Track - materials and cross section problem

[Alex Kyriak]

Hi,

Using the 'Edit Track Surface Properties' tool, I'm trying to add two materials to the same stretch of track surface. I'm following the tutorial in BTB:



The problem is: when editing the track surface, BTB won't let me select or move the nodes when in Material mode (with the 'material' radio button checked). It will allow me to select and manipulate them when in the shape editing mode (with the 'shape' radio button checked). This happens in both the 2d cross section in the dialogue box, and in the 3d viewport.

In the cross section dialogue window, in 'material' mode, the cross section is always red, and appears locked, whilst in 'shape' the cross section is blue and editable.

Am I missing something? I am using BTB V0.8.0.3 in Vista64 (which I know piddy says he doesn't officially support but it works well on my system).

any help much appreciated. Cheers, Alex

 

[martinez]

Don't worry about XPacks and ExportSettings.XML - I have the same files when I make new projects since we both have unchanged Default xpack. Export Settings have information of name of a track etc. You can open the xml files in Notepad and see - nothing really dangerous there

 

[Alex Kyriak]

Martinez - thanks man, really appreciate your help - but, I'm not having any luck here...!! BTB says I can't load the file as the version is newer than the one supported. Which version are you using? I'm on 0.8.0.3.

 

[Alex Kyriak]

Ok - thankyou, got the files open from your email (not sure what's up with donwloading direct from the forum). I can see the track, I can select each of the three materials, I can even replace / remove / add them....... but it won't allow me to move the nodes...!!!! It's the same as I had before... .sigh.

 

[martinez]

Too bad... Ok, make some simple track like I did (using only Def XPack) and send me the Venue via e-mail. I will see it it works on my machine. I'm afraid it's about this Vista thing...

 

[chub_pearson]

I can select each of the three materials, I can even replace / remove / add them....... but it won't allow me to move the nodes...!!!!

I can't help thinking it's a misunderstanding here . . you can't move the nodes under the material tab. Holding down the mouse button on the outside node, moving to the next node in and releasing the mouse button causes a space to appear between the nodes, you can then fill the space with a new material.

 

[Alex Kyriak]

When I hold down the mouse on the outside node, drag it over and release, nothing happens...:frown:

 

[chub_pearson]

Ah sorry, my post didn't help then :frown: - have you tried doing the same thing with a wall? It's the same procedure but you'll need to add an extra node to one side first though.

 

[martinez]

I've sended an XPack with cross-sections (more materials) for roads and walls to Alex, as he suggested. Hope it works now

 

[Erwin Greven]

Advice - If you mess too much with nodes moving them to the left or right and the road starts to look strange - select some of them (or all), then right click and choose "Align" and you have some options - percentage amount - this will soften the surface by distances beetwen nodes and also their heights.

Is this function new in v8.0.3? Or is it also in v8.0.0?

 

[Alex Kyriak]

Ok - Martinez you're diamond, mate.:thanks:

My wall issue (not described in this thread but to cut a long story short, and related to the original problem: I can only put three materials to any wall as the default wall has only three materials on it and, as with the track, I can't add any new ones) is now solved. I can use Martinez's wall as a "seed" for more complex walls and get round my three-materials-per-wall problem.

However...... the track problem still exists. BUT, now this isn't such a problem because I can use both the track Xpack profile and wall xpack profiles as "seeds" so I'm at least now better off than where I was....! I just import the cross sections with dummy materials attached into my project and replace as required.

BTB might not work 100% on Vista64 but with a bit of a workaround and a bit of help from Martinez, I can get 98% of it.

Here's a pic of Martinez's masterpiece in action.

 

[martinez]

A masterpiece! Love that colorfull road
Happy to help - let me know if you need more cross-sections. Lucky you are that I learned about making objects/xpacks around month ago
Also, thanks - now I know what cross-sections are for

 

[martinez]

Is this function new in v8.0.3? Or is it also in v8.0.0?

I don't know - I've always had version 8.0.3
Similar thing is there for terrain - you can select some nodes and e.g. line them by height. This is really helpful sometimes

 

[nitroline]

how do i remove a surface. i have changed my mind and want to go back to 1 surface. i can't work out how to delete them

 

[martinez]

Take a cross-section from Default xpack - right click on the red line (being in Material Edit) and there it is.