BTB Pro 0.8.9.1 Beta

[Brendon Pywell]

Any current BTB Pro user wishing to help test the latest release, please follow this link.

http://www.bobstrackbuilder.net/pro_users/beta_test.aspx

Please give feedback into this thread rather than emailing/PMing me.

The licenses for this Beta release are now being generated daily.

The main new features are:

• 3d window now renders the Add/Bump/Specular materials so what you see in BTB will be very close to what you get in game.
• More advanced materials blending and editing.
• Reload textures by pressing F5. This allows you to edit a background image in one application, save it, then load the changes into BTB without having to reload the entire project.
• Global smoothing of track and terrain. This removes the sharp edges that form between the track and terrain, or between adjoining terrain areas.

Let me know how you go.

RBR Installation

This install uses newer shaders so RBR needs to be updated. Copy the following files and folders from BTB into your Richard Burns Rally folder, and overwrite if prompted.

• BTB\Support\RBR\Plugins
• BTB\Support\RBR\RX_CONTENT
• BTB\Support\RBR\d3dx9_35.dll

Bugs Fixed for release 0.8.9.1:
- Blend Background image not selected in combo box when re-opening the surfaces window. This causes other crashes if not reselected.
- Changing blend type in the surfaces/wall window not working.
- When blend type is background, confusing left/right/foward/backward options to be disabled.
- Wall blend rotate not working.
- Fix bug that allows you to delete the background image even when it is used in materials as a blend image.
- Fix when background image is moved, surface and walls that use them as a blend image are not immediately recalculated.
- Allow scale/offset when blend is Globally mapped.

To Do:
- Look At/Fix RBR specular export.
- Fix AIW path so with is limited to drivable track surface.

UPDATE: 28 April 2013

I am back working on this once again (finally) but I have numerous hurdles to overcome. Old PC died, so I now work on a laptop and need to reloading all development software. The good news, it's a Win 7 64 bit laptop so next version of BTB will HAVE to work on Win 7. The bad news, I have to install new versions of the development software and possibly make changes to the code - this will take time and I've no idea how much.

 

[RichardHessels]

Would be much appreciated if the license renewal for the beta would be reset again.
The project i nuked by opening it in the beta version is still waiting to be resurected.

After all this is what Brendon tells us at his website:
This license will work for 1 month, hopefully enough time for any bugs to be fixed. If the release is not ready within this timeframe then a new beta and/or new license will be generated here once again.

Again, still waiting....

 

[soramame]

me too...

 

[marneus_the_boss]

Me too, I love Btb that i bought 3 years ago and i continue tu support Brendon since this date but i wait the beta reset since December 25th^^.

 

[marcobost]

it works again just now...

 

[RichardHessels]

Thanks Brendon,

Works again!

 

[RichardHessels]

Now back to where we use the beta for.
Finding flaws.

I get transparent fences and chairs.
Using the normal Alpha channel method.
It's like they are about 30% transparent.
But the alpha channel in the DDS is correct.
When using the Chroma option they are rendered normally (with 1bit transparency).
But that's unusable for these fences, as the seem to vanish in to nothing going to the horizon.
In the previous non beta build i have never had this problem.

In Bobs beta it looks like it should, in 3DsimEd also.
But opening the track in rFactor gives me transparent textures.

Am i overlooking an option or not using the right method.
Or is this a error in the betabuild?

 

[James Woods]

@ Richard,

Off topic here, but i am trying to contact you, can you check your inbox, thanks

 

[RichardHessels]

Damn.. Hoped somebody came up with an answer for my problem.
I reacted on you PM

@ Richard,

Off topic here, but i am trying to contact you, can you check your inbox, thanks

 

[Aus_Crosso]

Hey Guys

I've got the Beta so I guess this is the thread to post problems I have...(claps for logic)

I am making a track, and went to put the AIW in, so I pressed the button (the flag one) and no menu appeared. So i was just going to leave it, but I can't export the track and I'm assuming because there is no AIW file! I also found that the Objects menu is doing the same thing!

So after a bit of time searching (which is how I have fixed the other issues I have had) I have given in and decided to post...last chance ditch really.

Thanks Guys

 

[marcobost]

Now back to where we use the beta for.
Finding flaws.

I get transparent fences and chairs.
Using the normal Alpha channel method.
It's like they are about 30% transparent.
But the alpha channel in the DDS is correct.
When using the Chroma option they are rendered normally (with 1bit transparency).
But that's unusable for these fences, as the seem to vanish in to nothing going to the horizon.
In the previous non beta build i have never had this problem.

In Bobs beta it looks like it should, in 3DsimEd also.
But opening the track in rFactor gives me transparent textures.

Am i overlooking an option or not using the right method.
Or is this a error in the betabuild?

I spoke about this problem several time ago... look at page 6 of this argument... At the moment there is only one solution: use chroma instead of alpha, where possible... otherwise duplicate the object 4 times.
I also open a new argument about this problem and it is in the forum, somewhere.

 

[marcobost]

Hey Guys

I've got the Beta so I guess this is the thread to post problems I have...(claps for logic)

I am making a track, and went to put the AIW in, so I pressed the button (the flag one) and no menu appeared. So i was just going to leave it, but I can't export the track and I'm assuming because there is no AIW file! I also found that the Objects menu is doing the same thing!

So after a bit of time searching (which is how I have fixed the other issues I have had) I have given in and decided to post...last chance ditch really.

Thanks Guys

I'm not sure what are you speaking about... If you mean how to generate the AIW file, the first step is to press "Append Track..." into Edit Start/Finish box... but this is the normal procedure explained into the manual as in current version...

 

[Aus_Crosso]

I'm not sure what are you speaking about... If you mean how to generate the AIW file, the first step is to press "Append Track..." into Edit Start/Finish box... but this is the normal procedure explained into the manual as in current version...

No, I can do the AIW stuff fine and have done for other tracks. My problem revolves around the menu not appearing.

You know when you press the Menu Button (Like Terrain, Objects, SObjects on the tool bar at the top of the screen) and a window pops up with the options (like Append Track options). Yeah, that screen with the option to 'append track' isn't popping up. So I can't add objects or Append Tracks.

That is my Problem

 

[RichardHessels]

The solution for the transparency error, i can open the fences in 3DsimED asign a new made material at it.
Than they show up properly.

 

[marcobost]

No, I can do the AIW stuff fine and have done for other tracks. My problem revolves around the menu not appearing.

You know when you press the Menu Button (Like Terrain, Objects, SObjects on the tool bar at the top of the screen) and a window pops up with the options (like Append Track options). Yeah, that screen with the option to 'append track' isn't popping up. So I can't add objects or Append Tracks.

That is my Problem

maybe, also if it started for a different reason, this could help you: http://www.racedepartment.com/forum/threads/problem-working-with-2-monitors.7425/#post-441943

 

[marcobost]

The solution for the transparency error, i can open the fences in 3DsimED asign a new made material at it.
Than they show up properly.

Richard, are you meaning you can load the same texture but that you saved before with another name?
thank you

 

[gazzari]

I can't seem to get blending to work correctly, one side always has a definite line. It's not smooth. Below is a screenshot. Both transitions, both top and bottom use same 2 blend textures. Tarmac as primary, grass as secondary in top, opposite for bottom. (Using Grass002 & Tarmac004) In the top one, the grass does not scale properly, and is too bright. In the bottom, the tarmac just does not take over enough in the blend leaving a sharp edge. All settings were global, and triple checked I had only used the 2 textures. Appears same in 3d simed. And in game. All textures at scale 1.0, and a new track job was started.

 

[RichardHessels]

Richard, are you meaning you can load the same texture but that you saved before with another name?
thank you

To not mess everything up, i only opened the part of the SCN file containing the wall objects, all of them.
From the original scn-file only copied those lines in a blank text file and named it; "wall.SCN".

After i opened the new wall.SCN file in 3DsimEd i make a new texture from blank.
Replace that new texture for the existing faulty bobs texture .
Than export the objects back in to the rFactor track folder.

Than everything shows up ok.

Is a bit of a hassle, but should not take more than 10 minutes to do.
A heck of a lot better than dealing with ugly 1 bit chroma option.

 

[RichardHessels]

Something in general about the Beta version..
Most texture shows up much to bright in Bobs.
I can't see any detail on light textures, compared to what i get in rFactor.

 

[Aus_Crosso]

@Macro Lifesaver mate! Thanks Heaps

 

[Kennett Ylitalo]

I can't seem to get blending to work correctly, one side always has a definite line. It's not smooth. Below is a screenshot. Both transitions, both top and bottom use same 2 blend textures. Tarmac as primary, grass as secondary in top, opposite for bottom. (Using Grass002 & Tarmac004) In the top one, the grass does not scale properly, and is too bright. In the bottom, the tarmac just does not take over enough in the blend leaving a sharp edge. All settings were global, and triple checked I had only used the 2 textures. Appears same in 3d simed. And in game. All textures at scale 1.0, and a new track job was started.

Could it be different shaders? The track uses bumb/spec and the grass uses add/multi. It looks like that.