Mat's Freestyle Drag

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 10:35 am

I just uploaded the first beta of this track - how's it look so far?

I made all textures in Photoshop, except the backs of the sponsor signs (which I got from a texture in Flatout). The cars are retextured versions of Enocell's cop cars (with verts merged and face type changed to shiny). I tried to make it look realistic.

http://www.cownap.com/~tracks/dl.cgi?dl=4475

Wint · Post by **Wint** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:23 am

First of all, I like your new avatar.

As for the track...

The good: The track looks very nice indeed. Your terrain textures are superb, the terrain is quite nice, the overall arrangement is pleasant and your custom models are slick.

The bad: The cars look nice but are too large, I think they should be scaled down and repositioned.

The ugly: Unless you have grand plans for a custom backdrop I hope you'll remove the uncompromisingly blue one, since it won't change with the weather mask.

The rest: I dunno what your plans are but I think you could include some kind of course with checkpoints as an extra (even if it's single player oriented), your arena is large enough to accomodate one and your 3D terrain offers plenty of possibilities (be it circuit-like, drag-like or freestyle-like). I might also suggest using the complex scenery level for piling on the fun freestyle objects (ramps) but otherwise keep them hidden in lesser scenery modes.

cheers

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 11:59 am

Thanks for the review, I'll make those changes as soon as possible.

PS: I tried to make single player courses but the AI trucks refuse to follow them. Hmm.

g8torsbizktai20 · Post by **g8torsbizktai20** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 12:54 pm

well the track looks great. i love it. textures are great but...

if this is suppose to be a drag track i have no idea what the course is lol, is it straight line, chicago, etc??

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:15 pm

Sorry for the loooooooong wait (internet provider not providing, forgetfulness, etc.), but here's the updated Beta 2.

http://www.cownap.com/~tracks/dl.cgi?dl=4478

g8torsbizktai20 · Post by **g8torsbizktai20** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:23 am

well on the new one the single white line i cant go psat it. it has like an invisible barrier on both sides.

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 3:08 pm

Wint pm'ed me with the problems of the old track. They're all fixed except that if a computer truck starts on the right, it crosses over to the left as it follows the course. How can I fix this one?

emyers · Post by **emyers** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:25 pm

mat would it be possible for you to sign on msn, i have a present for you

trackster · Post by **trackster** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 12:16 am

Mat-Allum wrote:Wint pm'ed me with the problems of the old track. They're all fixed except that if a computer truck starts on the right, it crosses over to the left as it follows the course. How can I fix this one?

just try to center the course or move the course over to the right so the computer trucks to not have to drive as far or try a different starting truck formation

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:27 am

Sorry I wasn't online (wish I could have logged in to msn) but my internet server has been down for two or three days and I couldn't do anything. I'll be on tonight though.

EmceeMart · Post by **EmceeMart** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 9:11 pm

Hope yer net probs are sorted. The track sounds like it's progressing nicely.

What I want to know is:

I made all textures in Photoshop, except the backs of the sponsor signs (which I got from a texture in Flatout).

How did you do that? (extract files from Flatout)

can you extract models too?

TAFKAW (The Artist Formerly Known As Winterkill): are we to expect all your reviews to be in movie format from now on i.e. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly?
Is the next one Gonna say "For A Few Dollars More you could've done this that or the other"?

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 8:02 am

Hoping to upload the new version soon, and yes the internet is working again.

Regarding the flatout extraction. Best way to do it is check out KC's flatout place. They've got two utilities, MakeBFS and BFSUnpack. You can use the second one to extract your flatout BFS (data) files. Common1 and Common2 are the main data files. I used the track textures from Common2.

Also, that one has track lightmaps as well (overhead views of the track in .DDS format, includes light areas, shadows, etc.), which is where I got the idea for the textures on this track.

Which reminds me, it is also possible to extract the models - the cars, at least. The FOv3 (flatout mod) team is still working to extract the objects from the tracks.

Wint · Post by **Wint** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 2:11 pm

Maybe so Emcee, maybe so. lol

Beta two was more of a Moe, Larry, Curly.

The Moe: You put the checkpoints in wrong ya numbskull!
The Larry: OW!!
The Curly: Moe, Larry, ramps! Moe, Larry, ramps! Whoo!Whoo!Whoo!Whoo!

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 8:14 pm

Lol.

Beta 3, hopefully everything fixed.

http://www.cownap.com/~tracks/dl.cgi?dl=4479

XtremeRTM · Post by **XtremeRTM** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 1:36 pm

I downloaded the first verson and it was AWESOME. I downloaded the lastest two and i keep getting the same problem. Everytime i try to move around on the track, i get a Access Violation. I've tried switching trucks and even going to a stock, same thing. Any way i can fix this? Thanks.

Wint · Post by **Wint** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 3:13 pm

I've experienced the same thing as you, XtremeRTM, and there's little that you can do. Decreasing the view distance would probably help but that is no solution at all in my opinion.

The first beta was fine, the second beta would do almost nothing but crash with 'access violation' errors and 'TRI D3D - too many verticies' errors. After the second beta I suggested that Mat might like to revert back to the first version since the second was so fatally errored. This third beta is much better than the second but I'm still triggering the same two errors quite regularly (using hardware acceleration, full view distance, stock truck, no other trucks).

I believe both errors are brought on by the fact that there are so many models and groundboxes in one small location. However, at a glance it doesn't look like there is too much in this track so I'm a bit puzzled as to why it crashes so easily. Beta three seems to push things beyond safe limits... somehow. As for where Mat should go with this one now I have no idea. Sorry Mr. Mat-Allum.

Cale · Post by **Cale** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:39 pm

I popped the track into Traxx and the problem became evident. Each grandstand in the track, of which there are 10, is 104 verts; each car, of which there are 56, is 91 verts. That means there are 6136 vertices alone in that small area without counting the signs, posts, the 92 ground boxes, and 71 vert start light.

Mat, the high-vert models will probably work fine in your game but MTM2 still requires low vert features to work properly. Use the MTM2 stock grandstands and the 16-24 vert cars that most drag builders use and it should work fine.

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 7:36 am

Ok - no offense taken, thanks for the thoughts.

Mat-Allum · Post by **Mat-Allum** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 8:06 pm

Ok, Beta Number Four out the door.

http://www.cownap.com/~tracks/dl.cgi?dl=4485

Hopefully I did it right this time lol

Edit: The start light's gone, as well as some grandstands, the grandstands are set to medium scenery level, and I deleted four cars.