Track Editor feedback

[Shadow]

LOL, purple, buddy , time for some sleep. 13 dd physics in one column and the other 7 in the next. All physics show up 

[GulBroz]

Will have to type by hand if not in the list.

That won't work... You can type only what's in the list ('cause there's a "Physic" object linked behind the name in the box, so it must exists and it's name must be in the list).
You can try: type something that does not exist as physic, the box will be empty because Blender cannot find physic with that name...

[GulBroz]

Some update on what I was doing the last 2 weeks with track editor (except from fixing bugs...). I was trying to reach the next level - thats is exporting all track meshes  from Blender to Flatout track file (and yes, that means being able to import dynamic objects from track to track, and even creating new ones from scratch  ).

Tonight I managed to export arena3a from Blender (I mean, exporting all meshes), and import it back allright. Note: I did not yet try it in game, will do it tomorrow...

There's still a lot to test (arena3a is a simple track), and there is a big problem to solve when changing/creating UVmaping of objects in Blender (to make it short, Blender and FlatOut do not handle the UV maping the same way, and I did not find yet how to solve this in Blender).

Edit: Just give the exported track a try in game...  Objects and track geometry seem good. Problem is with textures (mainly for terrain and static objects), there's some kind of "lava effect" around my car, and terrain/walls become transparent sometimes. Finally game crashes each time I reach 2nd bowl in track. 

[Shadow]

Thats great news of import/exporting meshes, sad news on uvmapping. Weird how you crash game in same spot. We assume the cbd2.gen file is the collision info of track/static objects , so what kind of info is coming from the geometry file at that part of track.

[GulBroz]

so what kind of info is coming from the geometry file at that part of track.

I think it's mainly related to textures (there must be a parameter in surface geometry that acts on how textures are handled, because it looks similar to the "psychedelic" track I got when playing with material/textures for the 1st time. I also had that transparent thing at that time, depending on parameters).

There are some data I zeroed while exporting (because I don't know what they're for), so solution must be there. Lucky me, there are not a lot of them, so I'll try to zero  them one at a time on stock track to find out their influence.
Also there is something that like "distance of sight", because when walls disappear (become transparent), just moving your car a bit make them show up again (something like car wheels disapearing/showing up when cars are far from you).

[Purple44]

Wishing you luck GulBroz, be nice to import the new ramps Shadow use on updating Suicide Canal tracks to other tracks. 

[Pavcules]

Gul, does not mean in the future it will be possible to create brand new track objects up to any size?  If so, would it be possible to create the concept of big ramps / bridges, so that you could be racing up and over? 

Would it be possible to create, say a 100 foot tall platform and play DD games on it.  So if you fall off, then your car is doomed!

Plus, can this dynamic objects be fixed?

[GulBroz]

Gul, does not mean in the future it will be possible to create brand new track objects up to any size?  If so, would it be possible to create the concept of big ramps / bridges, so that you could be racing up and over? 

Would it be possible to create, say a 100 foot tall platform and play DD games on it.  So if you fall off, then your car is doomed!

In theory, yes it's possible (unless there's a limit on dynamic object size in game).
But problem (yes, another one  ) is that cars are sinking into dynamic objects, and get stuck if they have not enough speed. So the platform cannot be usable for now (and I need to fix the UV mapping problem first).
(<dream mode>maybe not everything is coded in track_cdb2.gen file, and there is something to change in surface properties to make them solid, but this needs a lot of test and try</dream mode>. How I'd like that one to be true )

Plus, can this dynamic objects be fixed?

That's possible with workaround: you must change dynamic object physic to something very heavy (defined in dynamic_object.bed file).

[GulBroz]

Need some help, guys...

If someone can figure out what's wrong...

The yellow thing is like the one you have when you fall in a hole and go under track, but here I'm not falling... The tires and concrete blocks on the right seem too high, but that's because terrain under them is transparent... what puzzle me then is where does the terrain under them come from?

Edit: I think I have something... Given that materials and objects geometry is ok, I started looking at the unknow structures in the file and managed to decode a new one, that is related to surfaces... And things become clearer (at least for me ): the main thing that is changed (compared to how I exported track before) is that most of the surfaces have different position in file now, so if there is data (from the unknown structure) still referencing old surfaces, it will mess all things...

[Purple44]

GulBroz, when you export are you just export a new track_geom.w32 or are you exporting track_geom.w32 and track_cdb2.gen files?

The track_geom.w32 and track_cdb2.gen files are tie together. If i just move track_geom.w32 from track " c" to track " a" then you can get lava effect.

Is Blender losing the important information these two files share when it export meshes?  Just a guess.

[Pavcules]

Gul, just curious are you know being able to determine things about the track surface of the game.  Would any figures in the W32 file match the GEN file?

Maybe you are slowly discovering how these things are linked together.

[GulBroz]

GulBroz, when you export are you just export a new track_geom.w32 or are you exporting track_geom.w32 and track_cdb2.gen files?

Doing nothing with track_cdb2.gen file, this is still complete mistery file...

Is Blender losing the important information these two files share when it export meshes?  Just a guess.

Nope (that's why I must export over an existing track file; because I read the unknown data from it before exporting). But there is only 4 - maybe 3 (I had an idea for another one, have to check) - unknown structures left in track file (see previous and next posts)

[GulBroz]

Gul, just curious are you know being able to determine things about the track surface of the game.  Would any figures in the W32 file match the GEN file?

Maybe... I have to check what the structure I decoded last night is used for in the game (I do not export it yet, will do it tonight), but basically it contains the position of the center of surface bounding box (both in object and world space coordinates).

Maybe you are slowly discovering how these things are linked together.

Yes, I am... 
The 2nd one I (maybe) decoded yesterday contains only a 4x4 rotation + translation matrix, with null translation vector. Maybe something related to sun direction in track...(again, I have to try & check)

Then there is all the stuff about Flatout "Objects" (mainly used for lights, and flashing arrow road signs) that I left for now, but will have to deal with (I'm not sure how to handle them in Blender).

[Shadow]

In the database weather file, I added a line from one of forest tracks to turn on the water plane for canal track. I was hoping to find a nice amount of water in canal but you only see water when you fall off edge of track. That must be in geomtry file somewhere as well as one solid sheet or a dummy object.

[GulBroz]

After fire, next step of evolution is electricity...

But I haven't find yet how to put electric wires (I think I know how it's done but cannot reproduce it on another track).