Settings

Realistic Car Controller Pro stores all of its global configuration in a single ScriptableObject called RCCP_Settings. This is the central control panel for physics behavior, mobile input, layer management, audio defaults, and much more. Before you start building vehicles, it is worth spending a few minutes here to understand what each section does and why it matters.

Accessing Settings

There are three ways to open and work with RCCP Settings:

From the menu: Tools > BoneCracker Games > Realistic Car Controller Pro > Settings
From code (editor or initialization): RCCP_Settings.Instance
File location on disk: Assets/Realistic Car Controller Pro/Resources/RCCP_Settings.asset

Runtime Clone (Important)

At runtime, RCCP automatically creates a clone of the Settings asset so that any changes made during play mode do not overwrite your saved configuration. All built-in RCCP components already use this clone internally.

If you are writing your own scripts and need to read settings at runtime, always use:


RCCP_Settings runtimeSettings = RCCP_RuntimeSettings.RCCPSettingsInstance;

Using RCCP_Settings.Instance directly at runtime would modify the original asset, which could cause unexpected changes that persist after you exit play mode.

General Settings

These settings affect every vehicle in your project.

Setting	Type	Default	Description
Multithreading	bool	true	Enables asynchronous processing for damage calculations on supported platforms. Falls back to single-threaded if the platform does not support it.
Override FPS	bool	true	When enabled, overrides Unity's target frame rate with the value below.
Max FPS	int	120	The target frame rate when Override FPS is enabled. Higher values give smoother visuals but require more CPU/GPU power.
Override Fixed Timestep	bool	true	When enabled, overrides Unity's fixed timestep with the value below.
Fixed Timestep	float	0.02	The interval (in seconds) between physics updates. 0.02 means 50 physics updates per second. Lower values (like 0.01) give more accurate physics but cost more CPU. For most games, 0.02 is the sweet spot.
Max Angular Velocity	float	6	Maximum rotation speed for vehicle rigidbodies, range 0.5 to 20. If your vehicles do not spin fast enough during crashes or flips, increase this value.

Behavior Presets

Behaviors are the heart of RCCP's physics tuning. A behavior preset defines a complete driving feel -- stability aids, steering response, drift characteristics, differential type, and wheel friction curves all in one package.

You can create multiple behavior presets and switch between them at runtime to offer different driving modes (for example, a Realistic mode and an Arcade mode in the same game).

How to use behaviors

In RCCP Settings, check the Override Behavior checkbox.
The behaviorTypes array becomes editable. Each element is one preset.
Set the Behavior Selected Index to choose which preset is active by default.
At runtime, change the active behavior through the RCCP API or by modifying the selected index.

Stability Aids

Every behavior preset includes toggles for six stability systems. These helpers make vehicles easier (or harder) to control depending on how you configure them.

Aid	Default	What It Does
ABS (Anti-lock Braking)	On	Prevents wheels from locking up under hard braking. Without ABS, slamming the brakes causes the wheels to stop rotating entirely, which reduces steering control and increases stopping distance.
ESP (Electronic Stability)	On	Applies individual wheel brakes automatically to prevent the vehicle from spinning out during sharp turns or sudden direction changes. RCCP ships a yaw-rate bicycle-model ESP (see ESP V2 below) — this toggle is the master on/off.
TCS (Traction Control)	On	Limits wheel spin during acceleration. Prevents the driven wheels from spinning freely on slippery surfaces or under heavy throttle.
Steering Helper	On	Automatically corrects the vehicle's direction to align with its velocity. Higher values make the car feel more "on rails," lower values feel more raw.
Traction Helper	On	Reduces wheel slip beyond a threshold. Similar to TCS but works as a broader stability system across all driving conditions.
Angular Drag Helper	Off	Dampens the vehicle's rotational velocity at higher speeds to prevent spinning out. Useful for arcade-style games where you want the car to feel planted.

Each aid also has minimum and maximum strength values that define how aggressively it intervenes. For example, Steering Helper Strength ranges from 0.1 (subtle correction) to 1.0 (aggressive correction).

ESP V2 (Yaw-Rate Bicycle Model)

RCCP's ESP uses a production-style bicycle model to compute a reference yaw rate ψ̇_ref = V · δ / (L + K_us · V²), clamped by the friction limit ψ̇_max = μ · g / V, then runs a PD controller on the error between actual and reference yaw. Based on that error (and sideslip β), ESP classifies the condition as oversteer or understeer and applies corrective brake torque to the appropriate wheel — plus a matching motor-torque cut so the driven wheel does not fight the brake.

These settings live directly on the RCCP_Stability component on each vehicle (under the ESP and ESP V2 headers in the Inspector). They are per-vehicle and not part of the global behavior preset.

Core ESP settings:

Setting	Range	Default	Description
ESP	bool	On	Master on/off for the whole ESP pipeline.
ESP Intensity	0.0 – 1.0	0.5	Global gain on the brake torque ESP produces. Lower = subtler intervention.
ESP Deadband	0.5 – 10 deg/s	10	Yaw-rate error threshold above which ESP engages. Lower = more aggressive. Production typical: 4 deg/s.
ESP Deactivation Deadband	0.1 – 5 deg/s	2	Hysteresis band. Once engaged, ESP releases only when error drops below this. Should be 1–3 deg/s below the engagement deadband.
ESP Min Intervention Time	0 – 0.5 sec	0.15	Minimum time ESP stays engaged after firing. Prevents flutter during transients. Production typical: 0.1–0.2s.

ESP Mode:

Mode	Behavior
Normal	Standard thresholds, brake differential plus engine torque reduction. The default.
Sport	~2× wider deadbands and no engine cut — just brake differential. For experienced drivers or simulation modes.

Bicycle model parameters:

Setting	Range	Default	Description
Understeer Gradient (K_us)	0 – 0.01 rad·s²/m	0.0035	Shapes `ψ̇_ref` at high speed. Typical passenger car: 0.0035. Sportier: 0.002. Comfort/SUV: 0.005+.
Estimated Mu (μ)	0.1 – 1.2	0.9	Road friction coefficient used to clamp the reference yaw rate. 0.9–1.0 dry, 0.5–0.7 wet, 0.2–0.4 snow/ice.
ESP P Gain	0.5 – 10	2.5	Proportional gain (multiplied by vehicle mass). Higher = stronger correction per unit of yaw error.
ESP D Gain	0 – 2	0.15	Derivative gain. Dampens rapid yaw changes, speeds response to lift-off oversteer (which develops in 200–500 ms).
Yaw Rate Time Constant	0.05 – 0.3 sec	0.15	First-order lag filter on `ψ̇_ref`. Prevents ESP from commanding instantaneous yaw changes from flicks.

Oversteer vs understeer classification:

Setting	Range	Default	Description
ESP Mode Commit Time	0 – 0.5 sec	0.15	Minimum time ESP holds its oversteer/understeer classification before allowing a flip. Prevents wrong-wheel braking during transients.
Sideslip Max Angle	3 – 20 deg	10	When `	β	` exceeds this, ESP forces oversteer classification even if yaw error alone would read as understeer. Outer bound of the controllable envelope.
Sideslip Max Rate	5 – 30 deg/s	15	When `	dβ/dt	` exceeds this, ESP promotes to oversteer. Catches developing spins earlier than yaw error alone.

Dashboard indicator (UI debounce):

ESP exposes two engagement flags — ESPEngaged (the raw runtime state) and ESPIndicatorEngaged (the user-facing dashboard flag). The indicator is gated so the dashboard light does not flicker on micro-corrections the driver cannot feel:

Setting	Range	Default	Description
Min Noticeable Brake Torque	0 – 500 Nm	200	Smoothed max brake torque must exceed this before `ESPIndicatorEngaged` flips true. 0 = mirror `ESPEngaged` directly.
UI Min Hold Time	0 – 1 sec	0.25	How long `ESPIndicatorEngaged` stays true after brake torque last crossed the threshold. Fast turn-on, slow turn-off.

Arcade speed preservation (opt-in):

Setting	Range	Default	Description
Preserve Speed Factor	0.0 – 1.0	0.0	0 = realistic (ESP bleeds speed through the corner). 1 = full cancellation of ESP brake deceleration via a compensating forward force (corrective yaw still works, but the car does not slow down). Does not affect the engine torque cut — combine with ESP Mode = Sport to disable that separately.

See Telemetry and Debug for how to read ESPEngaged, ESPIndicatorEngaged, yaw rate error, and sideslip in code. See Troubleshooting for common ESP tuning issues.

Steering Configuration

Setting	Default	Description
Steering Curve	AnimationCurve	Defines how steering angle changes with speed. X-axis is speed in km/h, Y-axis is the maximum steering angle in degrees. At 0 km/h the default curve gives 40 degrees; at 200 km/h it drops to 5 degrees. This prevents twitchy steering at highway speeds.
Steering Sensitivity	1.0	How quickly steering input reaches full lock. Higher values mean faster response.
Counter Steering	On	Automatically counter-steers during oversteer to help the driver recover.
Limit Steering	On	Reduces the maximum steering angle at high speed using the steering curve above.

Additional range settings control the min/max bounds for counter-steering strength (default 0.5 to 1.0) and steering speed sensitivity (default 0.5 to 1.0).

Differential Type

Each behavior preset includes a differential type setting that affects how power is distributed between driven wheels:

Open -- Allows wheels to spin at different speeds. Most realistic for road cars.
Limited -- Partially locks the wheels together. Good balance of realism and stability.
FullLocked -- Both driven wheels always spin at the same speed. Maximum traction but less realistic cornering.
Direct -- Simplified power delivery. Good for arcade-style games.

Drift Mode Settings

Drift mode adds force-based drift assistance and reduces rear tire grip for controlled sliding. These settings only take effect when driftMode is enabled in the behavior preset.

Core drift settings:

Setting	Range	Default	Description
Drift Mode	bool	Off	Master toggle for all drift physics.
Drift Angle Limiter	bool	Off	When enabled, corrects angular velocity if the drift angle exceeds the limit. Prevents uncontrollable spins.
Drift Angle Limit	0-90 degrees	30	Maximum allowed drift angle before correction forces kick in.
Drift Angle Correction Factor	0-10	3	How aggressively the angle is corrected when exceeding the limit. Higher values mean faster correction.

Drift forces:

Setting	Range	Default	Description
Yaw Torque Multiplier	0-3	0.7	How fast the car rotates into a drift. Higher values make the car rotate more aggressively.
Forward Force Multiplier	0-5000	2000	Forward push during drift to maintain speed. Higher values reduce speed loss while sliding.
Sideways Force Multiplier	0-4000	1500	Lateral push during drift. Higher values push the car further sideways for wider drifts.
Min Speed	0-60 km/h	20	Minimum speed for drift forces to activate. Below this speed, no drift assistance is applied.
Full Force Speed	20-150 km/h	80	Speed at which drift forces reach full strength. Forces scale linearly between min speed and this value.
Throttle Yaw Factor	0-1	0.3	How much throttle alone contributes to yaw rotation. Higher values let you initiate drifts with throttle, without needing to steer.

Drift friction:

These settings control how much tire grip is lost during drifting. Each value represents a multiplier where 1.0 means no grip reduction.

Setting	Range	Default	Description
Rear Sideways Stiffness Min	0.1-1.0	0.45	Minimum rear tire sideways grip during full drift. Lower values allow more lateral sliding.
Rear Forward Stiffness Min	0.5-1.0	0.8	Minimum rear tire forward grip during full drift. Lower values cause more speed loss.
Front Sideways Stiffness Min	0.5-1.2	0.9	Minimum front tire sideways grip during drift. Higher values keep the front end responsive for steering.
Friction Response Speed	1-20	8	How quickly grip reduces when entering a drift.
Friction Recovery Speed	1-20	4	How quickly grip recovers when exiting a drift.

Drift recovery:

Setting	Range	Default	Description
Max Angular Velocity	0-360 deg/s	120	Maximum rotation speed during drift. Prevents uncontrollable spins. 0 disables the limit.
Counter Steer Recovery Boost	1-5	2	Multiplier for recovery force when counter-steering during drift. Higher values make recovery easier.
Momentum Maintenance Force	0-3000	800	Constant forward force during drift to prevent speed loss.
Force Smoothing	1-20	8	Smoothing speed for drift force transitions. Higher values mean faster response, lower values mean smoother transitions.

Gear Shifting

Each behavior preset controls automatic transmission timing:

Setting	Range	Default	Description
Gear Shifting Threshold	0.1-0.9	0.8	Normalized RPM threshold (0 to 1) at which automatic gear shifts occur.
Gear Shifting Delay Min	0-1 sec	0.15	Minimum delay between automatic gear shifts.
Gear Shifting Delay Max	0-1 sec	0.5	Maximum delay between automatic gear shifts.

Anti-Roll Bar

Setting	Default	Description
Anti Roll Minimum	500	Minimum anti-roll bar force to reduce body roll in corners. Higher values keep the car flatter through turns.

Wheel Friction

Each behavior preset defines friction curves for front and rear wheels separately. These values map directly to Unity's WheelFrictionCurve and control how much grip the tires have.

There are four friction groups, each with four parameters:

Group	Affects
Forward Front	Acceleration and braking grip for front wheels
Forward Rear	Acceleration and braking grip for rear wheels
Sideways Front	Cornering grip for front wheels
Sideways Rear	Cornering grip for rear wheels

Each group has these four values:

Parameter	Description
Extremum Slip	The slip value at which maximum friction force is generated.
Extremum Value	The maximum friction force at the extremum slip point.
Asymptote Slip	The slip value beyond which friction force stabilizes at a lower level.
Asymptote Value	The friction force at and beyond the asymptote slip point.

In plain terms: Higher extremum and asymptote values mean more grip. Lower values mean the tires slide more easily. The front-vs-rear balance determines whether the car tends to understeer (front slides first) or oversteer (rear slides first).

Default front forward friction: Extremum Slip 0.4, Extremum Value 1.0, Asymptote Slip 0.8, Asymptote Value 0.5

Default rear forward friction: Extremum Slip 0.4, Extremum Value 0.95, Asymptote Slip 0.75, Asymptote Value 0.5

Default front sideways friction: Extremum Slip 0.4, Extremum Value 1.0, Asymptote Slip 0.5, Asymptote Value 0.75

Default rear sideways friction: Extremum Slip 0.4, Extremum Value 1.05, Asymptote Slip 0.5, Asymptote Value 0.8

Wheel Physics

Setting	Default	Description
Use Fixed Wheel Colliders	On	Uses heavier-mass wheel colliders for more stability. Recommended for most projects. Disabling this uses lighter colliders that may bounce or jitter on uneven terrain.
Auto Reset	On	Automatically resets the vehicle to an upright position if it is flipped upside down for too long. Useful for gameplay; disable for simulation or crash-focused games.

Units and Display

Setting	Default	Description
Use MPH	Off	Switches the speed display from kilometers per hour (km/h) to miles per hour (mph). This affects UI elements and telemetry readouts.
Use Telemetry	Off	Shows a real-time vehicle data overlay during play mode, including speed, RPM, gear, slip values, and more. See Telemetry and Debug.
Use Input Debugger	Off	Shows a real-time overlay of current input values (throttle, brake, steering) during play mode. Helpful for diagnosing control issues.

Input Rebinding

Setting	Default	Description
Auto Save/Load Input Rebind	On	Automatically saves custom key bindings to PlayerPrefs when the player changes them, and loads them back on the next session. Disable this if you want to manage input persistence yourself.

For full details on the input system and how to set up custom key bindings, see Inputs.

Mobile Settings

These settings control the on-screen touch controls for mobile platforms (iOS, Android).

Setting	Default	Description
Mobile Controller Enabled	Off	Shows or hides the mobile UI controls. Enable this for mobile builds.

Controller Types

When mobile controls are enabled, you can choose from four input methods:

Type	How It Works
TouchScreen	On-screen left/right buttons for steering, plus throttle and brake buttons. Simple and reliable.
Gyro	Tilt the device to steer. The gyro sensitivity setting (default 2.5) controls how much tilt is needed.
SteeringWheel	An on-screen rotatable steering wheel that the player drags to steer. Feels more immersive.
Joystick	An analog joystick for steering input. Good for players who want proportional control without gyro.

For detailed mobile setup instructions, see Mobile.

Layer Configuration

RCCP uses dedicated physics layers to manage collision detection between vehicles, wheels, and world objects. Proper layer setup is essential for the damage system, detachable parts, and prop interactions to work correctly.

Setting	Default	Description
Set Layers	On	When enabled, RCCP automatically creates and assigns layers during setup.

Layer Purposes

Layer Name	Purpose
RCCP_Vehicle	Assigned to all vehicle GameObjects. Used for collision detection between vehicles and the environment.
RCCP_WheelCollider	Assigned to wheel physics objects. Separated from the vehicle layer so wheels can have independent collision behavior.
RCCP_DetachablePart	Assigned to breakable body panels (doors, bumpers, hoods). Separated so detached parts do not collide with the parent vehicle.
RCCP_Prop	Assigned to interactive props like traffic cones and barriers that react to vehicle contact.
RCCP_Obstacle	Assigned to static obstacles in the environment.

The collision matrix is automatically configured so that vehicles do not collide with their own detachable parts while those parts are still attached. Once a part detaches, it re-enters normal collision.

If you see vehicles passing through objects or detachable parts jittering, the first thing to check is whether layers are set up correctly. Go to Edit > Project Settings > Physics (or Physics 3D in Unity 6) and verify the collision matrix.

Light Rendering

RCCP lets you choose between vertex lights and pixel lights for each light type on the vehicle. This is a performance-vs-quality tradeoff.

Light Type	Default Mode	Description
Headlights	Pixel	Full-quality lighting with shadows and accurate falloff. Most visible, so pixel is recommended.
Brake Lights	Vertex	Cheaper rendering. Acceptable because brake lights are usually small and behind the vehicle.
Reverse Lights	Vertex	Same reasoning as brake lights -- small and rarely the focus of attention.
Indicator Lights	Vertex	Blink on and off, so the quality difference is less noticeable.
Other Lights	Vertex	Any additional lights on the vehicle (fog lights, auxiliary lights).

When to change these: If you are targeting high-end platforms (PC, consoles) and want the best visuals, switch everything to pixel lights. If you are targeting mobile or need to optimize performance, keep most lights as vertex and only use pixel for headlights.

Prefab References

RCCP Settings holds references to prefabs that are instantiated automatically when needed. You generally do not need to change these unless you want to replace the default camera system or UI.

Camera Prefabs

Prefab	Purpose
RCCP Main Camera	The primary chase camera that follows the player vehicle.
RCCP Hood Camera	A camera mounted on the vehicle hood for a first-person driving view.
RCCP Wheel Camera	A camera that focuses on a specific wheel, useful for replays or inspection.
RCCP Cinematic Camera	Provides dynamic camera angles for dramatic moments or cutscenes.
RCCP Fixed Camera	A static camera placed at a fixed position in the scene.

UI Prefabs

Prefab	Purpose
RCCP Canvas	The main UI canvas containing dashboard elements, speedometer, and mobile controls.
RCCP Telemetry	The telemetry overlay that displays real-time vehicle data when Use Telemetry is enabled.

Particle Prefabs

Prefab	Purpose
Contact Particles	General surface contact effects (dust, debris).
Scratch Particles	Metal scratching sparks on collision.
Wheel Sparkle Particles	Sparks from wheels on hard surfaces (like driving on rims).
Exhaust Gas	Exhaust smoke effect.
Wheel Blur	Visual blur effect for high-speed wheel rotation.

Other Prefabs

Prefab	Purpose
Skidmarks Manager	Handles tire mark rendering on surfaces. One shared instance for all vehicles.
Light Box	Visual mesh for light-emitting elements on the vehicle.
Flare Prefab	Lens flare effect attached to vehicle lights.

Audio Settings

RCCP Settings contains default audio clips that are used when a vehicle does not have custom audio assigned. You can replace any of these with your own clips.

Engine Sounds

Engine audio uses a layered system with four RPM ranges, each having an "on" (throttle pressed) and "off" (throttle released) variant:

Clip	When It Plays
Engine Idle On / Off	Engine at idle RPM.
Engine Low On / Off	Engine at low RPM range.
Engine Medium On / Off	Engine at medium RPM range.
Engine High On / Off	Engine at high RPM range.
Engine Start	Played once when the engine is started (cranking sound).

The system crossfades between these layers based on current RPM, creating a smooth and realistic engine sound that changes with throttle and speed.

Effect Sounds

Clip	When It Plays
Brake	Brake squeal at low speeds under braking.
Wind	Wind noise that increases with vehicle speed.
Reversing	Reversing beep or whine when driving backward.
Indicator	Click sound when turn indicators are active.
NOS	Nitrous oxide activation burst.
Turbo	Turbocharger spool and blow-off valve sound.
Bump	Suspension impact on bumps and road irregularities.
Gear Shift (array)	One clip per gear change. Multiple clips can be assigned for variety.
Crash (array)	Collision impact sounds, randomly selected on crash.
Blowout (array)	Tire blowout sounds.
Exhaust Flame (array)	Exhaust backfire sounds.
Wheel Deflate	Sound when a tire loses air.
Wheel Inflate	Sound when a tire is reinflated.
Wheel Flat	Continuous sound of driving on a flat tire.

Audio Mixer

An optional Audio Mixer Group can be assigned in settings. When set, all RCCP vehicle audio routes through this mixer, giving you centralized volume control and the ability to apply audio effects (reverb, EQ) to all vehicle sounds at once.

Rendering Settings

These settings control visual effects related to the render pipeline.

Setting	Purpose
Lens Flare Data	Lens flare asset for Scriptable Render Pipeline (URP/HDRP).
Flare (Legacy)	Lens flare for the Built-in Render Pipeline.
HDRP Volume Profile Prefab	Volume profile prefab used when running in HDRP.
Default Decal Material	Material applied to vehicle decal projectors.
Default Neon Material	Material applied to vehicle neon underglow lights.
Vehicle Collider Material	Physics material applied to vehicle body colliders, controlling friction and bounce on contact.

Recommended Settings for Common Scenarios

Here are some starting points depending on the type of game you are building:

Realistic Driving Simulation

Override Behavior: On
ABS, ESP, TCS: On
ESP Intensity: 0.3 – 0.5; ESP Mode: Normal; Preserve Speed Factor: 0
Steering Helper: On, low strength (0.1-0.3)
Traction Helper: On, low strength (0.1-0.3)
Drift Mode: Off
Differential: Open or Limited
Fixed Timestep: 0.01 (for more accurate physics)

Arcade Racing

Override Behavior: On
ABS, ESP, TCS: On
ESP Intensity: 0.7 – 1.0; ESP Mode: Normal; Preserve Speed Factor: 0.5 – 1.0 (keeps speed through corners while ESP still corrects yaw)
Steering Helper: On, high strength (0.6-1.0)
Angular Drag Helper: On
Drift Mode: Off
Differential: FullLocked or Direct
Fixed Timestep: 0.02

Drift Game

Override Behavior: On
ABS: On, ESP: Off, TCS: Off
Steering Helper: On, moderate strength
Drift Mode: On
Drift Angle Limiter: On (30-45 degrees)
Counter Steering: On
Differential: Limited or FullLocked
Lower rear sideways friction values

Next Steps

Vehicle Setup -- Set up vehicles that use the settings and behaviors you configured here
Inputs -- Configure controls and key bindings
Architecture Overview -- Understand how behaviors flow through the drivetrain chain

Support: bonecrackergames@gmail.com | www.bonecrackergames.com

Need help? See Troubleshooting