Improvement Suggestions

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Brendon Pywell

Bob's Track Builder
I don't know everything so if you have thought of a brilliant idea, then let me here about it.

I value everyone's opinion but please don't feel too bad if your idea doesn't make it into BTB. Ease of design, speed, development time, priorities and game engine abilities all need to be considered when I mark out what's in the next release. I already have over seven pages of features I want to add to BTB so perhaps yours is already on there. ;) I won't be listing it here as I don't want to influence your fresh thoughts, and nor do I wish to raise false hope. I only like to list things I know I can deliver.

Please don't post your same idea over and over again. No ones opinion is more important than anyone elses. ;)
 
Oval crests, jumps (RBR)

the problem is still there

(make a turn with 8-10 nodes and make a oval crest of that turn...show me if somebody can do that with the curennt sistem!!)

VIDEO:

http://www.youtube.com/swrc




First of all Pddy Sobjects are incrediblle!!!
------------------------------------------------

In Rally very importants are jumps....
I cant seem to be able to create amooth overcrests, jumps (ecspecially if they fallow each other- watch video please.)

now i can only make sharp crests sort of a shape of a house roof..

Note: problem is only when working with imported kml files

(becouse there is a lot of nodes to form a turn- check a the beginning of video how many nodes there are.)



Mybey x,z asis nodes could be seperat5e from y asis nodes. tou would import kml file wich would lay out x, z nodes and then you add height (y) nodes where you wish. (in video - only one Y node in firsts crest)

now you can create smooth oval crests. (like the 1st crest in video)

check the video please and write your opinions , if not here then pm me!!








About video...


to show the difference i created huge crests (y=6) but it really shows the diference how smooth crests you can make if you can add just a single Y asis node in a crests!
(the problem is that i loose x,z nodes to get single Y node in a crest right now)


youll say why not just make crests as the 1st one in video ?
you can but not if you work with kml file, couse you loose x, z nodes and therefore the turns are not as they should be!!!

P.S. i know there are gonna be angry guys about such a long post but you just cant explain it in 3 sentences...

Thank you very much!!!
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track merge without overlapping polygons :chuck:


i know that will be hard, maybe impossible, because btb work with lofts for road tracks... but is the only missing feature to fully retire 3d Max in terrain/track building process :good:
 
  • Rasmo

Just a few things that I would like to see in future releases if possible, I don't think any of them would be too hard and would make life a little easier.

1. I'm not sure if it is just my PC but you can't place SObjects or Objects in the Top View, only in the 3D view. It would be really good if this was made possible, like it is for the walls. I use a overhead plan and it would be good for placing fences, ripples, tirewalls .etc

I can remember back to when this was just a program that would make a track layout for import into max. When you look at it now it just goes to show how much you have worked on it, so thank you very much. I am noticing more and more tracks being released that have evolved from BTB so keep up the great work.
 
What would be really great is that you can export RBR without using the rbr_rx plugin.
I'm driving in the rallyesim championship, but we can't use BTB tracks.

I make for only a personal use...

But I know this is a very complicated thing to do.
 
1. Altitude editor where you can put a 'height profile'-image as background and edit nodes according to that image. Would also allow easier editing of height profile curvature. Now editing curvature also affects the shape of the track in top view.

or

2. Export for KML data

3. Toggle perspective on and off in 3D view for more accurate object placement or possibility to place (or view) objects in top view

4. A view which would show the track surface at given point (surface profile and chamber combined)
 
  • buckets

youll say why not just make crests as the 1st one in video ?
you can but not if you work with kml file, couse you loose x, z nodes and therefore the turns are not as they should be!!!

You could try adding nodes instead to smooth between the imported ones, also try and make your crests between 2 nodes shaping it with the control points, rather than on a node. However, removing nodes doesn't have to loose the shape of the track as you can usually tweak control points of the remaining nodes to achieve the desired shape. It is also highly unlikely that the KML data will reflect the shape of the real road anyway, it will always be approximate. If you are importing height data this will be wildly inaccurate as it jumps in steps due to its discrete nature (usually at least 10m or so at a time even with a good source)

You should really see removing nodes as a good thing, I always try and use the minimal number required to achieve the road shape I want as it makes things much easier in the long run. If I import from KML I gradually remove nodes that are not really required and tweak the shape using the control points of the nodes either side. You can always use track sections to refine the road shape if you so wish once you basic track shape is done or even add some nodes back in later. It's much easier to start with a smooth line and then rough it up.
 
thanks buckets!
*(this is for kml file only where you have a lot of x, z nodes to be percise with the shape of turns)


yup your sugestion is good for the current btb...


but see thats the whole point in having y nodes as a seperate option!

you wouldnt have to use use the minimal number of nodes from kml,

wouldnt have to delete nodes,and all those other problems...


you would import as many x, z, nodes as you wish (need) AND THEN JUST ADD A SEPERATE Y NODE where you want a smooth crest-


now youll be able to make smooth crests in seconds with no matter how many and how close x, z nodes you have in a turn!
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once again with all the respect to everybody who hates me for this topic!!

try to make a oval crest with 3 conditions:

1) in a turn that has 8-10 nodes
(nodes are very close to each other)

2)the heighest point in a crest should be y=4 (or y=6 like in video.)

3)the turn and the crest shouldnt be long in distance...


let us know and show us your oval crest thats been made under these 3 conditions!
and youll prove me wrong.
 
Easier way to edit nodes, rather than just click mouse + shift x/y etc, why not 4 arrows (up and down the z and left right on the x) then 2 more for the y axis? Also set how much you want to increase by, such as 1m, 1cm each time you click? Far easier for such as people making tracks with topo maps and other elavation data.
 
Sure would be nice if you could implement a terrain mesh elevation import feature into BTB Pro version. It's obvious this function is already available in your specialized version of BTB based on the LIDAR tracks (Eastern & Oran). I have access to terabytes of variable resolution (0.1M to 2M) LIDAR scans for the US, Canada and UK which I currently use to recreate golf courses for a golf simulator company. Below are a few image samples of (0.5M LIDAR) of Bodega Harbour on the California northern coast which was imported into a proprietary editor. The 1st image is the raw imported mesh and the other two have an added satellite image draped over the terrain.

bodega_1.jpg

bodega_2.jpg

bodega_4.jpg


Adding this capability to BTB Pro would allow for incredibly accurate track creations. Upon import there could be a manual and/or automatic option to splice the imported terrain into sections in order to keep resource load under control for performance. Then all you would have to do is manually add/trace a track spline and then have an option to "Apply elevations from terrain to track". I have been using Global Mapper in this fashion to create GPS waypoints based on imported DEM/Lidar data with very good results (see link below). However, this is very limited as you then have to add all surrounding terrain manually in BTB or do a workaround merge in 3DSMax which is quite counter productive.

martinsburg_hill.jpg


Hope this feature can eventually be added to BTB Pro. Even though most users won't have access to such hi resolution data there is a wealth of 10M DEMs freely available on the web and growing source of 3M or better DEMs that will continue to have new coverage added globally.

Rat
 
Export into X naming

1. Naming of exported x files. When exporting into direct x i have files like t_0_s0.x even if my side roads and terrain is well named in btb. When importing into max I really have difficulties to find which file I need. Adding "export selected" would be nice feature too.

2. Why not using standard windows gui for Load, save projects?
 
- On current terrain tool, it's not possible to type how much row(sections) of polys each panels use on width... such feature would be very useful. Currently, I can't create more than four sections which is bad for creating terrain more far.

- On edit track surface shape, add a box to type value for X,Y axis to move the current selected node to that position, would be more faster and precise to edit the track shape this way.
 

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I would like to see an efficient use of workspace, meaning that when you click on one of the menu options it shows up in an 'options' window. This 'options' window would appear in the same place and is the same size for all of the menu options, Simular to how the top bar Adobe Photoshop works.

Also, I would like to see an autosave/recover option.

Thanks for allowing input, if you added nothing else to the current program it is still better than what was on the market 1 year ago!
 
A thing which I shall like seeing in BTB would be the possibility to widen the track just on a single side. At present, the tool of width distributes the release from the middle, on each side in a equal way. It would be sometimes useful to keep a rectilinear side, and to have the extension only on the other side (for example, to realize the entrance or the exit of pits).
 
  • 42Cliff

Boblebric:
you should use the cross-section/surfaces tool when you want to effect only one half of the track. Much more control anyhow ;)

dosgraphix:
the undo feature does a full backup for every change, so its already there...
 
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