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.

 

[liquido]

Hello Bendrom, thanks for retake BTB developing, really nice new features.

I have some troubles trying to use the blend tools in the track surface, once I save my progres and reopen on BTB 0.8.9.0 I can´t make any modification on my track surface, I can upload the BTB proyect if you want.
I´m working under Windows7 32bit home edition, NET.framework 2.0

PC specifications:

core 2DUO E6750 / motherboard ASUS Pk5 / Nvidia 8800 GT

When I try to make a modification on the track surface after save and reopen a BTB 0.8.9.0 I get that error message:


**************

System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: InvalidArgument=El valor de '0' no es válido para 'SelectedIndex'.
Nombre del parámetro: SelectedIndex
en System.Windows.Forms.ComboBox.set_SelectedIndex(Int32 value)
en BobsTrackBuilder.frmSurfaces.qqfUIEmWf12Md6HGs7aB(Object , Int32 )
en BobsTrackBuilder.frmSurfaces.ShowBlendMaterial()
en BobsTrackBuilder.frmSurfaces.ShowSelectedMaterial()
en BobsTrackBuilder.frmSurfaces.ShowMaterials()
en BobsTrackBuilder.frmSurfaces.ShowSelected()
en BobsTrackBuilder.frmSurfaces.set_SelectedSurfaceId(Int32 value)
en BobsTrackBuilder.frmSurfaces.UpdateData()
en BobsTrackBuilder.frmSurfaces.frmSurfaces_VisibleChanged(Object sender, EventArgs e)
en System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnVisibleChanged(EventArgs e)
en System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.OnVisibleChanged(EventArgs e)
en System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnVisibleChanged(EventArgs e)
en System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmShowWindow(Message& m)
en System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
en System.Windows.Forms.ScrollableControl.WndProc(Message& m)
en System.Windows.Forms.ContainerControl.WndProc(Message& m)
en System.Windows.Forms.Form.WmShowWindow(Message& m)
en System.Windows.Forms.Form.WndProc(Message& m)
en System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
en System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
en System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)


************** Ensamblados cargados **************
mscorlib
Versión del ensamblado: 2.0.0.0
Versión Win32: 2.0.50727.4961 (win7RTMGDR.050727-4900)
Código base: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
BobsTrackBuilder
Versión del ensamblado: 0.8.9.0
Versión Win32: 0.8.9.0



EDIT:

Can people with RBR please let me know their graphics card and whether or not they get this problem ...

http://www.racedepartment.com/bobs-track-builder/57371-btb-pro-0-8-9-0-beta-3.html#post850377

Thanks!

I have the same problem on RBR, my graphics card is NVIDIA 8800GT

 

[James Capper]

I got a beta licence acouple of weeks ago and since then I have taken the plunge finaly...and migrated from xp to Windows 7 and upgraded my chip board and card which has had the effect of killing my other licence, and when i go to the beta licence page there is no function to re-up my current hardware id and get another licence what do i do can someone please help

 

[mianiak]

Brendon, when the beta key runs out, would you like us to renew it?

 

[StanZ]

Hi guys,

I have a strange problem, a line is visible between the materials ... what I miss??

http://e-rally-sport.com/myimages/forum/line.jpg

 

[martinez]

You miss nothing - it's normal thing when game engine renders the oposite edge of the texture. To avoid this - you can set offset in btb for the material like 0,01 or -0,01 (i'm not sure if possitive or negative). Or use a kind of horizontal texture atlas with couple textures in a row (and use scalling and offseting), like i did for my RP 2009 Shakedown. In this case it's important that egdes of the whole texture have similar colors.

 

[Jonathan Johansson]

My beta license is now out, will you let us generate any new ones?

 

[Johannes Rojola]

After one month of usage, these are the bug reports I have:

-Texture reload (F5) crashes the program
-If working with rather large project, BTB comes very unstable. Might be that adding more memory to my system might help that (4gigs now)

Other than that works well in Win7 64bit, without any compatibility modes or administration rights needed.


I also echo for a another license so that I can continue with my project

 

[Kruzo]

Good day.
At me the period of use Beta Version BTB Pro 0.8.9.0 has ended.
But I need to finish the project. In version 0.8.3.0 the project not
upload. Whether I can continue?

 

[marcobost]

Very easy answer Kruzo: just wait for the final official release of version 0.9 (or a new beta licence): Brendon will decide about it!
By the way... to work on a new project using a beta wasn't, isn't and never will be a good idea: usually beta version are done just to find bugs and code might change, vanishing your job.

 

[Alex Kyriak]

Brendon, may I make a few suggestions for new features?

1. Node / Track binding
The ability to bind one track's nodes to another track's spline. Example: I define a 'master' track called 'A'. I want to bind another track, 'B', to it such that it's nodes are always bound onto the spline of track A. These nodes can be moved along the spine of A, but always exist along it. If spline A is modified, so is spline B. B's nodes are not required to be in the same location or frequency as A's. B's node control points therefore cannot be modified for rotation and orientation, as they are dependent on the geometry of spline A.

This feature would provide close control of spline-based cross sectional geometry to create peripheral track geometry (borders, terrain, tunnels, etc) which is bound to the master track surface.

Binding would also ensure that the Track Width and Track Camber values of Track A would be referenced to track B.

2. Track section triangulation and optimisation
Linked to the above suggested feature. A cross sectional spline based geometry which can be reduced in complexity, defined by distance away from centreline, (akin to 'reduction' feature in the Terrain creation). This would ensure, in the above example, that the number of panels in track B are not dependent on the number in A, and that therefore B could have an exact panel match at the transition of A to B, but can be reduced at the furthest point away from that transition. This would allow i) seamless joins of B to A, and ii) for optimisation of geometry on B, reducing the polygon count for geometry further away from the track surface.

Note: It may be that the above suggestions 1 and 2 could be conceived in a different manner, simply as some sort of Bound Cross Section tool; ie, a cross section tool similar to the Track tool, that is bound to a Track, with the ability to optimise the goemetry such that it meets track A panels perfectly, but can be optimised further away from the transition. This would imply each segment could have it's own 'panel length' value.

3. Cross section profile numerical control of vertices
In any cross section dialogue/editor, the provision to control vertices / points through specific numerical input for X and Y values with reference to the cross section centreline, and, if possible, with reference to 'World' units also.

Currently points can only be manually controlled in the editors, but through a recent discussion about manually editting co-ordinates in XML cross section profile files with another BTB user (Martinez) this seemed to provide a desirable degree of control to cross sections. It would seem relatively easy to to put this into the editor.

If units/points could additionally be controlled within the 'World' frame of reference, this would imply that vertically aligning and matching points in multiple cross sections could be more closely controlled. (This might not work in conjunction with track widths and cambers, however, as presumably these are based on the 'local' co-ordinates of the cross section being modified for scaling and rotation of the cross section).

---

Anyway, I'm sure it's not as simple as described above! ...but hopefully you get the idea.

Cheers,


Alex

 

[PeterB]

Beta Version BTB Pro 0.8.9.0 license has expired.......It would be nice if we knew when these issues would be looked after..........
I am one of the many who tried to use the 0.8.0.3 version under Win7 64 bit and it finally stopped working......I can live with that as it was not designed to work with that operating system.........But after giving me a taste of BTB again, if only for a month, it would be nice to know how long I have to wait to be able to sit in front of my computer again spending hours a day working on Tracks that only I will use........hehehehe................
I am starting to get the shakes it must be track withdrawl...............
PeterB

 

[martinez]

Hello, let me write about some things that may feature in new versions please:

- Could it be possible to treat also objects as "BTB Ground"? For example in situation when I add Google terrain as object from XPack and want to plant some trees or other objects on it. Something like checkbox for objects (not only roads) would be great. The same (if merging track's vertices could be impossible) - when I want to merge two tracks in Max and get the junction (as object) back to BTB via XPack.
- more precise object positioning - maybe some small window with editable numeric values for X,Y,Z
- terrain visibility on/off could be usefull for large tracks
- a possibility to reorganise lists of objects and tracks in their according windows - dragging items could be the best. Or option to order the list alphabetically. Sometime it's very hard to find items within a long list.
- offseting materials like three diggits after comma (e.g. 0,125 instead of 0,12) - that could solve problems when people write about lines between textures in game. I know this is possible in XPacker, now I think of BTB itself.
- mapping road/terrain polygons with texture atlases is maybe beyond my dreams, but I post it anyway

Thank you, I hope the problems with BTB's Website are temporary and will be solved soon!

PS. I can say that although BTB 0.8.9 is installed in my system (XP SP3) and the beta license is over, I can still run BTB 0.8.0.3 (uninstalled previously, as Brendon described clearly) - I was lucky and got new license for "old" BTB before the Website was down.

 

[QuadCoreMax]

+ 1 Martinez !!!

- UV spline terrain editor
- Tracks Merger
- Raw 8/16 bits Heightmap Terrain Generator (psd, bmp...) for quick alignments or building/projecting tracks from it
- Tessellation / Smooth functions on terrain for final tweaking/optimization

 

[Brendon Pywell]

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.

 

[Brendon Pywell]

Brendon, may I make a few suggestions for new features?

To be bluntly honest, I'd say your wasting your breath. That's not to say the things you (or others) suggest are not worthy of consideration, but at the moment I don't have time to even read the posts here, including anymore than the first line of your post.

Give the amount of "spare" time I have these days I will be doing well to get the next Beta out, let alone adding more and more features.

My focus (at the moment and for the foreseeable future) is solely on getting the remaining bugs fixed.

I wish it were different and I could entertain more fun-thinking ideas, but practically it's not possible given time constraints.

 

[Alex Kyriak]

To be bluntly honest, I'd say your wasting your breath. That's not to say the things you (or others) suggest are not worthy of consideration, but at the moment I don't have time to even read the posts here, including anymore than the first line of your post.Give the amount of "spare" time I have these days I will be doing well to get the next Beta out, let alone adding more and more features.My focus (at the moment and for the foreseeable future) is solely on getting the remaining bugs fixed.I wish it were different and I could entertain more fun-thinking ideas, but practically it's not possible given time constraints.

Roger that.

 

[martinez]

No problem, Sir I was just in a mood to share ideas for the future. Whenever it happens

 

[jay_p_666]

To be bluntly honest, I'd say your wasting your breath. That's not to say the things you (or others) suggest are not worthy of consideration, but at the moment I don't have time to even read the posts here, including anymore than the first line of your post.

Give the amount of "spare" time I have these days I will be doing well to get the next Beta out, let alone adding more and more features.

My focus (at the moment and for the foreseeable future) is solely on getting the remaining bugs fixed.

I wish it were different and I could entertain more fun-thinking ideas, but practically it's not possible given time constraints.

I have no problem with that but more than 4 panels for terrain would be a very friendly and welcome addition as I suppose it should not be the hardest feature to implement as the foundation is already existent and you can build on top of it.

 

[Call]

Hi.

I am anxious to try a free trial of 14 days of this version will be released?

 

[liquido]

strange things on my Beta after place the second license inside BTB folder.

I said before that I got an error message each time I try to edit a surface of any track that I have blended it before, example:

open new BTB proyect and create a 500m track.

apply a background blend on that track, save the proyect and exit BTB

Open BTB and your 500m track proyect.

try to modify the blend options in your track without get an error message.

Please (BTB users) tell me if you have the same problem, becosue I have it on any single proyect I try and maybe I am doing something wrong.

like before I only have one chance to apply blend on tracks.... becouse once I apply a blend, save the progress and exit BTB.... I can't edit it anymore in the next BTB sesion.

and the strange fact is that I can edit again and only one chance like before every BTB track (also the blended tracks that I can't edit before) but as I said.... I only have once chance to modify the blend options, becouse after save and exit BTB no more changes will be posible.