Creating Large Objects / Buildings - Custom 'Ripple' Strips

[Drummer]

Hi again folks!

I'm creating a fictional circuit in BTB, with the help of AC3D and Photoshop. As it's mostly in my head at the moment, and because I'm a detail freak, I'd like lots of custom objects and buildings, including the curbs. (I'm trying to cut down on the amount of new posts, so I'm asking a couple of questions at once).

One 'building' I've made for this, albeit very primitive right now, is a vehicle bridge to go over my circuit. This is quite a big object to place and I'm having some issues in BTB. What's the best/most effective/easiest way to make something like this and place it on my circuit? I managed to get my circuit into AC3D, as a reference for creating the bridge and I've made the bridge exactly as I want it in the exact location. Obviously, the centre point of the bridge is a million miles away from the actual bridge itself, due to this fact. Do I need to have the bridge model sat right on it's centre point?

Also, with curbs, what's the best way to make my own? I want two or three different shapes of top surface on my curbs. Here two examples of the style of curbs I'd like to have:

http://dunganick.smugmug.com/Motors...Thruxton-Weekend/MG5928/522174552_ov8Sz-L.jpg

http://www.f3historic.com/gallery/Oulton.Park.2009/775_Chris Holland Brabham BT21 at Cascades-1.JPG

You can't really see the first one too well, but it's basically a very blocky design, which could be used for multi-directional areas of track. The second, if my memory serves me correctly, is a cowpie curb, with circular convex portions.

I can make sections of curb like these in AC3D, but what's the best way to have them behave themselves as ripple strips? I would want to keep the cowpie curb sections at their exact proportions, so as not to have my circular bumps turning elliptical; is this possible to do, while bending around a corner, or not?

Also, just a quick cheeky question: Does anyone know of a good, tiling asphalt texture and a line texture I could use freely, please? I've created three asphalt textures that all hypnotise me ingame, due to their non-tiling natures.

Thankyou very much for reading!

 

[Ken Leamy]

The easiest way I do it is I make the building set the size and put it on the Center point then export it. In BTB I set it then rotate to what is needed , Done

 

[Drummer]

Thanks for the reply! I'm just finding placement difficult because BTB's manipulation controls are extremely sensitive with such a large object. Also, after I've finely tuned it and got it in the exact place I want it, when I unselect the bridge, it jumps out of position.

 

[Ken Leamy]

Yes I also found that to be a problem it would be good if he allowed numerical settings also.

 

[R Soul]

Obviously, the centre point of the bridge is a million miles away from the actual bridge itself, due to this fact. Do I need to have the bridge model sat right on it's centre point?

Some people make their objects so that one of the corners is over 0,0,0. That way, it's easy to know when you've selected the object in BTB. You need to click on one of the object's polygons, but if the origin is miles away from any of them, it'll be too small to see.

I've never had trouble with objects jumping from their location, but I have had it happen with rotation. One way of mitigating the problem is the align to track button in the object window:

Also, with curbs, what's the best way to make my own? I want two or three different shapes of top surface on my curbs. Here two examples of the style of curbs I'd like to have:

http://dunganick.smugmug.com/Motors...Thruxton-Weekend/MG5928/522174552_ov8Sz-L.jpg

http://www.f3historic.com/gallery/Oulton.Park.2009/775_Chris Holland Brabham BT21 at Cascades-1.JPG

The first one could be done with a wall.
E.g.
4 cross sections.
#1 is flat, like this: http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac326/rsoulinternet/rfactor/kerbflat.gif
#2 is is quite close to it, and is raised:
http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac326/rsoulinternet/rfactor/kerbraised.gif
#3 and #4 are at the other end and are the same as 2 and 1 respectively.

The kerb's grooves need not be modeled in 3d. You can use a very high contrast normal map. Start with a white texture and use black lines for the grooves. Any program that can generate a normal map should give you something that looks 3d.

You can use a similar technique for the cowpie kerb. Solid black image with white/grey discs, then generate a normal map.

There will be some distortion, because walls/tracks bend their textures. I think you can lower the panel length to help, but it won't eliminate the problem. Another option is to use SObjects, but the flat part of the kerb may have overlapping problems. You might have to make the flat part from a wall, and the white bobbles from an SObject. It depends on how much of a perfectionist you are.

Also, just a quick cheeky question: Does anyone know of a good, tiling asphalt texture and a line texture I could use freely, please?

Have a look at www.cgtextures.com. The 'Roads' section has a few good ones. There are lots of sites you can find via google (e.g. free high res textures) but most of the images need some work.

 

[Drummer]

Thankyou Soul, you're a legend!

I never thought of using the align to track button, I'll give that a shot!
I'll have a go at using normal maps, if I can figure out how to generate one, as I've never played with them before. I guess, if I can get the object placement working for me, I could probably model them all individually and place them as single objects, but we'll see. As for how much of a perfectionist i am; well, I'm beginning to think I'll need to contact NASA for a quote on a custom built computer to run this thing on, as I'm going a bit crazy with details, lol!
That's a pretty nice resource at the other end of that link! I'm quite impressed by the quality of some of the textures I've flicked through and you're right, some of those roads are really nice!

Thankyou so much for your help, I'm extremely grateful! One of these days I'm going to start a WIP topic, so you can actually see what you're helping to create.