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.

 

[Johannes Rojola]

.:Massive problems:.

I am not able to install new version of BTB because I can't successfully uninstall the older version. I tried to repair older version by installing it again, but even that wasn't successful. I even removed everything BTB related with 'Regedit' but it doesn't help. At least I can still use the old version, but seems like I cannot go to .9 if I cannot completely remove older BTB... And I wish not to reinstall Windows at this point...

 

[mianiak]

The blend is calculated from 0% -> 100%. If you have 5 points then it will be 0, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% no matter how far apart they are.

Your suggestion to have the values be editable is good - I will add that to my to do list.

Ahh ok, I see what's going on here, It's relative to how many points you have inside the blend section. When I first looked at it I was only using 1 point, I now look it with multiple points and it stands out better. I presumed it would adjust itself relative to the percentage of it's location between the two outside points.
Thanks for putting that in the todo list, much appreciated

I notice some limitations to this, the blended texture (road to dirt) is not static like the grass and it will stretch with the section if you widen the area by moving the outside control point out. Also the background texture, I couldn't get it to blend sideways, it is a constant all over blend. I don't know if this is works as designed or a bug, so I just thought to mention it.

 

[Gonzalo Loayza]

Downloading it! Hope I can help you Piddy

 

[Brendon Pywell]

Even with the new account does not download.

The Beta testing is only available to users that have purchased BTB Pro. The account you are using in your attached picture is not a licensed user. What account did you use to purchase BTB Pro?

 

[Brendon Pywell]

Any of these goodies going to find their way in to poor old EVO?

Yes although none of the Evo products support the advanced blending that we can do in rFactor/RBR.

I am undecided yet whether to keep the blending interface in Evo, since some people will want to convert their BTB tracks from one to the other, or whether to remove it to avoid confusion.

 

[Brendon Pywell]

I am not able to install new version of BTB because I can't successfully uninstall the older version.

The only time I have seen this was when a person deleted (or renamed) the BTB folder before trying to uninstall. If this is your situation, then replace the folder, then uninstall.

 

[Brendon Pywell]

I notice some limitations to this, the blended texture (road to dirt) is not static like the grass and it will stretch with the section if you widen the area by moving the outside control point out.

The blended texture can be set to be mapped "Globally" as well which would avoid the stretched looked. One problem (in this example) is that the texture has a little bit of broken road on it too, so mapping it globally makes the road part appear in places it shouldn't. You wont see this yet because of another bug.

Also the background texture, I couldn't get it to blend sideways, it is a constant all over blend. I don't know if this is works as designed or a bug, so I just thought to mention it.

Thanks, a definite bug here - I should hide those options.

 

[Johannes Rojola]

The only time I have seen this was when a person deleted (or renamed) the BTB folder before trying to uninstall. If this is your situation, then replace the folder, then uninstall.

This actually is the case here, it's just that I don't have any clue what was the original path where I installed BTB... Gotta try to work this out somehow...

SOLVED WIN7 (for those who might experience this same)
Because I had to complete remove/uninstall 0.8.3 first, and I wasn't able to do that. Here is how it worked:
1. Copy your BTB 0.8.3 install file 'BobsSetup.msi' to c:\users\yourname -folder
2. Open CMD (click start, type in cmd)
3. Locate to your c:\users\yourname (it should be there by default already)
4. Type: msiexec /qb /I bobssetup.msi and press enter
5. Now it force installs fresh new 0.8.3
6. Now Uninstall Bobs Track Builder from Windows uninstaller
7. Install new version of BTB

(Probably I could have force installed 0.9 version through same command line, but I wanted to make sure it is a "clean" install)

 

[gwaldock]

Welcome back Brendon!

You have been sorely missed by the modding community ray:

I intend to purchase another license (my fourth) when you release the next version of BTB.

:doublethumb: :doublethumb: :doublethumb:

 

[martinez]

Something is strange with specular effect on RBR_RX. I took default cross-section from default xpack. The screenshots were taken against the sun (1) and with the sun (2). It looks like the road tarmac texture and specular map are exactly the same files as in Default xpack from BTB 0.8.0.3.

My old tracks look normal. I still did not try to load them and export from 0.8.9.0.
My system is XP SP3, all drivers, DirectX, Framework and the rest updated to newest versions.

[Edit] - I exported one of my previous tracks (with specular maps) and it was ok. Maybe it's bump map - i will check it later. Or maybe other trackuilders can check it too?

 

[catboy]

can't rotate blend material in walls

Brendon I can't rotate blend material in walls. ! any trick?

The new method for creating tracks (adding side panels to blend) is fine, but creates a problem when we added the AIW the corridor are too large (green line and red) and manually correct a lot of work and is not Correct. Maybe include numerical fields before append the track?

One for the wish list, choose a open track to allow for pitlane in AIW.


I'm doing a test circuit with only the default xpack to see the capabilities of the new features.
I will briefly share the project file for all to see or learn.


Test Project http://dl.dropbox.com/u/258406/My Project89.zip

 

[Brendon Pywell]

Something is strange with specular effect on RBR_RX. I took default cross-section from default xpack. The screenshots were taken against the sun (1) and with the sun (2). It looks like the road tarmac texture and specular map are exactly the same files as in Default xpack from BTB 0.8.0.3.

My old tracks look normal. I still did not try to load them and export from 0.8.9.0.
My system is XP SP3, all drivers, DirectX, Framework and the rest updated to newest versions.

[Edit] - I exported one of my previous tracks (with specular maps) and it was ok. Maybe it's bump map - i will check it later. Or maybe other trackuilders can check it too?

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

 

[Kruzo]

I can not return files from folder Temporary Files. After renaming time files in .rar, they not to unpack - the error. What writes there should be a sequence of actions tell please?

 

[martinez]

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

It did not work, I'm sorry.
I overwrited all folders and saved d3dx9_35.dll to root rbr folder. Or maybe it has to be placed somewhere else? Forgive me my lack of knowledge about files like this

 

[Brendon Pywell]

It did not work, I'm sorry.
I overwrited all folders and saved d3dx9_35.dll to root rbr folder. Or maybe it has to be placed somewhere else? Forgive me my lack of knowledge about files like this

That's the right place to copy them.

Perhaps this is graphics card specific. What are your system specifications?

 

[Greg Wyatt]

Hey Brendon, found a possible problem that didn't occur with the previous version, could be the newer shaders you mentioned.

See the yellow lines running through the terrain... Also the Canberra wall to the right like it's got some shine / reflection on it.

This is all over the track, the lines run across the whole area of the map, the walls have refection / shine at random places, areas where there are nothing but walls, other areas where there objects near by. Very inconsistent.

I have both nVidia and ATi cards, both do the same thing, Win 7 x64 with x58 chipset. Below image is ingame footage, BTB does not display the problem.

 

[martinez]

Yes, it looks similar on my RBR.
My system is:

Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.101209-1647)
Language: Polish (Regional Setting: Polish)
System Manufacturer: Quanta
System Model: TW9/SW9
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 CPU M 460 @ 2.53GHz (4 CPUs)
Memory: 3062MB RAM
Page File: 832MB used, 6160MB available
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.5512 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
Display Tab 1: No problems found.
Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
Music Tab: No problems found.
Input Tab: No problems found.
Network Tab: No problems found.

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Chip type: GeForce GT 335M
DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
Display Memory: 1024.0 MB
Current Mode: 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0012.6658 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D

(taken from DXdiag.exe - list of DirectX Components is very long )

 

[Call]

"Originally Posted by Brendon Pywell

The Beta testing is only available to users that have purchased BTB Pro. The account you are using in your attached picture is not a licensed user. What account did you use to purchase BTB Pro?

Thanks for responding,

Well in this case, I will wait out the final version.

Good job!

 

[Brendon Pywell]

Hey Brendon, found a possible problem that didn't occur with the previous version, could be the newer shaders you mentioned.

See the yellow lines running through the terrain... Also the Canberra wall to the right like it's got some shine / reflection on it.

Thanks. Can you direct me towards where I can download this project?

 

[catboy]

I can't rotate blend material in walls any one can check this?? or is my problem?