learning to drift track

[jimthedrum]

would it be possible for someone to create a track with nothing to hit. just a layout drawn out but completely made of tarmac so if you spin, or understeer, you just keep going and can recover without hitting anything?

[protomor]

Ive been waiting for someone to do it. I dont think it would take that long.

[thelusiv]

Well I have been thinking about this and I'm going to start modeling a track soon...it will be very simple. Lately though I've been working on the new track editor, which I'd like to get done before I write a tutorial (otherwise rewriting will be in order)...all the same I will put some notes up on the forum so people wanting to work on tracks before the new track ed is done, can.

[reece146]

You know what would be kinda cool? A parking lot with a "track editor" that allows you to place cones where ever you'd want to make your own track. Both very auto-x and drifting friendly.

[joevenzon]

reece146: that was a feature I wanted to implement a loooong time ago, but it never happened... but how cool would it be? especially if you could have multiplayer games where someone gets to set up the track and then you all race (or time trial) on it

[thelusiv]

Good idea. Ultimately I'd like to set up a way to set up two cones as a gate, which basically defines a set of track vertices. This way you can lay down cones about anywhere, that is on any track, and redefine how it should be raced on, so timing and penalties are assessed within the context of the cone course. Having a parking lot to work with would be a good first step for this.

[rookie1]

Something like this?

[reece146]

Something like this?

That's great!

Any issues making it a loop and/or a figure eight using this front end?

[protomor]

So it would just be a giant square? I guess that works. good job!

[rookie1]

Any issues making it a loop and/or a figure eight using this front end?

Guess I can add another button to toggle between open/closed track. As for a figure eight, theoretically it's possible. The track is defined by multiple pairs of traffic cones. So you can lay out the track whatever way you want. But I'm not sure what happens to collision detection at the intersection, because your car will be in contact with 2 different patches at the same time.

So it would just be a giant square? I guess that works. good job!

This screen only defines the track layout. We still need a simple track model, with a sky box and a flat piece of tarmac. Anyone interested to create such a model in Blender?

[QNev]

rookie1 - Is collision going to be applied to the cones, or to the space between the cones?

[jimthedrum]

i was hoping to have no collisions at all, so you can skit as long as you want and learn how to recover without the possibility of hitting anything at all

[rookie1]

Since there is nothing between cones, there will be no collision detection there.

If people have different preferences, I guess we can have an option to turn on/off collision detection for cones.

[joevenzon]

rookie1: yes, that's exactly it! :-) good job, can't wait to see this in-game.

[thelusiv]

For now, cones can be non-collidable but eventually it would be cool if they got knocked over, flipped around, stuck under the car, etc. This stuff is not easy (and we need to set up some better collision code to do this anyway) so for now non-collidable is fine...just as long as the game knows when the player leaves the cone course.