Regarding the support structure, maybe too many collision triangles? I notice I get a massive lagspike whenever I come near an object with too many collision triangles, or load too many collision triangles at once, so perhaps a (very) simplified collision mesh could fix that? (look at some of LJF's collision meshes, many don't even remotely resemble the object they are, and are always far simpler.) Considering the user isn't likely to come into contact with them on a regular basis, a simplified colmesh wouldn't be an issue.
I think the supports look badass, much better than I would have imagined, you should do whatever you can to salvage them.
The support structures look really nice. Main issue(?) : Make sure to create a collision mesh as that sounds like the main issue, just something very basic that follows the general shape, think very boxy curves. I think this is the issue because it only occurs when you are near the support beams. Other optimisations (if you haven't already done them, it is hard to see on the image): Perhaps you could make them much less low poly and use bump mapping for the indents, you could even add detailing fro other things then as well as giving it an un even surface. I would also suggest halving the poly count on he curves as they probably wont be too noticeable at super high speed. You could also reduce the "stepping" where different parts connect to improve it as well as removing some of the cross beams. You could probably even remove any cross beams from under the road since you wont really get to see them. In short, put more polygons where people will see it. if it is unlikely that people will see under the road then reduce the polygon count there to help before you reduce elsewhere.
I was done with those Frames... at least i thought so. Had a complete ugly low-poly version ready as compensatory, but thanks to you i did try it again today and it seems it worked out this time! It is still missing the base structures that hold the frames in the air, but now around 100 frames are placed around the track and are working just fine! I reduced the poly-count of the rendered mesh and rebuild the colmesh from scratch. In the first try to fix these problems back some days, i was a little too timid to destroy the design. At the moment we lost some details but i hope to regain them later on by using normal maps, as aljowen suggested too, if i master last problems of Xnormals at least. :/ I'm using normal maps of the textures of course, but i'm new to baking normal maps from high- to low-poly meshes. Beside that, other progress would be my work on the reflector posts i guess. They where way to highpoly too... who would have guessed. At the moment i test different ways of baking normal maps high- to low-poly. As i dont want to place 240+ reflector posts within the game engine (would take hours and become rather inaccurate), but copy them along a spline and include them in the main mesh/model, i can't use LOD meshes to reduce their detail in the distance. LOD meshes get triggered by the space (in pixel) they take on the rendered view, but you never get off the track and i can't set individual settings for the reflector posts and the track as long they are in the same .dae file afaik. Will do more tests there for sure. The main model which includes the following separate meshes counts 253k Polygons so far: tracksurface, barriers & belly in one mesh (less subdivisions than the tracksurface), Frames. Can add some new preview screens laters, when i have a working idea for the base structure... ^^ I thank you all for your interest and suggestions! Motivates me.
well stay motivated please! This is the track I have been looking most forward to since I first saw it. It will be an awesome multiplayer track.
No! The Project is not abondoned, but sadly i have very little time and so concentration to work on it in last days and see myself forced to put its status on Hold until i continue to work on it. But as i want this track to be released more than anything else within this game, which is the reason i started the project, i will finish and release it. Meanwhile the Track was at least placed within a map generated from a 2k alpha, which was generated from a self-sculpted plane. Torque3D map editor is very limited i think. There is not much work left to do, but it's not little either.^^ Thank You! They are supposed to be the structural base on which the track is standing on, or better hanging in, for the parts of the track that doesn't have contact to the ground. Their ends will be connected to poles reaching into the ground and the foundation/basement. Something like a mid aged steel highway bridge construction.
This is one of the things I'm awaiting the most. It's good to have feedback from you from time to time. If you can't provide new screenshots or any media please keep posting on a regular base. That's what will keep this alive. Any little change will matter ! Really looking forward to trying this
Superb! Something like that in multiplayer with checkpoints and bonus for wrecking other cars could be something great.
Judging by the last video, the map looks really good already. Is it possible for you to beta release it and add the rest of the stuff later (pillars, structures etc.), by any chance? If not, I guess that's okay. Anyways, good luck with the map.
You say you have little time to work on it. do you want a partner? Anyways seeing the models for suspending the tracks and how amazing they look it seems you have an amazing sense of aesthetics and a vision in mind, both I can relate to. I'd really be a shame to have to ditch them, perhaps there is a way to make them more lightweight. les triangles?
Thank You all for the ongoing interest and the kind words. .P I hope to find time again to continue working on it soon, but be sure that this wont die! In worst case scenarios, which would make me unable to finish it, i would release the project for someone else to finnish anyway. And, while im glad for the interest -tatsu-, at the moment i dont search a partner but wish to create it all by myself, im sorry if this causes big time delays. I might be looking for someone later on to help me with file structure as i hate that and get quite some problems with it... mostly because i like to spend the available time more on other parts of the modding-"job", than on fiddling around with such stuff... Also i have to excuse myself to anyone who did expect regular updates while there is no progress being made on the project. I don't see much sense in updating on... well basically nothing realy. I would have nothing useful to write about, beside maybe new ideas i had for the track. But ideas are like dreams, you have more of them than you are able to let come true and i don't want to raise the expectations even higher before delivering some of the work. You guys are whatsoever free and very welcome to list any kind of idea, suggestion or wish you might have for the track. I will keep the status of the thread on "On Hold" until i have some substantial update on the project. Well, you should at least have a laugh, if no real update. Take a look at one of the very ugly tests of support structures. ^^ Dont worry, wont be used in that shape.
Keep it coming, this really is a grand project, and again, if you want some support, just knock :> what software do you use to model?
Ugly? Maybe I'm weird, but I like that structure. Especially since you could have other parts of the track using the same support above and below it.
Thanks and C4D. Hm i just think its rather sluggish and rubbish. but that might be caused by the high demand for quality, aesthetics and functionality i place on myself, which i can very rarely live up to and so it slows down a lot of projects. This was however just a very fast created template for an idea of design, but i think it looks laughable considering its static purpose. So a fail on the functionality part of design.
