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.

 

[HemiR]

Has crashing when moving track anchors for terrain been mentioned or planned to fix Brendon

 

[Alberto Montanari]

any idea about the green surface for RBR ?

 

[Kytt]

It is probably a little off topic but i would be really grateful if there is heightmap option. I make the mesh, place the heightmap as background picture and BTB will give the mesh the altitude.

 

[liquido]

BTB 0.8.9.1 Beta test result

bug: object disappear by switching desktop is still there.

bug: move terrain anchors crahs BTB

bug: load a new texture for existing material inside BTB dosen't work fine

Sorry for the late.... I´m really busy and don't have too much time.

please Brendom ¿ can you reset the license of 0.8.9.1 ?

 

[FerrariMan96]

Guys, I have a problem - my current BETA 0.8.9.1 license expired about 10 days ago, so I went to upload a new HID file but my old one is still available for download??? I can't see any way to upload the new HID file...

Anyone else have this problem?

FM96

 

[RichardHessels]

me too, now i can't work on the project i started and was coming along really nicely

To make matter worse i deleted the zip file containing the installation, so now i can only download the old license.
Hmppfff.

Also not one reaction from Brendon on any of my emails.
So for now my projects can't be opened.

:eek:

 

[marcobost]

me too! Yesterday the monthly beta licence expired and this time I can download only the same old license... I think this is a generalised trouble where everyone will arrive.
From Brendon no news as usual...

 

[liquido]

Take it easy, 0.8.9.1 Beta is for test new tools, find bugs and solve it.... not for develop our proyects.

BTB pro license works fine on Windows XP and brendom never support Windows 7

Brendom needs beta testers and we didn't help so much this time.... so if we got the chance to test a new beta, try to help Brendom before working in our proyects.

My self and a lot of people (I think) have used the new Beta to work in our own proyects.... by this way we don't help Bremdom to develop BTB, maybe we are delaying

 

[marcobost]

liquido, seems you didn't understand the problem!
I was one of the first 5 people to test this beta on December 2009. Then Brendon stopped to work on his project... that restarted few months ago... so I think to well understand what is the current problem.
Well, I'm saying that NOW if you need to re-license the monthly license, the procedure doesn't work!
Just because you receive back always the old license that was generated one month ago.
I hope to have been enough clear this time.

 

[liquido]

I understand your problem, I have the same.

But your rush is to further develop your projects with the new tools of the Beta, be honest.

Do not think anyone in a hurry to test the Beta bugs .... but it's easy to say and hide the truth.

Just you've posted to find many bugs, which I appreciate because it benefits everyone, but take a little patience and if you have used the Beta to develop your projects, assuming that it was a mistake.

BTB licenses for Windows XP work perfectly and that's the only thing that is committed when you buy a BTB license.

one thing that seems that you have not understood yet (I take a couple of years) is the fact that Bremdon does not live by the income generated by BTB and if He continues to develop it is because he wants to, not because we have licenses BTB.

So take it easy

 

[marcobost]

You are in right liquido (if we do not want once more to speak about the license and its "formula" that Brendon choosed). Several times I wrote exactly your words, lol.
This time is an automatic procedure that is not working and if nobody says it to Brendon...
By the way, I used and I'm still using the previous and the current public versions on Vista and on Windows7 64 bit without any problem.

 

[RichardHessels]

Than Brendon should not have put this text on the website.
It made me think the license would be updated in time.

This license will work for 1 month, hopefully enough time for any bugs to be fixed. If the release is not ready within this timeframe then a new beta and/or new license will be generated here once again.

Well i still get the old license if i click the link.

He maybe should have said:
This license works for one month only, after that you probably ain't going to get a new one.
So you can try for one month, to test for bugs, but beware your old projects will be ruined if you save them.
The new version comes out whenever i feel like it, could be next month or next year.


Than i would not have trusted a project i was already working on to it.
Silly me maybe, but i did not know i could not open my new projects on the older version.
Was not exactly stated clear on the website.

I really appreciate the work Brendon has been putting in.
But i payed about 60 euro's for the license, so might I be expecting some service back for it?

 

[marcobost]

Richard, I'm sending a mail to Brendon every day... If also other people will inform him about this trouble, Brendon will fix it asap. Maybe he doesn't know this is a generalized problem... I hope it!

 

[Davesta]

Than Brendon should not have put this text on the website.
It made me think the license would be updated in time.

This license will work for 1 month, hopefully enough time for any bugs to be fixed. If the release is not ready within this timeframe then a new beta and/or new license will be generated here once again.

Well i still get the old license if i click the link.

He maybe should have said:
This license works for one month only, after that you probably ain't going to get a new one.
So you can try for one month, to test for bugs, but beware your old projects will be ruined if you save them.
The new version comes out whenever i feel like it, could be next month or next year.


Than i would not have trusted a project i was already working on to it.
Silly me maybe, but i did not know i could not open my new projects on the older version.
Was not exactly stated clear on the website.

I really appreciate the work Brendon has been putting in.
But i payed about 60 euro's for the license, so might I be expecting some service back for it?

Agreed, particularly considering that you can't have the beta installed at the same time as the previous version of BTB. I backed up all of my projects before I started using the BETA, however I have still lost several months work. In my opinion, that's not really acceptable.

 

[marcobost]

Davesta, for your information: you can run both versions together! The only thing to do is to move the "old" version (the BobsTrackBuilder folder) under another folder (i.e. .../BTB08/) and then change if needed the various pointers into the software. That's it.
But this procedure do not "save" the Brendon's behavior!

START TO SEND A DAILY EMAIL TO BRENDON YOU TOO!

 

[Davesta]

Ok I didn't realise that. Thanks (but a little too late now).

However, I would never have started using the BETA if I had known that this was going to happen. I figured that since we're all BETA testers anyway (BTB is actually marketed as an ongoing beta - the latest stable release is not at 1.0 yet) then I might as well use the latest version with all the new features for my projects.

However, I don't think that filling Brendon's inbox with emails every day is the answer. He is clearly not responding to your emails, so perhaps we need to try something different. Anyone got any ideas? All we want is for the current beta to be released with an automatically updating license like the current release.

 

[Davesta]

1 idea:

I would be willing to make a donation to Brendon if he would release the current BETA with an automatically updating license system. Perhaps instead of asking for his time for nothing in return, several of us could agree to make donations and this would give him some motivation? I would be willing to donate £30, perhaps more (and considering I am a student living at uni on a tight budget, that is a lot for me). Anyone with me? If you are I will send him an email perhaps with a few names who are willing to show that we are still supporting him?

 

[liquido]

Like you, I would like to see a new system for licensing, I would not mind to pay for it, but my economy is unfortunately not for donations .. only if I receive them. :$

If we agree to the BTB community with a survey, if done neatly I will cooperate, I can not say more and 10 € for me is a limited amount.

I agree that the text of the web right now is not correct, but I hope that something has gone wrong and brendom have not done on purpose

 

[marcobost]

Well, I agree!
Is someone able to open a survey here?
We can choose: "no donation" - "Eur. 10.00" - "Eur. 20.00" - "Eur. 30.00"
To have back:
1. the current license system for beta working again (that is our right!!)
2. a new license system (in any case the current one is overwhelming for people that pay and at the same time has been cracked...)
3. the beta with at least the known bugs (known since 3 months) fixed

This could be also our notice of gratitude for the Brendon's job that is giving us lots of pleasure and satisfaction... taking well in mind that rFactor 2 is quite ready!

 

[Davesta]

Well I sent an email to Brendon telling him that I and others would be willing to make donations but no reply so far. Does anyone know of a personal email address I could use which he might be more likely to respond with?