TUTORIAL Build your FIRST track - BASIC GUIDE

[zen-ko]

Link to fxb of the track https://mega.nz/#!sEBTkLAA!hnyjaTF09un1QVaJAwEfeSw_pCOKPAT6WJY1QLKIB34

 

[luchian]

Will only be able to have a look in 20h or so . You are very close, I'm sure.

..sent from my phone.

 

[zen-ko]

Fixed the json pit box no. I'll try tomorrow the:

- if you start in Practice, you need at least AC_PIT_0
- if you start in Race, you need at least AC_START_0

 

[zen-ko]

- if you start in Practice, you need at least AC_PIT_0
- if you start in Race, you need at least AC_START_0

Actually I'm not sure how to do it. That need to be done in 3D software? I have blender.

p.s. EDITED

I get it. Info on page 1 of tutorial

1B: Spawn & timing objects:
Depending on the type of location you are planning to make, the minimal* objects needed in order to make your track work in all modes (race, hotlap, practice) are:
For circuit-type tracks:
AC_START_0
AC_START_1
AC_PIT_0
AC_PIT_1
AC_HOTLAP_START_0
AC_TIME_0_L
AC_TIME_0_R
AC_TIME_1_L
AC_TIME_1_R
For A-to-B type stages:
AC_AB_START_L, AC_AB_START_R
AC_AB_FINISH_L, AC_AB_FINISH_R
Keep the same naming for pit spawn points
Keep the same naming for hotlap start spawn point
No starting grid.

(*) might work with single start and pit objects, but haven't tested it.

These objects can be simple CUBES, with a random (preferably from the scene) material assigned to them. You can also use dummies (3dsmax) or empties (blender) and in that case you no longer need to worry about material.
Place them 1 or 2 meters above track surface. Three conditions to make sure everything will work as expected:
1. respect the naming scheme
2. make then invisible
3. make sure to respect the axis orientation (pivot point Y up, Z forward)

 

[zen-ko]

I defined PIT, START and HOTPLAP START in blender and finally managed to make the track load in AC!
But the car is keeping falling through the track surface ...
I guess I need to define surfaces to fix this. Don't understand if I need to do it in the mesh or in surfaces.ini?

Define surfaces:
- in order to set a specific mesh to act as a physical surface (anything you can drive on) you have to use one surface type keyword in it's name. You can chose from the basic ones, or you can define your own.

Examples, with basic surfaces:
1ROAD – will make my chosen mesh drivable
1SAND – will make my chosen mesh act like the sanded areas

Examples with custom surfaces, IF defined in \mytrackfolder\data\surfaces.ini
1CONCRETE
5GRAVEL

1PIT, 2PIT, etc - name of the pit area mesh (instead of 1ROAD, ...) to make it act like pitlane with limited speed.
Don't forget to define the PIT surface, in surfaces.ini (see this post)
*****end of section 1A

P.S. figured it out. Just changed the name of the object in KsEditor.

 

[luchian]

If you use basic ones (ROAD, SAND, GRASS, KERB) you only need to name the meshes.

..sent from my phone.

 

[zen-ko]

Many thanks for the help! Just did some test laps

 

[Alma]

Hello people, i have a question about background in AC, with Blender i'm trying to add a landscape behind the track to have something nice.
I saw a lot of tracks using normal and reverse position with a 3rd file ".KN5", i think it's used as a background, i'm not sure, can you tell me more about it ?

 

[luchian]

Not sure what you mean, but about use of multiple kn5 files, here are a few facts.

Since the introduction of Nordschleife, Kunos had to "break" tracks into smaller chunks. So they implemented this feature, where you are free to break your scene into more than one *.kn5 file. You can combine all the required *.kn5 files with the help of layout_.ini files.

First condition, like when doing a normal track: there has to be a yourtrack.kn5 inside the yourtrack folder.
Then, basically:
/yourtrack/layout1.ini contains all the models you wish to use for layout1
/youtrack/layout1/ folder needs to be present, in it the data folders, etc.

And then the history repeats for /yourtrack/layout2/, etc
Inside the yourtrack/ui/ folder, all layout1/layout2/etc folders should be present with the correct json and preview files so you'll be able to select the appropriate one in the game menu.

Have a look at how Kunos does it for their ks_nordschleife, you will figure it out

***
So, you could use multiple kn5 files on your track if you wish to, but they are not dedicated to backgrounds, not do they do something special to 'magically' create background . They are just a way of organizing your track's assets, useful expecially when creating multiple configurations.

If this ^^ is not what you meant, then to create a background, 2 solutions:
1/ just create the lanscape far away - by hand or by using import from google addons (search for 'tool' prefix in this forum); AC handles this very well, you can have maps as big as 16kmx 16 km driveable; or more if not driveable.
2/ place a plane, add a texture with alpha; like a movie/theater background

Hope it helps

 

[luchian]

PS: more info HERE

 

[Alma]

great ! Exactly what i needed ! THE LAYOUT configuration ! thx man

 

[Alma]

Hi guys, do you know if there is a limit to load a FBX file on KSeditor....
I'm trying to load 400Mb and import is still progressing...
I didn't have that problem before because i was testing some small maps but now...

 

[luchian]

Memory not really, IIRC.
However, 2 other limitations:
1/ no. of verts - again if iirc - experience showed that above 3-4 millions SDK will crash
2/ no of verts of a single mesh 65k. So you cannot have any mesh with more than this. If it's bigger - break it in smaller parts .

***
If everything fails, just use the layout method above and break scene in more kn5 files.

 

[Alma]

Memory not really, IIRC.
However, 2 other limitations:
1/ no. of verts - again if iirc - experience showed that above 3-4 millions SDK will crash
2/ no of verts of a single mesh 65k. So you cannot have any mesh with more than this. If it's bigger - break it in smaller parts .

***
If everything fails, just use the layout method above and break scene in more kn5 files.

For 65K i know about it because i had problems with my road, i reached 135k but after some changes i fixed that..
Actually i have the road, left side of the road and may be 30 trees and bushes..Texture is ok, i tried to have medium resolution for saving space and using blender as well...
Omg, i checked blender infos, i have 4.600.000 VERTS, wtf...And it's not even finished yet..
I need so many trees and bushes in 3D to make that project realistic as much as possible
May be i should cut the track and make only one with all parts

EDIT : Yes, all trees = 85% VERTS, that's BS, i can't use 2D stuff

 

[luchian]

How many verts for 1 tree ?
How many trees close to road ?

Also, do note that poly count is only a matter for SDK, not for loading in AC per se.
For example if you split it in more kn5 files you will be able to use them.

However, performance might become a problem ingame. And for that, you can use LODs.
Question is, are you ready to put the work and prepare LODs ?

 

[Alma]

How many verts for 1 tree ?
How many trees close to road ?

Also, do note that poly count is only a matter for SDK, not for loading in AC per se.
For example if you split it in more kn5 files you will be able to use them.

However, performance might become a problem ingame. And for that, you can use LODs.
Question is, are you ready to put the work and prepare LODs ?

- 40k-50k for trees, 15k for bushes.
- for 100 meters, more or less 23 trees and bushes on the left side and 7-8 on the right side.

Yes performance could be a big problem, i thought about this too but i wanted to try anyway..
What do you mean by LODs ? sorry

 

[luchian]

40k-50k for 1 tree ?? That is waay too much .
I am absolutely sure that you can get VERY good looking results with 10 times less than that.

LOD = Level of Detail.
It's a feature which you can use to improve performance. You can define for example 2 or 3 levels of detail for a model and you can define in a .ini file the distances where AC is switching models. This can help performance quite a lot, depending on what you build. Look at it as a tool. It's up to the artist what it does with it.

 

[Alma]

40k-50k for 1 tree ?? That is waay too much .
I am absolutely sure that you can get VERY good looking results with 10 times less than that.

LOD = Level of Detail.
It's a feature which you can use to improve performance. You can define for example 2 or 3 levels of detail for a model and you can define in a .ini file the distances where AC is switching models. This can help performance quite a lot, depending on what you build. Look at it as a tool. It's up to the artist what it does with it.

Ah YES ! i understand, they use that system for open world games..GTA, ARMA....
LODs yes why not for ingame, but lower detail for trees, it's gonna be difficult because nature is not empty, this is mountain and it will change everything else...

 

[luchian]

Of course ! By all means, I am not saying less objects. But either LODs either less polys on single object. I have seen a lot of tracks (even mountain rally stages) that look very good without high poly trees . I love 3d trees, but for real time racing game, poly budget is very important. In any case, I think you have the picture now, looking forward to see what you come up with .

 

[Alma]

Of course ! By all means, I am not saying less objects. But either LODs either less polys on single object. I have seen a lot of tracks (even mountain rally stages) that look very good without high poly trees . I love 3d trees, but for real time racing game, poly budget is very important. In any case, I think you have the picture now, looking forward to see what you come up with .

I play also DIRT RALLY and i watched FINLAND tracks because i recorded it and i think i found the solution
in blender i will transform a big leave to Branches, so for one leave i will make it bigger to have a branche full of leaves, i don't touch trunks only leaves scale, i don't think that's important for perfermance, i use lower resolution for trunks ..
I think that's the only good solution, i tested it last time because i will use pines for the trees and that's a bit similar
Thanks for helping, i will test that later