MTM2.com

Always glad to see truck makers interested in tracks, so I made up a short-hand traxx school so truck modelers can test their track prop experiments in the game.

http://cownap.com/~mtmg/traxx/traxxfortruckers.shtml

This is not a substitute for Guitar Bill's long hand version. It assumes you're already familiar with pod file concepts, and is as brief and to the point as I think we can get. If you are not already an experienced truck maker, this probably is not for you. Let me know if I left anything out.

Looks interesting...though not as "shorthand" as a utility to view track models directly, it's probably the best that can be done for non-trackmakers...

I'll give it a try later today, and let you know if I run up against any obstacles. Thx Phin.

> not as "shorthand" as a utility to view track models directly

lol, we have binedit for that. Seriously, tho, it's really coming at track making through the back door, and it's as basic as I could make it. Everything is done for you except the model, and it will definitely give you a better idea than setting it as a truck. Any problems just holler.

Looks like it was simple enough to do.....great tutorial....I was successful....... Is this technically my first track?

I enlarged the boxfan to "toy-truck" scale, placed it in the center of the track, and as an extra-credit attempt I added sound effects (borrowed from the chopper) and invisible collide boxes on each side to simulate the "solid" portions of the fan, plus a box below so the trucks "step-up" as they pass through the fan case.....try driving through it......looks cool!

http://mtm2.com/~bigdogge/download/test ... th_Fan.ZIP

Excellent job on the boxfan model, Rep-Fan.....

---------------------------------------

QUESTION:

Is the fan file-size too large, or does it have too many vertices?
(755 vertices / 411 faces / four 64x64 textures)

........If the grill has to be reduced in vertix-count, Then we may have to make it with transparent textures, in which case the animated bin blades will be necessary....opinions?

-----------------------------------------------------------

I'm going to experiment with placing an animated BIN on a test track next (probably the ceiling fan)...I'll post my results here....

Thanks mucho Phineus....Track-models will be much easier to make now....give his short traxx tut a try RF...I like!

The chopper wav is good, and the collide boxes are fine. Wasn't so hard, was it.

> Is the fan file-size too large, or does it have too many vertices?

Context is everything. As a stand alone, it's perfectly fine. Amidst many similarly proportioned models it might become a problem.

> ........If the grill has to be reduced in vertix-count, Then we may have to make it with transparent textures, in which case the animated bin blades will be necessary...

Undoubtedly a trade off no matter which way you go. Let zoon try it out as is, then go from there.

Congrats, both.

Thanks....feels good to finally get this far.....I lagged big-time on learning track stuff while developing my truck skills.

The ceiling fan with BIN animation came out fine...the motion looks very realistic.....I'd say my future in animated track models is wide open now......(lookin' bright....gotta wear shades?)

Here's the test track with the animated ceiling fan suspended in the middle, if you want to see the fan in "action" ....it's about 8 or 9 feet off the ground, floating in mid-air....I resized it to around 60 feet (approximately 20 meters) in diameter...use cockpit view with the rollcage turned off so see it well enough.

http://mtm2.com/~bigdogge/download/test ... ng-fan.ZIP

If you want to use it, I can resize the fan model to any scale desired (unless you want to do so yourself, bin-by-bin).

-------

OK...what other animated models do we need for the track (if any).