Basic Steps to creating outdoor tracks

This section will present the basic steps involved in building a track, along with some explanation of the content you have to create. The way the tools are designed, there are actually several ways you can create the data for your track. The simplest way involves only using 2D paint programs. But unless you are a superb artist, its fairly challenging to get good results. The slightly more complicated method involves the use a 3D modelling program like 3D Studio Max.

Don't worry about the particulars of these files, we'll get to the details in following topics.

To build your own track, you need to create the following content:

- A height field map in one of two forms: either a displacement map (.tga) or a 3D model (.asc). If you choose the displacement map technique, you have to paint the map by hand using a 2D paint program like Photoshop. If you choose to make an .ASC file, this is done in a 3D modelling program like 3D Studio Max.

- A single high resolution texture map that is draped over the terrain. This .tga file can be hand painted in a 2D paint program, or rendered in a 3D application. Using a 3D program will allow you to create accurately raytraced shadows that will match the riders real-time shadow that is cast during game play

- A terrain definition file (.ter). This is a text file that is structured in the popular Windows' .ini format. The .ter file defines all source files that the terrain compiler (MakeTerr) will use in the construction of a compiled track (.trn).

- A small tillable texture map (.tga) that surrounds the perimeter of nationals tracks. This additional texture map is NOT used in the creation of stunt quarries, just nationals.

- Once you have created these files, use the MakeTerr utility to compile the track (.trn). MakeTerr uses the .ter file you created to compile your source material into a playable .trn file.

- The last step before you can test out your new track is to create a scene file (.scn). The scene file is a text file that informs the game about various things relating the environment including: the name of the .trn file, sky.cub file, sun x-y-z location, sun color, fog color, and lots of other parameters.

- At this point you can test out your new track, even though you haven't created some important items like the the track's spline path. This is the perfect time to try out a few laps, and see where the track might need some work. Learning to space out the jumps and control the angles of the jumps takes some practice, so you'll probably make lots of iterations on your track before it's really ready to race.

- Once you're happy with basic structure of your new track, you can finish the track by creating the spline path file (.dat) using Rainbow's TrackBastard plug-in for 3D Studio Max.

- The very last step is to do a screen grab from within the game to get a nice image of the track to use in the game's user interface track selection screen.

The next few topics will go into the details of each the steps outlined above.