Laser scanning

Tiens Van Zyl · Jan 3, 2013

Not sure if anyone will be able to assist.

Been wondering how do they laser scan a track and if possible could someone post the name/manufacturer of the device used as I'd love to see how it looks?

Conny Naslund · Jan 3, 2013

Check the 14:th episode of iRacing TV. It will give a good view of how it's done.

Tiens Van Zyl · Jan 3, 2013

Awesome thanks!

Requiem84 · Jan 3, 2013

I believe KS used a slightly different technique than iRacing, which is marginally less presize, but much faster and cheaper.

Don't they scan from a car that is drivibg around on the track?

Senad Subasic · Jan 3, 2013

Requiem84 said:
I believe KS used a slightly different technique than iRacing, which is marginally less presize, but much faster and cheaper.

Don't they scan from a car that is drivibg around on the track?

They had that image with a laser scanned person standing on the side of the track, unless that was a joke

. So it's probably something faster, yes.

Conny Naslund · Jan 3, 2013

I think the laser scanning is done the same way more or less.
Sure, standing on a truck or walking with it might be a bit quicker, but they don't scan from a moving car if they want any precision. There is another way of just scanning the track and that is mobile profilograph scan which is used for surveying the weare of tarmac on public roads.
That is a much quicker solution and quite good resolution, but you don't get anything other than the tarmac and curbs on it.
Then again, how important is it to have the buildings and other stuff at mm precision.

EDIT: it is a profilograph I was thinking of.
http://www.greenwood.dk/profilograph.php

Conny Naslund · Jan 3, 2013

Might have to change that. Seems the systems on LIDAR has evolved since I looked.

That might be something for iRacing to get....

Hampus Andersson · Jan 4, 2013

From what i understand AC uses a car and just drives around the circuit, i believe most F1 teams do this as well, saves time like crazy.
And iRacing uses scanners they move around instead.

I think someone from iRacing also said their way of doing it is more exact then what F1 teams are doing (was a discussion about buying a Monaco scan i think)

But as far as the end result i don´t think there´s much difference between the two.

Damien Wintz · Jan 5, 2013

Senad Subasic said:
They had that image with a laser scanned person standing on the side of the track, unless that was a joke . So it's probably something faster, yes.

nijeat · Jan 5, 2013

BTW then, the scanning ways aside, does the total number of polygons also affect the accuracy?

Hampus Andersson · Jan 5, 2013

nijeat said:
BTW then, the scanning ways aside, does the total number of polygons also affect the accuracy?

I don´t know how AC will do but for iRacing and their laserscanned tracks you don´t actually race on the visual part of the track,

nijeat · Jan 5, 2013

Hampus Andersson said:
I don´t know how AC will do but for iRacing and their laserscanned tracks you don´t actually race on the visual part of the track,

haha I thought so far that cars raced on the polygons.

What about other games? such as ISI games or RBR, NFS, even GTA series and etc etc. do you know?

Hampus Andersson · Jan 5, 2013

nijeat no idea but i think they run on the visual track you see in the game.

I believe this is why many feel the cars are floating on the surface in iRacing.
It´s actually pretty good 99% of the time but when i did a video on Zolder there´s a "jump" just after the first chicane and the "real track" was a good 5-10cm higher then the visual part of the track, but only at the peak of the jump.

Maybe
Aristotelis

Can let us know how they go about doing this, it´s very cool stuff laserscanning

Edit: also what´s great about laerscanning is if a few titles have the same track you won´t need to re-learn that track anymore as you would with fan-made tracks who differ from each other.

Lee Knight · Jan 6, 2013

I believe the iRacing version of Oran Park was actually a conversion of the LiDar one done for BTB as the real one was well & truly gone by the time iRacing did there's....

Hampus Andersson · Jan 6, 2013

Lee Knight said:
I believe the iRacing version of Oran Park was actually a conversion of the LiDar one done for BTB as the real one was well & truly gone by the time iRacing did there's....

Are you sure? iRacing has had their scan data for many years and i think they managed to scan it before they destroyed the track.

they just never got around to making the track due to other tracks having higher priority.

Lee Knight · Jan 6, 2013

Hampus Andersson said:
Are you sure? iRacing has had their scan data for many years and i think they managed to scan it before they destroyed the track.

they just never got around to making the track due to other tracks having higher priority.

Ahhh...fair enough, I didn't think along those lines....
It's only that I knew there was the rFactor version done via LiDar some time ago & that the track was well & truly gone by the time iRacing brought there's out...
http://www.bobstrackbuilder.net/laser_scanning_op.aspx
http://www.gmat.unsw.edu.au/currentstudents/ug/projects/ElliottLamour/index.html
I'd just figured they'd purchased the data from the original crew...
Like I said, "I believe".....
Maybe I should have stated, "I've jumped to the conclusion that..."

I actually grew up 'just' up the road from Oran Park & both my father (on sidecars) & myself (solo's & cars, mostly track days for me) had raced there so I knew the place fairly well....
Ive seen iRacing clips but never tried that sim & Ive got to say I prefer the rF version as it looks a lot closer to the real one...
Mainly the textures & a couple of little bits like walls/tire walls & stuff....
Such a shame the family that owned the place sold out to developers as it was an awesome little track!