92scotland's Tracks

[92scotland]

Well this is my first track which I made using SketchUp. (Just to say I am new to this stuff and that this is my first track that I have tried to make plus is the first time I have used SketchUp incase it isn't to the best standards ). I got slightly bored during the holidays so decided to give it a shot. Although I had intended it to be just the layout of the track when I began... I did get slightly carried away with it. The track is currently unnamed. The 'grand prix circuit' (which should be marked out in one of the attachments below) is approximately 4.8km and is a clockwise circuit. Any comments about it would be welcome... even if they may be harsh about it, please just say what you think about it.

[duke_toaster]

Excellent Sketchup work there, certainly amongst the best I've seen on the board. When I use it myself I've tried doing things like kerbs but they generally look horrible, so don't bother.

That last corner should be interesting but I'm not convinced there's enough run-off. I'm not keen on tarmac run-off myself, but of course it does have some advantages.

[Quintin03]

Looks great, you shouldn't worry about your sketchup skills. Unlike Duke Toaster I can make great Kerbs and that sort in sketchup but my designs always come out looking steralised and simple. That I can see in your design too though it is harder to see. I like most of your track but the folowing things I'd like more if altered:
*most right angled and (nearly) radiusles corners, they stop the flow of a circuit, I like a flowing circuit with one to three interruptions depending on its length and nature;
*the four turn esses you have there, reason is as stated above: I like a fast circuit with few interruptions;
*The second grandstand at the first hairpin, it blocks the view to the hairpin and gives spectators only that hairpin and the run to it,

What I'd do if I were asked to edit this design: not much, it's very close to a perfect circuit to my philosophy, I'd do only the following: change nothing to the infield but increasing the radius in those turns that have very little of it (turns 3, 4, 5, 9`that esses and the final turn), move the penultimate turn back on the straight similar to what I have done to my track Arnhem Aerautodrome and finaly I'd change the the four turn esses in a two turn esses. Oh, and add some grandstands, I can understand you didn't design too many as it is hard to make them.

If you wonder why I want to change this much: we're just different people with different philosophy to what makes a good track I guess. Maybe we aren't and you just had the sme problem I get when designing tracks in sketchup.

[xlr8r]

Nice first sketchup track. I agree the last corner complex has runoff issues, but for a first track that not a big deal. Also I recommend in future to hide some lines to give it a more polished look. Its nice to see that while a lot of people are using sketchup now, everyone still has their own unique style in how they use it.

Keep up the good work

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Nice graphics.

I have to say that some of the corner combinations aren't to my taste, but then that's your design.

It won't surprise anyone who follows My Tracks to know that I agree with the comments on the final corner, I'd also have concerns about the pit exit as is as well.
The easiest solution to both of these issues would be to reverse the direction of the whole circuit.

That may sound radical but looking at the circuit in an anti-clockwise direction there remarkably few layout changes required, with most of the work being in the angle of the run offs.

[LuiggiSpeed]

well I have to say I'm dazzled with your presentation skills!!!, certainly some of the best,it looks very raceable for me, I have issues with run off though. If this design were to be built, you would have to make some more room after certain corners,and also extend such areas to cover the actual raceline, which is almost always not the geometrical shape of the track.

Having said the facts, my opinion on the track is very good on some parts, some not . the corner with the semi circle stands(genius idea!), is very dangerous,coming from a long right hand sweeper,which is almost a straight line,to suddenly brake hard and turn left makes for a hairy situation, and when the first one misses his marker or has any kind of problem, he would end up either invading the track and taking out some innocent unaware racer,or getting splattered against a barrier, or both, me thinks you should reverse the geometry in such way that any racer having any problem will be spitted out of the track to a clear area.

I predict we will see some good stuff comming from you sooner than later!!!

[92scotland]

Thanks for all the feedback! So just a little update...
The track remains clockwise as I had already done most of the changes before ScotsBrutesFan suggested for it to be anti-clockwise which thinking about it now would make sense.
So the main update here is the last corner. As you are able to see from the attachments below, I have made it a long sweeper. It is a semi-circle with a diameter of approx 115m instead of the tight hairpin. I hope I have added enough run-off in this section this time round . And incase a vehicle goes straight off when entering the complex, I have added a little tire wall if the sand pit doesn't stop it in time for it to re-enter the track.
Another change to the layout is the pit exit. This time I decided to place it after T3 so hopefully the cars will not be on the race-line when they re-join the track.
Last thing I altered was the grandstand at the second hairpin. As you can see I haven't made it a semi-circle anymore and I have also extended it.
Also attached is a view from the pond looking at slight cresent in the track which I wasn't able to attach in my previous post.

[92scotland]

Just thought I would attach a before and after image of the changes made.

[ptclaus98]

Is there a tutorial for sketchup? Could someone make one?

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Originally Posted by ptclaus98

Is there a tutorial for sketchup? Could someone make one?

See my response to your same question here

I also gave a few tips in this thread

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

See my response to your same question here

I also gave a few tips in this thread

Yeah, I think I got the the hang of it, I've got a pitlane, or at least half of one.

[92scotland]

Well this my second track. Once again created using SketchUp. I haven't spent as much time on this track as I have with my first. I have attempted to make it a fast(ish) circuit which is clockwise in direction. As before just say what you think... don't be soft with it

[Quintin03]

You have spent less time on this one? You must have taken three days continously behind the computer for your first if this is took lesser time. Realy beautiful.

A few problems though: the run off at turn eight is intersected with the penultimate straight which means that when one goes off at the exit he'll hit the barrier. At turn one there's nearly no run off. At turn four the barier on the inside creates kind of a spearhead and though it's away from the racing line you may never know what will happen, a car suddenly spinning at the exit may hit that spearhead.

A shorter course can easily be made by connecting turn seven with turn ten or turn eight with the penultimate straight.

One thing you could fo to make your tracks even better without doing to much: remove any unnecessary run off. Turns two, four, five, seven and nine all have this. In real life all that gravel would cost a fortune.

[92scotland]

Haha, I pretty much did spend that amount of time as I had to get the hang of using SketchUp and plus it was the holidays so I had time to try and perfect it
On the last track people worried about there not being enough run off on some corners so on this track I made sure there was plenty, except for turn eight which was a slight problem. I was thinking of making the straight behind it go over a slight gradient so the run off for turn eight could continue underneath the straight.
Well I will hopefully get the run off issues correct first time round on future tracks... but I'm getting there, just too much this time round

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Nice circuit.

As already pointed out T1 needs some run off.

The left flick into the penultimate sweeper is a little worrying, as a brake failure on the straight would run straight across the tarmac and grass run off onto the track.

The easiest way to fix the infield section would be to extend the straight away from the hairpin and then replicate the sequence that you have 50-100m further down. This then gives the space you need for the gravel trap without getting too close to the straight.

Barriers you'll get the hang of fairly quickly, best advice is to set a consistent gap away from the back of the gravel trap and to stick with that same value on each trap. When the barriers would form a point, then simply make a curve across the inside of the pointy bit. That way it's a fairly flat wall no matter what angle it's hit at.

Getting gravel trap sizes correct can be difficult. I'm not sure if you draw your circuits to scale using the sketch up measuring tools, but if you do, then it's worth having a look at Google Earth or Google Maps at a few circuits around the world...not just F1 circuits though, and get an idea of the size of gravel trap a real circuit uses and base your own sizes accordingly. ie the gravel trap at the end of the main straight at Barcelona is a lot smaller than I first thought for being at the end of an 800m straight.

A final comment, well done on the pitlane exit. I'd say you've got it perfect given the circumstances. Having said that, it's nearly identical to the Magny Cours pit exit so perhaps that's where you got the idea from.

[Yannick]

Hello 92scotland, welcome to the trade of fantasy track design!

Your graphics are very pretty. It seems you are a natural at using this kind of software. Good for you.

I must say that I prefer the design of your 2nd track over the 1st by a mile. The 2nd design benefits from its fast sweepers and nice corner shapes. The only criticism I have with this one is what ScotsBrutesFan already pointed out: the little sweep to the left prior to the penultimate corner. That needs to go.

Strangely enough, your 1st track includes that worrysome feature prior to its penultimate corner as well!

In general, the 1st track is a little too stop-start for my taste. This opinion is fueled by the fact that the infield section of the track has got a hairpin each at its beginning and end. Another contributing factors is the left-right chicane that comes after the infield, which you could just leave out unless there were some major elevation change going on at that spot.

The tight Esses that come before the penultimate "straight" are probably in 2nd gear mainly and look like they are meant for slalom training at a test track. That choice of combination of corners can work out, but still leaves this observer a little bewildered.

Still, I must say your 1st track looks very Tilke-esque. But I guess that was your point.

Here's looking forward to seeing you further improve your corner shapes and track flow. Welcome to the board.

[Purist]

The first one seems rather anular in a number of places, which isn't really my thing. However, I do like the overall shape of it.

The second one is great. For run-off, would just slightly re-align that left-handed carousel corner between those two right-handed hairpins (shift it over to the left in the image just a bit).

[dyewat808]

I like the slalom nature of the corners, and yet overall I think I prefer the second, because it flows better. I also like the fact you fixed the pitlane - it makes much more sense in my eyes.

I like the circular corner near the end - reminds me of that corner in Long Beach.

[92scotland]

I'm back! Well almost. Since the end of my exams and the excitement of knowing that I will never have to go to school again, I have been rather bored and since my brother kindly took my position at one of the most boring jobs I have had a fair amount of spare time on my hands and as I haven't done one in quite a while, I have decided to have another attempt at making a track. So for now I will leave you lot with a small sample of the track which should be completed in the coming days.

[92scotland]

Well I have eventually got round to uploading my new track. The track layout is complete but the surroundings aren't quite as I have been to busy to complete it. But anyway here it is, btw its clockwise. Any and all comments welcome.

[bio]

Hi,
some track data would come handy. From the gravel pits I can safely presume the track runs clocwise, but there's the track length, for example, seems important here, for there seems to be a little lack of really fast sections that would present genuine overtaking opportunities.

Otherwise, I like the concept of the technical parts, and your Sketchup too (it's Sketchup, right?).


And, just out of pure curiosity... what are those blue and orange lines?

bio

[xlr8r]

Good work, You seem to be doing well with sketchup. Just 2 minor things, first the scale seems off a bit. The track either should be longer or narrower for it to look right. Also the corner sequence after the haipin is a bit iffy safety wise.

Overall the track has some nice flow, I really like it up until the hairpin.

Everyone is getting good at sketchup now. I remember when it seemed like just SBF and i were using it regularly.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Did someone say my name

Since moving to new PC, I'm having difficulty using Sketch-up altogether as I always seem to be getting layering issues, which all Sketch-up users know are a nightmare to resolve.

Of this design, two issues, firstly as Bio points out the sequence after the hairpin needs some gravel and the barrier extending into the arc of the corner, you have space so a relatively easy fix.

The second issue, is one that just about everybody in these forums expects me to comment on, and that is the pit exit, even with a don't cut line it's bringing the cars out into the racing line on the exit of T1.
Not as easy to fix without resorting to an Interlagos meandering pitlane in this case reshaping the T1 gravel trap with the pit exit behind the barrier from that to exit onto the track on the inside of the T2 exit with a relatively short don't cross line finishing before the paddock access bridge.

[92scotland]

So I thought I should visit an old track. It was the second track I posted and I rather liked it so decided to 'improve' it...

[Will3]

I see a few things I don't like but overall pretty good, bottom part kinda reminds me of magny cours, I think the asphalt runoffs are a bit uneven at times like that first fast chicane on the left side, on that little shortcut, I think it needs to be asphalt instead of straight to sand there, but thats just my opinion, I'm personally a fan of Just the sand runoffs but I think that if you use asphalt runoffs make them pretty even.

-Will