How do you add billboard crowd to a track?

Discussion in 'Track Modding' started by hamiltonfan2205, Feb 10, 2016.

  1. hamiltonfan2205

    hamiltonfan2205 Registered

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    Want to ask how this is done because RaceRfactor do this with all their tracks, how is it done?
     
  2. blakboks

    blakboks Registered

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    It's the same technique as billboard trees, just use cutout people as your image instead of trees. There're a few threads on these forums describing how to make billboard trees. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful right now; short on time, but I figured this info would at least get you started.
     
  3. hamiltonfan2205

    hamiltonfan2205 Registered

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    Is it possible to do it with 3d simed or any freeware as i dont have the money for 3DS.
     
  4. stonec

    stonec Registered

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    Nope, I never got billboards working in simed. There is a BillBoard flag under object properties but setting it true doesn't have any effect.
     
  5. blakboks

    blakboks Registered

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    You might be able to with gJed? It allows you to reposition objects, right? You could import someone from one of the ISI tracks (.gmt), and reposition it to your track, and re-export to your track dir.
     
  6. andreaglass

    andreaglass Registered

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    Of course you can. If you want to quickly poblate a stand with billboard crowd, first prepare a block of spectators in 3dSimEd, big enough to cover the stand; use as many rows as needed and move it to have the lowest left spectator on coordinates 0,0,0, set pivot point to 0,0,0, align the block to the X axis and save it. You can have different blocks for different purposes.

    Then open your track in 3dSimEd, locate the stand, and copy the coordinates where the lowest left spectator should be on this stand; add object (the block you made) and paste the copied coordinates, and then you can rotate the block to fit in the stand; you can change the pitch and increase the Y size of the object to fit in the stand rows; don't worry if spectators look sloped, as they will be straight later, just pay attention to their feet staying on the rigth position on the stand, and don't worry if there are more rows or columns with spectators than the stand size, you'll delete them later.

    Once the block fits the stand, export it as a new object and close 3dSimEd. Then open the block you've just saved, so you can edit its faces, and add the stand as an object; delete the spectators outside the stand just selecting them and deleting selected faces (each spectator is just one face), and if you want and the stand have stairs , gates or areas where no spectators should be, delete them too. Finnally delete the object (the stand itself) and what you have is a model of spectators to fit in the stand, and you can save this model and add it to your .scn.

    If you want to have different spectators for different sessions (free practice, qualifying and race), when you make the blocks, mix the spectators and use different material names for them; doing this, before saving the model in the last point (as explained above) you can simply filter materials and copy paste the faces of each material in three tabs and then saving three models insted of one. Later on .scn you just use VisGroups to show more or less spectators depending on the session.

    If you want to try I've uploaded a folder with some models to use it; there are spectators in just one line (I use them behind windows or on top of some Pit buildings), two models to fit in stands (for small and big stands), two models to be used in pelousse areas (the blocks are not too big as I've found is faster to place some small blocks on not very regular ground, than trying to fit a big block) and even wheelchair spectators I made for the special stands on the new Mexico track. All of them are using three materials in case you want to separate it for sessions.

    Maybe all this can sound a bit confusing, but it's really faster to do than trying to explain it. Once you've done the first block, you can make all crowds for a very crowdy circuit in one hour.

    Anyone is free to download it and use it, as not everyone can buy a legal copy of 3dMax, and I don't want to promote piracy, so I've developed this solution to have billboard crowds using 3dSimEd. Download link:

    https://mega.nz/#!UYNCGSxC!ubAfxM0nubwe4Tl8KpeCJnNHF9mjZZLpXLZ92dS94sA
    [FONT=source_sans_proregular]

    [/FONT]
     
  7. hamiltonfan2205

    hamiltonfan2205 Registered

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    Thanks, this could really help!
     
  8. hamiltonfan2205

    hamiltonfan2205 Registered

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    The only problem is atm what about curved stands and the crowd may be a bit big for some stands...
     
  9. andreaglass

    andreaglass Registered

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    About curved stands, the solution is easy; you can create yourself a model of spectators forming a short segment of a curve. Take something like 5 columns of spectators, and as many rows as you need, from one of the models, and save it as a new one; leter open it and cut and paste as an object every comuln and using the lower spectator coordinates as the pivot point rotate it some degrees and when you finish moving and rotating every column, explode all and save it as a model. If there are too many rows and spectators start being too far from the one at their sides, insert a part of a nuw column, until the model is what you want.

    I did it this way in the stand of Foro Sol at the New Hermanos Rodriguez Track, and it worked very well.

    The crowd in my models have the size of real people, if they look too big for any stand, check if the size of the stand is correct.
     
  10. hamiltonfan2205

    hamiltonfan2205 Registered

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    Can u plz PM me what u did for the Foro Sol, as it may save me some work, and how do I choose how many columns to use?
     
  11. andreaglass

    andreaglass Registered

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    Yes, I could PM you what I did for Foro Sol, but I beleive this kind of threads are based in cooperation, and I prefer to share it whit others too. In a PM you would be the only one having this sample, but if I put the link here anybody wiil be able to see it, and use it if they find it useful.

    Don't you think is better?

    Here's the link, it contains an all.scn with the stand divided in two objects, and the crowd in six (three for each stand) for Practice, Qualifying and Race:

    https://mega.nz/#!1Q9nCZKK!mcTZd3mD_b-Q75Ug2Z7Zyp9F8JtGlbXqHiogwQMEfS4[FONT=source_sans_proregular]

    [/FONT]
    And about how many columns to use, it depends on how accurate you want to place the spectators to the stand. If you choose too many columns it will fit worst than choosing less columns; is faster with larger models, but less accurate. I prefer repeating more times smaller models tahn using big models floating 2 meters over the stand.
     
  12. hamiltonfan2205

    hamiltonfan2205 Registered

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    I know how to decide how many colums I want, I'm asking say if I want 10 columns how do I reduce it to 10 columns?
     
  13. andreaglass

    andreaglass Registered

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    Open a model of straight spectators in 3dSimEd (any one of the two I linked some days ago) and if you want just 10 columns, select the faces to the right of the 10th column and delete them. Billboard spectators are faces you can make models of any size in seconds.
     
  14. hamiltonfan2205

    hamiltonfan2205 Registered

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    Thanks I now know what Im doing!
     
  15. andreaglass

    andreaglass Registered

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    Will you show the result when you'll finish it?
     
  16. hamiltonfan2205

    hamiltonfan2205 Registered

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    Yes I will. One thing, is there a quick way I can move objects in 3D simed or another program because changing the co-ordinates is a fricken chore...
     
  17. andreaglass

    andreaglass Registered

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    If you open a .scn a right click an object you'll see its coordinates to be 0, 0, 0. If you go to the menu Edit - Object Centers - Bottom Centre Objects (and Yes to the pivot point question), now every object will have coordinates. Move the cursor to the point you want to place the object, right click and select Memorize coordinates. Then go to the object you wnt to move, righ click on it and select MR (Recall memorized vertex) to paste the memorized coordinates; then you just need to make small adjustments.

    Copy this object to a new tab and save it to keep the new coordinates.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 17, 2016
  18. hamiltonfan2205

    hamiltonfan2205 Registered

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    That never makes it perfect, I still have to add coordinates
     
  19. andreaglass

    andreaglass Registered

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    Copy and paste them with a click is too hard?

    Come on, it's easy and fast.

    I'm beggining to understand your nick, you need to sit down on a clearly superior car to get results.:p
     

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