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GP Bikes => Mods => Tracks => Topic started by: Grooveski on March 28, 2016, 06:26:00 PM

Title: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on March 28, 2016, 06:26:00 PM
Done a fairly substantial Knockhill update a few years ago.  Brought it up to current kerb and runoff layout and tarted it up a little.
Thought I'd use it to start getting to grips with...
...well, everything really.

So - first question...
(oh dear, ominous start, I'm not even in TrackED yet ::) )

PITOUT_TRKASPH (and PIT_TRKASPH)
Little or large?
(assuming the white line and exit gate go just before the selected area)

Thinking behind the first is that no-one can clip it from the main track.
Thinking behind the second is that it's the proper pitout selection and maybe TrackED doesn't like smartarses.

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_01.jpg)

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_02.jpg)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on March 29, 2016, 02:33:26 PM
Pitlane speed display.   ;D
..and yeah, it did take me all night to realise what the game was doing with those surfaces.
(or one of them at least)

What a difference a day makes.  Yesterday when I started it was a finished model.  By bedtime it was in a hundred bits for another major rebuild.   ::)
Guess my idea of 'tarted up' has changed.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Hawk on March 29, 2016, 03:02:47 PM
I presume your going to separate the track surface from the terrain surroundings? Or is all of that(in your pics) Pit-lane track surface?
I also separate the objects named PITIN_TRKASPH, PIT_TRKASPH, and PITOUT_TRKASPH.

Hawk.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on March 29, 2016, 06:30:45 PM
Yeah, that's just the pitlane, 2nd pic will be the selection to move to PITOUT_TRKASPH.
But when you(and the track rules guide) say objects... 
...are you talking separate files or or just separate parts/layers?

What I pictured when I read through everything was a single model and looking down the layers:
- Top dozen or so are the geometry for each of the ridable surfaces and the pit sections, with corresponding layer names as per the guide.
(Include a strip of land outside the fence in the collision model so if the bike goes over it's not a bottomless pit.)
- Next few same again for walls and fences.
- Then landscape and assorted other gubbins(where names don't matter?) on various other layers to form the complete model.
...which then goes through fbx-edf.

Then you load it into TrackED
...as a .trp?
....or is trp the TrackED project format?
.....and if so then how do you get a model in?  I don't see an 'import'
Oh, drag and drop maybe?
Yeah, definately a little confusion still about that bit.   ???

...but I watched janaucarre's vid on using TrackED and that looks almost fun(compared to the autocad and spreadsheet fiasco I've been used to).   ;D

Oh, there are models in the Mega track database.  :) Should maybe have a rummage through them to see how they're set up.   
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Hawk on March 29, 2016, 08:25:04 PM
Quote from: Grooveski on March 29, 2016, 06:30:45 PM
Yeah, that's just the pitlane, 2nd pic will be the selection to move to PITOUT_TRKASPH.
But when you(and the track rules guide) say objects... 
...are you talking separate files or or just separate parts/layers?

What I pictured when I read through everything was a single model and looking down the layers:
- Top dozen or so are the geometry for each of the ridable surfaces and the pit sections, with corresponding layer names as per the guide.
(Include a strip of land outside the fence in the collision model so if the bike goes over it's not a bottomless pit.)
- Next few same again for walls and fences.
- Then landscape and assorted other gubbins(where names don't matter?) on various other layers to form the complete model.
...which then goes through fbx-edf.

Then you load it into TrackED
...as a .trp?
....or is trp the TrackED project format?
.....and if so then how do you get a model in?  I don't see an 'import'
Oh, drag and drop maybe?
Yeah, definately a little confusion still about that bit.   ???

...but I watched janaucarre's vid on using TrackED and that looks almost fun(compared to the autocad and spreadsheet fiasco I've been used to).   ;D

Oh, there are models in the Mega track database.  :) Should maybe have a rummage through them to see how they're set up.

I use Maya so it's probably a bit different to what your pipeline procedures are. But if I'm converting a track I'll separate all the individual elements of the scene into different layers first, ie: Track surface, kerbs, terrain, barriers, and then put everything else into a layer named "Misc"; I do this because layers allow me to switch the visibility on and off of those layers which allow me to work on the scene elements I want to work on without everything else cluttering the scene up while I work.

I consider an object a single mesh which makes up one element of the scene, ie: the whole terrain mesh will be one object, the whole track surface mesh will be one object, a section of barrier will be one object, etc, etc. An alternative would be when you combine objects into one object, ie: several spectator models combined as one object, so any number of single objects that are combined would be considered one object in the scene.

I don't store/export/import objects in the scene as separate files, I always use layers to work on all objects in the scene as a whole. That way I can access any object in the scene quickly as and when I want/need to do some work on them.

Yes, you load(open) the {trackname}.trp file into TrackED(it's the only file format TrackED will load as it's main track file). The .trp file is the track scene collision file, and as far as I've gathered it also stores the merged centreline data too.
The .map file is all the texture data or map of the track scene.

Anything that doesn't need a collision detection you can name whatever you like apart from things like non-collision paint lines, crowds(spectators) and a few other things that have naming conventions that are non-collision.

If it would make it easier to learn, I can send you a GPB converted 3D scene file in FBX format for you to study?  ;)

Hawk.



Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on March 29, 2016, 09:39:10 PM
OK, that all makes sense - Cheers!  Different terminology but that's pretty much what I was thinking.

So fbx-edf writes out the .trp and .map along with the edf?

An example fbx would be great thanks.  That'd answer questions I haven't even thought of yet.  :)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Hawk on March 29, 2016, 10:55:52 PM
Quote from: Grooveski on March 29, 2016, 09:39:10 PM
OK, that all makes sense - Cheers!  Different terminology but that's pretty much what I was thinking.

So fbx-edf writes out the .trp and .map along with the edf?

An example fbx would be great thanks.  That'd answer questions I haven't even thought of yet.  :)

The FBX2EDF converter will do a run for the selected .trp option, and then you have to run it again to do the .map option.
The .trp file will take just seconds to complete(don't forget to note down the track code generated on your final run when the run log ends), and the .map file will take about 2 - 3 mins with the basic options selected, but if your doing your final .map run with all the bells and whistles on the output then it can take an hour or more depending on the complexity of the scene. So best leave the final .map run till your happy with the result. Lol

You only have to use the .edf run if your creating your own sky/backdrop models. But with Aragon I'm going to experiment with creating actual backdrop terrain models at there proper distance from the track and see if they show-up in the draw distance(I've heard the draw distance can be altered(increased)). It will be interesting to see the effect and if at all it affects the FPS performance? But I won't convert that distance terrain into a .edf file at all. I'm intrigued to see what happens.  ;D

I'll send you that .fbx track scene file tomorrow mate.  ;)

Hawk.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on March 30, 2016, 01:43:02 AM
Quote from: Hawk on March 29, 2016, 10:55:52 PMYou only have to use the .edf run if your creating your own sky/backdrop models. But with Aragon I'm going to experiment with creating actual backdrop terrain models at there proper distance from the track and see if they show-up in the draw distance(I've heard the draw distance can be altered(increased)). It will be interesting to see the effect and if at all it affects the FPS performance? But I won't convert that distance terrain into a .edf file at all. I'm intrigued to see what happens.  ;D

Funny you should mention that.  The model I've just put together has a backdrop ring and I wasn't sure whether it went in along with the main model or on it's own.  I know some games put it in with the skydome so it's visibility isn't dependant on draw distance.

Knockhill's terrain model - out with the old...

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_03.jpg)

...and in with the new.  :)

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_04.jpg)

I'll have a look at Aragon if you like.  I think I can use the same process anywhere in the world.
At least I could maybe get the local DEM into a usable format for you.  I'm set up here with a wide array of conversion utils...
...and you need them for DEMs.  Everyone has their own bright idea what format they should be in.   ::)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on March 30, 2016, 01:54:27 AM
Went for a 3km radius but I'm not sure why - it just looked about right.

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_05.jpg)

Yes, poly reduction is on the todo list.   ;)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Hawk on March 30, 2016, 11:31:52 AM
That looks great mate!  ;D

We'll definitely give this a try..... can you send it over when done please? (fbx format preferred.  ;) ) ;D

Hawk
PS: I'm just sorting out that file for you. Expect a PM+link in the next hour and half.  ;)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on April 11, 2016, 12:30:26 AM
With no race this weekend I got a bit of footering done.  Not the land poly-red yet(which is what I first set out to do ??? ) but some of the large detailing and new stuff.
The real circuit has changed a fair bit recently, a lot of groundwork and some new buildings.  Using bits from the existing GPB/Rfactor model, bits from the GP500 model and the rest I've been making myself. 

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_06.jpg)

Undecided what to do with the infield.  Adding the new tarmac areas and digging the pond would be easy enough but would mean scrapping the old MX track and I've been getting the notion to recreate that for MXB(which would also improve the background detailing on the GPB model).
...so I'll leave it for the moment.

Done some poly-red on the immediate surrounding land(the gokart track and support road mainly(should have done it years ago first time round) and started blending it into the new landscape.

Work is progressing nicely on the new pit building.  Have just slipped over the 1000 poly budget I set myself but it's near done so won't end up far over.

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_07.jpg)

May need some advice on the skylight.  It's full length and will want to be a wearing a different texture on the inside from the outside with some combination  of transparency/translucency/non-shadow-casting shenanigans on both the surfaces no doubt.  :-\

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_08.jpg)

Found a fantastic wee thing earlier today.  Some kind of aerial lidar model or the likes.

https://sketchfab.com/models/96f3a61996b64e28925de73b7bf6dbff

How clever is that?  :D
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: BOBR6 84 on April 11, 2016, 07:45:51 PM
Oh shit check that out lol  8) That available for every track??
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on April 12, 2016, 03:01:36 PM
I wish. 

Other tracks did pop up when I had a search through but mainly models rather than scans.  Think I lucked out with this one being there, followed the links back to an Scottish aerial photography company.  Guessing this is a showpiece model.
Sure is cute though.  It's basically living fullscreen on the second monitor like Streetview does when I'm working on Scarborough.   :)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on November 19, 2016, 01:37:20 AM
Track widths tweaked and I'm running round reworking the sandtraps.
Road surface has been subdivided twice, so it's essentially the GP500 model but much smoother.

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_29.jpg)

Have remapped the kerbs and extra runoff areas so they start and finish at the right spots.  Very few of the kerbs are square-ended at Knockhill though so they still need a rework to add detail.

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_30.jpg)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: SwarleyRuiz on November 19, 2016, 10:51:16 AM
Excellent work
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Davide74 on November 20, 2016, 05:34:07 PM
nice!!

i love this track
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: LauZzZn on November 20, 2016, 08:01:57 PM
Very excited for this !!
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on November 20, 2016, 09:59:52 PM
Quote from: Davide74 on November 20, 2016, 05:34:07 PMi love this track

Clark's (the one on the last pic) is one of my favorate corners anywhere.   ;D
The way you come out of it with the front light and it's all a balancing act between getting on the power, keeping the front down and not running off the track...
...and somewhere along the way you have to change direction as well.   :P
Highly entertaing and so sweet when you get it right.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Donnie on November 21, 2016, 10:48:23 AM
Yes and it's blind. My dad crashed there twice on the same day off his GS1000 and finished his very short racing career.

Great wee track. Bit of everything. Finding the right line through the chicane, over the kerbs is great fun too.

Also, they are now running reverse meetings around it.  I'm not a track builder so I don't know if it's possible to do but could be fun if you could go either way in gpbikes.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on November 21, 2016, 07:34:59 PM
No bother - switch round the pitlane surface names, tweak the pitlane lights and knock up another set of support files in TrackED.  Consider it on the to-do list.   ;)

A pal done a reverse direction trackday there last year and said the hairpin was a right sphincter-clencher that way round. 
...but I think he quite enjoyed the rest of the track.  It's usually Scotsman that gives him the willies but said going uphill that whole section is a gas.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Donnie on November 21, 2016, 08:50:16 PM
Amazing 👍
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on November 27, 2016, 12:43:44 AM
Quote from: Donnie on November 21, 2016, 10:48:23 AM
Finding the right line through the chicane, over the kerbs is great fun too.

Was chucking polys at the chicane earlier.  Something like this for the first time round - the first half of the kerb will be nearly as smooth as the road and the back half a little rougher.  Tiny rise through the first part leveling off a bit at the back.
I suspect they'll maybe be a just a little too ridable but can be tweaked for the next version.  The red sausage will likely be an instant-off and you probably don't want to even hit it with your knee.

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_34.jpg)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on December 01, 2016, 11:44:03 AM
Kerb detailing done, sandtraps all added and fenceline moved back all the way round to where it should be.
Pitlane has had a fairly hefty rework too.

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_35.jpg)

Starting to look the part.  :)
(sand and grass areas still to be remapped - haven't quite finished butchering them yet)

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_36.jpg)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Hawk on December 01, 2016, 12:18:15 PM
Nice work! It's looking great Grooveski! Can't wait to give this track a try!  ;D 8)

Hawk.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Stout Johnson on December 01, 2016, 03:36:34 PM
Really really looking good mate! Any chance there might be a version for WRS, maybe even a dirt version of this track for the RX?  :)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on December 03, 2016, 12:31:02 AM
Like I said earlier in the thread, I may remake the old MX track in the future for MXB.  It used a little bit of the RX track(and crosses it at another point) so adding the full RX section at that point would make sense anyway.   ;)

As for a WRS version of the main track - sure, why not. 
I've no idea what's involved but the model will be all set up for fbx2edf and I'm guessing the camera and marshall files can be used so yeah, if you want a copy you're welcome to it.
May as well use the sausage for something more than just taking out bikers.  :P

(http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Knockhill-Aron-Smith-2012.png)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Stout Johnson on December 03, 2016, 09:09:29 AM
Great mate!  :)  The layout looks really nice. I think I will need to wrap my head around track modelling myself. I want to be able to make one myself.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on December 09, 2016, 08:22:42 AM
Added a road camber.  It's pretty subtle at present

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_39.jpg)

(13.5mm - 5,4,3,1.5 from the outside in - probably not of interest but thought I'd note it for myself later)

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_40.jpg)

Obviously it's upped the poly count.  Has taken it up to about the same as OM when changed to triangles.
(Includes the grass and support road(outside of the fence) so if a bike goes over we should be able to ride it round to the next opening.)

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_41.jpg)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on December 12, 2016, 01:56:01 AM
New fenceline equals new fences.
Bah! 

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_42.jpg)

...and now new tyrewalls.
Humbug!  ::)
It's a bloody downward spiral - the more you change the more you have to change as a result.  Can't believe on day one I thought this would be an easy conversion.  :P
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on December 14, 2016, 01:41:44 PM
All the tyrewalls layed out in x,y and about halfway round the outer in the z.
(think half the reason I get frustrated with fences is that they're done after the road - so it's sitting there ready and I'm dying to try it  :P )


(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_43.jpg)

To relieve the fence-induced boredom I've also been leveling out the sandtraps and grass as I go.  :)  Some of it was a right mess after all the chopping and changing.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on January 05, 2017, 08:36:21 PM
Walls are finished, nearby land tweaked and buildings are in(still to finish the pit building(and add some other clutter)).

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_44.jpg)

Question for those in the know...
How should I deal with double sided textures?

Wasn't getting them at OM with the surfaces simply set to double-sided.  Have I missed a naming switch in the wiki...  ???
....or should I model the other side - i.e. copy/paste the fence mesh model and flip the new normals.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Urban Chaos 2.0 on January 06, 2017, 08:33:33 AM
Looks pretty good so far. How long before it's done?
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: h106frp on January 06, 2017, 09:04:52 AM
You need to model all normal surfaces - no double sided support.

So copy-flip-displace-texture
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on January 07, 2017, 11:45:16 AM
Willdo.  Cheers.  :)

Don't know UC but not long now.   ;)  Todays session might see the model  finished...
... for the moment - I already have a todo list for V2.   ::)
....and V3.   ::) ::)
Are they ever really done?   ;D
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on January 08, 2017, 09:32:35 PM
A few more trees and it's conversion time.   ;D

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_45.jpg)

Another thing I could do with some input on is what surface to use for the kerbs.   
Knockhill's kerbs don't have rumbles - they're just painted concrete - so the KERB surface is out.
....was thinking of using LINE (for the kerbs and the other painted concrete bits - the red and green bits).

...but there's also the option of using the BASPH and CASPH surfaces...

:-\
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Hawk on January 08, 2017, 09:39:54 PM
You need to name your kerbs "TRKKERB" mate.  ;)

Here's a guide to the track creation rules and object naming conventions: http://docs.piboso.com/wiki/index.php/Track_Creation_Rules (http://docs.piboso.com/wiki/index.php/Track_Creation_Rules)

If you need any help to implement the track then you only need to ask mate.  ;) 8)

Hawk.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Donnie on January 10, 2017, 05:23:25 PM
Looking great Grooveski
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on January 10, 2017, 09:36:45 PM
Funnily enough the more stuff I add the less I'm liking the looks of it.  The two models I'm lifting TSOs from both have pretty different texture vibes(from both each other and from the landscape skins I've added(which aren't the best match for each other either)).  All the skins could do with a rebalance at least(and a good few really need changed).

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_46.jpg)

The trees have all been moved around but are essentially still the old Toca models.  They were actually pretty good(better than the Dirt backfill forest model).  What it still needs though is Dirt style high-poly trees along the front edge of the woods to pretty it up from the track.
...and the current images swapped for higher-res versions.

I'm partly just making excuses in advance.  I know some folk might be looking for modern style visuals but off the bat knockhill won't have them.  It'll maybe look better than Toca(the current GPB version) but not as pretty as Dirt.
...yet!    ;)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on January 14, 2017, 10:57:36 PM
The high-poly treeline better be worth it.  ::)  75k of eye-candy.
Total poly count is now 342k in tris.

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_47.jpg)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Urban Chaos 2.0 on January 14, 2017, 11:15:51 PM
Nice
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Hawk on January 15, 2017, 12:06:17 AM
Quote from: Grooveski on January 14, 2017, 10:57:36 PM
The high-poly treeline better be worth it.  ::)  75k of eye-candy.
Total poly count is now 342k in tris.

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_47.jpg)

Just an idea, but couldn't you just do a single plane tree line situated behind those high detail line of trees to try and save on the poly-count? Not sure if it would look right, but just a thought off the top of my head right now.  ;)

Looking great though Grooveski! Nice work!  ;) 8)

Hawk.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on January 15, 2017, 02:43:01 AM
The single-plane treelines for Oliver's Mount are about as close as I'm willing to go with them.  What can I say - I'm a landscape junkie.  :)
Only conversions I done for GP500 where the trees really impressed me were Charade and Oulton Park, so I consider those as a baseline...
...and those fitted into GP500 - so I should be able to get away with murder beyond that.  :D

There's also the camera angle bit.  That's why Charade was such a nice model to work with, you could stick a camera anywhere and the landscape would look right in the background. :)
I plan to make a TV-clone camera set, but also fancied trying a single camera(position - will be multiple cameras really) on top of the tower(to play with transitions and try to get the hang of how it all works).

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_48.jpg)

...and it's no secret that from up the hill you can watch the racing for free.
....but from that angle you don't get away with anything - tree-wise!  The lowres trees are only 10k(so far) and I was kinda planning on chucking in the same again before going to single-plane.   :)

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_49.jpg)

Hell, there may even be a second row of high poly trees too.  This is kind of a test run for OM after all - that had a 500k budget!  ;D
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Hawk on January 15, 2017, 07:50:58 AM
I understand what your saying there Grooveski..... Your doing a fantastic job there mate, and I'm also one for realistic detail and this is looking great! Can't wait to give this a try!  ;D 8)

Hawk.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on January 31, 2017, 09:45:44 PM
Been a bit busy the last few weeks but have sneaked in a few sessions.  Mostly adding more walls, fences and armco - up to three layers in places now.   ::)  Oddly though it's not as tedious because adding the background fences is highlighting where the verges are off...

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_50.jpg)

.....anyway, having started V2 detail with the trees I've just gone ahead with some of rest of the V2 modeling.
(The background stuff - There's bits of the track that I know still need work but I'd like to ride them before working on them).

For the record:
- The elevations through turns 1-2 looked suspect even before I started fannying about with them(i.e. - they're definately not right)
- There should be more of a rise just as Railroad starts to straighten out.  Easy enough to add but I'd like to try the one that's there first.
- Approach to the hairpin needs some bumps added on the right.
- The rise at the start of the main straight looks high but first off I don't know whether to bring the low bits up or the high bits down...
...and I also misjudged some of the elevations at OM by a mile - so feel like trying it before making any rash decisions :)

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_51.jpg)

Needed a 4-bar fence at one point.  Must admit it was nice to reach for one of the OM models - an "I made that!" moment. :D

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_52.jpg)

...and this is what nearly twice-as-many low-poly trees looks like.  Perhaps I should have said four-time as many.   :P

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_53.jpg)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Donnie on January 31, 2017, 10:19:47 PM
Looks ace
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on February 02, 2017, 06:08:47 PM
Was just changing out the main tree texture(this one's higher-res(and I have a normal map for it too :) )) when I noticed the high-res trees had something wierd going on.
Turned out to be a 3-LOD model but not the usual kind - on these ones the trunk and foliage LODs shared the same geometry and it was only the foliage density that changed between them.
....anyway, done a merge points then a unify polys and the count dropped to under 40k without anything changing visualy.   :D
.....so I added more trees to celebrate.   ;D

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_54.jpg)

:-\  Still looks a bit bare without the FC fenceline.  I'm not that far round yet with the wire fences.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on February 02, 2017, 07:43:16 PM
Quote from: Grooveski on February 02, 2017, 06:08:47 PMTurned out to be a 3-LOD model but not the usual kind - on these ones the trunk and foliage LODs shared the same geometry and it was only the foliage density that changed between them.

That makes it sound too correct - shared geometry and additional foliage added as the lods get closer.
Each tri would be one poly thick.

...but this was:
Trunk  - one tri was three polys thick.
Foliage - some was one poly, some was two and some was three - so three seperate models piled on top of each other.

Sorry.  Just thought if I was going to explain it I may as well explain it right.    :P
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Donnie on February 19, 2017, 08:26:02 PM
I see this is being tested on the server list. How's it looking?  Can't wait
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on February 21, 2017, 07:11:59 PM
Hey Donnie.  Sorry, been so busy dotting i's and crossing t's that I didn't notice your post.

V1 was full of holes, psychedelic UV glitches and flickering model parts.
V2 was a step in the right direction but still had issues.
V3 is going through the grinder right now.  All going well this one should be fit for release.   ;)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on February 24, 2017, 06:00:39 PM
Got there in the end.   ;D

Many thanks to Hawk for the conversion and setup help. ;)
...and to Napalm Nick for the camera set.   8)
....and the rest of the CAWS team for additional help and testing.

NOTE:  In order to view the track properly you must change:
drawdistance=1000
to:
drawdistance=20000
...in profile.ini
(\Documents\PiBoSo\GP Bikes\profiles\<your profile>\)

Knockhill 0.5
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rsq1oft9q7h5kuw/Knockhill%20v0.5.rar?dl=0
Knockhill 0.5 NDS
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ys1qdtephx98vfa/Knockhill%20v0.5_NDS.rar?dl=0


(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_62.jpg)

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_63.jpg)

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_64.jpg)

(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i68/Grooveski/GP_Bikes/Knockhill_65.jpg)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Urban Chaos 2.0 on February 24, 2017, 06:14:05 PM
Finally! Fucking hell. Thanks a lot brother!!! Looks very nice.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Donnie on February 24, 2017, 06:34:46 PM
Yay thanks Grooveski
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Jose Reina on February 24, 2017, 06:46:38 PM
yeah thanks!!! ;)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Davide74 on February 24, 2017, 06:46:46 PM
amazing work!!!! nice track congrats.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: tchemi on February 24, 2017, 07:34:40 PM
Well Done !! You must have dedicated so much time on this ! I hope this will help to raise the standard of modded track.
Good job Grooveski  8)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Blackheart on February 24, 2017, 07:53:46 PM
Not tried yet, but from the shots I see great tree textures  :P Hope with no glitches/popup effects  ;)
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on February 24, 2017, 08:51:26 PM
This is far from the finished version by the way - is just the first that wasn't full of serious issues.  A solid base on which to work.   :D

...but it has glitches alright.  ;)  On the top picture alone I can see:
- main pitbuilding roof is too low.
- tower wall glitch.
- pit rail fence uprights need welded to top rail.
- increase shadowmap supersampling.

No startline - oops!   :-[

...and that's just the stuff I'm noticing that's not already on the todo list.   :P

T1-3 building missing
med centre - fix roof shape
windows - tga trans copy/flip and model interior of pit buildings and tower

spectators
advertisements

lines in pitlane
armco at pit entry right and startline block

trees - deciduous - T 1-3 distant
...along main road
bushes - rotate to catch light properly


infield fence main straight
tidy armco at railroad start left and level grass for marshal

new red/green paint textures
change green on tyrewall to suit grass
rebalance/replace skins
shaders

check track:
T2 mid rise
T4 dip
railroad straight start rise looks low
main straight start elevations
add dip right hairpin approach
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Syd on February 24, 2017, 09:24:26 PM
Och, you are a perfectionist.
It rides good and looks really great :o
Thank you, this was much anticipated and didn't disappoint.
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: doubledragoncc on February 25, 2017, 11:18:08 AM
Way to go G

Will get it in the Database asa

Ta very much m8

DD

EDIT One question, why is this v0.5 when I have v0.6 on the database? Is this the new countdown to perfect system lol
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: LOOPATELI on February 25, 2017, 04:44:14 PM
Looks really nice! and the layout is really funny and smooth. It's a shame I can't see the shadows because my graphics card is an Intel HD.

is it possible to export it in 32bit for the next update?
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: janaucarre on February 25, 2017, 05:57:42 PM
Thank you very much
Title: Re: Knockhill
Post by: Grooveski on February 26, 2017, 02:17:20 PM
Quote from: doubledragoncc on February 25, 2017, 11:18:08 AM
EDIT One question, why is this v0.5 when I have v0.6 on the database? Is this the new countdown to perfect system lol

This version isn't related to the old one.   It's not so much an update as a replacement and is at V0.5 because it took 5 goes to get working.   To avoid further confusion I'll make the next version 0.7.   ;)

Quote from: LOOPATELI on February 25, 2017, 04:44:14 PM
...It's a shame I can't see the shadows because my graphics card is an Intel HD.

is it possible to export it in 32bit for the next update?

Now that I know it's an issue I'll keep it in mind.  To be honest though it's a hard request to say OK to when I don't have  a 32bit OS to hand.   :-\