MTM2.com

Uploaded next version to http://users.pandora.be/mumhra/newtrack/x-raidbeta.zip

Very minor changes, just listened to Jumper, Winterkill and phineus. I don't have any lags no more (had to remove OLD-truck), not even a glitch. but people who still have them, can put there scenery on sparse and hopefully won't have them any more.

Now i'm just waiting for cope's pictures to get started on scenery and models . I think i'll must reposition those blue houses (i've put them where the trucks were), because it's possible to drive behind them. Forgot to do it, and i'm not in the mood no more for now lol. Maybe i'll do it, maybe it's a nice little cut, dunnow yet

All righty, here we go. Wint covered some of the territory I was gonna, so that means less pictures...which is a good thing lol. The lag seems to be gone (great job, mum), and also it seems that you fixed one or two building models, so I scrapped those pics as well.

• The tower shown here seems to be a tad too close to the crowd; a portion of the left leg disappears as you drive by it. Small thing, but thought I should point it out. Not sure if moving it back a bit would fix it.

• A barn that needs to be adjusted. In the pic the position of my truck shows the impact point.

• Here's a floating barn.

• Not a big deal here, but the water levelseems to be a little low.

• The following is a series of alignment flaws I spotted in the farm road texture portion of the track: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6

• Here's a pic of a bridge you fixed with the most recent version lol. Good catch!

• Ok, here's an example of what I think is some pretty nice blending between texture sets. It's pretty subtle, and it looks nice. Like alignment snafu's it's purely cosmetic, and my guess is that a lot of ppl wouldn't know the difference, maybe wouldn't even care, but what the heck - figured I'd let ya know anyway. Notice the lack of blending between the grass and dirt textures in your track. It's all perfectly linear, which of course, isn't very realistic. Also in that pic I marked spots that are indicative of alignment flaws (visible lines)throughout that section of the track. This is a different area of the track as seen by the map, but here's another example of where there's a lack of blending in between two texture types. At any rate, it's there for your consideration.

• And to finish up all this aligment/blending talk - 1 & 2

• You know, I think I having a change of heart with this pic. As you can see, the barrier isn't quite flush with the ground, but after thinking about it, it looks somewhat realisitic. That one's your call as to whether you adjust it or not. Oh, and I threw in some more alignment markings - know how much you like those lol.

• In a couple spots your barriers are sunken in the ground.

• I think your dock is a little high...that is, unless people have ramps that they use to load and unload stuff lol.

• Your map seems...well, not quite right here.

• Maybe it's just me, but I'm just not sure about the linkage between the end of the course and how it ties into where you actually begin. Why not just take out the ramp, throw in a little more scenery after the current ending location (or not), tighten up the traction on that brigdge, and end it as you begin the downward descent into Paris?

I have a few more things (like 2 or 3...small stuff too) to point out in this newest version, but for now I'm going to call it quits here and get some food lol. Be back in a few.

Thnx Cope, i can start work on it lol. I think most of the things you said are fixable, although i hate texture blending lol. Maybe i'll ask the wife, she's better at those finetuning stuff. I've always been the man with the big hammer lmao.

However, i have one question. I know my map doesn't follow the right course there. But can anybody please tell me how i should do it ? The problem is that i'm at the south side if my grid, and in mtm there are no borders. If you drive off the east side, you'll end up in the west. Same thing happens here. You drive of the south side of the grid, and the came just continues on the north side. however, i can't make a map that looks that way. So if anybody knows how to do it, some info would be nice

>> a portion of the left leg disappears as you drive by it.

That effect is due to the transparent bin being behind another transparent bin (the crowd), and the way they overlap in relation to your viewpoint. I'm not sure what to suggest, it's a bit of an issue with transparent bins (that use a "transparent" face type).


>> A barn that needs to be adjusted.

The roof defines the solidity. Being a building that defines a primary corner it seems worth an extra object box to make it right.


>> blending between texture sets

By way of explanation, track makers need to compromise when the set doesn't do what they need, or to minimize the number of overall textures, <i>and</i> when they're without the ability to make custom textures for transitions. <i><a href=http://mtm2.com/~forum/images/xraidmodelplacement.jpg>For example</a></i>, the Farmroad set has no square cornered switchback style layout, thus the compromise, which boils down to clever use of existing materials at the cost of losing "perfection". I'm sure mumhra is aware of most of these alignment issues but the fact is that in <i>most</i> cases here there isn't much he can do.


>> In a couple spots your barriers are sunken in the ground.

Flat models and terrain that changes in elevation do not mix well, this kind of alignment is a necessary evil seen even in Malibu350 tracks I'd bet. Those barriers are a series of blocks all in one bin, the only way to match each block to the terrain would be to split the bin in many pieces and arrange them one by one, which is prohibitive in this track due to the sheer number of models that would take. Anyway - they're not sunken, the desert sands have blown up over them.





Oh no, the team is going to hate me now.

(that truck is texture-heavy (8x 256x256) in part due to the animated wheels that are appropriate for a moving object)


Great job overall mumhra.

In all likelihood, the crowd was put in the track first, and the tower afterward. If that's the case, you can try taking the crowd model out, save the txx, and close traxx. Now open traxx back up, re-insert the crowd model and hope for the best. I know that sounds like something bill gates would say but in this case it just might work.

Phin Gates wrote:


If that doesn't work it can be made to display correcty with Binedit by making it one model, inserting the transparent bin last. that is how I got ocir to work with the fences around the tower and the grandstands.

I've just uploaded what should be the last version of x-raid to http://users.pandora.be/mumhra/newtrack/x-raidbeta.zip


That is unless someone still finds something awfully wrong, or if master J still finds a short of some sort

The jumps just before and after cp 1 seem artificial and abrupt. Possibly, some smoothing is in order. Also, a few buildings overhang the canal.

You have two slolum type arrangements through those sandstone walls. I am definitely not a fan of extended zig zagging - an elaborate es is about all I have patience for. Then the problem is compounded when the walls don't meet one another sqaurely, and several don't sit flat on the ground. I know terrain can make it tough, and this is more a personal peeve than anything wrong in the track, but I had to mention it anyway.

Lastly, 8GCLC143.RAW and TP8DT00.RAW are sand type. Can we get those switched to dirt type please.

I'll make you a replay in a sec, but you have 2 potential cuts in the area where I was getting those TRI D3D errors. Also, the center fence line in the airport section - after you've rounded thru the hairpin turn, if you get bumped or accidentally hit the fence, you get warped over to the other side. Might consider using a diff model as your divider.

Here ya go. The first one I'd definitely do away with. With the second one I'm not sure if you save any time. If so, it's almost negligible. It might come down to being a situation whereby the risks outweigh the slight savings in time (again, if any) such a cut yields. Your call, partner. Hehe if it were me I'd leave that one in lol.

Was away for the weekend and just got back home, will have a look at it Mum. I'll let ya know if i come out with anything.

Again the short short is beeing use on the way from <a href="http://www.teamslo.net/beta_tracks/Xraidbeta/3/xraidbetashort0to1_B.zip">cp 0 to 1</a>
Only blocking the road where i jump on the train track is not enough. i'd still have <a href="http://www.teamslo.net/beta_tracks/Xraidbeta/3/xraidbeta3short1optionb.zip">this option here</a>.
My suggestion to solve this one easy would be to add a cp here <a href="http://www.teamslo.net/beta_tracks/Xraidbeta/3/cp1suggestion.jpg"><img src="http://www.teamslo.net/beta_tracks/Xraidbeta/3/tn_cp1suggestion.jpg" width="44" height="32" alt="" border="0" align=""></a> This way you'll make it useless to use either the train track of Cope's version of it between the houses.


Minor stuff here but if it can be fix well ya know... hehehe Fences in this portion of the airport should be align to fit as if it was continuous wires <a href="http://www.teamslo.net/beta_tracks/Xraidbeta/3/minoradjustment_airportfences.jpg"><img src="http://www.teamslo.net/beta_tracks/Xraidbeta/3/tn_minoradjustment_airportfences.jpg" width="44" height="32" alt="" border="0" align=""></a>



Using the short displayed in the replay up there, i've done laps around 7:30 to 7:37. With very little practice. I know the beta process represented lots of work and patience but i tell ya, the effort was worthed. This version of xraid is much improve compare to the first version.

I noticed that your Start Finish banners don't quite stretch all the way across the road so I custom made one that will (should) fit much better... It's just one model instead of three so it will be easy to set up and it uses the same textures as the ones you have now so there'll be no need to swap those.

X-Raid-Start-Finish.zip

Thnx a lot guys, i still have a little work lol. Also i noticed some flaws in (especially in the Granada part), and my wife says the colourfull trees don't match, so i'll have to change them to.

I also would like to add other music to it, but i've never done that before. I don't even know what program to use, or maybe the file will become to big. Just a thought that popped in my head this morning when i woke up, but it can be out of my head before it's breakfast time lol

Yeah, if wife says the color dont match, it is well known lol you have to change it heheeh jk i couldn't resist that one.

LOL Jumper, i actually ment that if my wife says that, she is probably right. because she knows so much more of color matching then i (or even most men) do.

I now know how it works at your place, since you've made it obvious that if your wife says something you'll have to do it

(Right back at ya )

If everybody is happy with this one ( http://users.pandora.be/mumhra/newtrack/x-raidbeta.zip
) then all i have to do is write an readme and x-raid is ready to be uploaded to mtmg.

Only Phineus i can't help, because most guys seem to love that zig-zagging (including me), so i'm not planning on taking it out now. I've changed that texture to dirt, hopefully that'll help to

Again i would like to thank everybody who helped me out here. You're help was priceless. And Mal, i think it's great you made a custom model for me, thanx a mill bud.

I now can start work on that smaller track around those villages, but i don't think i will be uploading it very soon. Maybe within 2 months or so.

greeeetttzz

Oops, already found a fault in bridge between finish and start, consider it fixxed

There are still two sections of fence at the end of the airport hairpin turn here.. <a href="http://www.mtmc4fun.com/images/mtmg/fences.jpg"><img src="http://www.mtmc4fun.com/images/mtmg/fencesm.jpg" width="64" height="48" border="0"></a> that need to be flipped around 180º.

YW on the model, I would have done it sooner but last night was the first chance I had to test run your track.

Hehe yeah, saw that - took a pic too, but since you have it fixed already... Still, why is that bridge so slippery?

Ok here are the only things I saw:

• Maybe it's just me, but blending flaws like the ones below tend to jump out at me. Linear transitions really detract from the track's natural look. That's just my opinion, of course. To others it's probably nothing. But hey, that's for you to decide, isn't it.

- One
- Two
- Three


• I understand the thing about the barriers being one complete unit, however, the ones by checkpoint 11 seem to be really off, slanted. Might be worth taking a look at those.

Finally, here's another shorcut I found. Appears to be a slight (ever so slight) opening in crowd model that will be exploited if not corrected.

That's it for me.