WIP Alpine Hills

Kennett Ylitalo · Dec 23, 2011

I think i've got a memory leak (or something similar) in some exports, i got rFactor conversions back (for AIW editing..) and while loading the track in AIW/CAM editor i was checking memory sizes, it suddenly went from the usual ~300megs to 1.2gigs and Runtime errored. But the strange thing was, i just started rFactor again and the same track loaded fine. Then it opened well with AIW/CAM editor too, i guess the problem is HAT rebuilding there too... So there is something that causes occasional bugs.. I need someone to check the track with 3dsimed, just to check if there is something funny out there that won't show itself in BTB.

Kennett Ylitalo · Dec 24, 2011

Okay, it's time for first beta to come out: http://cream.galleria.fi/BTB/Tracks/Alpine_Hills/AH192.zip (160megs packed, it's HUGE..)

Feel free to test it out for the low low price of simple feedback...

Kennett Ylitalo · Apr 9, 2012

Kennett Ylitalo · Apr 17, 2012

Alpine Hills 2 beta (0.97): http://cream.galleria.fi/BTB/Projects/AlpineHills2.0/AH2_beta0.97_by_CreamTeam.zip

Test it out and give me feedback..

Rupe Wilson · Apr 17, 2012

Thankyou Kennett, Downloaded and on my server... time for a test i think...

Rupe Wilson · Apr 17, 2012

Its me again ... i took a 20 min slow drive round the track... WoW what great colors... loving the new features. rumble strips curbs barriers etc...
There a bit of grass in the race track with a couple of bushes also... it mostly in the first quarter of the track a couple of trees are floating above the grass close to the edge of the track.. and the sand has come through the track.. i'm making a little vid/picture thingmebob ... i really like the moss effect on some of the big rocks

some of the blending between the side of the bushes is a bit straight line but later on in the track the green is allot more vivid and there is a smaller border with a smaller strip before you get to the bushes ... to me this looks allot better..but needs some calming when the too meet.. (picture time)... will post again..
overall i think this track is great... i like it in the time trail event and now i liking it more.... great job Kennett...

Hiroshi Awazu · Apr 17, 2012

I'm still on the first version. I'll dl this later and Pauline and i will give it a go tonight. I have to systems going now so we will be on track at the same time.

Rupe Wilson · Apr 17, 2012

each Photois as i went rounfd the track ... map on left should help.... will look more later... great work Kennet.... you can see the difference thre corners draw you in...

Rupe Wilson · Apr 17, 2012

Hiroshi Awazu said:
I'm still on the first version. I'll dl this later and Pauline and i will give it a go tonight. I have to systems going now so we will be on track at the same time.

it on my server also with Cicada.... ill leave it running .you can advance to which you like....
i have one pc in offline mode with my server and my game pc in online mode ... 2 for 1 always good just need a second wheel and its time to race freinds at home...

Kennett Ylitalo · Apr 18, 2012

Rupe Wilson said:
each Photois as i went rounfd the track ... map on left should help.... will look more later... great work Kennet.... you can see the difference thre corners draw you in...

Vegetation fixed, there were a few of those trees growing from bedrock, good find. Also that field section had the wrong bumb map, replace the one in AH2\mas with this one: WB_Grass_01_bumb.dds (replacing textures won't cause online mismatches) Took me a while to figure out what was wrong, it was normalized too aggressively, height became almost 0% or 100% with nothing in between. (edit: there were some other bumb maps that had suffered the same abuse, i fixed them.)

The road is not missing, they are suppose to be patches of old tarmac...

What about bumbs, are they too radical? The dark groove vanishes on the corkscrew turn (before the field), need to make manual skidmarks there.

Hiroshi Awazu · Apr 19, 2012

Definitely a improvement from the first version. I wish the approach to the first sharp right was the same as the first version. I noticed it is a more straight approach now.The runoffs on some of turns that were added are a bonus, the centre line is still killer like first version which i like. I don't think the bumps are to radical, all around once again a fine job you've done there Kennett!

Pauline did a astonishing lap imo in a WTCC Honda Accord I'll post it later. I switched her driving view from incar to hood view and her lap time went from 6:15/6:20's to her best time of 6:02:944.

And the same went for me, I switched my view and I used a Nissan Skyline R34 JTC and went from doing 6:20's to a best time of 5:50.

Hiroshi Awazu · Apr 19, 2012

Pauline's run of Alpine Hills

My run

Kennett Ylitalo · Apr 20, 2012

Ok, since no major issues have been found so far i'll start the final optimization process.. That means i have to look at every face on the track, that'll take some time.. I'll start by dividing the terrain for the oomphteenth time, there's two spots were the shadows are still not working (they have not worked since v0.6 even after remodelling huge sections..) and i know what sections have slight FPS drops and why (studied a bit more on the subject..) If there's someone who would be willing to some 3DSimed work, the process could be significantly shortened as i can concentrate only on one thing.. Otherwise i have to be realist and skip some steps of CPU load optimization and do only GPU stuff (faces that are not visible should be removed to decrease CPU load, that's the 3DSimed stuff..)

I'll upload the new version before i'll continue. It has all the stuff that Rupe reported fixed: New textures, removed/relocated objects etc.

Kennett Ylitalo · Apr 20, 2012

Alpine Hills 2 beta 0.98: http://cream.galleria.fi/BTB/Projects/AlpineHills2.0/AH2_beta0.98a_by_CreamTeam.zip

Rupe Wilson · Apr 20, 2012

Am i the only person that in slower in bonnet view than cockpit..

FerrariMan96 · Apr 21, 2012

Not sure about bonnet view, but from all views other than bonnet/cockpit i am slower. Sometimes I prefer bonnet over cockpit in some cars that I find it hard to see apexes/hit them from the cockpit because I am either unfamiliar with the car or the window is too small

. Of course, I usually pick cockpit for immersive reasons, although as I am in Australia it feels weird using an H-pattern or sequential stick shifter in most cars because they're mostly LHD! Y U NO drive on right side of road? I mean left, which is right? Oh, never mind...

Back on topic, maybe I'll have to do some testing, though theoretically one should be faster on the bonnet if there is any difference at all because you have more or less the same position as the cockpit but with a better view. Perhaps though you have less fun on the bonnet because it's less immersive...

EDIT: Wow, I really rambled unnecessarily on that... sorry to hijack your thread Kennet

Rupe Wilson · Apr 21, 2012

I used to race in another club league and we only used cockpit view, i was a great leveler.

It would be nice to run a few races in only cockpit view....

Kennett Ylitalo · Jun 25, 2012

Announcement: all developments on this project has been halted. Reason: i'm simply just fed up with this track. Too many bugs and fixes upon fixes, complicated, cluttered chaos.

Sorry for all supporters, your input has been valuable and has made me continue up to this point. I'm concentrating on finishing touches on Cicada, your very welcomed to join that project..