List of some tutorials
Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:02 pm
Here are the track making tutorials that have been made for MX Simulator. Read them carefully. If you still don't understand, go to the link under the tutorial (the ASK QUESTIONS HERE link)
Index:
PAGE 1
1) Adding decals to your track
2) Making a displacement map in photoshop
3) Creating custom objects
4) Importing custom objects
5) General Track Making
6) Adding reflections to objects
7) Making a Seamless Skybox
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ADDING DECALS TO YOUR TRACK
By ddmx488
Here I will try to shed some light on putting decals onto a track that you have made.
1. First you need to prepare your decal, here are some things you should consider when making a decal.
a. All of the decals on the riding area of the track should be sized at 1024 x 1024.
b. Make sure to feather around the outside of you decals and maybe use a unique eraser brush also so the decals blend as naturally as possible.
c. The game using a system of decal layering which enables you to overlay many different decals over your main dirt, use this to your advantage by first seeing what it would look like in ps by setting the blending mode to, I think multiply, and then reducing the opacity.
[1205.419922 1390.443848] 2.102539 40.000000 1.000000 @redbud08/ontrack.png
[1205.419922 1390.443848] 2.102539 40.000000 1.000000 @redbud08/rutoverlay.png
The rut overlay would be on top of the ontrack if the decals were to be placed in this order in the decals file.
d. Off track decals do not need to be quite as detailed since the rider is not in contact with them most of the time.
e. The palette size in photoshop does not correspond to the size of the decal in game.
2. Consider this line of code found in the decals file within your track folder, open the decals file by right clicking and selecting "open" and then choosing to open with "wordpad".
[1205.419922 1390.443848] 2.102539 40.000000 1.000000
@redbud08/ontrack.png
and also the values within terrain.hf
9 2.000000 -26.217482 336.209473
3. The numbers in the decal file explained:
[1205.419922 1390.443848]: This is the location of a particular decal on your track with the coordinates [x y]. Decals do not need to be placed all by hand though as they can be placed within the editor scotch free. As a rule of thumb, the first
decal can be placed at [1000.000000 1000.000000].
2.102539: This is the rotation of a particular decal. 0.000000 is a fine rotation for adding a new decal to your decals file and the rotation can be easily adjusted in game.
40.000000: This is the size of the decal in feet. Also consider the terrain.hf value of 2.000000. If that value was less than 2 for instance, then the size of the decal at 40.000000 would not be forty feet any more in game. The size of the decal
compared to the rider would be greater. Likewise for a number greater than 2.000000
1.000000: This is the aspect ratio of the decal. As far as this goes I have never changed this value and therefore don't know what it does, but it has never affected my decals in game so I don't ever change it.
@redbud08/ontrack.png: This represents the name of the track folder in your personal folder EXACTLY, and the name of your decal within your track folder EXACTLY and a .png file extension. Files must be .png. Failure to name anything in this
line the same as it is in your personal folder and track folder will mean that your decal will not show up in game. When naming your track folder, as always, make sure that it does not have spaces in it. A folder name "red bud 08" for instance
would not be acceptable to the game. The use of "desc" for track naming purposes is highly advised.
4. Once in game there are several choices for placing decals, those are:
Flow: Systematically places the decals at the interval specified following one another. As you drag the mouse they will follow.
Flow 2: Same as flow for all I can tell?
Uphill: Use this option when placing decals on jump faces or uphill areas for instance.
Copy: This option copies the rotation of the "target" decal when placing more of the same style.
Random: This option allows the random generation of rotation when placing more of the "target" decal.
Spacing: This is the amount of space between decals when placed using Flow or Flow2. Just experiment with these values to find the distance that you like best.
5. Putting your decal in game:
This step could be achieved with a little brain power and the information above but I will shed light one more time.
1. Open up the decals file in your track folder with wordpad.
2. Scroll to the very bottom of the decals list and then type the line of code for the new decal, (you should not have to hit enter to space down to a new line in the middle of your new decal code).
3. As always, make sure there is an empty space after the last line of written code. Make sure to save and your golden.
This information is here to help you, but it can only do so much. A creative mind and this high detail system leave unbounded possibilities as far as the level of a tracks detail. When used right we have seen much potential in this system. Lastly, experiment! Chances are you won't get it right and through testing and more testing your results will only get better. If you have decal making tips then post them and I will add them to this post.
ddmx
ASK QUESTIONS HERE: http://mxsimulator.com/benchracing3/vie ... f=2&t=1141
Index:
PAGE 1
1) Adding decals to your track
2) Making a displacement map in photoshop
3) Creating custom objects
4) Importing custom objects
5) General Track Making
6) Adding reflections to objects
7) Making a Seamless Skybox
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ADDING DECALS TO YOUR TRACK
By ddmx488
Here I will try to shed some light on putting decals onto a track that you have made.
1. First you need to prepare your decal, here are some things you should consider when making a decal.
a. All of the decals on the riding area of the track should be sized at 1024 x 1024.
b. Make sure to feather around the outside of you decals and maybe use a unique eraser brush also so the decals blend as naturally as possible.
c. The game using a system of decal layering which enables you to overlay many different decals over your main dirt, use this to your advantage by first seeing what it would look like in ps by setting the blending mode to, I think multiply, and then reducing the opacity.
[1205.419922 1390.443848] 2.102539 40.000000 1.000000 @redbud08/ontrack.png
[1205.419922 1390.443848] 2.102539 40.000000 1.000000 @redbud08/rutoverlay.png
The rut overlay would be on top of the ontrack if the decals were to be placed in this order in the decals file.
d. Off track decals do not need to be quite as detailed since the rider is not in contact with them most of the time.
e. The palette size in photoshop does not correspond to the size of the decal in game.
2. Consider this line of code found in the decals file within your track folder, open the decals file by right clicking and selecting "open" and then choosing to open with "wordpad".
[1205.419922 1390.443848] 2.102539 40.000000 1.000000
@redbud08/ontrack.png
and also the values within terrain.hf
9 2.000000 -26.217482 336.209473
3. The numbers in the decal file explained:
[1205.419922 1390.443848]: This is the location of a particular decal on your track with the coordinates [x y]. Decals do not need to be placed all by hand though as they can be placed within the editor scotch free. As a rule of thumb, the first
decal can be placed at [1000.000000 1000.000000].
2.102539: This is the rotation of a particular decal. 0.000000 is a fine rotation for adding a new decal to your decals file and the rotation can be easily adjusted in game.
40.000000: This is the size of the decal in feet. Also consider the terrain.hf value of 2.000000. If that value was less than 2 for instance, then the size of the decal at 40.000000 would not be forty feet any more in game. The size of the decal
compared to the rider would be greater. Likewise for a number greater than 2.000000
1.000000: This is the aspect ratio of the decal. As far as this goes I have never changed this value and therefore don't know what it does, but it has never affected my decals in game so I don't ever change it.
@redbud08/ontrack.png: This represents the name of the track folder in your personal folder EXACTLY, and the name of your decal within your track folder EXACTLY and a .png file extension. Files must be .png. Failure to name anything in this
line the same as it is in your personal folder and track folder will mean that your decal will not show up in game. When naming your track folder, as always, make sure that it does not have spaces in it. A folder name "red bud 08" for instance
would not be acceptable to the game. The use of "desc" for track naming purposes is highly advised.
4. Once in game there are several choices for placing decals, those are:
Flow: Systematically places the decals at the interval specified following one another. As you drag the mouse they will follow.
Flow 2: Same as flow for all I can tell?
Uphill: Use this option when placing decals on jump faces or uphill areas for instance.
Copy: This option copies the rotation of the "target" decal when placing more of the same style.
Random: This option allows the random generation of rotation when placing more of the "target" decal.
Spacing: This is the amount of space between decals when placed using Flow or Flow2. Just experiment with these values to find the distance that you like best.
5. Putting your decal in game:
This step could be achieved with a little brain power and the information above but I will shed light one more time.
1. Open up the decals file in your track folder with wordpad.
2. Scroll to the very bottom of the decals list and then type the line of code for the new decal, (you should not have to hit enter to space down to a new line in the middle of your new decal code).
3. As always, make sure there is an empty space after the last line of written code. Make sure to save and your golden.
This information is here to help you, but it can only do so much. A creative mind and this high detail system leave unbounded possibilities as far as the level of a tracks detail. When used right we have seen much potential in this system. Lastly, experiment! Chances are you won't get it right and through testing and more testing your results will only get better. If you have decal making tips then post them and I will add them to this post.
ddmx
ASK QUESTIONS HERE: http://mxsimulator.com/benchracing3/vie ... f=2&t=1141