Track Modding Google Hangout and Youtube videos
- Thread starter Woodee
- Start date
Hi everyone.
I'm going to keep this session about track building basics, so you have to listen my Rally-English then.
Little bit later we will share agenda and test track project files (3ds max 2010 format scene file, textures and support files ) for this meeting.
See you there!
Cheers,
Jka
I'm going to keep this session about track building basics, so you have to listen my Rally-English then.
Little bit later we will share agenda and test track project files (3ds max 2010 format scene file, textures and support files ) for this meeting.
See you there!
Cheers,
Jka
Agenda of upcoming Hangout session is:
I hope we can cover all these in this session, within 1 hour or so. Session will be recorded and published on youtube afterwards.
Aim of this session is get you started with track building process. This will not cover everything from A to Z, but it covers enough to keep you busy until next Hangout.
Few days before this session we will share The Test Track package, which includes 3dsmax scene files, textures and exported track files.
Cheers,
Jka
- Setting up Track Development file- and folder structure + madatory files (like gdb-, scn - files) to the DevMode
- Setting up 3ds max exporter
- Best practices when working track projects in 3ds max (layering, keeping things organized)
- Basic road modelling, material settings, mapping, exporting and checking end result in Track Viewer
- Basic terrain modelling, material settings, mapping, exporting and checking end result in Track Viewer
- Introducing The Test Track, exploring how its done and some modelling tips and tricks
- gJED workflow from 3dsmax to the rF2
- Separate Q&A session
I hope we can cover all these in this session, within 1 hour or so. Session will be recorded and published on youtube afterwards.
Aim of this session is get you started with track building process. This will not cover everything from A to Z, but it covers enough to keep you busy until next Hangout.
Few days before this session we will share The Test Track package, which includes 3dsmax scene files, textures and exported track files.
Cheers,
Jka
pmarin2
Registered
ECAR_Tracks
Registered
I'd like to participate as well if my English level (or the lack of it) allows it.
Thats a lot of ground to cover in 1 hour.. But hopefully you can pull it off
Point 1,3 and 7 are of primary interest to me.. I can cover it all, but some of my ways of working i feel are poor and requires intervention / re-work.. Im sure its mainly my setup and how i have it working so am interested what i have setup wrong, and/or if it is just the way it is.
Thanks for doing this
D
Point 1,3 and 7 are of primary interest to me.. I can cover it all, but some of my ways of working i feel are poor and requires intervention / re-work.. Im sure its mainly my setup and how i have it working so am interested what i have setup wrong, and/or if it is just the way it is.
Thanks for doing this
D
I wouldn't be too worried about that, because I can answer question here (on the forum) afterwards. Hangout will be published on youtube later, so you can watch it again and focus areas, which might go by on live broadcast.
If you have basic knowledge of modelling, materials and mapping, you will be fine.
edmundw215
Registered
I am very interested in learning how to make a test track. I have always dreamed of designing a track based on local terrain and streetscape. But I have some questions regarding the tutorial.
1) is it hard for someone who never made video game content to do so? I do have some basic programming knowledge (basic and visual basic knowledge from high school/university programming course) and works quite proficient with computers (basic knowledge in photoshops and quite good knowledge in Microstation and Inroads, as I am a transportation roadway civil engineer).
2) what special programs will I need? will this require costly programs or are there freeware to use?
3) what level of audience do you aim for your tutorial?
1) is it hard for someone who never made video game content to do so? I do have some basic programming knowledge (basic and visual basic knowledge from high school/university programming course) and works quite proficient with computers (basic knowledge in photoshops and quite good knowledge in Microstation and Inroads, as I am a transportation roadway civil engineer).
2) what special programs will I need? will this require costly programs or are there freeware to use?
3) what level of audience do you aim for your tutorial?
Curious to how this plays out. I'm more interested in more in-depth future subjects, such as working with DEM/SRTM and such but I'll stick with it for now. Who knows
I might pick up something I didn't know or is offering me a different way to do the same task.
@Edmundw215
To answer question 1 for you, without any prior experience, yes it will be hard. But, rewarding
Looking at the topics, aimed at the novice track modder.
to understand what is expained properly, rather than rush through the program to make it within the hour.
Nice initiative Woodee
I might pick up something I didn't know or is offering me a different way to do the same task.
@Edmundw215
To answer question 1 for you, without any prior experience, yes it will be hard. But, rewarding
Looking at the topics, aimed at the novice track modder.
I don't think it would be a big problem to extend the stream or continue at another date. I think the people who want to benefit from this needThats a lot of ground to cover in 1 hour.. But hopefully you can pull it off
to understand what is expained properly, rather than rush through the program to make it within the hour.
Nice initiative Woodee
For those absolute beginners (to 3d Modelling) i tried to build a simple summary of some of the Language you may here in the modelling sections.
So if you here things like Material, UVWMAP etc, you have a basic understanding of what it is .. you can replay the video to see how to edit it later
View attachment 20402
View attachment 20403
So if you here things like Material, UVWMAP etc, you have a basic understanding of what it is .. you can replay the video to see how to edit it later
View attachment 20402
View attachment 20403
Woodee
Registered
The agenda for this particular hangout is WIP... we will see what we can have jka cover in an hour.
This could be the first of many hangouts... not necessarily jka always being the host. If anyone else would like to do an hour session with a few viewers, teaching people live.
To make things run smooth I'd suggest viewers save questions till the end and only a limited number can get answered live. I will try and compile these as the stream goes along and ask jka at the end.
Each stream will cover a specific set of skills and future ones will be molded depending on questions live (which are unanswered) and ones left in the hangout threads.
SUGGESTIONS WELCOME!
3 of 7
This could be the first of many hangouts... not necessarily jka always being the host. If anyone else would like to do an hour session with a few viewers, teaching people live.
To make things run smooth I'd suggest viewers save questions till the end and only a limited number can get answered live. I will try and compile these as the stream goes along and ask jka at the end.
Each stream will cover a specific set of skills and future ones will be molded depending on questions live (which are unanswered) and ones left in the hangout threads.
SUGGESTIONS WELCOME!
3 of 7
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Woodee
Registered
1) is it hard for someone who never made video game content to do so? I do have some basic programming knowledge (basic and visual basic knowledge from high school/university programming course) and works quite proficient with computers (basic knowledge in photoshops and quite good knowledge in Microstation and Inroads, as I am a transportation roadway civil engineer).
I reckon anyone can do it with enough patience and knowledge
2) what special programs will I need? will this require costly programs or are there freeware to use?
Freeware can be used, but programs used will be commercial ones (but can be obtained legally for free).
Commercial
- 3dsmax 2014+ (educational licence for 3 years www.autodesk.com for more info).
- Adobe Photoshop and other Adobe apps can be used by paying a monthly charge (educational licence also cheaper) http://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud.html
Freeware
- Blender (3D program), plenty of tutorials on Youtube
- Gimp (Texturing)
3) what level of audience do you aim for your tutorial?
Unsure yet... we'll see how popular the first one is
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Hmm, I think you can focus on working on some track and corner examples for just about an hour. Then you're only dealing with a straight road into a cambered turn including drains and kerbs. Finish that up with mapping (realroad setup too) and
textures. Adding elevation, 3d kerbs, one hour is even going to be short to be honest when you want a proper show and tell.
So, it really depends what people want to see explained, and into how much detail that explanation needs to be.
My advice is to take it slow. The lack of thorough explanation is what is probably holding people back, as well as the even basic knowledge of 3dsmax and
photoshop. So by moving too quickly, you will offer nothing other than what is already there for people to be had, which they don't understand in the first place.
I think it's going to be appreciated to cover the basics quite thoroughly for the target audience, or at least, what I think the target audience is going to be. Which
might just be the people who think you can build tracks using 3dSimEd.
The current agenda, seems quite steep to take in as an introductory one, especially in an hour. You can easily spend an hour alone on every topic on there
It might be fun to at one point issue an assignment that people can hand in, and show the results on the stream. That is something for further down the line maybe.
textures. Adding elevation, 3d kerbs, one hour is even going to be short to be honest when you want a proper show and tell.
So, it really depends what people want to see explained, and into how much detail that explanation needs to be.
My advice is to take it slow. The lack of thorough explanation is what is probably holding people back, as well as the even basic knowledge of 3dsmax and
photoshop. So by moving too quickly, you will offer nothing other than what is already there for people to be had, which they don't understand in the first place.
I think it's going to be appreciated to cover the basics quite thoroughly for the target audience, or at least, what I think the target audience is going to be. Which
might just be the people who think you can build tracks using 3dSimEd.
The current agenda, seems quite steep to take in as an introductory one, especially in an hour. You can easily spend an hour alone on every topic on there
It might be fun to at one point issue an assignment that people can hand in, and show the results on the stream. That is something for further down the line maybe.
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Woodee
Registered
ha, good idea!
Even better, make it a prop This teaches you about:
- do proper reference gathering
- think about scale
- setting up a scene/project
- setting up and or create building blueprints
- basic and more advanced modelling techniques
- basic and more advanced unwrapping techniques
- basic and more advance texturing techniques
- about materials, shaders, and their properties
- go (iteratively) through the exporting process
- optimization of the assignment, maybe even build LOD objects, shadow objects
This should be an object free of choice, but limited to something relatively small.
Building a road and some kerbs will not teach you 3d modelling basics properly, but something like:
or
or
or for the more advanced users
The instructor can follow along with a project of his/her own and pick it apart as you go along finding pitfalls and explaining why they excist
and even better, explain real world scenarios where and how this was an issue, and how to overcome those.
I hope people don't see this as dissapointing or straying from the subject. Building a track entails more than a roadmesh, kerbs and some guardrails.
Actually, maybe that is were the least amount of work is spent on depending on the type of reference you have (scratch,gps,lidar, etc)
This teaches you about:- do proper reference gathering
- think about scale
- setting up a scene/project
- setting up and or create building blueprints
- basic and more advanced modelling techniques
- basic and more advanced unwrapping techniques
- basic and more advance texturing techniques
- about materials, shaders, and their properties
- go (iteratively) through the exporting process
- optimization of the assignment, maybe even build LOD objects, shadow objects
This should be an object free of choice, but limited to something relatively small.
Building a road and some kerbs will not teach you 3d modelling basics properly, but something like:
or
or
or for the more advanced users
The instructor can follow along with a project of his/her own and pick it apart as you go along finding pitfalls and explaining why they excist
and even better, explain real world scenarios where and how this was an issue, and how to overcome those.
I hope people don't see this as dissapointing or straying from the subject. Building a track entails more than a roadmesh, kerbs and some guardrails.
Actually, maybe that is were the least amount of work is spent on depending on the type of reference you have (scratch,gps,lidar, etc)
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Gijs van Elderen
Registered
I agree that moddeling a simple object is the best starting point for a modder. But there are already tons of tutorials on youtube about creating a game object with your moddeling program of choice. The approach on how to moddel an object might be different in Max, Blender, Maya, ...
And the rF2 Max plugins/exporter... Modders with Max 2012 or earlier... I think they already know...
IMO: Focus on rF2 specific things... That apply for all programs.