Old Australian Circuits Group (OACG)

[woochoo]

Old Australian Circuits Group (OACG)

This thread is to propose a collaborative effort to produce some more old Australian circuits. The idea is anyone interested, be they Australian or otherwise, can get onboard and help with creating an old Australian circuit. By now most of us are well aware that it takes quite a while to produce a good rendition of a circuit, so by pooling talents and dividing workloads we might be able to produce higher quality circuits and more quickly.

Tasks could be divided into circuit layout, terrain, textures, trackside objects, gathering reference material, etc.

Some people have experience with the major programs like photoshop and 3D studio Max, others are quite new track making and are just getting into BTB but are full of new ideas and enthusiasm. Some participants might live much closer to the old circuits or roads and be able to provide material and real-world experience.

Obviously this has a chance of turning out badly with people getting in a huff and withdrawing their work from projects, but hopefully a common interest in the circuits could keep people together and working happily. Users can be as involved as they wish, or merely model a building or two if they choose. There should be no obligation to continue with a project if you lose the inclination, but it would be nice if you could allow others to continue your work.

and here is a link for some inspiration : http://tasman-series.com/misc/lostcircuits/lostcircuits.asp

http://rfactorcentral.com/list.cfm?cat=Tracks&region=Oceania has a list of currently available rFactor circuits from the Oceania region though most are more modern versions.

So, if anyone is interested (you don't need to be Australian), post a reply and perhaps name an Australian circuit that you would like to see in rFactor/Simbin titles.

I'll start the bidding with Lobethal 1937-48 :smile: It would be a lot of work and that's why I wouldn't want to do it on my own. And I don't live anywhere near Lobethal.
more info: http://tasman-series.com/misc/lostcircuits/lobethal/lobethal.asp

Cheers,
woochoo

 

[Ryan Callan]

Looking forward to the finished thing

 

[Ryan Callan]

I'm sure most of you know, but you should rope in some guys from FVRFactor.com - there's definitely some skills and knowledge to be tapped into there.

 

[Lee Knight]

Reply to Steve G

Gday Steve,
I didnt realise that rally cross was also held at Catalina,thanks for the heads up on that one.
Last time I was there wouldve been over 15years ago & the in field, as well as the track surrounds were that overgrown its hard to imagine anything being held in the infield.
At the time track was so overgrown it wouldve been a time getting around the circuit in a go cart let alone the LJ
Torrana we were in,though I must say the track surfice was still in good condition.
There is no way Id attempt somthing like that today(late night & quite often damp, let alone no permission),but if the track is still in the same condition,I cant see why(besides the land ownership issues)the place cant be used for go carting & super motards.
Keep up the good work,
BLeeK

 

[Steve G]

I agree with you BLeeK todays governments and councils are pussies,a few minority groups dont like cars polutions and noise and all that..seem to have there say over what other groups can and cannot do,Catalina in its day was a wonderful circuit it had legends like Brocky,Moffat,Bond hone there skills in super modified beasts,cant see the likes of Tander,Wincup and co doing that now!!!

 

[Dean Stone]

G`day, I`m in the progress in doing hidden valley in laser, as the one in rfactor isn`t like the real track, as i shud kno when i live up here, and another track I`m working on is the 1928 Phillip Isand track , just in the progress of getting info on the track and pics from back then , have got the basic lay out sort of worked out by the info my untie has given us from down there ,but that track about 2-3 months of, but the Valley shud be all good by the end of April...

 

[banger]

I did CATALINA, SOME GOOD REPONSE, SOME BAD (many from two rivals claiming pictures rights).i still have the heightdata in kml format if anyone needs it.but no dirt cross thou.

hieght data was produce by external moutain bike program.

 

[Stealthy]

G`day, I`m in the progress in doing hidden valley in laser, as the one in rfactor isn`t like the real track, as i shud kno when i live up here, and another track I`m working on is the 1928 Phillip Isand track , just in the progress of getting info on the track and pics from back then , have got the basic lay out sort of worked out by the info my untie has given us from down there ,but that track about 2-3 months of, but the Valley shud be all good by the end of April...

no offense but that frustrates the hell out of me , myself and another person have been working on hidden valley for the previous year and a half, having put in mega hours on the track side objects and to have this happen is extremely frustrating (100+ on the pit building) , oh well i guess thats life had to vent my frustration tho

 

[Dean Stone]

LOL ay bungie can fix that problem you can have all the info on the track I`ve got and you can do it, no stress here mate ,just pm us and i`ll give you all the gps data and stuff we have got from personal going to the track and doing the laser gps data

 

[Stealthy]

hey dean , im defently interested in having alook at your data , our goal is to hav the most realistic version of hidden valley , he have a driver assisting us in getting the feal right , all the objects are being made from photos and video and textures being made simiallar way , what we hope to achieve is a v8 version (with day and night capeabilitie ) and a track day version (again with day and night) the track day version will be less crowd around the track and diffrent objects and a funtioning dummy grid where the v8 version will have everything that appears at a v8 weekend (paddock tents , stands crowd merchindise ally etc) i like the idea of night racing so both versions will include a night version . alot of thought has been put into the track , we hope to have at least a beta out for the v8s in june if not the hole track

 

[Lee Knight]

Gday All,
Getting ready to go map Bungonia circuit when I get my holiday leave back with a Navman GPS.
My question is;Do I need any special GPS data logging software or do I use what came with it?
Is there anything else I might need ,besides GPS & video/still camera's?
I'll only get the one chance to do this before its back to work for another couple of months before I
get another extended brake & would like to use my three days down there as fully as possible,
any & all hints & tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Eric Tozer]

Hi Bleek
I'm not too sure about the Navman as I haven't used one.
What you need is the ability to record a path on your GPS.
Then you need to be able to get the data off the GPS & onto your PC in a format that is usable.
I use a my PSP which saves as a .txt file which I then have to convert with GPS Visualizer.
http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/
I usually convert the PSP GPS file to a "plain text table" here & then edit in an excel style program to .csv to match the sample files in the BTB support folder.

I would check the Navman website for any applications which may help you get the data to the PC.
Maybe do a trial run before you go to see if you can get the data to work in BTB.

Cheers

 

[Lee Knight]

G'day Eric,
Thanks heaps for that,it's at least a start for me to follow up on.
Ive been into several GPS dealers & they tend to look at me like Im from out of space.
Just out of curiosity,how did you go about getting the proporsions for High Speed Ring from Gran Tourismo?(Strait/overall track
lengths,corner radius's)Ive been trying to aquaint my self with BTB by working on a rendition of Complex String circuit from GT3
& have had very little success so far,did you scratch build as currently trying to do or were you able to get some data of some sort
from somewhere?
Anyway,thanks again for that.
Hopefully someone else might chime in with a few more clues.
BLeeK.

 

[Eric Tozer]

Ahh.. the Complex String.
I had a bit of a go at this myself.
Nothing too serious, just a muck around.

It's pretty hard getting good data for a track that doesn't exist.
All I did was hunt the web for track layouts.
I found about 3 or 4 & they were all slightly different.
So I just picked the one I felt was best.
I then used one as a background to make a track in BTB.
Then I just resized it to the track length in metres.
The cambers were just guess work & lots of driving until it felt right.
Cheers

 

[Lee Knight]

WOW Eric,Thats way better than anything Ive been able to manage!
Thats the main reason Ive decided to go GPS with Bungonia,I just dont
seem to be to good at manipulating the tools for scratch building.
Once I actually get a road going I find doing infields n stuff a lot easier.
I'll get there one day,like anything it takes time n practice.
Tho lately times been a rare comodity for me.
Played with BTB the other night till 1am & then had to get up & start work @ 630am, it was arough day that day!

 

[thren]

Ive started on Gnoo Blas, only preliminary so far,
I just found this thread.

 

[ed_jza80]

hmm, funny i never saw this thread before....

Im in the throws of finishing up Parramatta Park... see thread here:

http://www.racedepartment.com/bobs-...-gp-2-mile-circuit-post532497.html#post532497

Im VERY interested if anyone can help with the finishing touches to get it looking really schmick. its all done in BTB so far, with no other software. all the textures are derived from photos taken around the track, inc tramac verges, grass and leaves, bricks and sandstone etc. i need some help with 2 buildings, plus if theres any fancy stuff that people who are better at this than me can do to really make it sparkle?!

cheers
ed

 

[woochoo]

Ed, glad you found the thread. that's pretty much the spirit of the OACG. For other people to give a hand when time, software or skills are low. Can you post a couple of Parramatta screens? i don't have my gaming setup with me to check it out. Cheers!

 

[ed_jza80]

download latest test version here:
http://www.v-eight.com/multimedia/Pa...taPark1952.rar

youtube hotlap:

cheers
ed

PS - sorry about the crappy youtube video compression...

 

[woochoo]

gee whiz mate, i like your colour palette. That looks really good, the track and the graphics.
did they have the kerbs there in '52 or is it a hybrid vintage/modern recreation?
Good Stuff!

 

[ed_jza80]

thanks!!

first up just a quick note i threw into the other thread... i think it renders best with DX8 rather than 9. the colours ans textures are more true to how i first made them. DX9 seems to blow all the colour out a bit, and it all seems faltter and less 'dirty' which is not how its supposed to be

anyway... yeah, its a hybrid. truth be told i cant find a good trackside photo from the 50's to know exactly how the surface was. but going by photos from the mt druitt circuit at the same time, theres a good chance it couldve been compacted dirt i just dont know. all of the sandstone walls etc are original etc, and date back a LONG way, the brick probably a bit newer, but still old. the concrete kerbing along the river is new, but its hard to leave that section of road completely unfinshed as it wouldve been in the 50's, as diving off the left of the road into the river is WAY too easy without it, and its nice to be able to drive a variety of cars, inc new ones, open wheelers etc, at a variety of speeds on the track, so i blended a few ideas to make it useable... im sure you get what i mean.

what i hope ive acheived though, and will continue to try and keep as i continue to evolve it, is the feel of a simple, common road, which could be and was used as a dangerous racetrack, through noticably australian bush/landscape. theres too many european ciruits, or non descript landscapes around, i wanted to really make this look and feel australian, and keep it sinply like a road.

if youve ever driver around the track at parramatta hopefully youll get what i mean

but yeah... suggestions, or things to fix (aside from the obvious holes in the ground?)

and anyone with skillzz able to chip in to have a look at a few issues, or perhaps throw a simple model or two in there?

cheers
ed