Set out to make 10 tracks under 150mb.. To find out if it is doable. And it is.. I can't believe that no one has used this trick (insert view post ##### from the archives here that this is a well known trick and i'm late, as usual..) Oh well, just in case i ain't, i'll make this post.
First you have to draw every road that is to be used as a racecourse. I started off with one GP size track and started expanding it. It resulted to a point where there are over 14km of tracks laid out, some 5km, some 10m long. The final trackpack has 2 GP, 1 oval and 4-5 different layouts, ranging from the 2km Oval to the fullsize 12,5km. The amount of layouts is only limited to your imagination and how usable they really are..
The trick is to use the exact same objects (walls, objects,sobjects, materials etc.). You can make walls or piles of tires to cut off the track layout, put signs etc. After all objects and materials are edited, save the project, then save it again as a "master project", keeping the original as a backup master.
Save it again as "layout" project and edit the objects to your needs but DON'T MOVE THEM!!! If you move them in one layout and then use another MAS, it leads to a chaos, minidumps and sudden explosion inside your head. Usually the moved objects appear in the new postion in all layouts that use that mas but stranger things have occurred.. Just use the object properties and mark the unnecessary objects as no render and no collision etc. Edit your AIW and export.
Open the master project and save it as the second "layout" project. Edit objects, edit new AIW and export. Rinse and repeat.
Then you can combine the two track folders. If you made everything properly, it doesn't matter which mas folder you choose from what layout, as they all should be identical. By the way,So are many other files too, so you can edit different cameras for each layout.. Just make sure you edit the .trk files to point to the new folder address (the first two lines) and Presto: You have two track layouts in one track filesplace.
Known downsides:
If you make Jr or Indy versions, they still load up the whole track so it takes a little longer to load.. And export.. and edit..
Possible FPS drops near crossroads.. This could mean a lot of LOD editing.
VERY VERY hard to keep track versions compatible.. Basically there can't be made any edits to the layout projects, only to the master.
Takes a LOT of diskspace as you have to copy every used/unused material and object from the main project.
There can be a solution to delete some objects from the smaller layouts but i think the order of the layout exports is so crucial that it creates an increasing possibility that nothing works at the end.. Also the possibility of using one master project to edit materials and objects, terrain etc. and a "layout" project to create AIW only has problems. I have the start/finishing line location from the last exported layout in all layouts.. which is very, very strange as the AIW, as i have understood, puts them place.. But if you use the same start/finish point in all layouts, then this solution can be used and it is much, much more easier.. Sadly, i didn't notice it but yesterday after 2 months of editing.. oh, well, have to do it the harder way, as has been a lot of things in this project. Thank Science, i have brand new HD.. :wink:
First you have to draw every road that is to be used as a racecourse. I started off with one GP size track and started expanding it. It resulted to a point where there are over 14km of tracks laid out, some 5km, some 10m long. The final trackpack has 2 GP, 1 oval and 4-5 different layouts, ranging from the 2km Oval to the fullsize 12,5km. The amount of layouts is only limited to your imagination and how usable they really are..
The trick is to use the exact same objects (walls, objects,sobjects, materials etc.). You can make walls or piles of tires to cut off the track layout, put signs etc. After all objects and materials are edited, save the project, then save it again as a "master project", keeping the original as a backup master.
Save it again as "layout" project and edit the objects to your needs but DON'T MOVE THEM!!! If you move them in one layout and then use another MAS, it leads to a chaos, minidumps and sudden explosion inside your head. Usually the moved objects appear in the new postion in all layouts that use that mas but stranger things have occurred.. Just use the object properties and mark the unnecessary objects as no render and no collision etc. Edit your AIW and export.
Open the master project and save it as the second "layout" project. Edit objects, edit new AIW and export. Rinse and repeat.
Then you can combine the two track folders. If you made everything properly, it doesn't matter which mas folder you choose from what layout, as they all should be identical. By the way,So are many other files too, so you can edit different cameras for each layout.. Just make sure you edit the .trk files to point to the new folder address (the first two lines) and Presto: You have two track layouts in one track filesplace.
Known downsides:
If you make Jr or Indy versions, they still load up the whole track so it takes a little longer to load.. And export.. and edit..
Possible FPS drops near crossroads.. This could mean a lot of LOD editing.
VERY VERY hard to keep track versions compatible.. Basically there can't be made any edits to the layout projects, only to the master.
Takes a LOT of diskspace as you have to copy every used/unused material and object from the main project.
There can be a solution to delete some objects from the smaller layouts but i think the order of the layout exports is so crucial that it creates an increasing possibility that nothing works at the end.. Also the possibility of using one master project to edit materials and objects, terrain etc. and a "layout" project to create AIW only has problems. I have the start/finishing line location from the last exported layout in all layouts.. which is very, very strange as the AIW, as i have understood, puts them place.. But if you use the same start/finish point in all layouts, then this solution can be used and it is much, much more easier.. Sadly, i didn't notice it but yesterday after 2 months of editing.. oh, well, have to do it the harder way, as has been a lot of things in this project. Thank Science, i have brand new HD.. :wink:
