GLB in max Pipe or walls for track ?

#1 Well I kinda of solved my own problem. Some hints for those who have max(Using GLB) and cshop with the torque pipe line.

What I was able to do was make a spline then I used the deformation box on the spline BEFORE I used Pipe Max.
This produced a really nice track shape that exportd very well to map. There were a few errors so I used Cshop to fix the few verticies that were a bit crooked. Then exported to dif using the torque pipeline.
This has produced a nice track with hills etc... Ill post some screens at I get it textured properly adn set up in game.

#2 Hey man I'd love to see your tracks. I think everybody is trying to make the next best racing game. I just got GLB and I am also having trouble with exporting. When ever you have those pointers let me know.

-Georgep4

#3 Hey George I ran into some snags. But I am still working on it. Once I get some solid results Ill post them. ( will get some shots up soon)
Im just trying to work on some consistent ways to get tracks into torque.
So far the spline thing keeps producing some errors. I have learned how to make some tracks with hills etc.. in Cshop using the technique of making arches for curves. Problem I ran into was a minor one that I am working on. The cubes that I rotated and adjusted the vertices on to make an ascending turn (corkscrew style) seemed to come apart or tear once in torque.
Thus far though the spline modeling for tracks has been a bust. But Fucifer who posted on your other thread seems to have done what I am trying to do. But he used game space.

Ill share any useful information and tips I learn. I made a game called BunnySpeed

http://www.caiman.us/scripts/fw/f2334.html

for the camien comp a while back. That had some decent spline tracks I made in max 7. I used DBP and Nuclear glory for collisions there and it worked great. I want to get these kinds of tracks(Larger and more hills) into torque(Without having to recode the engine!) with the lighting and physics etc....

BTW here is the link to the cshop tutorial on arches. I am using this method for curves in Cshop.

http://www.garagegames.com/mg/forums/result.thread.php?qt=26985

Then making ramps for different levels etc.. This method works quite good for curves and it is fairly quick to make a track this way. I dont like making tracks in Cshop but so far its the only sure fire method to get a track in to torque. Also once you get the track in and start building the land up around it the results are pretty decent. I still want spline tracks but for now this works. The only problem is the tearing when I tilted one of these arches and tried to make the corkscrew but Im sure that was because I screwed with the vertices too much. Ill post some pics later of the results once I get the tearing fixed.

I really want to get the spline problems figured out. Once I get the tearing thing figured out in Cshop
then the method of making

spline in max then using the deformation box on that
then running pipe max exporting to .map
import to Cshop to clean up
then to dif
Should work..
Then I will be happy :) This produces really nice long high flowing tracks quickly. I do not think I can see fit to get gamespace just for this.

#4 Fucifer helped me work out some coding issues. Yeah I saw his post about GameSpace, he's pretty good. Its gona be a couple more paydays until I can get it but I am ok a 3ds and would like to stick with it. Maybe using splines is not the way to go. It seems that every time I get a program to fix an export problem with splines I have to get another program to fix even more issues. I will try the deformation box in 3Ds hopefully everything works out.

I played your Bunny Speed Game. I liked it. Why would you switch over if you were already getting results like that? Anyway your Bunny Speed game was pretty cool. I liked the intro.

Keep me posted.

-Georgep4

#5 By the way where can I find the deformation box tool. Maybe I am use to calling it something else or maybe I just don't know.

-Thanks
Georgep4

#6 Well Torque has the terrain editor and vehicle physics built in. With DBP I had to code it all myself. Also the lighting and networking is what I am really after.

However after all of this head butting with the models I am pretty tempted to just refine my Bunny Speed engine I ran out of time on the comp so I never took the engine any further. The problem there is that I do not have physics in place to allow something as cool as loops. That would require some major recoding. But now that you mention it. I think I may back off of torque a bit and refine the other engine a bit and wait for constructor. This art pipe line has just really put me off torque. With NGC I could make a .x model and just go from there. I am better at modeling now so I can make things look better for BS2.
BTW thanks for trying the game! Its terribly unrefined due to time limits and file size for the comp.

#7 ITs under modifiers. I think maby parametric deformers ??? You have to use the contorl points on the box. I forget exactly Ill post exactly where later when I get off work and can boot up max.

#8 1st start with the whole GLB 3.0 Interface up.
Click on SPLINE, draw what ever shape you want.
for the tracks profile.
I usually draw this part in the top viewport.

Then click spline again, and start to create the lines, and curves
you wish to have the shape become.
I usually draw this part in the top viewport.

Its good to have your snap to grid on during this process.

You must Divide your spline 1st then open the Pipe Max.

Choose(i think its called) the advance pipe creation tool.
Click on your starting shape object, and then click for your Spline.
Make a certain thickness and hieght.

Then poof like magic, your track piece will appear.
There is a way to texture it too right there in 3dsmax.
You have to select a Bitmap material. Pick a Jpeg,
and call the material name the same as your texture file,
but without the extension.

This should allow the object to export your shape, and the texture you desired.
No erros. But no U.V's either.

I have made 360 pieces this way, and they work out beautifully.

-Surge

#9 Oh yeah, from my testing, it is not a good idea to manipulate the shape
that GLB3.0 Produces. So if its wrong, try doing it again.

#10 The track looks great, well good enough for my test track. However when I open it in QuArk I am getting abroken polyhedron error. I am useing QuArk for my MaptoDif well because it's free. Some people love it and well many are tired of it. Do you know how to fix poly problems? I hope I am not buggin you with these questions.

-Georgep4

#11 When ever I had gotten Broken polyhedrons, I approached it two ways.

1. In quark expand the Tree and you should be able to delete the offending Polyhedron.

2. or, sometime the polyhedron you have to delete is an actual piece you wanted.
What has happened is that you might have created your piece too small. Try enlarging
the spline and the shape you want the spline to follow, and recreate. It should be
now created without any errors.

- Often I just made different sizes and I found that as I enlarged the target shape and spline
that problems would iron themselves out.

Just dont try to transform your pieces after they are created. always start from scratch.

-Surge

#12 Thanks Surge.
So, just increase the size of the spline in 3ds then export from GLB to QuArk...export to Torque.


You know this is the first online community that I am a part of that actually has lots of involvement from its members. I like it.

#13 I am not getting any where with GLB3. I've made my spline in many different sizes and I have done both the easy and advanced shape tutorials. I divide all my curves . GLB3's Pipe Max2 make a great looking track I have even made spiral roads textures and all. However when I bring it into QuArk I get all the broken poly errors. I mean no matter what size I make the track it gives me an error.

*** EXCEPTION REPORT ***

QuArK 6.5 alpha Address in the program : 00513D30 (00551934)

Syntax error in map file, at line 7 :
unexpected char.

Do you all know what this is related to and how to fix it? I would love to have a track with boarders but a flat track will work. And if this doesn't work well I guess its on to flying vehicles. Any good tutorials out there for 3ds?

-Georgep4

#14 Send me drawing or picture of type track you want I will give it shot in gamespace. Or send me the file you made I will see if can convert it in gamespace.

#15 O.k I dont think I clarified this point.
I make eveything in easy to manage pieces. That I export one at a time.
I put them all together with the world editor in TGE.
Are you building is small pieces. Or trying to export all your pieces at the same time?

#16 I have tried to do a full track and then partial track a have tried to make a long road with a slight bend in the road. Are the small pieces the ones the GLB makes for your spline? Am I missing something? When GBL exports it exports all the little pieces at one time in a .map file.

-Georgep4

#17

#18 I take each 3d piece, and orient it to 0,0,0
then tell the GLB 3.0 to export to map.
I choose the feature that says compatible mesh (or something like that).
Dont try to export the SPLINES, just the 3d shapes one at a time
by themselves.

Hope this helps.
I works for me every single time.

-Surge

#19 Say I wanted to export the large arc in you picture (big one in the middle). I would have to export each section separately. So 9 exports to make one curved in the road. And then I have to reassemble them to make the large arc whole again. If that's so, making tracks that are more complex than just a straight line may not happen with out hundreds of exports. Or am I just way off base. I know you guys could do it for me but then I would never learn anything. I never thought that getting just the basics in to the game would be so hard.

Time to export some shapes:)

-Georgep4

#20 How do i take a model off of 3d max and export it to torque game engin. IT would be nice if some one could give me step by step instructions.PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!