Track Designer Tutorial Logo

 

 CREATING A NEW TRACK
(page 4)

 

SETTING LANE POSITION VALUES
If you recall the .TRK file format, the next piece of information stored for every space is the Lane Position value. This number represents the distance down the lane that the space occupies, as well as the space's relationship to the one surrounding it.

As was stated before, the number of spaces on the lanes is not a clear indicator of who is farthest down the lane.
This becomes evident very quickly, just count the spaces on our track so far:

Space count on lanes

The first thing you should notice is the straight. If we just count the number of spaces traveled down the lane, we have a problem since the Middle lane is actually offset by 1/2 a space, ahead of the Left and Right lanes. If three cars were side by side, each landing 6 spaces down the track, they would be tied if we just counted spaces, but in reality the car in the Middle lane should be 1/2 space ahead of the other two.

You'll also notice that by the end of turn 1, the Right lane is 19 spaces long, the Middle is 20, and the Left 22.

If the same three cars were each in one of these spaces, and Formula PC simply counted how many spaces down the lane the cars had traveled, we'd end up with an incorrect assessment of the order.

Although a car in the outside lane would be on space 22, it would not ahead of the other two cars.

This is where Lane Position comes in.

You can see that by adjusting the Lane Position values for the Left and Right lanes, we can keep the order of spaces correct in relation to one another.
The Middle lane is once again left intact, used as a guide. This way the Lane Position values for the Left and Right lanes don't change too much from one space to the next.

Correct 1st corner positions


Let's begin editing the Lane Position values.
First, select the Finish Line space of the Right lane.

Select Inside lane, 1st space


Notice that the value in the Lane Position textbox.
It is currently at 0.

In fact, if you select any space on the inside lane, its Lane Position value is currently 0.

Lane Position textbox

Now select either of the two Finish Line spaces on the middle lane. Notice that their values in the Lane Position textbox are -.5 and .5 respectively.
This makes sense, considering that the first space on the Left and Right lanes will start with a Lane Position value of 0.
The first Finish Line space is on the Middle lane is 1/2 a space back from the first space in the Left and Right lanes and the second Finish Line space is 1/2 a space ahead, so their values should be -.5 and .5.

Rather than having to go down the lane, setting the position value for every single space, there is a helpful tool available.

With the second space of the Middle lane selected (it's the one with the Finish Line on the left half of the space), go to the Tools menu and choose the Reorder Lane command.

Reorder Lane command


Now if you click spaces on the Middle Lane, you'll notice that their values increase as you move farther down the lane.
Select the Finish Line space on the Right lane and use the Reorder Lane command again. Do the same with the outside lane.
Now when you select spaces on any of the lanes, you should see values (other than 0) in the Lane Position textbox.

But if you look closely, you'll notice a problem.
As we discussed, simply incrementing the Lane Position value by 1 doesn't work. Once we get to a corner, the values for the spaces need to be adjusted. Try selecting the spaces in the first corner, particularly near the end of the curve. The spaces on the Left lane have position values that are too high.

There is no automated way to rectify this situation, so the values in the corners must be set manually.

Using the middle lane as a guide (we won't change any of its values), step along the Right lane, adjusting the values of the Lane Position for each space in the curve. Make each space's value relative to the X.5 value of the Middle lane.

Here are the values I used (in red, the green values of the Middle lane were set by the Reorder Lane command):

Correct Inside lane positions

Once the Right lane is complete, do the same to the Left lane, modifying the Lane Position values relative to the Middle lane. Keep in mind the Inside lane as well. When the Left and Right lanes are at an equal distance on the track, their values should reflect this.

Here are the values I used (in blue):

Correct Outside lane positions

Now that the first corner is complete, we need to move to the beginning of the next straight and get the values back on track.

Select the first space after the corner on the Right lane.

If you used the values that I did when setting the space length, this space should have a length of 1.3 and its Lane Position value should be 21.
Now if you select the next space on the lane, you'll that it's value is currently 20. That's not right!
Going forward on the track should never make your Position value decrease!. This has happened because of the adjustments we made in the corner.

To correct this, select the previous space again (the one with the Lane Position value of 21) and use the Reorder Lane command. This will increment all spaces following the one you have selected by 1.

Correct Outside lane positions


Now when you click on the next space,its Lane Position value should be 22.

Inside lane, 1st corner reorder

Select the last corner space on the Left lane, then use the Reorder Lane command. This will correct the Left lane and the second straight Lane Positions will be complete.

You will then need to go to the second corner, select the inside lane and modify each space's Lane Position value just like we did for the first corner.

The process as generally works as follows:
1 - Start at the beginning of each lane (including the Middle), reorder it.
2 - Go to the first corner, adjust the Lane Position values for all spaces on the Left and Right lanes.
3 - Select the space following the corner on the Right lane, reorder it.
4 - Select the space following the corner on the Left lane, reorder it.
5 - Move to the next corner
Repeat steps 2-5 until you've set the Lane Positions for the entire track.

Then things get tricky once more.
The way Formula PC handles the order of cars on the track is thus:
First are cars on the track that have passed the entrance to the Pit lane.
Next are cars on the Pit lane and Garages.
Next are cars on the track that have not yet passed the entrance to the Pit lane.
To contend with this, we need to pay special attention to the Lane Position values near the entrance to the Pit lane and on the Pit lane itself.

Once you've set the Lane Position values for the last straight (which connects to, and therefore is also, the first straight... in other words, the straight that has the finish line on it) you'll need to decide which space is going to be the last possible entrance to the Pit lane.

Here is the position I've chosen as my last possible Pit entrance.

The thick red line denotes the cutoff across all three lanes as to what is considered before and after the Pit entrance.

Last possible Pit entrance

To set the Lane Position values for the Pit lane, select the last possible Pit entrance space and take note of its Lane Position value.
The value for the last possible Pit entrance I've chosen is 54.

Select the first space of the Pit lane.

Set the Lane Position value for this space to be 1 more than the value of the last possible Pit entrance.

Our last possible Pit entrance had a value of 54, so the first Pit space receives a Lane Position value of 55.

Pit lane, 1st space


Now, use the Reorder Lane command. The pit lane should be ordered, each space being 1 more than the previous.

Pit lane, complete positions

We need to set the order of the Garages as well. The Formula De rules state that if a car is in the pit lane, and another is beside it, in the Pit Garage, then the car in the Pit lane goes first. This is to avoid cars getting blocked in their Garages.

For Formula PC to handle this order correctly, we need to set the Lane Position value of each space so that it is .5 less than its matching Pit Paint space. Although the two are side by side, they need to have differing Lane Position values.

Select the first Pit Paint space (the one next to the black Garage).

Note the Lane Position value of this space. The one in my example is 57.

The Garage that is next to this Pit Paint space needs to be set at .5 less than 57.

Pit lane, 1st Pit Paint space


Select the Garage and set it's Lane Position value to 56.5

1st Garage position


Now use the Reorder Lane command to set the rest of the Garages accordingly.

Once the Garages are set the Pit lane Positions are complete.

Correct Garage positions

The final step in setting the Lane Position values is to deal with the spaces that fall after the last possible Pit entrance. Since the cars that have passed the Pit entrance go first, their Position values must be set higher than those on the Pit lane.

Recall our listing of what order Formula PC considers the cars:
Past the Pit entrance first, Pit lane and Garages second, not yet passed the Pit entrance last. This is the exact order that the Lane Position values need to be in.

We've completed the spaces that fall before the Pit entrance, and we've completed the Pit lane and Garages, so all that's left are the spaces after the Pit entrance. These spaces need to have values that are higher than the last space of the Pit lane.

Select the last space of the Pit lane and take note of its value.

The space in my example has a value of 68.

Pit lane, last space position


Now, go to the Right lane and select the space following the last possible Pit entrance.

Space following last Pit entrance


The Lane Position value for this space needs to be 1 more than the last space of the Pit lane, so in this case it needs to be:
(68 + 1), or 69.

Set the Lane Position value, then use the Reorder Lane command on the Right lane.

Space position following last Pit entrance

Next is the only time we will edit the Lane Position values of the Middle lane.

Select the space on the Middle lane that is just beyond the diagonal line which denotes the last possible Pit entrance. (Shown on here as a thick, red line)

Set the Lane Position of this space to .5 less than the one on the Right lane. So in this case it would be:
(69 - .5), or 68.5.

Once the Position value is set use the Reorder Lane command on the Middle lane.

Middle lane, space following last Pit entrance

And the absolutely final step in setting the Lane Position values is to select the space on the Left lane, just to the right of the thick, red line.
Set it's value to .5 less than the one on the Middle lane, so in this case it needs to be:
(68.5 - .5), or 68.

Set the Lane Position value, then use the Reorder Lane command on the Left lane.

Once all is said and done, the Lane Position values near the Pit entrance of our tutorial should be as follows:

Middle lane, space following last Pit entrance

 

We've now completed all Lane Position values for the tutorial track. Take a break, have a coke and a pizza!

 

That completes the creation of the track layout.
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

 

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