SpeedingTortoise's Tracks

[ECW Dan Selby]

Tbh mate, I drove it once just to make sure everything seemed a-ok!

I've taken the liberty of elevating the hairpin and the next couple of corners, and dipping slightly in the opening set of corners. I've also added a little camber here and there (nothing too extreme).

Hope you don't mind.

It's probably the most time i've ever taken just to get the foundations right, as obviously there's different layouts to add on (something I very, very rarely do because it always goes wrong - this time however, it's looking damn good).

I've basically got your image in the background so the track's sitting directly on top of it, to ensure it stays as true to the original design as possible.

I'm now adding all the tarmac run-off. Only annoying thing is it's the same material as the track itself, so i'm trying to hunt down a good alternative texture, which shouldn't be an issue.

I'm going to continue filling in the empty sections with grass, gravel, and whatever you've got on your image, basically.

I've already got a grandstand on the start/finish, too.

I'll upload a few images in a minute!

Selby

[ECW Dan Selby]

Here we go...

NOTE - As I said, once I get a different coloured tarmac, it'll look much better!

Selby

[bio]

Dan, a word of advice: beware this particular grandstand string object - has a definite tendency to make tracks unopenable in rFactor. Strangely not always, I even use it in my current project - but I've had a couple of cases when rFactor went on strike loading a track, and all I needed to do was remove that one string object and it loaded in rFactor right away.

So, if rFactor suddenly can't open the track, you should try removing that first.

bio

[ECW Dan Selby]

Thanks a lot mate.

There's NOT enough of this advice about. There's too many Xpacks that have a tendancy to mess projects up completely. I've given up on some of mine before because i've just been too far gone to backtrack.

Fortunately, i've mainly just used the NL pack in this one! Bloody fantastic Xpack.

I also found that there's some really good road textures on the official BTB site. I've been struggling to find them for ages, and they were there all along!

Anyway, this track is nearly finished. I've basically worked 2 straight days on it. AI's done (for this GP version of the track, anyway), all the barriers are done, and all the internal materials for terrain are complete.

Things to do:
*External terrain
*Few advertising hoardings
*Tyre walls
*Couple of props (ie. marshals, marshal posts etc)

I've still only driven on it once in its very, very early stages! Can't wait to give it a real spin.

Selby

[bio]

Yeah, some of the Xpacks are next to useless - I mean ground/road textures that aren't driveable? Textures that will look awfully pixelated because the image used was tiny? Objects that are rendered totally messed up on rFactor?

But most of the XPacks are good and very useful.

bio

[ECW Dan Selby]

Nail on the head there, mate. I can't believe no one else points it out, though. Also, why do people upload them if they don't work? It's so odd!

I'm almost glad to hear it's not just me that suffers, but that'd be really selfish

Just uploading a video of the lap now...

Selby

[ECW Dan Selby]

Here we go!

http://youtu.be/utpvBparWX8

Selby

NOTE - Apologies for the lack of top end speed on the Ferrari. It's set up so weirdly as default (odd gear ratios).

Also, excuse the odd name. I just saw you posted it in November!

[SpeedingTortoise]

Very nice. Looks quite difficult with a lot of long, fast turns. It must be quite easy to misjudge T12 (right after the long straight). I like what you have done with the camber and elevation at T3 and 4. Very well done.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Thanks mate, and thanks for the design. I knew when I saw it that it'd be a classic, and i'm not wrong.

I just did a really fun 10 lap rap in a Lotus as Raikkonen. Went from the back to the front with a couple of laps to go.

Unfortunately, on the final lap, I crashed in to an imaginary wall on the long straight! I think it's where I put an ad bridge and put it as a collidable object, so i'm just about to change that!

I've also got things like a grid on the s/f, starting lights, and external terrain with a load of trees so the track looks a lot more 'full'.

I'll be doing the alternative layouts soon, too. That's just a case of re-doing parts of the AI and moving a couple of walls about.

--

Also, I didn't realise quite how Silverstone-like the track was:

*T1 is like Copse
*T2-4 is a similar ethos to Maggots/Becketts/Chapel
*T8-11 is a reverse version of Club
*T11 is also very reminiscent of the turn going on to the Wellington straight on the new Silverstone

Definitely not a knock! It's a proper ride this one.

Selby

[SKG]

Great job guys. I think I must have missed this one when it was originally uploaded, some really interesting corners there.

Although I must say, I'm bitterly disappointed with the lack of commentary on the vid Dan...

[ECW Dan Selby]

hahaha I was close, mate. I might do one when it's totally finished!

Selby

[SpeedingTortoise]

Remember the stadium track I designed 2 years ago? I've decided to revive the concept with this new track. It is more efficient in its use of space as i've put the paddock on the outside of the track. There is also no under-grandstand run off.

All tracks Anti-clockwise No Elevation Track lengths in diagram.

[the_calculator]

Nice, a maximum-spectator-friendly racetrack.

The "outer" circuit's my favourite.

The only thing is there's no grandstand in front of the main straight/pitboxes to view the race start, pitbox action and tributing the winner.
Don't know if this is a bad thing, just a little unorthodox.
Also depends on the viewing distances from the (opposite) stands onto the main straight.
What are the length and width of this complex??

I would probably mirror the paddock and pitboxes along the main straight and cover the now empty "right" side of the complex with a grandstand to complete the football stadium feel.
This would, in my opinion, also make the pit entry and exit less "forced".

I like it.

[SpeedingTortoise]

The complex is roughly 800m by 650m.

The pit straight is unorthodox because in my original stadium design I thought that having the paddock on the inside of the track was one of it's problems. I thought that it was a space that would be better put on the outside so that there would be more track that could be seen in the stands and that the paddock could be bigger as it wouldn't be restricted by the track and the surrounding stands. I didn't put a stand on the inside of the pit straight due to a lack of space. I also think it is against the concept with the stand only being able to see the pit straight and not the majority of the track.

A possible solution is to have a stand above the pit garages, like the support paddock at Abu Dhabi, but i'm not sure how this would work with the rest of the stands.

[the_calculator]

OK, I see where you're coming from.
And in that respect I think you're Abu dhabi solution totaly works.

But I still think you're still creating yourselve more problems then you're solving.
I've just measured up the width of the paddock area of Monza and the Hungaroring; roughly 200m.
Wich would (be a welcoming) add up to the length of the top and bottom straight.
In terms of viewing distance we're talking; is a 1000m acceptable versus you're 800m.
In terms of the paddock/pitcomplex blocking the view on the main straight from the left grandstand; you could sink the whole paddock area a few meters into the ground (Isn't the new Silverstone pitlane dug in?).

Like I said; I like you're design and the way you solved you're problems probably only adds to the tracks character.
My proposal would turn it into a more "standard" track, wich is not necessarily a good thing since we've allready got loads of those.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

To pick up on a couple of points, for viewing area, run the measurement tool frm google earth over the Valencia circuit. It's a true arena/stadium circuit.

Pit exit, nice use of a Montreal style exit

Pit entry, I'd adapt a Spa style entry, so where the racing line drifts back to the left hand apex of the final corner, the pit lane goes to the right. This is possible as the chicane features such a dramatic change if direction at the end of the straight, there really only needs to be straight on run off.

Using ipad at the moment but can add a sketch later

[SpeedingTortoise]

SBF, Ive measured the track against Valencia. From the last corner to the stand in front of T1, its 993m and from the pit garages to the opposite stand is 453m. I've put together a comparison between the two tracks.

I'm also going to do an update of the last corner and pit entry. It should be done in an hour or two.

[SpeedingTortoise]

Better late than never, here's the update. It features a simplified final corner, new pit entry and grandstand above the pit garages. Length has been increased by 0.05mi.

[the_calculator]

[Yannick]

That's quite an interesting concept you have there, SpeedingTortoise. And it's a neat circuit, too. Hats off to you for giving this one a serious try. This circuit should be built somewhere because it really would be a track promoter's dream.

[ECW Dan Selby]

It's a very good idea.

Just taking the whole 'stadium' racing thing from America and turning it in to a real multi-purpose track. Like it!

Selby

[SpeedingTortoise]

Another new one from me. This time going with a figure-8 design. GP and West circuits Anti-clockwise. East Circuit clockwise. Elevation 15m.

[SKG]

Wow, some really interesting concepts there! I like the compact east circuit and that little chicane actually adds quite a lot to the lap. The spectator zones on the east circuit are also really nice, like a huge amphitheater.

Those fast sweepers out the back of the circuit look great too, would require precision. Personally I would have made the turn off onto the west circuit branch off from turn 3 (?) of the GP layout, rather than cutting across and creating a turn 1 which looks quite awkward. Also, I wouldn't have made the last 3 corners quite so tight, perhaps moving the corners slightly closer together into more of a chicane, but thats just me

Nice job.

[the_calculator]

Great track!
But please change the 3 final hairpins; they don't add anything in terms of overtaking or aiding a technical driver.
I think they're just plain boring and really ruining the otherwise great flow of this track.

[SpeedingTortoise]

Here is the update for this track. I've replaced the final complex with a simpler, downhill double right. Track length is reduced by 0.03mi.