WIP Roy Hesketh - Pietermaritzburg

[Raido]

Only have an idea on some of your questions, but here goes:

- For horizon merging, may be better to do it to the texture files outside of 3Dsimed, so in a normal graphics editor - is doable and might be easier.
- For texture merging, same thing: find some ready-made ones or merge 'em yourself in a gfx editor.
- There's a program for making track layouts on rfc?
http://www.racedepartment.com/bobs-track-builder/37470-creating-track-layout-pic.html
- I think you can change the sun's position in BTB yourself (not sure, never bothered with it myself )

 

[Paul Minnaar]

Thanks for the feedback Raido.

I am a 2D graphics specialist by profession, so editing is really no hassle for me. I just do not know how to get my horizon into 3Dsimed and then into game.

In BTB you can only change a polygons material, so how do these guys get smooth transitions of materials across polygons, like the edge of a track, I don't want mine to be that hard edge.

BTB allows moving the sun, but it does not affect how the sun behaves in the game as far as I know? I was thinking it may be something that is changed in a text file, or even the way the track model faces on the grid in BTB when designing, I don't know.

Shadows are my big hassle now.

 

[Paul Minnaar]

Well, call that an epiphany. I turned my track through some degrees in BTB and guess what, all is right in the simulator.

For future searches, rotate you model to get the sun in an east
/west orientation.

The BTB help files do not tell you this, nor does any search, so hopefully this helps.

 

[Paul Minnaar]

Hi all. Much has been done to the circuit since last update.
I have put in the proper Pietermaritzburg skyline and adjusted many other things. Cars and people are now in correct positions.

Here are a few new screenshots from BTB that I doctored in Photoshop to get a sky etc.

Regards
Paul

Going up Beacon Hill



Entry to BP Curve


Overhead track shot with horizon


Looking back from Quarry Curve


Pietermaritzburg Straight


Entry to Quarry


Sweep Entry


Looking down towards Quarry

 

[Jonathan Johansson]

Looks great! are you planning on doing this for rFactor too?

 

[Paul Minnaar]

Thanks Jonathan, it drives great too, believe me, I've done about 700 laps in testing already

- its actually open to all platforms, I just did not know that when I created the thread, now cant change it.
When this track is complete, I will allow rFactor conversions obviously. I have already made the load screens for GTR and P&G.

Cant wait for it's release, it's an absolute classic.

 

[Sabine]

Great. looking forward to it! Well done so far.

 

[Kris Vickers]

Hi Paul,

What else do you have planned before you let us all loose on your track?

 

[Paul Minnaar]

Well Kris, I happened to be in Pietermaritzburg over the past weekend and drove past Roy Hesketh.
I also noticed there was a power/sub station behind 'The Sweep' which needs to be put in as it has always been there.

 

[Paul Minnaar]

Hmmm Roy Hesketh now at 99%, very close to release now.

New Dunlop bridge model, reworked the horizon and a special memorial stone model for my dad is now included on the infield of quarry. Yes man!

 

[Raido]

Sounds good Paul, keep at it.

 

[Paul Minnaar]

Some of the inner workings of the model to keep you entertained.

The Dunlop Bridge model. Had to be era specific, not all Dunlop bridges were the same - did you know that? So had to build my own. Vector work was done in Corel Draw, then used as a UV map in Blender3D.


Part of the Roy Hesketh Pit section made in Sketchup.

 

[Bill Marsh]

If your looking for beta-testers still -I will tell you what I think. Medium-fast computer so the fps info might help you.

DRAGON

e-mail--bmarsh1@live.ca

 

[Paul Minnaar]

Thanks Dragon. I'm also using a medium machine, so trying to optimise for all. I have a 3ghtz hyper thread P4 with GT6600 128mbps card, so not a great machine, around 5 years old, and it runs okay.

 

[Kris Vickers]

Hows the build going Paul?

Well i hope

 

[Paul Minnaar]

Very well Kris. I actually think its finished. I just want to take the 3D spectators out and put spectator walls in, but still don't know how to unpack a .gtr file.

Remember Woochoo said I could use his crowds from longford.

If I get that done, I'll release, after you look it through in 3Dsimed for me of course

 

[Paul Minnaar]

Oh and I want to post a video of a lap, but don't have Fraps. Tried Camstudio, but it does not capture well, very jerky frame rate. Any tips?

 

[Paul Minnaar]

Good news. Will be releasing 0.9 beta on Monday or Tuesday.

 

[Raido]

That's not good news! Means we have to wait till Monday at least..! <cries>

 

[Paul Minnaar]

Yeah Raido - the release is in hope users will give me positive feedback on how I can improve anything in the model. As this is my first model, there may well be things I have overlooked, or things that could be done better.

One thing I do know, is that I have many 3D spectators and those really do drop FPS, so I would love to have crowd walls.
Woochoo mentioned I could use his, but I do not have the means to extract the gmt files for those. A few other things need attention, but I'd give the track a humble 8/10 as it stands right now, as the tracks behavior and times are very close to reality.