hi guys,

i ahve been reading around on forum topics on this subject but nothing really gives me the answer i am looking for.

basically i am trying to make a racing game (orginal idea i no lol).  i have the car working grand movements etc.  but what i cant get is how to make the level / track.  been fiddling aroud with a few things but again not getting the result i want.

i have bens book but that just over my head to b honest. 


i am looking to have a simple track that loops round and i was thinking of having the track open so the players car could go out onto the gravel either side of the road itself, and this would slow the car down and rumble the xbox controller. 

then have say a barrier further from the road gravel, if the car collides with that the game will end.  there will be no gravity and the car will never leave the ground so the road itself will be a flat surface.


any suggestions as to how i could go about this?

if u need n e more info let me no


cheers

fake

1) build the track as a series of meshes in a mesh tool (Milkshape, XSI mod tool, 3ds Max, DeleD, whatever)
2) use texturing on the meshes to determine ground type
3) each frame, cast rays for the four wheels of the car to the ground, to measure distance and ground type
4) affect the simulation of the car based on wheel distance and ground type
5) you'll need gravity, and springs for the wheels, to get good behavior

Good luck!

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Jon Watte, Direct3D MVP
kW X-port 3ds Max .X exporter
14 days after getting my RROD box back, it's going back for service again. Grr.

thanks for the reply. sorry have been away for a few days.

would there be an alternative way of doing it? maybe a less advanced way.  as i am only starting of with xna i dont want to jump in to deep end to start of with. 

i have been looking into height maps and they seem kinda promising.  would there be a way of using them in some way to get the effect i am after? maybe have height map for the terrain itself then place an image of the track ontop of this? 


again thank you for your reply

soapy:

would there be an alternative way of doing it? maybe a less advanced way.  as i am only starting of with xna i dont want to jump in to deep end to start of with. 

You might have already with the choice of projects. A racing game isn't exactly a normal first-game choice. You might want to start off with something a bit easier, maybe a 2D project.

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Jim Perry
Here's what I'm up to.

i no i am pushin it a bit by choosing this project but i would still like to have a stab at it.

ok i have been doing a little bit of thinking about this and want your opinion.

to create a simple track would it be possible to draw a simple circuit and save it as a bmp file.  use this as my floor then use a height map to add the barriers?

the barriers will be in striaght lines a small distance from the road and would follow the outline of the road? 

i no its not gona be that good but i am just looking something simple to play around with.

any input welcome.

(ps. i am not using the racing game started kit, at the minute its just a car model that has the chase camera implemented and movement added)

thanks

Just try it, and see how it works. You're not going to learn anything without doing it yourself, anyway!

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Jon Watte, Direct3D MVP
kW X-port 3ds Max .X exporter
14 days after getting my RROD box back, it's going back for service again. Grr.