Questions are good.
Telemetry is weird.
What TRACE can record, what it cannot know, and what happens to your data—without pretending every limitation is a feature.
Getting started
Compatibility, recording, and replays.
Which simulators does TRACE support?
Assetto Corsa is the supported simulator today. TRACE's domain and analysis layers are simulator-agnostic, but other adapters are future work rather than implied compatibility.
How do I record a session?
Open TRACE, start an Assetto Corsa track session, and drive. TRACE detects the simulator and records automatically. The completed run appears in Sessions after the simulator session ends or disconnects.
Can TRACE record an Assetto Corsa replay?
Yes, by playing the replay inside Assetto Corsa at normal speed while TRACE is open. TRACE does not parse the replay file directly; it records the telemetry AC exposes during playback.
Can I import MoTeC files?
Not yet. MoTeC import and export remain planned work. Do not convert a MoTeC log to CSV and expect it to become a complete TRACE session automatically.
Understanding the data
Validity, maps, tyres, and analysis.
Does TRACE know when a lap is invalid?
TRACE preserves simulator-reported validity and separately records supporting evidence such as observed tyres outside the track when available. Assetto Corsa does not expose every stewarding reason reliably, so TRACE may show unverified evidence instead of inventing a cause.
Why is the first lap incomplete or invalid?
TRACE may attach after that lap has already begun, or the lap may be an outlap. It can retain the partial data for context while excluding it from fastest-lap and reference selection.
Where does the track map come from?
For Assetto Corsa, TRACE can read the selected layout's AI spline for a stable centre line and road edges, then place recorded or live world positions on it. When static geometry is unavailable, the UI labels its driven-line fallback.
Why are some telemetry values missing?
A simulator, car, replay, or shared-memory version may not expose that channel reliably. Missing data is normal in TRACE's canonical schema and should remain unavailable rather than being displayed as a fabricated zero.
Is the corner analysis AI coaching?
No. It uses deterministic heuristics over measured telemetry. The suggestions can be incorrect and should be treated as places to inspect, not authoritative coaching or setup advice.
Comparing and sharing
References, attribution, and portable sessions.
What are the Reference and Analysed Lap?
The Reference is the lap you want to learn from—usually the faster lap. The Analysed Lap is the lap whose losses and gains you are inspecting. TRACE suggests faster compatible references and lets you swap the pair.
Can a friend send me their telemetry?
Yes. Ask them to export the session as a .trace package, then import it in your session library. Driver
attribution, laps, sectors, telemetry, tags, and an explicitly associated setup travel with it.
What is the difference between .trace, CSV, and Arrow?
.trace is the complete, compact TRACE-to-TRACE exchange format. CSV is convenient for general inspection, while
Arrow is the specialist high-fidelity telemetry export. CSV and Arrow do not carry the complete session identity and
metadata package.
How can I tell imported laps apart?
Set your name or nickname in Settings before exporting. Sessions can also be renamed, tagged, assigned a driver, and marked by ownership so selectors do not rely on timestamps alone.
Live, overlays, and hosting
Spectating on another screen or over the internet.
What is the difference between Local and Online Go Live?
Local starts a spectator server inside the desktop app for a browser on the same computer. Online publishes to the configured TRACE service and produces an unlisted link that can be opened elsewhere.
Can I stream an already-recorded session?
Yes. Start Go Live from a completed session to replay its immutable telemetry through the same pit-wall interface. The spectator can seek within the retained window and jump back to live playback.
Can I use TRACE overlays in OBS?
Yes. The Overlays page provides a loopback Browser Source URL and exact dimensions while TRACE is running. It also offers a frameless always-on-top window for use over the simulator.
Can I run my own Go Live server?
Yes. Linux release binaries contain the API and spectator frontend in one process. Follow the self-hosting guide to install it as a systemd service behind a TLS reverse proxy.
Can I rewatch old hosted live sessions?
Not reliably yet. The current live server keeps sessions, credentials, and a bounded telemetry window in memory. A server restart clears them, and durable history with automatic expiry is planned.
Privacy, updates, and development
Where your data goes and how TRACE is built.
Where is my telemetry stored?
Session metadata is stored in a local SQLite database and high-rate telemetry in compressed Arrow files on your computer. Recording, viewing, comparison, and imports do not require a TRACE account or cloud service.
Does TRACE upload my laps automatically?
No. Telemetry is sent to a live endpoint only when you deliberately start an Online Go Live stream. Exporting a file also requires an explicit action.
How do updates work?
Installed Windows builds check signed GitHub releases and can offer an in-app update. Self-hosted servers are updated by rerunning the installer command. Portable diagnostic builds do not receive the same installed-app update flow.
Was TRACE developed using an LLM?
Yes. LLMs are used as development tools for research, planning, implementation, review, tests, and documentation under human direction. Maintainers remain responsible for accepted changes. TRACE does not use an LLM to generate telemetry conclusions.
Bring the exact failure.
Include your TRACE version, simulator version, whether you were driving or playing a replay, and the action immediately before the problem.