CREATING A NEW TRACK
(Page 1)

Now that we have an understanding of what data is contained in the .TRK file and how that data is interpreted by Formula PC, it's time to start creating a new track.
If you didn't read the primer on The .TRK File Format, shame on you. Continue at your own risk
 

We'll start by creating a simple oval. Our track will have 2 straights and two 180° turns. It will also have a pit lane and a group of 10 garages.
Designing a simple track will introduce you to the fundamental components of track creation and how to use the tools available in the Track Designer.

GETTING STARTED
Open the Formula PC Track Designer.

We start with the first Pit lane space, a set of 10 Garages, the first space of the Inside lane, the first 2 spaces of the Middle lane and the first space of the Outside lane. You should also see new items on the toolbar and all of the commands in the menus are now available.

The initial spaces of the Inside, Middle and Outside lanes have the finish line on them. It is very important that the finish line reside on these spaces, because Formula PC doesn't actually look for a Finish Line symbol to detect when a lap has been completed, it simply looks to see if the car has crossed the first space of a lane, so always leave the finish lines at their default location.

The Garages may also look a bit odd. This is because they are painted with 10 different colors rather than the 5 used by Formula De. The reason for this is because Formula PC is capable of supporting up to 10 different teams (rather than Formula De's limit of 5) so a Garage space must be available for each competing team. The Garages are paired up, with one half being painted a lighter shade. If 5 or fewer teams are competing, then Formula PC simply paints both halves of the garage pair the same color and each driver on the team gets his own Garage..

EXPLANATION OF THE TRACK DESIGNER INTERFACE
Before we start editing, let's take a look at all the menus and toolbar buttons so you know all the tools available to you.

Reorder Lane
This command automatically sets the Position Value of all spaces of a lane that follow the currently-selected space. As we noted earlier, the Position Value of spaces on the lane often needs to be modified to contend with corners. Once you have manually set all the Position Values in a corner, you can use the Reorder Lane command rather than having to continue setting values for the following spaces.

Create Pit "Paint" Spaces
Once the Pit lane has been created and is of suffucient length (at least 12 spaces), you can select the first space where Pit "Paint" should be placed and use this tool to create all 10 Pit "Paint" spaces at once.

Assign Segments
This command is used to assign the appropriate segment number to each space on the track. Before using this command you must have placed Space Symbols on all spaces so that the corners are marked.

Auto-Tag Spaces
Rather than having to manually set the "Next" and "Adjacent" values for every space on the track, this command will automatically set most of these tags. This tool only functions on the straights, since there is simply no way for the program to determine "Next" and "Adjacent" spaces in the corners, but it saves a great deal of work. Before using this command you *must* have all space Position Values and Segments assigned.

Clear Tags
The sub-menu allows you to clear all "Next" and "Adjacent" tags for the entire track, for straights or for corners only. This is helpful when you need to reset the tags for large areas of the track which would take some time to do manually.

Starting Grid
Once the Pole Position and 2nd place starting grid spaces are created, this sub-menu allows you to create a normal starting grid (2 blank spaces between each grid space) or a tight grid (1 blank space between each grid space). There is also an option to clear the entire grid, saving time if you need to recreate the grid from scratch.

Set Background Color
Sets the Background Color displayed behind the track. This value defaults to the standard "Grass" color used in Formula PC, but if you want to use a different color (i.e.: blue for a track surrounded more by water than land) then this command will allow you to do so.

Create Outline Polys
This creates 2 polys that outline the track. One functions to create a "concrete" layer beneath the track spaces, the other creates a grass infield. This is meant to be used after the entire track has been laid out.

Center Track
Once a track has been created, use this command to center it in the view. Usually when you create a track it ends up off to one side of the screen. It's best to center it when all is said and done, that way it will come up nice and centered in Formula PC.

Draw Filled Polygons/Draw Wireframe
By default, the Track Designer draws all spaces and polygons as wireframes, making it faster and easier to see everything. As you design it is sometimes helpful to see all the objects the way they will be shown in Formula PC. Setting this switch to Draw Filled Polygons will give you a view similar to the one that will be shown in the game.
(This can also be accomplished by pressing ).

Track Detail Level
Allows you to set the detail level just like the Options dialog does in Formula PC. This way you can see what polygons will appear at differing detail levels.

Draw World COR
Turns on/off the drawing of the green crosshairs at the origin (0,0). When rotating the entire track, the rotation takes place about the World Center of Rotation (the origin).

Draw Space COR
Turns on/off the drawing of the red crosshairs of the current Space Center of Rotation. This is the point about which rotation takes place when rotating a space and is *very* important when creating curves in the track.

Draw Track Vector
Turns on/off the drawing of the green arrowhead that denotes the "direction" of the track. As you add spaces to the track, this is the direction in which they will be appended to the lane.

Draw "Next" Spaces
Turns on/off the drawing of blue N's on "Next" spaces. This only functions once you have set a space as the "Primary".

Draw Adjacent Spaces
Turns on/off the drawing of blue A's on Adjacent spaces. This only functions once you have set a space as the "Primary".

Draw Space Symbols
Turns on/off the drawing of symbols on spaces (corner arrows, finish line, etc).

Draw Corner Flags
Turns on/off the drawing of the yellow corner flags around the track. When this option is turned on, small flags will be drawn on spaces that are a part of the currently-selected corner. Before spaces are recognized as being part of a corner, Large Corner Flags must be created and Segments must be set.

(From left to right)

New 3-Lane Track
Creates a new 3-Lane Track.

New 4-Lane Track
Creates a new 4-Lane Track.

Open Track File
Opens an existing track file from disk.

Save Track File
Saves the current track to disk.

Track Info
Brings up the "Track Info" dialog.

Refresh View
Refreshes the drawing area. Sometimes, after certain operations, the view may need to be redrawn. This allows you to manually initiate a redraw.
(This can also be accomplished by pressing ).

Center View
Centers the view about the origin (green World COR crosshairs).
(This can also be accomplished by pressing ).

Center Space
Centers the view about the currently-selected space.

Zoom Mode
Click and drag up and down in the view window to zoom the view in and out. (Zooming in and out can also be accomplished with the + and - keys).

Pan Mode
Click and drag in the view window to move the view around.
(This can also be accomplished with . Pressing moves the view in larger increments).

Translate Space Mode
Click and drag in the view window to move the current space around. This will also move any following spaces on same lane. To only move the current space, press SHIFT while dragging.

Rotate Space Mode
Click and drag left and right in the view window to rotate the current space about the currently-selected Center of Rotation (red Space COR crosshairs). This will also rotate any following spaces on same lane. To only rotate the current space, press  while dragging.

Translate Track Mode
Click and drag in the view window to move the entire track around.

Rotate Track Mode
Click and drag left and right in the view window to rotate the entire track about the origin (green World COR crosshairs).

Create/Edit Corner Flags Mode
Click in the view window to create a corner flag. You will be prompted to enter corner information (name, stops, etc). You can also click on existing flags to select them for editing, click and drag to move them, or right-click to edit their information or delete them.

Polygon Mode
Brings up the Polygon Toolbar, which has tools for creating/editing Background Polygons.

(From left to right)

Add Space
Adds a new space, or applies changes to the current space to the track.
(This can also be accomplished by pressing  or right-clicking the mouse in the view window).

Delete Space
Removed the currently-selected space from the track. Any spaces following the current space will be shifted to fill the void, so any rotations/translations applied to the deleted space will be undone.

Reset Space
Resets the currently-selected space back to its default location/rotation, which is connected to the previous space. This will also affect any following spaces on the same lane.

Change Space COR
Moves the Space Center of Rotation from the center of the space, to each of the 4 corners and back to the center again. This allows the space to be rotated about 5 different points, depending on how the space needs to be "connected" to the previous one.

Increase Space Length
Increases the length of the currently-selected space. This is sometimes necessary to "tweak" spaces so that they fit into the track layout.

Decrease Space Length
Decreases the length of the currently-selected space. This is sometimes necessary to "tweak" spaces so that they fit into the track layout.

Set Space as "Primary"
Sets the space as the "Primary", meaning that other spaces can be tagged as "Next" and "Adjacent" to it.
(This can also be accomplished by pressing the  key).

Set Space as "Next"
Once a "Primary" space has been set, selecting another space and pressing this button will "tag" it as a valid "Next" move. Only two spaces can be set as "Next" to any "Primary" (the following space on a lane is automatically assumed to be a valid "Next" move).
(This can also be accomplished by pressing the  key).

Set Space as "Adjacent"
Once a "Primary" space has been set, selecting another space and pressing this button will "tag" it as an "Adjacent" space. When a car lands in the "Primary" space, "Adjacent" spaces are any that should be checked to see if they are occupied by another car, thus causing a Possible Collision Roll.
(This can also be accomplished by pressing the  key).

Fine Grid
Sets the grid to fine. The track, individual spaces and polygon vertices can be moved in very fine increments. Rotations of objects are done in 1° increments.

Medium Grid
Sets the grid to medium. The track, individual spaces and polygon vertices can be moved in medium increments. Rotations of objects are done in 5° increments.

Coarse Grid
Sets the grid to coarse. The track, individual spaces and polygon vertices can be moved in large increments. Rotations of objects are done in 15° increments.

Space Symbol dropdown
Select the type of symbol to appear on the currently-selected space.

The following symbols can be accomplished via the keyboard:
Regular Space/Clear the current symbol -
Arrow, Single, Heavy -
Arrow, Single, Light -
Arrow, Double, Left -
Arrow, Double, Right -

Lane Position Value textbox
Sets the Position Value for the currently-selected space.

Starting Grid dropdown
Select the Starting Grid position that will be assigned to the selected space.

Gap/Partial dropdown
Select the Gap-Partial tag that will be assigned to the selected space.

That completes the rundown of the Track Designer interface.
Next Page of the Tutorial
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CONTACT:
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me: onyx@malagraphixia.com

Formula PC ©2000-2001 ONYX (J Boen) This page and all items pertaining to Formula PC
are in no way related to or endorsed by EuroGames, the makers of Formula Dé.