Creating roads/circuits in AC3D

[Hoorah]

Hi all,

I've been playing around with many 3D modelers to be able to create a circuit for a simpla driving game, the easy way. Closest I got to a reasonable result was using lofting in 3ds, but cumbersome.

Is there a easier way to do this in AC3D, especially when it comes to height differences, camber and so.

Thanks in advance,

Hoorah

[griff]

Hi Hoorah,

One of the ways of creating terrain type objects is from a height map ... a 2D greyscale image of the terrain from above. So first off you would need to have or create this "plan" of the circuit (in some graphics program such as PaintShop Pro etc.).

Once you have the 2d image it can be converted to a 3d object by various means.

For AC3D specifically there are two ways:

Dennis's *Image to heightmap converter* available here :
http://bellsouthpwp.net/a/t/atomicd/ac3dplug/img2hm.html

This is a little standalone program that produces an .ac file ready for use (I believe as I have never tried it).

Or, Livewire's AC3D plugin available here (again never tried it) :
http://www.ac3d.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=800

If you have a program like Bryce3d you can also produce terrains based on 2d images or directly in the program then export them in .obj or VRML1 format. This program also will allow you to create a texture for the terrain.

Finally one last option ... Terragen .... which is free for personal use :
http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/productmain.shtml

Not sure if this kind of technique is subtle enough for what you have in mind .... but hope it helps. You may also want to look at the two"road" tutorials here (scroll down):

http://calyxa.best.vwh.net/~calyxa/pearl/tutor.html

Regards,

griff:)

[Hoorah]

This is one of the things I was looking for. The last tutorial I mean, creating roads in a 'nature' environment.

One more question though. What would be the best way to create an oval track, with camber, like you see in the Nascar series. I tried several things with extrusions, but if I want to smooth the parts of the track it just turns everything into one big mess.

If you have any advice, I would be very thankful.

Hoorah

[griff]

Not being a car racing fan .... a question?

You mean something like the track the indy500 runs on .... or the natural kind of gradients in some roads ???

griff :)

[Dughor]

If you mean a Indy kind of track:

Create a flat oval track. After that, go to vertice select mode. Select all outer top vertices. Move them up...

[Dughor]

Ok, short tutorial...

On frontview, create a rect. As wide as your track should be.
Move it as far away from the 0/0/0 point, as wide the curve(?) should be.
http://www.netcologne.de/~nc-luedecto/ac3d/racetut/tut1.jpg

In object-mode, revolve that part. 360deg. around the Y axis. I used 26 element revolve, so we get two sides which are parallel to an axis. (See top and bottom edge in top-view, following picture)
http://www.netcologne.de/~nc-luedecto/ac3d/racetut/tut2.jpg

In vertice-mode, select half the circle...
http://www.netcologne.de/~nc-luedecto/ac3d/racetut/tut3.jpg

...and move it away
http://www.netcologne.de/~nc-luedecto/ac3d/racetut/tut4.jpg

Select the outer top vertices...
http://www.netcologne.de/~nc-luedecto/ac3d/racetut/tut5.jpg

...and move them straight up
http://www.netcologne.de/~nc-luedecto/ac3d/racetut/tut6.jpg

Finaly an Indy-like racetrack...

[Hoorah]

Thanks! You guys are great. One last thing: getting the track smooth, is that a matter of the amount of segments or is it also possible to select the top surface and smooth it out by the ptogram? The last I tried but wasn't able to.

[Dughor]

The more segments you use, the smoother it will look like...