BTB Evo - FAQ

Brendon Pywell

Bob's Track Builder
BTB Evo is a new application that builds upon the established tools of BTB Pro to enable exporting to a few of the Simbin games.

http://www.bobstrackbuilder.net/btbevo.aspx

Questions and Answers

q. Do BTB Pro users get BTB Evo for free?

a. No, it's a new product. By expanding the BTB range, additional sales will help fund more development for all BTB products. Anyone that has donated in the past can use that money towards the purchase of BTB Evo - just email me first.

q. Can BTB Pro and BTB Evo be installed together?

a. Yes, they install into different folder and use different settings. It is recommended that you keep the Projects Folder separate.

q. Can I load my BTB Pro tracks into BTB Evo?

a. Yes. And you can load tracks made in BTB Evo back into BTB Pro.

q. What features are missing in BTB Evo?

a. Some shaders are not available in the Simbin games, therefore Terrain blending is not available. However I am working on a replacement feature that will still allow background images to be used.

Some things that are specific to other game, such as RBR's pacenotes are not present.

There may be some other side effects that I am unaware of.

q. What features will help Evo users in the next release?

I am planning to add grid and pit positioning for BTB Evo and BTB Pro in v0.8. Right now, you'll have to use the AIW tool to get computer cars in the right positions.

q. Can I switch my license from BTB Pro to BTB Evo.

a. No.

q. Will you be supporting any other games?

a. None are planned at this point in time.

q. Why didn't you just add the Evo games into the Pro product.

There is some scope for additional Evo-only tools to be added in the future that make use of the Simbin engine. Sharing the same interface would inhibit the potential.
 
Hello !

I've got a question.


When your real job is to design real roads, at work you use a software to "build it" virtually.

My question: is it possible to import the very basic shape of a track made that way, and if so, under which form or file extension?
 
im a btb pro user, i bought btb to make tracks for simbin games (as i played them more), and i already owned 3dsimed and rfactor.
i can see piddys point about btb evo bringing more people/cashflow/lifespan to btb,...
but i think having btbpro and btbevo has two products is slightly exploiting the current btbpro users.
the people/cashflow/lifespan would have still come if the evo features had been included has an update to btbpro,
as btb seems to have a niche in the market has a standalone track maker for sim racers ... IMHO
and how much shelf life does btb pro have has a stand alone product with rbr and rfactor being so old??
btbevo uses the same code as btbpro (as stated by piddy) so how come the new export options warrent a new product?
but if this was not an exploit of the loop whole in the licence of btb pro "one off purchase, all updates free"
then at least a btbevo half price offer to btbpro users would have sweetend it.
that being said i can see the point of btb lidar being a different product has the is clearly aimed at more experience/professional users..
not just gamers of different titles.
just my view so please dont slate me.

please piddy i would like to hear a reply from yourself.. im not digging just very interested in your move to have evo has a standalone product.
 
I understand Piddy's point about getting more money to support this project, but I don't understand why despite being almost the same product he has decided to keep two independent versions. If someone wants to develop tracks for both RBR-RF and Simbin's titles he will need to buy two licenses, and to have two different BTB installations, and I don't see the point of this last.

Just having the option to export to Simbin games would attract much more buyers to buy BTB Pro, and that may be enough to support future developments of BTB (not sure as only Piddy knows about the numbers BTB produces). But even if he prefers to have two different licenses to sell, why don't to use the same BTB and just disabling the export options for those games you haven't paid to purchase a btb license?

Anyway, btb is his project, so of course he decides what he wants it to be. I'm just sharing my two cents :)

BR
 
I purchased the Evo version as soon as I knew about it, no hesitation.
Now there's no stumbling through 3Dsimed to try and convert my tracks, altering textures, lights, marshals or trying to get someone else to do it for me.
When I purchased BTB I was never expecting it to be as good as it has become, the value of this software is excellent compared to any other software used to create tracks for these games.
If you don't think its value don't buy it, keep plodding along with converting the old way with software thats not free either.
If I'm not mistaken you still have to pay for major updates of 3DSimed, V1 to version 2 cost me another $40 AU.
So a very big thankyou Brendon, you have my support.:thanks:
 
Just thinking out loud as a relatively newbie to BTB...maybe the extra exports could have been issued as a chargeable add-on or an upgrade to BTB Pro Plus or something similar? ( a bit like what Rantam mentioned above)

Would make sense if the base system is common between the two apps + would fit it nicely with users like me who are happy using BTB and rfactor/rbr exports but provide an attractive/tempting option for the real addicts ;-)
 
To all the people wondering why Evo was not just integrated into Pro I suggest you read the first post of this thread again, particularly the last question.
I was a bit confused at first, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me.

I seriously doubt this will massively delay development, both apps must have an awful lot in common. Some stuff that Brendon will develop for Pro might be just a copy and paste to Evo.

Worried about having 2 installs of a very similar product?
(With all due respect) get over it, its a small install and you can make them both point at the same project folder if you want. Its a very small price to pay for the extra features, its a brilliant solution to the problem.

Concerned about paying again?
This is still a tiny fraction of the price of most of the software you can buy for this purpose. Whats more, they will not be as easy to use as BTB, it is the tool for track building. In my eyes this is fantastic value for money, if you don't think so, stick with the one you have! You can still convert to the other sims by hand if you want, it is not compulsory that you buy this!

Brendon is a very clever and seriously hard working dude, give him the props he deserves. He would not of done this if he didn't think it was necessary.
Its pretty obvious to me that BTB is a labour of love, having to charge money for it is an unfortunate fact of life. Im sure Brendon would love to be able to hand it out for free, but he has to eat! He also deserves to see a reward for his hard work.
Whatever you think about it, in the real world this is incredibly cheap for what it is.

Hats of to you Mr Pywell, great work :D
 
  • Curly

Which version & AIW Speed Problems

I can see both sides of the argument, but would have thought a discount should be offered for existing BTB Pro users.

I have been trying the Pro demo for the last two weeks and was about to purchase the full program yesterday, until I spotted the new EVO release. Now I don't know which to buy, and can't justify £80 UK for the two. I, like many, was hoping that a GTR2 export would be added to a future release.

That said, it is a great program. I prefer GTR2 to Rfactor, although each has their good points, so will probably go for the new version. HOWEVER ...

I rebuilt the test track that I made with the demo of Pro (wish I had known that I could have just copied the old track over to Evo). Everything works OK except the AI. I can't get any cars to run faster than 49 MPH. I've set everything identical to the RFactor, which worked fine.

It must think the whole track is a pit lane, and is stuck with an auto pit lane speed.

Anyone having the same problem, or a solution?
 
Wonderful, I'm going to buy.

In Sinbim games most of graphic issues which I use to see in Rfactor vanished.

The tracks looks quite better in GTR2 or Race07 in comparison to Rfactor. The track appears to be more professional without playing around into. All of them worked very well.

Looking forward for blending background images as we do in BTB Pro. It will add tons of value to software.

Thanks Piddy, you're the modelers redemption.

Question -> Are double-faced materials working well in BTB Evo? Some materials which were okay in RFactor are transparent in GTR2 / Race07.

Regards
 
It must think the whole track is a pit lane, and is stuck with an auto pit lane speed.

Anyone having the same problem, or a solution?

Check that the ai are driving through the xpitout.gmt and if they are the problem will be the xpitout.gmt. you could try spinning it around 180 degrees or reversing the faces, works for me when i have similar problems.
 
  • Curly

AIW problems

Hi Greybrad - Thanks for your advice. I thought I'd try the new 7.06 patch first, which has solved the problem, although the ai cars do a wobble going past the first node, so I'll try playing with the xpitout as you suggested.

They are also not overtaking very well. If there is a slow car in front, the others follow nose to tail, resembling railway carriages. They usually push the slow car off the track at the first bend. I guess this is because I didn't build a fast track, and can't now as my BTBpro trial has ended. I will be purchasing the BTBEvo, but as it won't export to Rfactor, I won't be able to edit the aiw file.

I'll upload the track when it's finished, but will be some time yet.
 

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