60 replies to this topic

[Paul Skingley]

Size must be multiples of 16, so 128, 256, 512, 1024 ..etc

Save the .bmp in Gimp and use winmip2 to convert it.

Type 3 mip has no invisible part.
Type 4 mip uses invisible color.
Type 5 similar to 4 but uses a trace map _ti for the invisible parts

Mip mapping.
0 repeat in all directions
1 repeat up/down
2 repeat left/right
3 no repeat


Have fun

[ginetto]

In HSV file
H is hue
S is saturation
They should be the same as the Windows colors IIRC:
 pic004.jpg   31.03K   3 downloads
Not sure but maybe S max value is 100
I always used values from 10 to 40 or 50 max, never more ( usually 15 or 25...)

[Tobodestroyer2020]

I have a pit garage and now I'm wanting to add flags on poles to the top. Should I create a pole and flag  in 123do or is it possible to add a flag srb from somewhere else?

Edited by Tobodestroyer2020, 16 May 2022 - 08:28 AM.

[Paul Skingley]

Easiest is to make a static 2D object and add it ( them ) to your pit 3do using "add data from another project"

You can add srb ( self rotating bitmap ) to your 3do.
I have been waiting for someone to make a new version of 123do that can add srb. The alternative is time consuming and needs some work with GPLTrackEditor

[Tobodestroyer2020]

Paul, thanks for the tip. I keep getting 'Range Check Error' whenever I try to 'modify' any vertices. Any ideas?

[Paul Skingley]

That sometimes happens.
If I save and close - open again it seems to clear it.

I also get that if I have screen scaling enabled. 123do seems to prefer default screen size which is a pain for my bad eyesight

[Tobodestroyer2020]

Next question... My pits 3do is very long and it crosses a couple of track sections where it behaves strangely. I can divide into smaller sections with gaps at section joins but is there a simpler solution I'm unaware of?

[Paul Skingley]

You should be able to cross track sections. Where is the rotation axis of your pit ?
It may work better with the axis at the start of the object in the direction of travel.

When you say it behaves strange do you mean it is clipped by something - or it is clipping the cars ?

[Tobodestroyer2020]

Thanks for the tips. I hadn't considered moving the axis so that the 3do follows the direction of travel before now. Is this a general rule for good practice?

I have just tried this in 123do by moving all polygons along the Y axis so that (0,0,0) is the front leading corner of the pit building as you drive towards it. It was at the furthest corner initially. Unfortunately, this has not fixed the problem.

Here's the issue ...

The bottom part of my pits starts to disappear at a gentle slope upwards from where the track sections join. If I'm driving in section 1, section 2 looks fine with section 1 pits sloping and vanishing . If I'm in section 2, then 1 looks fine with 2 starting to slope up and vanish. Any AI cars in the pits also part-vanish when near these vanishing sections.

The ground is flat and level (I've double checked my altitudes) and the 3do doesn't cross any traces. The intersection of sections appears to be the trigger.

I'm happy with my 'divided' pit but my preferred choice is to solve this so that I know how to avoid it next time.

Thanks in advance. I would send a screenshot but I'm not at my PC at the mo.

[Paul Skingley]

Sorry that did not work.

By moving the axis you changed the point where the object was drawn from which sometimes fixes clipping.
When you see your object being clipped try to understand what other objects/walls or joins in track sections may be causing it.

other things to try -

Add a 2056 wall with invisible texture along the pit lane between the pits and pit lane. Make the wall approx 1 metre high.

[Tobodestroyer2020]

Before I try this, how does the addition of an invisible wall help? I can't see the logic. Forgive me for being stupid.

If I get time today, I'll try it and see if it makes a difference.

[Paul Skingley]

Most of this is trial and error.

It is something I have seen done at other tracks where the cars in the pit lane are being clipped by the pit building.
It may not work the other way around but worth a try.

I am not an expert track builder.
Just trying to help

[Tobodestroyer2020]

Update... The invisible wall didn't help but I have noticed that direction of travel seems to make a difference. Ie. Travelling clockwise as intended and I get the problem. drive the wrong way around the track with the pits on my left and the problem goes away. Weird.

[Tobodestroyer2020]

Paul Skingley, on 22 May 2022 - 09:49 AM, said:

I am not an expert track builder.
Just trying to help

Anyone who can help is a genius in my eyes.

I'm so close to finishing my first track and I want it be be perfect before releasing it.

Edited by Tobodestroyer2020, 22 May 2022 - 10:00 AM.

[Paul Skingley]

So it is a draw order problem. You sometimes get similar effect if you reverse a track.

Read what Phil says about objf and objl. You can use them to make the object the first or last thing that is drawn in the section. Worth a try.



This is a bit of a hack but if all else fails, make the ground under the pits invisible ( assuming it is the ground clipping the pits ) and add the ground texture to the pit building 3do.


Hopefully someone else will chip in with a solution.


Remember that GPL time means you do not have to rush.

Take your time and make it as perfect as you can. That is the only way you will be satisfied with it.
Then ask a few trusted people to beta test.
A fresh set of eyes often spots things you have been looking at for months and did not see.

Edited by Paul Skingley, 22 May 2022 - 10:18 AM.

[Tobodestroyer2020]

Paul Skingley, on 22 May 2022 - 10:15 AM, said:

So it is a draw order problem. You sometimes get similar effect if you reverse a track.

Read what Phil says about objf and objl. You can use them to make the object the first or last thing that is drawn in the section. Worth a try.

I've not tried these before. Alas, when I do, I get 'can not load track' error. What am I doing wrong?

[Tobodestroyer2020]

Almost done 99.9% there.

How do I make a server version?

[Border Reiver]

Do you need one?

Most normal tracks work fine for playing on and for servers, it is really only if a track is very heavy that it might be necessary to have a server version in case of older or more basic PCs being used for hosting as dedicated servers, i.e. where players do not race on that PC.

For anyone who races or tests offline it makes no odds, and for those who do host online it would only matter if their server PC were very weak. If that is the case, it is also something that can be retro-fitted afterwards as a further release since it does not affect what any "clients" will have installed on their PCs.

Rob

[Paul Skingley]

Yes, as Rob says it does depend how demanding the graphics are but most dedicated servers I know off are old machines that the host used to use as their game machine and now use as a server. Or in the case of GPLRACER a mini PC the size of a cigarette box that does not have a graphics card or HD.

[Tobodestroyer2020]

One more question....

Do you have to add collision boxes to all polygons in 123do to make it work successfully? By adding them only to the front edge of my pits I get all sorts of problems including CTD

[Border Reiver]

The collision volume needs to be an enclosed volume, e.g. a cube or cuboid. If the volume is not totally enclosed then collision leaks out from the missing face(s) to infinity in that direction and so yes, it will cause all sorts of weirdness and CTDs.

(In principle, I think that strictly speaking you don't need tops and bottoms on collision volumes unless you want to be able to drive on top of the object or go underneath it while still being able to collide with it from some other direction, but even so, it is probably safest to totally enclose the collison volume if at all possible).

From memory when defining collision volumes you also need to simultaneously select all polygons that are part of that volume in one go to make that single volume, since you can also have several separate collsion volumes within a single larger object, but each individial collision volume must always be enclosed. For example, a banner or a bridge object might have a pillar on each side of the road which would each be a separate collision volume and another part spanning between these pillars, which might or might not require collision depending on how likely it is that someone might interact with the bit that you drive underneath. If you do drive underneath it but might also be able to drive on top of it as well, then the bit you can drive on top of would have to be fully enclosed; if you will never access that part then it does not require collsiion and so the parts you could "hit" would only be the two pillars.

(My point here is that in all cases you don't just individually select each polygon and add collision to that, making a load of separate pieces, you need to select all of the "walls" and ideally the top and the bottom too which make up that enclosed "box" all in one go in order to enclose that volume).

The other important point here if you are using polygons in your visible object which face in two directions at the same location, as you might do if the polygons are partially transparent so that you can see both inside and outside of the "cube", is that you have to select all of, but also only, the polygons which are facing outwards when making the collision volume. Polygons which face "inwards" into the cube would have their collision on the outside of the volume and you would again have the same problem as you are seeing by not enclosing the volume correctly.

Collision volumes are something of a pain to get your head around, and depending on the sturcture of the track, where possible if you could try to stick your object behind a solid track wall (which could be made invisible, but solid) such that the object is not accessible and then these sorts of problems can be avoided. If that is not possible, then you do need to bite the bullet and make the collision work though.

Let me know if that makes sense, and if not I can probably find an example object with collision that might help to explain better.

Rob

Edited by Border Reiver, 08 June 2022 - 06:37 PM.

[Tobodestroyer2020]

Rob, that's a great tutorial and very logical. I'll try later and let you know how I get on.

[ginetto]

Did you get rid of the pit clipping issue?

[Tobodestroyer2020]

Yes, clipping has now gone and I've sorted the collision boxes and CTD. Thanks to Rob and Ginetto. Track is 99.99% complete. All I need now is BWPIC and event.pbf to finalise.

[Border Reiver]

That is great news Pete! Well done! Glad that you have got the collision sorted.


Rob