rFactor 2 Track Progress -- Round 2

M

Michael Juliano

Track Team
Hi all, figured I'd start a new post as the old one was getting rather lengthy.

First, let me start by apologizing for the lack of updates recently--Luc and I have been buried in the construction of the latest, and what should be final, initial-release track for rF2. I've built a version of this track before (never released) and it about put me in my artistic grave. No, I'm not going to tell you what it is--this one is a surprise but I'll give you a couple of hints though:

1) This track is a monster to build for a full team, let alone an environment art team of two. But Luc and I have it under control now and are making good progress...

2) This is another historic track, so it's not the typical, modern design...

So, other than this work, Luc and I had another pass on the other tracks (still a couple left to do) to add some more things, clean up some issues, etc. There's still a bit more we'd LIKE to do, but if we had to ship today I'm happy with the base art.

If you've read the Q&A that Tim put up today, one of the items that should be of interest visually is the question about post effects. We have good first passes for HDR and SSAO, but we won't be showing anything of them until we have something we're happy with, and have Bloom working in tandem with HDR. Honestly, the main graphic feature the newer titles have over us right now are the post effects (look at some of the titles with those effects turned off and you'll see what I mean). I feel our geometry usage and texturing are up to par, and once we have these effects in place I think we'll have a really good looking sim. And the beauty is that we're going to add and add to rF2, so I'm not worried about what we may not have initially--it'll get there...

There's not much to talk about other than that--all our time has really been consumed by this last track and other odds and ends, and the programmers have been busy adding and refining features. Speaking of which, the new tire model is really amazing, to be quite honest. I have a VERY hard time now driving with the old model--it just doesn't feel nearly as good. I think rF2's claim to fame is going to be the way it feels to drive and race, in my opinion....

So, that's it for now--time to press on with this last track. Honestly, when this is finished I think I'm going to feel a lot like Gollem, coming out of the caves for the first time in 500 years ;)
 
Thanks Scott for the update, a quick question:

How much free license (personally) have you got when re-creating Historic Tracks? presuming the track has now changed alot of ther years or is even extinct do you add bits of your own doing here and there? like random bumps/scenery etc
 
MarcG said:
Thanks Scott for the update, a quick question:

How much free license (personally) have you got when re-creating Historic Tracks? presuming the track has now changed alot of ther years or is even extinct do you add bits of your own doing here and there? like random bumps/scenery etc
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That really depends on the reference that's available. For instance, take a track like Reims--while there are a few stills and even one fairly good in-car video, over all there's just not that much good visual reference for it. In a case like this you'd do your best but might have to "guess-timate" a lot of things. Over all though I prefer to try and get things as historically accurate as possible. In many cases you're trying to bring a piece of history back to life. I think these old historic tracks deserve much better than they've gotten, and the least I can do is my best to help people feel what it might have been like to drive there.
 
Scott Juliano said:
That really depends on the reference that's available. For instance, take a track like Reims--while there are a few stills and even one fairly good in-car video, over all there's just not that much good visual reference for it. In a case like this you'd do your best but might have to "guess-timate" a lot of things. Over all though I prefer to try and get things as historically accurate as possible. In many cases you're trying to bring a piece of history back to life. I think these old historic tracks deserve much better than they've gotten, and the least I can do is my best to help people feel what it might have been like to drive there.
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yeah agreed, sounds good and I bet its alot tougher but more rewarding to recreate historic tracks than current ones where you have tons of information and all that. Good luck with them all anyway and thanks for the reply, I wont try and guess the track!
 
Scott Juliano said:
1) This track is a monster to build for a full team, let alone an environment art team of two.
2) This is another historic track, so it's not the typical, modern design...
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This sounds just great.

So we can stop working on the Targa Florio now ... :D
 
MarcusarilliuS_IRL said:
The latest video up on the targa lap WIP was fantastic 6e66o, any idea when we can expect a release and is it going to be available for rf2?

Keep up the good work.
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Doesnt belong in this thread, but no i have no idea, sorry.



Great Scott!
Now i cant sleep, because i keep wondering which track this could be ;)
 
Thanks Scott for the update!
Is there a chance for a video with updated weather effects, wind and stuff like that? Maybe when HDR will be ready to show? :)
 
Scott Juliano said:
1) This track is a monster to build for a full team, let alone an environment art team of two. But Luc and I have it under control now and are making good progress...

2) This is another historic track, so it's not the typical, modern design...
Click to expand...

Scott Juliano said:
That really depends on the reference that's available. For instance, take a track like Reims--while there are a few stills and even one fairly good in-car video, over all there's just not that much good visual reference for it.
Click to expand...

1) Nordschleife, Le Mans and Reims are big tracks
2) Nordschleife and Le Mans have revised modern layouts, therefore have old, non-typical designs too (as does Reims)
3) I've heard Scott say they're not working on the old Nordschleife but that he would like to one day...
4) Scott explicitly mentions Reims and seems well aware of the amount of contemporary source material that exists... (though i do remember seeing a third-party rF2 Reims WIP on rFC - aquired content?)
So, as well known historic circuits, from the '60s, I'm thinking the old Nordschleife, old Le Mans, or Reims, though I'm not expecting any confirmation either :D
 
Thanks for telling us about the post processing effects. I was thinking about that stuff yesterday and it's nice to finally have some information.

And while I'm sure there are people out there who enjoy historic tracks (I'm not one of them) I really hope you have good things in store for us regarding fictional rF1 tracks. It was nice to see Mills in that video and I'm dying to see Toban (my favorite sim track of all time) all gussied up with new graphics. Just please don't alter the geometry so I won't have to find a clock tower. ;)
 
Maybe?
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woochoo said:
1) Nordschleife, Le Mans and Reims are big tracks
2) Nordschleife and Le Mans have revised modern layouts, therefore have old, non-typical designs too (as does Reims)
3) I've heard Scott say they're not working on the old Nordschleife but that he would like to one day...
4) Scott explicitly mentions Reims and seems well aware of the amount of contemporary source material that exists... (though i do remember seeing a third-party rF2 Reims WIP on rFC - aquired content?)
So, as well known historic circuits, from the '60s, I'm thinking the old Nordschleife, old Le Mans, or Reims, though I'm not expecting any confirmation either :D
Click to expand...

Considering that Jackie Stewart once referred to Norschleife as the "Green Monster", and Scott's use of that word in his "hint", if I were a betting man, that;s where I'd put my money...
 
dloyer4 said:
Jackie Stewart once referred to Norschleife as the "Green Monster"
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It was "Green Hell". ;)

But yeah, my guess would also be Nordschleife.

-Isle of man: more known for bike racing, isnt it?
-Targa Florio: would be fantastic, but doubt it.
-Mille Miglia: would be insane, but veeery unlikely (doesnt fit the era neither).

If its none of the above, i will be slightly dissapointed,
but that just comes down to personal preference.

And the fact alone that there will be historic racing tracks puts a smile on my face anyway :)
 
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It isn't the nordschleife..
I already guessed it on facebook and got a reply:
RFactor2: I should snap that one and say no, unfortunately not. I promised Scott I wouldn't tell anybody what it is, but I have to at least say that it is not the ring, sorry...

and a few posts later:
RFactor2: Can't give any more hints. :) Just had to squish a Nurburgring rumor. :p

just for everyone who isnt registered at facebook
and for the others: add rFactor2 !
 
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