GTA San Andreas handling.cfg

I use the column letters and names in the comments of the GTA San Andreas\data\handling.cfg file to describe what they do. This file changes some physics and animation properties of the cars, not just the handling.

Some of these settings have an unknown purpose and many have not been tested completely.

Standard Settings

Official Name Description
A vehicle identifier Relates this data with vehicles.ide and other files.
B fMass Mass of the vehicle in kilograms.
C fTurnMass Used to calculate motion effects. Needs experiments.
D fDragMult Changes resistance to movement. See acceleration tutorial.
F CentreOfMass.x Distance from the centre of the car in metres to the right for the centre of mass.
G CentreOfMass.y Distance from the centre of the car in metres forwards for the centre of mass.
H CentreOfMass.z Distance from the centre of the car in metres upwards for the centre of mass.
I nPercentSubmerged Percentage of the vehicle height required to be submerged for the car to float.
J fTractionMultiplier Cornering grip of the vehicle as a multiplier of the tyre surface friction.
K fTractionLoss Accelerating/braking grip of the vehicle as a multiplier of the tyre surface friction.
L fTractionBias Ratio of front axle grip to rear axle grip; higher value shifts grip forwards.
M TransmissionData.nNumberOfGears Number of gearchange animations and sound effects to use.
N TransmissionData.fMaxVelocity Limits the top speed. See acceleration tutorial.
O TransmissionData.fEngineAcceleration Basic rate of acceleration. See acceleration tutorial.
P TransmissionData.fEngineInertia Smooths or sharpens the acceleration curve. See acceleration tutorial.
Q TransmissionData.nDriveType Assigns Front, Rear or 4 wheel drive.
R TransmissionData.nEngineType Assigns Petrol, Diesel or Electric engine characteristics.
S fBrakeDeceleration Overall decelerative force.
T fBrakeBias Ratio of braking force of front compared to rear; higher values move bias forward.
U bABS Needs testing.
V fSteeringLock Maximum angle of steering in degrees.
a fSuspensionForceLevel Needs testing but might be the same as previous editions.
b fSuspensionDampingLevel Needs testing but might be the same as previous editions.
c fSuspensionHighSpdComDamp Stiffens the dampening strength as speed increases.
d suspension upper limit Uppermost movement of wheels in metres.
e suspension lower limit Ride height of vehicle in metres.
f suspension bias between front and rear Ratio of suspension force to apply at the front compared to the rear.
g suspension anti-dive multiplier Changes the amount of body pitching under braking and acceleration.
aa fSeatOffsetDistance Distance from door position to seat postion.
ab fCollisionDamageMultiplier Amount of engine damage vehicle gets from collisions. Higher value means more damage.
ac nMonetaryValue Used to calculate the Value of property damaged statistic.
af modelFlags Special animations features of the which can be enabled or disabled. See modelFlags section.
ag handlingFlags Special performance features. See handlingFlags section.
ah front lights Type of head lights of the vehicle.
ai rear lights Same as above but for the tail lights.
aj Vehicle anim group Refers to an Animation ID number.

modelFlags

The easiest way to alter flag data is to use an editor like CFG Studio 2.

Byte Value Official Name Description
1 1 IS_VAN Allows double doors for the rear animation.
2 IS_BUS Vehicle uses bus stops and will try to take on passengers.
4 IS_LOW Drivers and passengers sit lower and lean back.
8 IS_BIG Changes the way that the AI drives around corners.
2 1 REVERSE_BONNET Bonnet and boot open in opposite direction from normal.
2 HANGING_BOOT Boot opens from top edge.
4 TAILGATE_BOOT Boot opens from bottom edge.
8 NOSWING_BOOT Boot does not open.
3 1 NO_DOORS Door open and close animations are skipped.
2 TANDEM_SEATS Two people will use the front passenger seat.
4 SIT_IN_BOAT Uses seated boat animation instead of standing.
8 CONVERTIBLE Changes how hookers operate and other small effects.
4 1 NO_EXHAUST Removes all exhaust particles.
2 DBL_EXHAUST Adds a second exhaust particle on opposite side to first.
4 NO1FPS_LOOK_BEHIND Prevents player using rear view when in first-person mode.
8 FORCE_DOOR_CHECK Needs testing.
5 1 AXLE_F_NOTILT Front wheels stay vertical to the car like GTA 3.
2 AXLE_F_SOLID Front wheels stay parallel to each other.
4 AXLE_F_MCPHERSON Front wheels tilt like GTA Vice City.
8 AXLE_F_REVERSE Reverses the tilting of wheels when using AXLE_F_MCPHERSON suspension.
6 1 AXLE_R_NOTILT Rear wheels stay vertical to the car like GTA 3.
2 AXLE_R_SOLID Rear wheels stay parallel to each other.
4 AXLE_R_MCPHERSON Rear wheels tilt like GTA Vice City.
8 AXLE_R_REVERSE Reverses the tilting of wheels when using AXLE_R_MCPHERSON suspension.
7 1 IS_BIKE Use extra handling settings in the bikes section.
2 IS_HELI Use extra handling settings in the flying section.
4 IS_PLANE Use extra handling settings in the flying section.
8 IS_BOAT Use extra handling settings in the boats section.
8 1 BOUNCE_PANELS Needs testing.
2 DOUBLE_RWHEELS Places a second instance of each rear wheel next to the normal one.
4 FORCE_GROUND_CLEARANCE Needs testing.
8 IS_HATCHBACK Needs testing.

handlingFlags

The easiest way to alter flag data is to use an editor like CFG Studio 2.

Byte Value Official Name Description
1 1 1G_BOOST Gives more engine power for standing starts; better hill climbing.
2 2G_BOOST Gives more engine power at slightly higher speeds.
4 NPC_ANTI_ROLL No body roll when driven by AI characters.
8 NPC_NEUTRAL_HANDL Less likely to spin out when driven by AI characters.
2 1 NO_HANDBRAKE Disables the handbrake effect.
2 STEER_REARWHEELS Rear wheels steer instead of front, like a forklift truck.
4 HB_REARWHEEL_STEER Handbrake makes the rear wheels steer as well as front, like the monster truck.
8 ALT_STEER_OPT Needs testing.
3 1 WHEEL_F_NARROW2 Very narrow front wheels.
2 WHEEL_F_NARROW Narrow front wheels.
4 WHEEL_F_WIDE Wide front wheels.
8 WHEEL_F_WIDE2 Very wide front wheels.
4 1 WHEEL_R_NARROW2 Very narrow rear wheels.
2 WHEEL_R_NARROW Narrow rear wheels.
4 WHEEL_R_WIDE Wide rear wheels.
8 WHEEL_R_WIDE2 Very wide rear wheels.
5 1 HYDRAULIC_GEOM Needs testing.
2 HYDRAULIC_INST Will spawn with hydraulics installed.
4 HYDRAULIC_NONE Hydraulics cannot be installed.
8 NOS_INST Vehicle automatically gets NOS installed when it spawns.
6 1 OFFROAD_ABILITY Vehicle will perform better on loose surfaces like dirt.
2 OFFROAD_ABILITY2 Vehicle will perform better on soft surfaces like sand.
4 HALOGEN_LIGHTS Makes headlights brighter and more blue.
8 PROC_REARWHEEL_1ST Needs testing.
7 1 USE_MAXSP_LIMIT Prevents vehicle going faster than column N value for maximum speed.
2 LOW_RIDER Allows vehicle to be modified at Loco Low Co shops.
4 STREET_RACER When set, vehicle can only be modified at Wheel Arch Angels.
8 UNDEFINED No effect.
8 1 SWINGING_CHASSIS Lets the car body move from side to side on the suspension.
2 UNDEFINED No effect.
4 UNDEFINED No effect.
8 UNDEFINED No effect.

Wheels

To set the wheel scaling method, use the GTA San Andreas\data\vehicles.ide file. The visual model for the wheel is included in the DFF for most GTA San Andreas vehicles.

Boat Data

The following Global parameters are different for boats.

Official Name Description
J Bank Force Mult Amount of lean when turning.
K Rudder Turn Force Effect of the steering.
L Speed Steer Falloff Amount to reduce steering effect by as speed increases.
S Vertical Wave Hit Limit Limit to the rebound from hitting a wave?
T Forward Wave Hit Brake Limit to the speed reduction from hitting a wave?
a WaterResistance Volume Mult Drag between hull and water?
b Water Damping Mult How smoothly the boat reacts to waves?
d Handbrake Drag Mult Factor to increase drag by when handbrake is on?
e Sideslip Force Strength that the boat will be pushed sideways by waves.

Additional parameters are applied when using the IS_BOAT flag.

Official Name Description
A ID Matches with Global vehicle indentifier to find this line.
B ThrustY Forward thrust when accelerating?
C ThrustZ Upwards thrust when accelerating to make the boat rise out of the water a little?
D ThrustAppZ Needs testing.
E AqPlaneForce Increase in acceleration when riding over waves?
F AqPlaneLimit Limit of the above effect?
G AqPlaneOffset How high the nose raises when aquaplaning?
H WaveAudioMult Loudness of waves against boat.
I MoveResX Resistance against boat moving sideways.
J MoveResY Resistance against boat moving forwards and backwards.
K MoveResZ Resistance against boat moving vertically.
L TurnResX Resistance against pitching vertically.
M TurnResY Resistance against rolling clockwise/anticlockwise.
N TurnResZ Resistance against turning left/right.
O Look_L_R_BehindCamHeight Height above standard to position side and rear views.

Bike Data

Additional parameters are applied when using the IS_BIKE flag.

Official Name Description
A ID Matches with Global vehicle indentifier to find this line.
B LeanFwdCOM Centre of mass when leaning forward.
C LeanFwdForce Pitching force when leaning forward.
D LeanBakCOM Centre of mass when leaning backward.
E LeanBackForce Pitching force when leaning backward.
F MaxLean Maximum lean angle from vertical for the bike.
G FullAnimLean Maximum lean angle from vertical for the player.
H DesLean Maximum lean angle when decelerating.
I SpeedSteer Steering angle when at speed.
J NoPlayerCOMz Centre of mass when no player is riding.
K SlipSteer Steering angle on slippery surfaces.
L StoppieAng Angle which needs to be reached for stoppie physics to engage.
M WheelieAng Angle which needs to be reached for wheelie physics to engage.
N WheelieStabMult Stabilising force when doing wheelie.
O WheelieSteer Steering effect when doing wheelie.
P StoppieStabMult Stabilising force when doing stoppie.

Flying Data (Planes, Helicopters, Hovercraft)

Additional parameters are applied when using the IS_HELI or IS_PLANE flags. These settings are applied differently to planes and helicopters.

Planes

Planes use the following additional parameters.

Official Name Description
A id Matches with Global vehicle indentifier to find this line.
B Thrust Acceleration of plane in flight when no keys are pressed.
C ThrustFallOff Increase in acceleration when accelerator key is pressed.
D Yaw Left/right turning force.
E YawStab Stabilising effect when turning left/right.
F SideSlip Altitude loss when rolled to one side.
G Roll Clockwise/anticlockwise rotation force.
H RollStab Stabilising effect when rotating clockwise/anticlockwise.
I Pitch Strength of moving the nose up/down.
J PitchStab Stabilising effect when moving nose up/down.
K FormLift Multiplies speed by this to produce the lift the plane has.
L AttackLift Lift multiplied by the angle the nose is raised at.
M GearUpR[esistance] Global drag is multiplied by this value when landing gear is retracted. When gear is down, the drag value is used by itself.
N GearDownL[ift] Increase in lift when landing gear is down.
O WindMult Effect of wind on plane stability.
P MoveRes Resistance to the aircraft moving.
Q TurnRes.x Resistance against plane pitching up/down?
R TurnRes.y Resistance against plane rolling clockwise/anticlockwise?
S TurnRes.z Resistance against plane turning left/right?
T SpeedRes.x Increase in air resistance when moving sideways?
U SpeedRes.y Increase in air resistance when moving forward/backward?
V SpeedRes.z Increase in air resistance when moving up/down?

Helicopters

I haven’t tested how the settings affect helicopters.

Animation Data

The additional parameters in the animations section set the timing of the animation data files when entering, exiting a car and stealing a vehicle. Each animation line is combined with a second line using the 2nd group setting. This is a weird relationship and I havn't tried to find out what effect it has.

I haven’t done any testing with these but here are my best guesses about what they mean.

Official Name Description
A ID Matches with the Global parameter aj to find this line.
B 1st group Method to combine anim groups; normally identifies the current group.
C 2nd group Method to combine anim groups; normally identifies a group at the start of the table.
D Align Needs testing.
E OpenOutF Open front door when exiting?
F OpenOutR Open rear door when exiting?
G GetInF Can enter using the front doors.
H GetInR Can enter using the rear doors.
I Jack Player can remove driver?
J CloseInsF Close front door when inside?
K CloseInsR Close rear door when inside?
L Shuffle Needs testing.
M GetOutF Can exit using the front doors?
N GetOutR Can exit using the rear doors?
O BeJacked Player can be removed whilst driving?
P CloseOutF Close front door when outside?
Q CloseOutR Close rear door when outside?
R JumpOut Player can jump out of vehicle?
S CloseRoll Something to do with closing the door and the window being rolled down?
T FallDie Can be killed by falling out?
U OpenLocked Player can open doors even when they are locked?
V GetInTime Time taken to get into car.
W JumpOutTime Time taken to jump out of car.
X GetOutTime Time taken to exit car.
Y JkdOutTime Time taken to be car-jacked.
Z FallTime Time taken to fall out of car?
a OpenOutStart Affects start of opening door when exiting.
b OpenOutStop Affects end of opening door when exiting.
c CloseInStart Affects start of closing door when entering.
d CloseInStop Affects end of closing door when entering.
e OpenInStart Affects start of opening door when entering.
f OpenInStop Affects end of opening door when entering.
g CloseOutStart Affects start of closing door when exiting.
h CloseOutStop Affects end of closing door when exiting.
i SpecialFlag Affects player animations. See SpecialFlags section.

SpecialFlags

Byte Value Official Name Description
1 1 dont close door after getting out Defines itself.
2 don't close door after getting in Defines itself.
4 use kart drive anims Go-kart animation sequence.
8 use truck drive anims Defines itself.
2 1 use hover drive anims Hovercraft animation sequence.
2 run special locked door Needs testing.
4 don't open door when getting in Player jumps straight in.

Credits

Several people sent test results which helped:

These authors gave full permission for their discoveries to be used on this site. Many thanks to them! You can send your own tests to me.