TRACK EDITING 101 Chas Bornemann BB&B Sim Cyberworld http://www.simracing.com/simcyberworld/ This help file will explain some basic concepts about track editing and track design. Hopefully, after reading this you will be able to understand the very basics of successful editing. This file is written to cover the use of existing tracks only from Papyrus. Please note that this document is designed for beginners. No plans exist to cover more advanced topics in a future edition. Contents: Tools Needed, what they are and where they are. Track Design Getting the Base Track Setup Base coloring of 3do's Moving Objects How do I know what mip is used with what 3do? Doing Track Graphics Making AI for the track Building a installer TOOLS NEEDED: The tools needed for a successful edit are: 1) A pack/unpack routine like WinDat or Dat/Undat 2) Banking Editor by Chas Bornemann 3) 3doEdit by Dave Noonan 4) WinMip by Klaus Hoorbrand 5) LP Edit from Robert Sziskuo Each of these utilities makes editing much easier, but if used incorrectly can produce some strange results. Let's take a look at each of the tools once and where to get them. 1) Pack/Unpack - There are 4 or so different pack/unpack programs now available. The old standard is the pack/unpack program by Corey Ruckheim and is available from Sim Cyberworld in the Track Editing Utilities section. Dat/Undat is a DOS based program designed for those that do serious editing and was written by Marcello Bassino for BB&B. It is also available in the Track Editing Utilities Section at SC. The two most recent programs are a pack/unpack program from Mark Turner (available at both The Pits and Sim Cyberworld) and WinDat from Chas Bornemann (available at Sim Cyberworld). Mark's program is very nice and nice to use for installers. My program is an updated version of Dat/Undat from Marcello and designed for those that do serious editing work. WinDat is not designed for use with installers. 2) Banking Editor is a program that automatically adjusts the banking of the track as well as the camera heights. The most recent version also adjusts wall heights properly and objects as well. It is available exclusively from Sim Cyberworld. 3) 3do Edit is a helpful program from Dave Noonan at The Pits (also where you will find the program). It allows visual editing of the 3do files so adjustments to object position etc.. can be easily made. 4) WinMip by Klaus Hoorbrand (available at SC) is a great program that converts the mip,srb and other graphics files used in the sim to bmp format for easy editing in programs like Paint Shop Pro or PhotoShop. 5) LP Edit is a great program that allows easy editing of the LP files. LP files are what control the non-player cars on the track. Doing these right is important to enhance the playability and enjoyment of everyone. If you aren't sure how to use the tools right away, don't worry too much. Hopefully this file will explain that. I also suggest that before you begin a serious edit, play with them somewhat to learn just what they can do for you. When you are comfortable using them, then go about your editing work. =================================== RULE #1 - Design your track first ! =================================== I'm not sure how many people actually do this that edit tracks right now, but I do know the BB&B team does. Our reason for doing it is so we have a roadmap in place of what we are going to do. Designing a track is actually very easy and has a few simple steps and is very similar to the process programmers go through in planning before they sit down to write a program. This step is best done with pencil as well so things can be erased if need be. #1 - Draw the original track on paper noting all wall locations, object locations and textures. By original track, I mean the Papyrus version you are editing. #2 - Draw your track on paper. If your making a simple oval, draw an oval on paper !! Just handscratch it, that's good enough. No need to use protractors and other things to make it look perfect. Make sure you draw the track so the pits are visible on paper, all wall locations are noted as well as the start/finish line. Make sure you refer back to the original track drawing created in step 1. #3 - After you draw your base track out, do an inventory of the objects the existing track has for you to work with. Then draw the objects in their proper location on the track. See RULE 2 on moving objects for some assistance in this. There is a correct way to place objects and an incorrect one. The map of original object locations used created in Step 1 will help you out here. Make sure you can account for all objects in your new track. If you need to add one, you won't be able to. If you need to remove an object I'll show you an easy way to do so later on. #4 - Give your track a name. Make notes about surface color, object textures (what is drawn on each object) and object colors. This all helps you in determining what you need to do later on. Now you should have a complete picture about the track that you will develop. If you thought it out clearly beforehand, then the map will be accurate to what you want to do. If you didn't put planning into it, I will almost guarentee problems during the editing. ============================================== RULE #2 - DON'T WORK IN YOUR TRACK DIRECTORY ! ============================================== Ok, now you did it. You messed up the only copy of Atlanta you have ! Why? Because you edited the track in the tracks/Atlanta directory. No matter what track you edit, first backup the original. Second, create a directory to work in. For example, if you were editing Atlanta create a directory called Atlanta/TEMP/ and then unpack the Atlanta.dat file to this directory to work on it. Make sure that you also do a backup of your original Atlanta.dat file, so when you copy files back to test them in the sim, you don't accidently overwrite the only copy you have of the original Dat file. ============================== RULE #3 - KNOW YOUR PALLETTE ! ============================== The track pallette is always called SUNNY.PCX ! A pallette is nothing more than a set of colors. The sunny.pcx file can be easily viewed in a program like Paint Shop Pro. There are some do's and don't's to working with the pallatte. DO - Look at it. Learn what color is where. You don't need to memorize it, but you do need to at least no where to expect something. DON'T - Make changes to the 192 values (color index 0 to 191). This is the first 12 rows of colors in the pallatte. The colors in this row are reserved for colors the sim needs to draw things the proper color. People would hate your track if it turned their gorgous blue cockpit all yellow for example DON'T - Ask me why the pallatte appears to be all white !!! In most programs, double clicking on the color will open the pallatte for you to see. DO - Make changes to the last 4 lines (color index 192-255). But only do so if you know the change has to be made. Any change you make must also be changed in the cloudy.pcx which is also a pallatte file. ====================================== RULE #4 - DO YOUR BASE TRACK FIRST !!! ====================================== Creating a base track is very important. Doing it right is even more important. If you do a bad job here, it will be magnified 10x in the final version. So what is a base track? A base track is one in which your banking is reset and the proper track colors and wall heights and wall colors are in place. The tools needed for this step are Banking Editor and 3do Edit. First run the Banking Editor on the track to set the banking on your new track properly. The tool is very simple to use. Set the working directory so the program will no where to write the new files to. Next Open a track (File Menu) to edit. Enter the original banking to the track, the new banking and then the sim. Then choose change bank from the menu and the work is done for you. Once you receive the DONE dialog box, run Adjust Camera heights to make sure you adjust the camera heights properly. This is the only time you have the option to run this tool. Now 3 new files (new.3do, new.trk and new.cam) are in your working directory ready to be renamed and used for your new track. A couple notes about using Banking Editor. Papyrus did make errors in calculating values in the original ICR2 sim. On some courses (most notable on roadcourses), it may appear that the track does not match up properly. There is no easy way to fix this, so be aware of it. It could really ruin a project you want to do. Be sure to test to make sure no problems like this are occurring before you continue. Also, be aware that you cannot use Banking Editor on a track converted from one sim to another using the converter from The Pits. So be sure to edit only the original Papyrus tracks. Banking Editor assumes the track is built to Papy standards and will crash if the 3do isn't. 3do Edit is a great program for doing some additional changes to your base track. At this point your banking should be set and you are ready to begin editing the files created by Banking Editor. #1 - Test drive the track. Find out what looks right, what doesn't. Then plan to make changes. #2 - If the wall heights don't look right, go to 3do Edit and make adjustments. Always backup the original file before making changes. What you are looking for are the Z vertices that control the wall heights. This is the only value you have to change of the 3 values that appear. Once your changes are made, go to the sim and test. Continue making changes and testing until you are satisfied you have done the very best you can do. #3 - At this point your banking and wall heights should be properly adjusted. Now you need to decide on a surface type. Select or create your own surface and note the color locations from the Sunny.pcx file. Sunny.pcx is the track color pallatte. The pallatte can be easily viewed in a program like Paint Shop Pro. #4 - Go around the track using 3do Edit and make the color changes to your track surface. It's important that they match up nearly exactly. If they don't, it will be apparent in the sim. I'm sure all of us have seen that funky color showing up at a distance that never seems to match the track surface. This is what you want to avoid to make a good edit. #5 - Select your wall types. Now if you planned ahead, you already know what the wall types will be. Select your wall textures and if you need to, go around the track using 3do Edit to make color changes to the walls. #6 - Do the same for any additional textures like dirt or grass. You should now have a base track in which the banking is complete, and your base track should have the surface, walls, grass and dirt already in place as well as having all colors matched up perfectly. The final thing to do is to determine whether you want those lane changes lines to remain at your track. There is no easy way to add them, but removing them can be done quite easily (however it does take some time). To remove them simply select a spot in the middle of the infield (below an object is always good) and then move every lane change line (x,y,z values) to that location. Maybe not the most correct way to remove something, but it does the trick. ====================================================== RULE #5 - DON'T THINK YOU CAN MOVE AN OBJECT TOO FAR ! ====================================================== To move objects you need 3do Edit. Objects are placed in the original track where they are, and that's pretty close to the same location they should remain at. No way around this either. You can move them, but don't move them too far. For example, don't take a object at one end of Turn 4 and try moving it into Turn 3. Don't take an object on the infield and try moving it to the outside of the track. If you take an object too far, it will either become invisible, or transparent. It may also show through other objects and generally ruin the look of your track. Several years ago, before I actually realized this I made those mistakes. Of course back in those days, Lake Geneva was a heck of an edit The lesson here is if you want to create the best track possible that people will want to download, then do some serious planning. That's why we designed the track in the first rule. If you know the original track has objects A-B-C in Turn 1 for you to use, design your track to use Objects A-B-C also in Turn 1. Slight movements are all that can be done using 3do Edit. And as with every rule before, test your track to make sure it has the look you want it to have. At this point you haven't done much with track graphics, but you should start visualizing what you want each object to look like. ================================================ RULE #6 - KNOW WHAT MIP/MI4 GOES WITH WHAT 3DO ! ================================================ This step requires a Hex Editor. Now don't be alarmed cuz ya don't know how to read hex code. It's not necessary. All you need to do is use a program like Hex Works (available at Sim Cyberworld or from Breakpoint Software) to open the 3do files up. You will then see a list of the mip files that are associated with each 3do file. Write the list on paper ACDELCO.3do = Page01.mip/mi4 Something like that. This may seem like menial work, but it's necessary if you want to do graphics editing. ======================================================== RULE #7 - DO YOUR GRAPHICS UNTIL EVERYONE IS SATISFIED ! ======================================================== As long as I've been editing tracks (4 or so years now), one thing never ceases to amaze me. What I think looks good, someone else thinks looks terrible. Doing good graphics is one of the last steps in producing a finished track. Not one of the first !!! WinMip and a paint program are all that is needed to complete this step. With WinMip you convert the mip/srb/mi4 files to bmp format and with the paint program you edit them. Then with WinMip you can convert your finished bmp back to the Papyrus format. Now there are several graphics formats used by Papyrus. MIP - Multiple Image Picture. Used for most track graphics in hi and lo resolution. Also used to draw track graphics in some 3dfx versions. These are 256 color images. It uses the sunny.pcx pallette. MI4 - 16 bit MIP's used in rendition as well as some 3dfx versions. Each MI4 contains it's own pallette and does not use the sunny.pcx or cloudy.pcx pallettes. SRB - 256 color image that draws things like trees. It uses the sunny.pcx pallette. PMP - The Indy Car 2 version of a SRB file. Make sure when you edit a track in Nascar 2, to do both the MIP and MI4 files. The user that downloads your track may be using rendition and he won't be pleased to get old graphics ! This is also a step most track editors seem to bypass completely and it creates a half done job. Now I'd like to be able to give you more tips on doing graphics for yourself, but I myself am somewhat graphically challenged. In short most of my graphics are just plain bad so I've learned to rely on others to fix them up for me. Now of course once you do some graphics, take a drive around the track to make sure what you see is what you want. And make sure you like it ! =================================================== RULE #8 - MAKE YOUR AI COMPETITVE AND FUN TO RACE ! =================================================== A track can survive on bad graphics, but it can't survive if someone can't race the AI decently. Doing bad AI files is a sure way to get yourself some hate mail in a hurry as well. LP Edit is a great program to fine tune your AI. First run some races against the AI. Start your races dead last so your forced to work your way through the cars to get to the front. Make note of how those fool computer cars cut you off, go to slow and make for bad racing. Then set out to fix it. LP Edit gives you the ability to edit all the LP files, but all you really need to make changes to are pass1.lp, pass2.lp and race.lp Pass1 generally controls inside passing, Pass2 outside passing and race.lp controls computer cars running the race line. It's important that you have backups of your original LP files in case you make mistakes. So first edit where cars go on the track. This is done by adjusting the position number either greater of less than. Then rename the file you are working on and copy it to race.lp, pass1.lp and pass2.lp. Go to the sim and watch the line the AI cars take in a replay. They should at this point be lined up single file with no passing attempts being made. Edit your pass1, pass2 and race files until the cars are taking the perfect line. Once they drive the way you want them to, adjust the speed in LP Edit to more closely match your own. IF you're a self admitted slow driver, then increase the speed. If you're a hot shoe, bring it down a bit so everyone can enjoy it. Always test your finished lp files by running races against the AI at 100% AI Strength !!! And always start last so you can watch the cars ahead of you. Finally, open your Track.Txt file and adjust the RELS and BLAP lines. RELS is the strength of the AI, BLAP is the best lap they will attempt to achieve in qualifying. Some of the field may be faster, some of it may be slower. ======================================================== RULE #9 - DON'T POST YOUR TRACK WITH A DAT FILE !!!!!!!! ======================================================== Posting complete dat files is actually unlawful. So don't do it. Write an installer to install your track successfully to a users computer. First, read through the bat file lessons I posted in early 1999 on the BB&B website at Sim Cyberworld as all that is really needed is a simple bat file to make your installer. A bat file is nothing more than a set of DOS command placed in a file. From your notes, you should know which files you changed and which ones you didn't. Now is a good time to collect all the files you changed and place them in a ZIP file. If you still have a oldie tool around like zip2exe (from PK Zip 2.04) then making a self extracting exe file is as simple as issuing the command: zip2exe zipname.zip The installer doesn't need to be fancy. Just have someone copy the original track.dat file over to a new directory and then with a few lines of code your done: undat original.dat /a dat.txt zipfile.exe -o dat original.dat /d dat.txt The file assumes you are shipping dat/undat with the track installer as well. Now write the readme.txt file. All you need to say is who you are, what your email address is (as people will want to get in touch with you) and how to install the track. It's also nice to list additional credits to those that helped you out and wrote the tools you used. A sample readme.txt file might look like this: MY NEW SPEEDWAY by Joe Blow JoeBlow@email.com To install this track copy mesa.dat to tracks\MYTRACK Run install.bat When all is said and done the only thing that should be shipping in the ZIP file are: MYTRACK.exe dat.exe undat.exe install.bat readme.txt Doesn't sound too bad at all now does it? ============================== RULE #10 - THE FORGOTTEN RULE! ============================== As you work your way through the track it may take weeks or even months to complete a good looking track. One day hack jobs are not worth it. SO don't make one. The forgotten rule really has two parts. #1, plan to take your time making it look good. You want to be remembered as a good editor, not a bad one. If you rush through it, and your track looks bad, noones going to want any future work from you. #2 - TAKE NOTES. Since it could be a long time before you finish, never rely on memory to remember what you changed and didn't. Write it down. So take your time and take notes. ==================== A FEW CLOSING NOTES: ==================== Pretty simple stuff eh? Well not really and it does take time to learn all the tricks. Hopefully this file gives you a little help in jumpstarting you on your way to making a great looking track ! Always be patient when doing track editing. Much of the work is very time consuming and monotonous. It's not always easy, but when you finish a great looking track it's well worth it. And before you release something, run all kinds of races on it and make sure it both looks good and is fun ! If you feel the need, send it to a few friends for them to try out as well. Then listen to them when they tell you they don't like something. And be prepared to make changes. I can't begin to tell you how many tracks I threw away (never released) and how many changes I've made. It's all part of creating a good edit.