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.

 

[jay_p_666]

Brendon, being able to move more than one track at a time with terrain following is a must. Using same interface as the rotate function would do the job. I know you don't have time for this but this is just suggestion. Thanks once again for your patience and work.

 

[cholixxx]

Problem with BTB Pro 0.8.9.0 Beta; when I export track and then test track in Rfactor if I go back into an already running BTB arises ...

image1

image2



(in BTB Pro did'nt make it) my system is WIN 7 64b

 

[marcobost]

It is a wellknown bug cholixxx, doesn't care that Brendon knows and it will be fixed!

 

[Barbje_Keller]

Would be nice if was possible move nodes with arrows numpads in keydoard. And, model rotation with mouse scroll or possible to write angle with keyboard...

 

[marcobost]

TARMACTODIRT feature of beta 0.8.9.0 vs current version 0.8.0.3
=========================================
I see that starting a new project the new feature of the blending from track to terrain is working by default, but if you open a previous project made by the current non-beta version obviously the feature is not active.

BUT, if you take a look to the venue material you will see that the default folder as well as the texture "TarmactoDirt" is not available too!! And this is really very strange!!
As well as the chance to apply this new feature to a previous track (not a complete project).
In other words if you made ONLY the layout (only the default tarmac) using the current version and then you open it by beta 0.8.9.0 there is no way to apply the default "TarmactoDirt" feature of the beta... and also the "default track property" of the track is limited to X=5

I have no idea if this is a bug to be fixed by Brendon, but in any case to have a function that can "import" a previous layout adding this new feature in auto-mode could be a good thing.

==
I forgot to say it happens when NO default material of any kind (these related to the default.zip xPack) is used!
If any defualt material is used using version 0.8.0.3, then seems that the default.zip xPack of version 0.8.0.3 is loaded opening the project by 0.8.9.0 instead of the new defualt.zip xPack that contains also the "darmactodirt" material.

 

[maxrod]

Has the licence ran out on the beta as i could never get it to work always came up with the trial period has expired, Do this run reliable on windows 7 64 as i am still on xp and have projects to finish, so i need to know before i make the move.

 

[marcobost]

I don't remember if already noticed...
1. make a wall
2. change material
3. make a new one
4. copy "Shape & Materials" as well as ONLY "Materials" from the first one
5. past ONLY "Materials" to the new one = CRASH --- easy to replicate, it crashes everytime

Please note if you copy and past "Shape & Materials" it works fine!

 

[cholixxx]

I don't remember if already noticed...
1. make a wall
2. change material
3. make a new one
4. copy "Shape & Materials" as well as ONLY "Materials" from the first one
5. past ONLY "Materials" to the new one = CRASH --- easy to replicate, it crashes everytime

Please note if you copy and past "Shape & Materials" it works fine!

you're right!

 

[marcobost]

Again I do not remember if already noticed...
1. make a wall
2. change material using a texture with alfa channel
3. export to rF
4. see the "wall", where opaque objects are semi transparent!!

Image compares BTB 0.8.0.3 vs 0.8.9.0
http://www.rfactoracingweb.it/rfactor/images/wall_alfachannel.jpg

PS: At the moment the solution I foud is to duplicate 4 times the wall (for a total of 5 walls exactly in the same position). In this way adding several transparencies creates an opaque texture.

But if a DX3 dds texture is applied to an object or part of it, duplicating the object itself means to have an heavier file... If someone have found a better solution, please let me know the way, thank you!

 

[Brendon Pywell]

[h=1]BTB Pro 0.8.9.1 Beta is finally ready - same place as before. Uninstall the previous version before installing this one.[/h]

 

[marcobost]

BTB 0.8.9.1
Brendon, texture containing trasparencies still not working! The opaque part results semi-transparent as detailed in my previous post. This is a very hard bug but I think very easy to fix for you! Many thanks for attention as usual!!

 

[marcobost]

BTB 0.8.9.1
Brendon, also the corridors are still wrong...

 

[marcobost]

BTB 0.8.9.1
hummm maybe something is wrong on my head (?)... also the old and wellknown problem that everything disappears switching to desktop or other applications from BTB and coming back is still present!
Please, let me know if also you mates see same problems (my last 3 posts), thank you!

 

[jay_p_666]

BTB Pro 0.8.9.1 Beta is finally ready - same place as before. Uninstall the previous version before installing this one.

Thank you Brendon!

 

[marcobost]

Is someone using this last beta version 0.8.9.1 ???????
Because I found several known bugs of beta 0.8.9.0 not yet fixed and I suppose there are other bugs.
To help Brendon to solve them, I think we have to test this beta like the last one and report them... silence is not good!

 

[marcobost]

As I wrote in the related argument... at the moment I found a way to fix the problem of transparency/opaque object / wall...

Do not use "alpha" into venue material property, but use "chroma"

 

[jay_p_666]

Brendon, did you found how to fix shaders compatibility specific to some GPU?

 

[catboy]

I see to many questions and complaints, I'll give a solution to a bug.

Corridors bug:

The AIW Corridors problem, I was wondering what would be best solution to this problem.

My sugestion is:

As the calculation of the corridor is made ​​by the farthest points of the shape of the road.
I think the best solution is to select the points which will define the area of road. A quick solution would be to choose the points numerically later perhaps in the road shape can mark the points.

Example:
A road with 9 points the default will be 1 and 9, if we want a border road (grass blend) just change Left Point to 2 and right to 8.

in beta version wil be 2 and 4 right?.

In this way we could have road forms much larger and complex circuits (city) and not to worry we the size of the corridor because it was what we specified.

I think that besides being of customers, we should also be helpers in this wonderful project.

(sorry my English, google translator help me )

 

[PeterB]

Problem getting the Licence...........
It says (Thanks for uploading your HardwareId file.) it says I should get it in 8 hours you say 5 mins it has now been 15 hours........
Thanks in advance Brendon for solving my problem...
PeterB

 

[Oliver Payne]

Until I get time to upload the next Beta I have reset the licenses so you can resubmit the HardwareId file and get another license.

- does this mean that the windows 7 licence problem is solved - because I really don't want to spend £50 if I won't be able to use it! (by the way i'm new to all this but i loved the trial and would defo buy if it now works -but does it???)
thanks
oliver