What does the Matrix Flag Box show?

A matrix flag box is an LED matrix that draws race information as symbols rather than as a bar of colour. Its page is Daniel Newman Racing > Flag Boxes.

Since plugin 7.1 an 8x8 flag box and a SimRep Multi LED Display both run the one Flag Box Profile download, and the plugin puts the right profile on each device.

Set up more than one, and give each a different job. Number of Flag Boxes says how many you want to configure separately, and Box Configuration Mode chooses how they behave:

• Grouped gives every box the same settings.
• Per Box gives each one its own job, such as two showing spotters and two showing gears.

Four boxes can each do something different, which is the limit on separate content SimHub can send. You can still run more than four, and the extras mirror one of those four.

Which flags each box shows. On the Flags on this box setting, a box either Follows Universal Flags, which is the default and keeps it in step with the rest of your rig, or picks its own flags. That is what lets one box carry the critical flags while another is left free for gears or spotters.

Gears tab. Turn on gear number animations, choose where the number sits with Right Side (the default), Left Side or Both Sides, and pick the gear colour theme. Redline colours are chosen automatically to match the theme.

Gear Style draws the number in one of four looks: Slim, Slim Inverted, Bold or Bold Inverted. It is picked per box, so two boxes do not have to match.

Warnings tab. Oil and water temperature warnings for supported sims, shown in your SimHub temperature unit, plus a maximum duration in seconds for time penalty warnings.

Effects tab. Marshal flags, spotters, engine start, all pit lane effects, low fuel, and an iRacing only pit box countdown that needs the third party RomainRob SimHub plugin.

Running a pair. With two matrix flag boxes, Show Critical Flags on Both Matrix decides whether Yellow, Safety Car, Black, DSQ and Red appear on both boxes or only on the left one.

SimRep Multi LED Displays are set up the same way and take the same settings as a flag box. In Custom idle mode they have a drawing of their own.

Redline behaviour is Static or Flashing, and gear colours are disabled while Universal Theme is on.

The idle screen has its own tab and its own options.