I just tried the 0.91 update, what a difference to the initial release! Its excellent now, thank you alot Preclair!
Hey guys! Sorry if I went silent, its usually a good sign! That I'm busy working on stuff for Nords! So, what's new? Yesterday I fiddled a good part of the day trying to figure why the darn paddock tarmac, and road side connections where so black. A quick look at the texture revealed they were in fact a bit darker than the tarmac we race on, but it wasnt justifying the huge difference. I played with all kinds of different settings, and in the end, the only thing that I hadnt tried, ended up working. Was the last possible solution. Turns out that all pavement that you want real road on, needs to be named racesurface. I didnt knew that. I knew for the road itself, but I dunno, I didnt assumed it was the same for all others. So after many repacking and trial and error, I finally was able to get the paddock tarmac right. So I went on the quest to change all these pavement to racesurface, so they would display a tarmac that isnt so black. But it wasnt long before I hit a little wall again. I came to the gp section, and the connections there were split, and the kerbs and objects werent suitable for simple renaming to racesurface. So I began splitting that part using my road max file I had. It had this section in. A bit later, I wanted to learn about shadow bias, to try to solve some shadow problems, and couldnt find much info. Ended up on a thread talking about a city map for rfactor 2. It mentioned loading a big scene in containers in 3dsmax. So this is what I'Ve done today for all day. Been manually adding most of the objects from the original rf1 version to max, in many containers. So I can enable a few at a times, and I may be able to get some work done. Its not ideal, since its always trashing disk, and crashes so often that I save after every section I work on. I have just began splitting the road again. So the next update will be somewhat delayed, I'm sorry, it probably wont happen next week end, but when it comes, it should be worth it Even tho I might still be able to work thru it this way, I would really appreciate not having to work this way I'll set up a donation link tomorrow, I'm head down in max now, and I just wanted to let you know what is happening. Great stuff up ahead! @rob1178 yes, the night driving is now perfect! Have a look a few pages back, I posted a few screenshots! EDIT: I still havent found a good explanation on shadow bias, how I should use it, specially values. I read that you should be at the furthest point of your track, and go for the minimum shadow bias before you get shadow bleeding in the distance, or something like that. But I dunno, I dont think I had bleeding, there was flickering, but not bleeding I think, and what's the general rule of thumb for setting the value. What does it do actually? Thanks for clearing that up for me! By having my max file in containers, I will be able to do better shadow groups and stuff.
Thanks for update on the status of the job. And thank you for your effort, to give us an exceptional track. ~IsR~donation is already ready for you. Babs
Thanks for taking on this conversion, pleclair. I think the "Z-fighting" you describe with the shadows is due to the increased far-clip plane, basically the z-buffer will be more precise with v0.8 as the values could be more compact (1.0 to 1000.0 spread over 24 bits, compared to the 6x less precision with 1.0 to 6000.0). Actually I was hoping that you could bring the far-clip plane closer anyway! As my machine can't keep up with this track when distant road is rendered. I have every setting as low as it will go, shadows are off (which helped with Silverstone). Perhaps it is possible to set 1K for the low detail version? Or a compromise of 3K or even 2.5K could help all! Also, don't suppose you fancy taking on IOM TT ;-) (edited typo)
I dont know if it has been mentioned, but I discovered a new bug The first time I thought it was my fault, but I made a several tests and it's the same thing!
Not sure if my problem is in my own settings or not, Certain cars on this track are in slowmotion when I drive them, even though the FPS indictator is showing 60fps, If I go onto a different track no proble the car drives as it should, I can only explain it as if the car is stuck on the floor. Fantastic work all the same !!
I`m really itching to try this track, I`m not at home atm but will be by tomorrow night so at last I`ll get some rubber down... Your doing a fantastic job pleclair, keep it up.
Great tx for the Nurburgring ("sigh" for the old old) but already a greatone. I only tried it with the Eve F2 and already feels like with GPL.
Any idea why the track (tarmac) would be "white" at .91, everything was fine in .80? Its like to road reflection is on overdrive. Also few trees seem to "fall" as you approach them around the 4km marker. I'll post some screens if nobody has a clue what I'm talking about.
Hmm, unfortunately, I can't lower the clip planes, since the skybox would clip in many places. But, in this new version I'm working on, I will set up proper shadow groups and visgroups, so you should have better performance when playing with lower details settings. As it was now, there wasn't much shadow grouping done, I tried, but it was hard having no grouping whatsoever in either 3dsmax (and not possible in 3dsimed) so doing object per object was unthinkable! Now that I import each set of objects in their own containers, settings groups and stuff will be easier. I have successfully imported everything into 17 containers! I started to detach the road properly this time (well I didnt knew the details on the curbs last time)... and this time I'm more comfortable with max, so I do stuff faster, but also in greater detail. I can easily remove vertexes, edges, create new one, etc... so I'm fixing the stuff that quadrify didnt got right, and fixing the little glitch quadrify did on the road sides, as shown in all other versions before. You know the road lines on the side? They are burned into the textures (for now), so in a few places the road lines was cutting a bit, think only in the corners... little details like that. Once done, I'll have a shot at doing my own road lines, so they can be felt, and reflects in the rain Not really sure when the next update is gonna be, dont wanna say a date and release much later. Should be in the coming month, that is highly likely. Depends how the trees will go. This is by far the longest part! Huge forest! But I want no flicker this time! I have setup a donation link, I'll add it to the front page, but here it is: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=BKPU9X7G9KUHY
Thumbs down not your track.... sure theres plenty of work involved Did com8 ever have a donation link ? no way a complaint I just disagree
Really? The guys working away with a system that can't fully manage the load of the track & people have offered/requested he places a donation link so he can get some RAM & that's what you have to say? Anyway, what's the difference between this donation and someone doing you a favour and you returning the gesture by buying them a drink?
And 3dsimed as I understand. I understand what you are saying R1CHO but you could also go in from another angle. Loads of peeps wish to contribute but can't for whatever reason and this can be a good way for them to help out. Its also a potential investment, not just for this track but who knows what else Pleclair will be doing in the future? So its not donating for this track per se but more donating to help push a modder forward. we all benefit from it don't we? one way or another. And we see too many people already demanding stuff for free because it was the same in rf1 so why don't modders do the same in rf2..... I see it in the same way as league donations. donate to costs so the whole thing can continue to evolve and the majority benefits from it. Maybe it would help Pleclair to edit the OP and tell what donations are meant for?
Its not a complaint just a disagreement... if he has rf2 working on his pc he has enough ram....I have to read all the comments coz I hadn't noticed anything about ram issues. and it loads up well on my 4gb ram Is he a member of a website do they have a donate link, if so thats where people should buy him a drink lol roll your eyes all you want.. but he is effectively making money from someone else's work even if its 5 dollars, euro, yen or whatever and that's where I disagree put it this way if that link to donate was there before I suggested the sector thing I would have kept my mouth SHUT!!
Good grief, a guy has had requests from participants to allow them to give a bit so he can load a track completely, so he can work on an epic track and you wish you had kept your mouth SHUT! Surely you have somehow looked at this from the wrong direction.
