Forum Postings 2001 February

http://www.mircx.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?forum=Tracked

collected and (very little) formatted by addie walti


Threads

The start of a thread is on top right below the title

Convert GP2--GP3 (taking custom tracks as base for own work)
Inserting ribbons
Cmagic Format
cmagic computer car setup
How do you make ribbons go round the corner

CRASH (of TE after inserting new JAMs)
Tips Converting GP2 Tracks to GP3 ones
Converting GP3 Tracks Hardware to Software
cars bleed through walls
freeze of TE 2.0.18 when doubleclicking cmd 0xe9

CMagic and the bump table?
Another problem with Adelaide...
texture mapping question


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Index

Convert GP2--GP3 (taking custom tracks as base for own work)

Posted by Ruud Weesing from 24.132.110.217:

To trackmakers.
What to do with the GP2 tracks, when the maker writes in the GP2 form: "the track may be spread, if there's no commercial interest and so on"
We can simple convert many track's into GP3. Is this allowed for "home" use only, or can these track's be spread on the internet? The track's are CHANGED! Altough there is no scenery, you can race on it. But it is still the work of another builder..
(Remember the Zandvoort convertion from Martijn's track I did in the past.) (:-
I think there must be a discossion about this topic. Many times people ask me, send this track or that. What must I do, and what are the rules...?
Must I include the GP2 form or leave the track unknown?
Regards
Ruud

Posted by Dieter C. Serowy from 172.149.17.127:

Hello Ruud,

I think that there can be only one answer to your question: If you are
going to convert a gp2-track, ask for permission BEFORE you publish it in any way.
Please remember that some else might have spent weeks - or even longer - to create the gp2-circuit you are using
as a base for the gp3-track you got from converting. Most of the guys here are
very kind and helpful, just get in touch with the one who created the track you
want to publish as gp3-version. If he agrees everything is fine. And if not -
please respect the decision.

Posted by alfa from 203.12.210.18:

How about this for a better answer:
Once the GP2 track is converted to GP3, spend a week or two on it fine tuning the textures, objects and scenery etc, so that firstly it is a better track, and secondly so that you can properly let people know that it is your track based apon the GP2 track of the original author.

Posted by Ruud Weesing from 24.132.110.217:

Thank you both for the reply!
I will ask permission first. It's fun and I have a lot to e-mail because there more than 250 track's availeble. Most of them are easy to convert. If I can add the scenery I contact the maker anyway, he did the work and I have respect of those guy's who made GP2 and GP3 much more fun the play!

Ruud


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Inserting ribbons

Posted by Andrew Smart from 195.92.168.164:

Please help. I am trying to insert ribbons onto my track and i am currently unsuccesful. I can insert a pair of swivel arms and a scenery structure. But i do not know how to get the scenery structure to go on my track where i want it to. When i inserted one last time it was all over track. Please help!

Thanks Andy

Posted by Augusto Dewey from 24.232.1.222:

It is hard to explain how to do that, please read the scenary tutorial, and take a close look at the original or some of the new good tracks. I know it is not a great help, but it is a hard point for track editing, so be ready to spend some hours (or days) for this

Posted by addie from 194.191.82.27:

andrew

maybe my testtrack is of some help for you:
http://www.grandprix3.ch/TEIC/testtrck.zip

its completely stripped and IIRC even features some very basic scenery section. however you could start then on a straight section with controlled switching on and off of ribbons by the help of cmds 0xea and 0xeb etc.
i guess you already noticed the scenery-dialog-box of the TE also lets you set the ribbons with the mouse (instead of inserting figures) ?!

i hope it helps
addie


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Cmagic Format

Posted by Retromancer from 38.28.129.223:

So values in the .md files are for CC setups, track grip, drag, etc?

Posted by Marc from 62.59.140.50:

isn't the .md file a plain text file, with descriptions to what every line means?

Posted by Slick from 195.121.116.125:

Yep!!! :)

Use Cmagic to put .exe-data in your trackfile like it was with Gp2.

Marcel

Posted by Retromancer from 38.28.131.175:

Oops, weird typo! I meant to ask WHICH values are for CC setups, etc. :) I just get a textfile with a bunch of numbers, no descriptions.

Posted by Marc from 194.134.217.120:

you should put the cmagic.ini file from the zip you downloaded in the same dir as where you put cmagic.exe. that way it will pick up the descriptions from that ini file and put them in an .md file.


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cmagic computer car setup

Posted by dld from 63.205.185.77:

I'm not a track maker, nor do I aspire to be one but I am wondering how to change the computer car data. I'd like to speed up the computer cars a bit on the faster tracks and at Matti's Indy track since I typically use a very low downforce set up at these tracks. I want to make it tougher for me to rapidly pass the CC's. I assume the list below is front wing, rear wing, followed by the gears but i can't seem to figure out how to get the numbers to mean anything.

Anyone have the quick answer for what scale these numbers represent or how to determine what the number correspond to within the game (i.e.: 159 = 9 in the game for front wing, etc.)

Thanks in advance.

[gp3 magic file]

159 ; fw
157 ; rw
178 ; 1st
185 ; 2nd
192 ; 3rd
199 ; 4th
205 ; 5th
211 ; 6th

Posted by Speedee from 202.22.161.130:

Try using GP3 Master to edit these values, patch the exe, then look at the data pulled from the exe by Cmagic to see the difference.
I imagine the higher the number, the more downforce (higher gear) you get.
Yes the descriptions are a bit vague, but your'e right fw=Front Wing rw=Rear Wing.

Speedee

Posted by SDI from 194.109.169.75:

Subtract 151 from these values. Maybe Marc can do that in CMagic already in a next version?

Posted by Marc from 213.196.15.10:

of course i can do that, but i won't. the reason i left the values like they are, is that this is the way they appear in gp3.exe and i didn't want to start translating all that stuff.


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How do you make ribbons go round the corner

Posted by Andrew from 64.12.104.169:

?

Posted by Speedee from 202.22.161.130:

You really should read the Tutorials at http://www.grandprix3.ch/TEIC/index.html

The quick answer is: Place Swivel Arms throughout the corner.
General Rule is: Place Scenery Arms (Swivel Arms) wherever the scenery changes or goes around a corner.

Speedee

Posted by addie from 194.191.82.27:

also be sure to have noticed the cmd0xba and the difference between cmds 0xc0/c1 vs 0xaf ...


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CRASH (of TE after inserting new JAMs)

Posted by Kev from 213.1.178.188:

TE Has been running fine for some time and i can remember the fist crashes with pitlane,road signs etc,but I have just started to get an error when i try to change the texture of a fence left or right.The program just crashes out to windows. any one ?????

Posted by Speedee from 202.22.161.130:

Check that your jam files are correct, ie. Hardware ones in Hardware Directory, Software ones in Software Directory.
Don't know if that's what it is, but thats my best quess.

Speedee

Posted by addie from 194.191.82.27:

in the trackfile you always have to insert (only) the software-version of your jams (even if you dont have them). gp3 itself adds the big H in the path if it looks for the hardware-jams later. and the TE does not handle the hardware-jams (and there is no need to do so). actually TE crashes when trying to read a hardware-jam which is listed in the list of jams.

addie


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Tips Converting GP2 Tracks to GP3 ones

Posted by vroom from 192.193.210.39:

Hi guys,
Is there someone who can give me some infos on how to convert GP2 track to GP3 ones.
Thanks a lot......

Posted by Ruud Weesing from 24.132.110.217:

The simple way I did..
Download Paul's TE
Register (;-
Open a basic GP3 track.
Open a GP2 track with the GP2 button.
A window pops up, just click ok. (I think you can change a lot, but I just click ok.)
Save as F1ct01.dat (F1ctxx.dat) and there you go.
Not all the convertings works, but most do. The cars may ride over the grass this will cause many accidents. CC-line is not alway's correct. I don't know how it is with fuel and laps, but it is fun to do.
Use them for yourself or ask the builders for permission to spread. Scratch behind your ear and try to make the scenery. (I just scratch..)
(:--
Regards

Ruud

Posted by Ruud Weesing from 24.132.110.217:

BTW: Start GP3 from the GPxPatch !!!

Ruud

Posted by vroom from 195.3.37.72:

Thanks Ruud for your explanations....


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Converting GP3 Tracks Hardware to Software

Posted by vroom from 192.193.210.39:

Hello,
It's me again. As I cannot use Hardware mode on my Pc I was wondering how I can convert track datas (dat files+sceneries) from Hardware to Software
Thanks for your help

Posted by Speedee from 202.22.161.130:

Use the Hardware Jam Editor to export the bitmaps.
Export the same image from the same software jam (if exists).
Copy part of the Hardware image and paste over the software ones (note: transparent colours may not be correctly transfered between palettes).
Save the Software Jam & you're in business.

Hope this helps...

Speedee


cars bleed through walls

Posted by Shorty from 202.139.12.70:

Hi.

I'm currently just about finished the Adelaide F1 street circuit (some pics here
http://www.capri.net.au/~shorty52/adelaidegp3.htm).

But I have 2 spots (around a 90degree corner and pit entrance) where the walls are transparent and you can see the cars through them. I've tried different view distances to no avail. Any ideas?

Also is there a command I can use to make the bank around some parts tarmac textured, some parts grass textured as it is in Adelaide?

Thanks.

Posted by addie from 194.191.82.27:

hey shorty

what great news, the adelaide f1 track will be available for gp3 ! and the screenshots look very good to me !

i guess the cmd you need for the (first) problem you mentioned is 0xd0. you could give it a try with having one of them in every other tracksegment (please not the difference between segment and sector; see glossary in cmdlib) and with a2=-1 and a3=1. having those cmds applied like this cures several types of gfx-problems, but unfortunately they also load the cpu.

as for having tarmac or grass or adverts on the bank or anywhere you want, simply use 0xe9. its the same cmd for all locations of type C (see again cmd lib for explanations)

i hope its useful
addie

http://www.grandprix3.ch/TEIC/index.html


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freeze of TE 2.0.18 when doubleclicking cmd 0xe9

Posted by Leo from 130.161.18.62:

I read Paul Hoad's story about the amount of e-mails he receives, so I thought this forum might be a better place to post my problem.
I recently downloaded TE 2.0.18 and started editing. I created a track lay-out without problems. Then I started thinking about scenery, and that's where trouble started.

Everytime I double-click a 0xe9 (Texture mapping) command in the track-tree TE crashes to the desktop. I tried this with many original GP3 tracks and with many different 0xe9 commands. The result is always the same. I do not have problems editing other track commands (like swivel arms, view distances, etc).

Anyone around here with the same problem? Or even better, a solution?

Posted by Flo from 62.158.65.120:

Yes, I've the same problem. I though that it's my mistake, but it now seems to be a TE bug.

Posted by Leo from 130.161.18.62:

Since 2.0.18 was the GP3 TE I downloaded, I can't compare with older versions. Do those have the same problem?

Posted by Sandro (Eddie99) from 195.24.94.217:

Wich graphic card is installed in your system?

Posted by Leo from 130.161.18.62:

An ATI Rage Pro - I'm in packard-Hell... :-(
As I said, other TE functions work fine. GP3 also, albeit in software mode only.

Posted by Sandro (Eddie99) from 195.24.87.72:

As I meaned!
With Ati Cards we will have this kind of problems!
You just have to install older driver for the ATI card for to work without problems with TE and Careditor.
I've experienced the same probs.
My card: ATI Rage Pro also.
I play all the games with the nevest driver and work with TE and Careditor with older. ;)

Posted by Augusto Dewey from 24.232.1.222:

Do you have the software jams of the track? I think that is the problem, as the track editor reads the software jams and not the hardware jams, they cant read the textures in 0xe9, try editing an original track and there will be no problem, if you are editing over for example Matti track, you will have the crash. If you still have the problem, well..., it is a bug yes...

Posted by addie from 194.191.82.27:

instead of doubleclicking the cmd 0xe9, you also could simply select it, and then editi its parameters in the property box ...

does the jamindex in the helpmenu work (in the installation where cmd 0xe9 does not work) ?

Posted by Leo from 130.161.18.53:

Sandro: I still use the original drivers I got with the computer, which is now almost 3 years old.

Augusto: the problems occurs in ALL tracks, both the originals and the newly created.

Addie: for some reason I always have the properties box closed... I'll try if that works. I'll also check if the jamindex works, I hadn't noticed that function yet.

Posted by Sandro (Eddie99) from 195.24.95.209:

They should be ver:
W98_r128_4_12_6269
Can you check this and let me know?
I could then try to send you them (ca. 3.8 MB).

Posted by Sandro (Eddie99) from 195.24.95.209:

Sorry, I've forgotten,
but if you don't are in possess of Windows98,
if it's Win95 then try to download newest driver for win95 from http://www.Ati.com/

Posted by Leo from 130.161.18.68:

Addie: I think you may have the answer. The Jamindex works fine, but it says "failed to load" with every jam-file. So it seems TE does not load the jams into memory. Why not?? Is this is the cause that TE crashes when I try to open a 0xe9 command?
I checked this with the original tracks, none of them loads the jams.

Posted by addie from 194.191.82.27:

looks to me like you missed to setup the path to your gp3 installation in the TE ?! (menu option / gp3.exe location)

Posted by Leo from 130.161.18.68:

Would it be that simple? Indeed I didn't set the GP3.exe path. That's not too smart, I guess. Thanks for the help (and sorry for wasting your time).

Posted by addie from 194.191.82.27:

hm
i just checked in my NT system. removed the gp3.exe path, doubleclicked a cmd 0xe9 in a track and BANG !
so this really could be a reason for the problem you dsecribed in the beginning of this thread.
shit happens :)


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CMagic and the bump table?

Posted by Matrox from 142.169.150.181:

I need some explications about how to insert the magic data in a trackfile, like the bump table? I ask you it, because I want to have the 2001 calendar with GPxLap.

Posted by addie from 194.191.82.27:

you have to edit a magic-data file and then use cmagic of marc aarts to insert this data into the trackfile you want.

if you read the documentation with cmagic you should get the idea.

the bump-table is there to set the "micro-bumpyness" of a track. those bumps you normally dont notice when driving, but you should be able to see them in the telemetry data. however you set the data by giving pairs of DFS and bumpvalue. the DFS gives the point where the new bumpvalue starts. the new bumpvalue is valid until the next change. so the last entry in the bumptable is valid for the rest of the track. obviously the DFS have to be sorted (climbing). BEWARE: the DFS of the last entry HAS to be smaller than the length of the track.

i hope its useful


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Another problem with Adelaide...

Posted by Shorty from 203.166.245.61:

Hi,

Thanks for your help on the last question Addie. Still couldn't fix no matter how many 0xd0's I put in. It's not a huge problem we'll just have to live with for now.
I have put up a couple of screenshots of the problem.
http://www.chariot.net.au/~shorty52/gpx_0013.jpg
http://www.chariot.net.au/~shorty52/gpx_0015.jpg

Anyway on a more serious problem (that I knew about a while ago but couldn't fix). The track is too fast. Adelaide has a track record of at best 1.14 or so but on Ace the CC cars are lapping at 1.09 and I can't work out where the speed is coming from.

It's absolutely identical to the orginal GP2 track. All corners same angle, length, everything. Some parts are slighter wider because I was having trouble with the CC line. If I make them thinner I think I'd have to redo the entire line which I don't want to do.

Any ideas?

Shorty

Posted by addie from 194.191.82.27:

as for the timing problem:

you could set the laptimes by the help of the “magic-data”. a track including magic-data runned with gpXpatch of SDI also considers custom timing.

have a look at cmagic and its documentation of marc aarts. watch out for the “timing factor”-parameters.

gpXpatch and cmagic are great tools to make tracks and gameplay even better

Posted by addie from 194.191.82.27:

shorty

just to be sure:
you inserted the cmds 0xd0 in the track where the "bleeding through" cars are instead of where the viewer is ?

in particular: in shot 13 the cmds 0xd0 were in the section AFTER the corner ?

addie


Index

texture mapping question

Posted by Kev C from 194.207.89.139:

Can you enter a text fence (5) command that will repeat the placement of fence textures in each next track section till you tell it to stop.So that you do not run out of command space ?.
Thanks Kev C

Posted by addie from 194.191.82.27:

hello kev

sure you can. you enter how long the mapping should be. and you enter how many times the texture should be repeated within that length.

or did i miss your point?
addie

Posted by Kec C from 194.207.89.147:

Thanks you are correct.But being a bit new to this,and i am at work at the moment where do you put the length and is it done in track length or sections of ?
Thanks Kev C

Posted by addie from 194.191.82.27:

this is what the command-library says:

========
0xe9 Texture Mapping, 10 args

GP3 version of GP2 cmd 0xbc. though slightly different arguments.

a1: Offset Into Sector
a2: Loc Code Type C
a3: Length per Texture (kind of repetition)
a4: Texture id
a5: Horizontal Repetition
a6: Vertical Resolution; (regular setting: 16; gives full texture)
a7: Vertical Shift (commonly 0)
a8: Rotation (common values to avoid distortions 0°: 3; 90°: 19; 180°: 35; 270°: 51; etc.)
a9: Length Of Mapping
a10: Horizontal Shift (commonly 0; see e.g. f1ct11.dat for non-zero applications)
=======

with a1 you give the offset of the mapping to the start of the tracksector and with a9 the length of the mapping. with a3 and a5 you can define the repetition. either you set a3 equal a9 and give the desired repetition in a5. or you set a5 to 1 and insert the desired length per single texture in a3. if you divide a9 with a3 you again get the number of repetition. say you have a length of 30 and a a3 of 3 you get 10 repetitions. (but now nobody dare to ask why we have two ways of defining the repetition :)

notes:
- the length units are the common track length units as used with tracksector lengths (1 unit equals 16feet equals 4.8something meters)
-the whole space where you want to map HAS to be switched on (e.g. with ribbons) else the mapping wont show up at all. say you have a fence for the next 30 length units, then you have “removed” fences. if you map a length of 31 units, the texture wont show up.
- the commandlib and other documentation could be found a.o. @http://www.grandprix3.ch/TEIC/index.html

i hope its useful
addie

Posted by John Verheijen from 213.17.86.114:

You also can read the 0xe9 tutorial on Paul's TE site :-)

John

Posted by Kev C from 194.207.89.146:

Thanks very much to you all
Kev C






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