond checking that the basic data output is c
orrect, and as such should be used entirely at your own risk. The output format
is designed to be compatible with the "Live for Speed" outsim motion platform fo
rmat. To enable, just open the system\hardware_settings_config.XML file and edit
the motion attributes:
<motion enabled="true" ip="192.168.0.10" port="20777" delay="1" extradata="0" />
enabled Set true or false to enable or disable the motion platform
ip - The IP address of the motion platform
port - The port of the motion platform
delay - the time between data updates from the game (1/100ths second).
extradata - This should always be set to 0