General Discussion

Kennett Ylitalo · Oct 17, 2011

Everything related to trackbuilding and BTB in general, don't have to be a question. Post tips, discuss..

EDIT: Since i got top post, i'll use it.. Threads that are not stickied but almost should be, now that we got the forum update fnished (AFAIK) and link addresses won't change it's time to re-arrange all the info we got here. Send a PM and i'll add more threads.

Community XPacks: http://cream.galleria.fi/BTB/XPacks/

Important threads:
Race07 material names: http://www.racedepartment.com/forum/threads/race07-materials.46345/
rFactor2 track technology: http://www.racedepartment.com/forum/threads/rfactor-2-track-technology-notes-released.45530/
Objecys to BTB Terrain- zaxxon method: http://www.racedepartment.com/forum/threads/objects-to-btb-terrain-zaxxon-method.23609/
Open source and uncomplemented projects: http://www.racedepartment.com/forum/threads/open-source-uncompleted-projects.23564/

Kennett Ylitalo · Nov 2, 2011

Thanks, that is better to combine them both under one key.. and didn't remember W was used... I use it all the time. It's not a question of hand rotation, it's awkward in any position. I do have high tolerance of pain in my hands, i'm a musician, remember? I used to play until my fingers bleed and i have used a stretcher on my fingers, that thing hurts but it was to get more flexibility to those knuckle joints and tendons.

I'm currently finishing Cicada, it's going to be used in the Cold Laps event here in RD, 12. day of this month. I did a whole checkup of terrain, removed odd faces and separated it to manageable pieces. Then it was junctions with camber ( that was difficult and time consuming ) new safety barriers and new grandstands. Then after 8+ hours of work, time to export... A new error came, never seen before something like "Array.. too large.. destArray.. check lower boundaries.. " Didn't write it down but some parameter had a value that was wrong type/too long, i don't know, something didn't fit to where it was suppose to fit. All looked fine in BTB, i did the usual first, moving a terrain point while having all W,O,S tacks on. That corrects some errors, it refreshes something. Also all objects were "rest to ground" so i did ctrl+a and ticked rest from ground on/off, another refresh, it drops all objects to default height.. Didn't work.

And now it's bughunt mode.. First did backup of the broken project, then
remove all objects, export -> error,
remove grandstands -> error,
remove SObjects starting from the bottom of the list.. 10 removed -> error
20 removed -> success..

Huh, that's not bad as most of them were aligned to track so it's a breeze to put them back.. I just have to find what was the SObject that is "out of array".. 1 down, 19 to go..

Just to remind people to do a lot of exports so that when that error comes, and it has done so in EVERY project, just before final exports. And backup a lot, at least ones per 3 hours. I have a backup that works but there was a lot of stuff that is hard to remeber to recreate plus that junction would've had to be redone... I use just version numbers when doing backup, as i have only one project at a time. Another hint. Keep BTB folders clean, remove useless XPacks etc.

EDIT: found them, bunch of billboards.. i had an error happen earlier when editing their textures but that error went away by restarting BTB.. Never had that one either, guess that it doesn't alway work.

EDIT2: Aaargghh, BTB crashed. But i'm very positive anyway, i have a LOT of backups.. And new grandsatnds worked, didnät have to fire Sketchup and start bughunting there...

jtbo · Nov 3, 2011

Kennett, see if this program would be any use of, this tutorial migh give good idea if it would or would not be useful:
http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/Tutorial.htm

Kennett Ylitalo · Nov 3, 2011

Hmm, after the forum update, BTB section can't be accessed thru the forum front page links.. http://www.racedepartment.com/forumdisplay.php?f=648 just returns back to front.. Probably temporary thing.. Just when i needed the startlight thread, need to edit them to start at right time..

Kennett Ylitalo · Nov 3, 2011

Racedepartment logos!!!! The ones that are available are waaayyyyy too small, come on, ~512x168px, that's just won't do..

jtbo · Nov 3, 2011

Kennett, this will help with Shift+Y problem, got info needed from here:
http://www.autohotkey.com/forum/topic12406.html

I will include this script to post too, but here it is for all to see, you need that autohotkey program, I took this version as it comes with editor http://www.autohotkey.net/~fincs/SciTE4AutoHotkey_3/web/download.html + I had already autohotkey that 2.6MB version. I don't know how to load scripts to that program, but with that scite4 tool there is easy file-load function, load script and hit blue play button from toolbar (execute script).

Code:

Y_LAlt:
{
   SetKeyDelay, -1
   if( pLAlt )
      Send, {Blind}{y DownTemp}
   else
   {
      SetTimer, Y_LAlt, OFF
      Send, {Blind}{y UP}
   }
return
}

LAlt::
{
   pLAlt := ( pLAlt ? 0 : 1 )
   SetTimer, Y_LAlt, 40
return
}

This script maps Y key to left alt key so that you press left alt once and Y is constantly pressed, just hold shift down, move objects, release shift and hit left alt again to release Y, sorry that I was not able to make it work so that it would also press shift too, I must test more to make that happen, but I think this already helps and it is quite easy to modify so that you can get more keys or change that left alt key, but I don't think it is used by BTB for anything? If any questions arise, please ask, I try my best to answer them.

View attachment shiftY.zip

Kennett Ylitalo · Nov 4, 2011

Thanks, that is actually better to make the new key as toggle. The amount of Y related moves usually appear in close succession and the ability to rotate the screen without having my hands in that awkward position for long periods of time is exactly what i was looking for. Nice solution.

This General topic was my best idea so far.

Kennett Ylitalo · Nov 4, 2011

Gimme the data! Trackbuilding would be a breeze with that information..

Update: Apple bought the company so that's good/bad news.. The app will most likely be released, the data will most certainly be under lock and keys..

Lee Knight · Nov 4, 2011

Holly Expletives deleted!
There's GOT to be some way we can use THAT in sim-track modeling!

jtbo · Nov 4, 2011

Now let's compare that to how GE will show smaller towns of Finnish countryside, attached is city next to my Partaharju track, we still have some distance to even detail level of UK or US, maybe even quite some distance, but it is much better than before, I can almost make out streets from buildings now :wink:

Kennett Ylitalo · Nov 4, 2011

All it needs is to apply the AIW path and possibly some objects like guardrails etc.. Look, mo, i did it with one hand!

Kennett Ylitalo · Nov 15, 2011

These questions have been asked many times from me and i was strugling with shaders, mipmaps etc. for a long time..

So i made a small tutorial or demonstration, what ever this is.. A small project that shows what the different shaders do, how mipmaps work, some basic LOD stuff and two corners with correct and incorrect panel lengths, a common problem i've encountered almost on every tests i've done for folks.

Download the project: http://cream.galleria.fi/BTB/Tutorials/MipMaptutorial.zip

Export to your game of choice.

When you drive on the track, you'll see some walls that are bent at the top. There's six lines of them, the order from left:

Diffuse, Diffuse+Bumb, Diffuse+Spec, Diffuse+bumb+spec, Diffuse+bumb+spec without mipmaps on diffuse texture and finally simple Diffuse with no MipMaps.

Look at the objects at different angles, drive or use freeflight cam, replay what ever works.. The diffuse texture has a single color section in the far left, there you can see what bumb and spec maps actually do. You can browse thru them in BTB material editor later. Or now would be a good time..

Drive on track. First corner has correct panel lengths switching to incorrect length. Further on the road you'll see the texture getting blurrier. That's the difference between mipmap bias -4 and 0. Stop there so you can see the change and try different cameras to see what is the reason for all of this mipmapping stuff. In the last corner there's a example of totally wrong mipmap level, the material uses +4, all the details are gone. Test different cameras, some detail may be visible from free flight cam...

The six lines of objects uses -2 mipmap bias. Use BTB material editor to edit mipmap biases, export and see what the difference is. You should also check the diffuse, bumb and spec maps, they all have "flat" ie single color sections to show different points. You're job is to figure it out..

The trees use 50 and 75 LOD, the track should be longer to really show the effect but at least i got one jumping tree there..

So this a DIY tutorial, experiment with it. Try to find a good mipmap bias for the last corner. Edit the walls and road to correct panel lengths. For LOD tutorial i made too tiny track, there is one jumping tree, i don't know how to fix that, BTW.. I'll upload the original textures used in the tutorial as a bonus, it's pretty usable plastered cement texture with good bumb and spec maps. EDIT: i also put the lo-quality RD logo with bumb and spec maps there, HQ logo is coming, i'll include that when i get it... Here: http://Cream.Galleria.fi/BTB/Tutorials

Raido · Nov 16, 2011

Thanks Kennett, nice idea to visualise this stuff.

jtbo · Nov 24, 2011

Thanks Kennett, all these kinds of things do teach something to someone, great that you share it!

Kennett Ylitalo · Nov 26, 2011

Tutorial added to simtrackpedia. Someone should check on that site, the search engine optimization is not been implemented.. For ex try googling 'simtrackpedia'.. not one hit and that's the page name!!! try: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=simtrackpedia

R Soul · Nov 28, 2011

It's actually called simtrackipedia, but I went ahead and registered it with some search engines before checking the spelling. So simtrackipedia works, but Google doesn't suggest it until you type the i, so there's much room for improvement.

When I typed in xpacker cross section, google found it, so it depends on whether or not the search terms are in any of the pages.

Kennett Ylitalo · Nov 29, 2011

Note, you probably got the personalized search results. I have a setup that doesn't receive any tracking cookies etc. so i get the "first time search" results.. They are completely different.. Some keywords get two results, neither points to right directions.. Also the sim-track-I-pedia causes confusion, most of the RD references are to Simtrackpedia...The optimization is now worked upon, if you want to help the cause, join FB group, there are more discussion about the site there..: http://www.facebook.com/groups/252504484802848/

Remember, from now on, it's SimTrackIpedia, emphasis on the I.. That was my biggest struggle and i'm not the first..

Kennett Ylitalo · Nov 29, 2011

Staff needed, AI fastline drivers, video/screenshooters, betatesters.. http://www.racedepartment.com/forum/threads/alpine-hills.28501/page-3#post-982649

Lee Knight · Dec 6, 2011

Anyone else getting a bit tired of their old links to all the good bits (threads) no longer working on RD's 'new' site?

Kennett Ylitalo · Dec 6, 2011

Hmm, haven't noticed it yet.. One more reason to gather all the knowledge to SimTrackipedia.. Keep the discussion here and the tutorials in wiki..

I made a step-by-step tutorial for bumb- and specmap creation: http://simtrackipedia.wikidot.com/bumb-and-spec-map-creation
Let me know if it's any good and feel free to edit, that's the real power of wikisites!

EDIT: oh, and we need more google searches from different locations, we've rose from the second page up to 1st page, 6th rank ATM. Keep linking the Simtrackipedia via FB, twitter etc. and search it in your work/school/friends computer too. One good practice is to not use bookmarks but go there via google.. Thank you for everybody..

Lee Knight · Dec 6, 2011

Stuff I want to link for mapping routes & other useful bits no longer link to RD through the bookmarks I have since the new server took over....
Zaxxon's scripts would be another favourite to add to...
Any luck on changing that Mr Administrator without having to go on a mad big search through ALL of RD's BTB pages & posts.....
PLEEEZ?!

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