MTM2.com

http://www.mtm2.com/~tracks/dl.cgi?dl=4380

Hey everyone. This is my first attempt at track making. I knew what I had in mind when creating this, and so far I am pretty happy with it. I wanted a track that was 2 in a half to 3 min track, but when i got my ideas laid down, its more of a under 4 minute track, making it more of a rally than a circuit race.

There are some thing about this track in it's current state:

1. It only has a base texture from Kc's Backyard, wich is not a good base texture as it is more of a transisition texture, creating a seam....

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/ ... reSeam.jpg

Although it's pretty irrivent at this point, because textures still needed to be added.

2. Computer trucks course is not set yet.

3. Railings or berricades need to be added were there is no good recovery point(s)....

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/ ... iling1.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/ ... iling2.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/ ... iling3.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/ ... ining4.jpg

4. The checkpoint markers may not be the ones in the final pod.

5. I don't really consider this a true Beta, as more of a pre-alpha preview kind of thing.

Now, being a noob at all of this, I realized that I should have laid textures first then go from there, but when I got so far along, I did'nt want to throw away all Ive worked hard at. My question is, Am I better off starting over with this, starting with textures first, or is this track salvageable?

In running this after setting some Cp's I found that there is a cut from 4 to 5 that will either be eliminated, or made harder to make the cut, thus not really making this a shortcut.

I guess I'm at kind of a loss as to what to do with this track texture-wise, and if it's even possible to lay seamless textures on terrian that has already been set. I am wanting to know what you guys think about this. If you guys don't deem it able to place textures without all kinds of headaches. I can start over, or just scrap this project and start a new one. But I wanted to get this track off the ground so to speek, as I have been sitting on it for a while now, but am now realizing my error may have cost me.......

MaX, have you ever considered knitting as a hobby . . . or maybe checkers? I mean, as opposed to track making? LOL hey man, I think this is the same track you showed me last year when I was at your place - looks like it, anyway.

I'll have a look-see in a few hours. As for your question about this endeavor being worth your while with respect to pressing on vs starting anew, I can't imagine that it's in that bad a shape. I guess one of the questions you have to answer for yourself is if there are things that can't be fixed, will you be happy with it once it's a wrap?

Hey Max. By the pictures I'd say some candy would
bring your track to life. Cactus bushes and buildings
or what not's. I believe thats the one you showed me
and Ashes a while back aint it? If so, glad you
have gone on with the project.

MaX,

First things first, there is never a need to scrap something and go back to the beginning. Never.

Next, you have made no mistakes. When you put the road textures in is entirely up to you. You can wait until the very last minute if you like. In fact, MoNkEyBrNz' rockhouse raceway started out exactly this same way... which reminds me, I should put a marker beside that one some day...

Oh yeah, and deja vu sat for years with everything done except the textures.... so you're on pretty safe ground.

In truth, what charles says in correct. However, you should not put models in until you are sure you will never alter anything else in the terrain.... or else you will have alignment problems to no end.

As for textures, if you like the desert look, I suggest either the set you've used (only properly, lol), deadman's gulch, or tecate. All of them should look fine here.

If you are having trouble, for one reason or another, about the textures...I'm sure somebody around here can do those up for you in short order. They are small beans and can be done in no time at all.

Now that I've run the track.... yeah, you can't go back now. If you don't finish it, somebody else will

LOL, Im sure once I start trying to lay textures, i might start making candles instead, lol.






Yes, and Yes, hehe. I've been sitting on this track for so long, my butt has the shape of my terrain permanatley imprinted,lol.



Phew, thats good to hear that I hav'nt really screwed up...yet.



I found that out when setting CP markers, I changed the terrain a bit so the model would sit flat, and in turn almost buried it alive lol. I put a few models in just to get the hang of placing them. a few if the models are staying. The Traxx, NIR, and MTMG billboards are all staying put, as they mean something to this track. And the bridge is staying also, as a recovery point over the gap. I don't plan on having much for models, just various trees( mainly dead ones), cacticus,dead bushes, barbed wire fence, a few boulders, and thats about it. You are right on the money by a desert theme. And Im really leaining twards the KC's backyard textures( as I have thrown a few of them on the track, and liked what I saw, the only thing I would maybe leave out is the road textures, as some of the driving areas are wide, and I dont thing having 2 64 by 64 road textures on such a wide area would really apply), Ive also thought about the Tegate textures as well, (and the Deadman's Gulch textures would look good too).

As for checkpoints, yea, I don't think they fit at all on this track, and will not be the ones I use. I just threw them in so yall would know the CP boundries, and it gave me a good chance to play with model placement.

The cut between 4 and 5 is definately going out the door, it kinna wrecks that part of the track your cutting off.

Ive been tossing the idea around for some time (long before I upped this beta) about taking the ramp down, and the landing pad going to cp 3, were the paths cross, as it really kills speed...

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/ ... pToCP3.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/ ... pToCP3.jpg

...and making the other part of the crossover going to cp 7 lower, as well, as it kills speed....

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/ ... pToCP7.jpg

What do you guys think, yay or nay?

Anyhoo, thanks for the imput so far guys, I appraicate it.

Sounds like you're on the right track Max. It looks pretty good, but a little nip here & a tuck there will definately help.

You know, when I ran this baby at your place I didn't really get a good feel for it, and I think it's because I was so distracted by the atmosphere (your wheel, your desk, monitor position, etc) that I couldn't focus on the track; I was too busy just trying to stay on all four tires lol. Well, I took it for a spin this morning (by myself at first, then with Scrooch . . . which was a mistake lol), and I gotta tell ya, Wint is pretty much on the mark-- it's a heck of a layout, man. Sure, there are tweaks and adjustements forthcoming, but this will be a fun one for sure! Oh, and Jump will love it - it's exactly the kind of rally he likes.

As for the ramp/landing pad issue, I don't know . . . I kinda think it's fine. It needs some minor adjustments maybe to smooth out the landing, although if you take it more to the right it's smoother, but otherwise it's fine. But if it really grates on ya, well hey - experiment with something else. Overall the flow of the track works as is, but that's not to say you can't improve upon what you have.

Scrooch crashed into this model here. I was behind him at the time, so I witnessed the whole thing lol. His little mishap made me notice that the collision properties are slightly off, so in your spare time you might wanna adjust that . . . make a note of it or something.

Other than that it's looking dang good, bud!!

While driving this track it reminded me of SLO_Dunes (i think). Maybe it's because of the texture used / layout. If I start to compare this to Dunes I think the layout is more exciting but Dunes looks much more smoothener. I took some pictures of what to improve but when I checked this thread I saw you already took pictures of the same areas. You suggest to put stuff there which prevents you to fall of. What I had in mind is just to make the sides of the road much more going smooth downwards and make it a bit easier to drive back up there. Looking forward to your improvemts and hope that won't take a year or so to see

Ow yeah. And that lack of a SLO Billboard. Costs you points man. Many points.

Update: I decided to use Deadman's Gulch textures on this, and it looks really good, and gives a desert-like feel. And they are in place. I got most of the fencing in were there is bad recovery points. Im in the process of doing away with the stock mtm checkboxes, as Im not getting out of them what I need, and replacing them with object boxes. I have been debating on what to use for Cp markers for a good long time now, and Ive come to peace with myself with using Treasure Bay markers, affixed to assorted trees. (as the CP signs give me the look Im going for.) In short, this should be ready for an actual beta within a week or so, depending on how much time I spend catering to others, (Im a very giving kinna guy). But I have to ask, is it a good thing to re-name textures-models even though they are from scrapyards, so that if podded with other tracks of the like, with the same models, ect, wont come into play?

If you do not change the models, then you can leave them be. But if you alter them in any way shape size or form, then you "must" rename them.

Ok, I have an estediks (SP?) question for you guys. Should I place the CP sign to be parellel to the tree its attached to, or have it so you can read it properly as in this picture. To me, I like it the way it is, and it seems proper when reading it, but what do you think?

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/ ... csSign.jpg

My opinion is that you go with it as is.

I have no problem either way, but what's the rock floating in the sky for?

Hehe I saw that too, but figured I'd wait til I see the track. Maybe it could be connected to something we can't see . . . off on the left side, I mean. So what's the scoop, MaX?

Prob'ly just a magritte imitation

Hey Max, have you upladed the new beta here yet? I'd like to check it out. So far it looks pretty challenging.

The rock is attached to the left side of the mound, you can see it better when your more by the CP, it's just a rock overhang that you drive under, I need to bring the terrain to it more so it don't look like its floating.


The actuall beta has not been uploaded SCAT, Im still working on re-setting some of the CPs, and fences before I upolad it again for more testing.

Well guys, Im just sick right now. Ive worked for over a year on this track off and on, and Ive really pregressed with it, but one slip of the keyboard when writing the pod, (I presume that I bumped the ESC button while trying to write the pod, and POOF!!! I got an error tryng to save the pod. And I went to look at my txx file, and it said 0KB! Now I know I'm a grown man and all, but I could just about cry right now lol. I do however still have the pod that I had all my changes in before the accident. Is it possible to open Traxx, and view my pod, and clone it to get a new txx file?

No, but you can "extract" the pod using a pod extractor, then click File>>Clone Tracked Track (do this part in traxx), and browse to the WORLD directory where you extracted the track. Double-click the file in it (first eight letters of your track name), and the track appears. SAVE IT!