Airport Terminal 1.5 Progress

Well I would love to start this post with lots of great screenshots of how I am modifying the circuit to improve it from its current 1.0 - 1.5 version. Of course, one would expect there to be many many changes for such a version leap forward, this is meant to be the case. I say 'meant to be' as it is not exactly working out the way I had planned. 

Originally I had planned to tighten up the circuit a bit, rebuild the pit lane from scratch, move walls / objects / S-objects closer, however this is all going pear shaped. I moved many track anchor points to tighten it up and make for an overall better racing experience. This ruins any terrain you have connected to the track itself, so it all had to be bulldozed to be added again. I did that, then I re-added it and moved all the anchors accordingly to hide any 'holes' in the circuit. Finally I moved all the walls, kerbs and what have you to realign with the track in its new configuration.

It was only after blasting around that I noticed that the track needed to be tighter again in parts, and more open in others. Repeat the same process and already most of the day is gone. I then notice that a rather large and notable issue has arisen. The second half of the track features a massive terminal with boarding gates hanging over the circuit. I have modified the overall height of some areas of the track which correspond with this particular area. Hmm, now I have a plane boarding gate effectively digging into the circuit just before the final turn. I raise the terminal building up a bit so that any car can clearly pass underneath, but now the circuit has a rather notable hole appearing on the opposite side where we can see under the object - thus breaking that 'wall' of believability.

I figure that by raising the terrain there I should be able to hide my error - oh wait - no. I have done too much and cannot go back as Bobs Track Builder often crashes when you undo changes (perhaps it is a windows 7 error with the software). Now I must remove all the terrain once more, fix the height of the track, then add the terrain back once again and move every object around the circuit! Ah how frustrating.

In fact I was so annoyed that I packed it in last night and went to bed. Today is another day, and I may look at fixing it up once more. It sure is a great deal of effort for some fairly tedious changes to the overall circuit!

Format and News

Just a short update folks!

I have formatted my computer today as I installed many new hardware upgrades. Because of my work schedule, I won't be able to work on any circuits for at least the next week at this stage. I am however very close to releasing 1.1 of my Airport terminal circuit. I am mainly bringing in the walls for more hair raising racing as many out there used too much run-off which I did not originally foresee.

In other news. Over at nogripracing, my latest release Circuit d'Avignon has had steady downloads, but I am only about half way of my hope / aim / target of 1000 downloads through Nogripracing. I have already started to plan out how I will improve Circuit d'Avignon with the 'power' layout. Yet if I don't hit that 1000 mark, I will put it on the back burner for early 2012 release (hopefully).

That's about it for now. As always, check back one in a while and see where I am up to with my next creation!

Cheers!

News!

Recently I learned that I will not have my contract at my current employment renewed for Nov2011-onward. They are downsizing the position and sadly I lost out on this one.


It seemed to be a pure 'first in gets it' scenario. I started one week after the fellow who will become the sole junior editor. At first this was a real pain and frustration. Though this is very different now. Being dropped from my work has enabled me to work on things I have wanted to for some time. The first is to resume working as a graphical artist for a magazine (already in the pipeline). Secondly to start looking seriously into motorsport and motoring photography as a side income (if possible). I will probably start a new blog dedicated to this, but it is still early days.


Finally, it means that I will now be resuming my circuit designs for Rfactor. I have neglected my passion in the last few months to focus harder on my actual work (perhaps I shouldn't have bothered haha!). Now I will resume my circuit designing. I have already started updating my Airport Terminal GP circuit after I found a few videos on youtube showing people not driving on the actual circuit but getting the best line from everything. I have brought in many of the walls, and plan to remake most of the ad boards around the circuit to bring down the file size.


Other than this all progress has stalled on my other projects. Though as of very early November they will resume. Look out for news and updates on Avignon which I will work on again very soon. But for the next week or two I won't be able to do much.


I have been compiling all of the circuits I have downloaded and installed to my rfactor directory into a Microsoft Access document. I have well over 1000 circuits and plan to release this document in the coming weeks. It includes data such as what I believe is the level of difficulty, speed of the circuit relative to the 'best' mod series for it. Also a grid size so then we don't flood the circuit with more cars than can actually be supported without them flying into the air or starting buried in the 'ground' -  you know what I mean!


Look out for this also early November. More news to follow this weekend!

Rodrrico - The Circuits Thread

Here you will find all the download websites for all my current public released circuits.

Imola 1963 1.0

Zeltweg 0.95

Zaluzani 1.0 & Zaluzani 1.10 & nogrip

Phoenix 1989 Proposal 1.0

Chernobyl NPP 1.1 - & nogripracing

Rufforth Classic 1.0

Lower Manhattan GP 1.0 & Racedepartment & Nogrip

Nivelles GP 1.0 - & nogripracing

Airport Terminal GP 1.0 - & nogripracing

Imola 1960s 1.0 - & Nogripracing & Bockbierbude

Ales GP 1.0

Lower Manhattan Indy (nogrip) & Rfactorcentral

Phoenix 1989 Proposal 2.0 (nogrip) & Rfactorcentral


Brands Hatch 1950



Ales GP Course 1.10


Comments are always welcome and constructive critisim. I read them regularly and take them all seriously. Check back for new tracks often!

Airport Terminal 1.00

I had an idea some time back to build a circuit based around an airport terminal. Most people will assume that I just said 'airport' which means a couple of fast long straights connected by a labyrinth of chicanes and hairpin corners. Well not this one!

I grew tired of seeing many very highly detailed circuits that were fictional being released based around airports. While every one I have seen has some merit to one degree or another, and all have outstanding models and track surfaces, none possess the fun factor - which to me is the point of sim racing.

I am not saying they need to be completely off the wall out there ideas, but just rethinking the bland, dull ones and blending them with the outrageous ones. This is exactly what my circuit Airport Terminal GP is all about.

I have made some very fast long straights but they sweep around on curves to make it a little more exciting.

Above is a screenshot of the layout without the pits or any objects, strings, walls etc.
I have submitted it to www.rfactorcentral.com and it should be ready for release within 24 hours. So check back soon for my release info.