New Custom object MX Start Gate preview render

[ElDiablo (Paul)]

Hey guys!

   Thought that I'd start out the custom objects section with a new object that I'm making...a backwards falling (not animated) start gate. The look I'm going for here is that of a gate built by anybody with some steel, aluminum and a welder and bender. The metal has an unfinished look and IMHO it's turning out pretty well so far...see for yourself. I haven't decided yet wether or not to release multiple copies with different numbers of gates...so that you can always fit it to your track. It will use multiple texture maps so it will need to be placed in Dillo Too...and I'm thinking that checking the RIDE THROUGH box would be a must (unless you want to try to ride over it! lol) Or maybe I'll also make a version (or so) with the gate dropped down...let me hear what you think.

[motoman]

That looks nice Paul, Why not animate it?
Maybe ruff up the paint a tad so it looks a bit used.

[VMX_Burn]

Thats lookiin real sweet Paul.. 

[tw0_f0ur_]

Paul i reall like it. I think you shouldnt make it just with that textures and if anyone wants to, they can chane it in PS. " Motoman" the reason y you can make it and animated is because animated objects dont start untill the race or pratice starts. Paul but so far its looken good, maybe to what motoman said and ruff up the paint a little more, and on the fox logo make some tire marks. hope this helps. see ya later

[Daniel Ahlgren]

very nice pauly!! How many polys is it? and you should make it so its a 20 gate bro

[DBR_Dodgy]

hey  man thats looking crisp.  a few bleached tire marks acroos the front would look real cool.

as for animating it  why not?
if you have it so it starts when ever the race starts it just mean the start has to be judged,  how more realistic do ya want it  lol.

great job paul.

Ian.

[tw0_f0ur_]

Idk maybe it will work. maybe laurie would know or extreme would know if it worked or not

[mcm2boys]

Extreme made an animated startgate for a track idea i had, the animation has 2 parts upright (hold time) and the actua l drop. If you miss timed it you got bumped up in the air and made a slower start. I liked it and thought it worked well. Just need to get the number of frames in each part of the animation right and it should be a good realism touch.

Laurie

[tw0_f0ur_]

Ohh didnt know it would work... sounds good man! Paul.. maybe can u get it animated?

[ElDiablo (Paul)]

Ok...well I hadn't even thought that it would actually WORK to animate it...

Laurie...a few questions then... If I do animate it..how would online or IP racing affect it while you're waiting for people to join or enter the room (different people seem to have longer entry times than those on Cable it seems..I'm almost always first or second to enter a race)?

How about the delay...is that what you mean by the right number of frames? So should I just make sure that there's enough to make the gate drop after the 30 second card dissapears?

Don't animations start when the first person enters a room of 8 racers (or however many are racing)?

[mcm2boys]

The animations start at the beginning of the race, when the 30 sec card disappears. So you need it to drop pretty much straight away. I don't remember testing it in online racing so maybe there is a problem with that but should be ok if the animation doesn't start until the race starts. However, sometimes i only get down to 3 in the 5 count before a race starts so that might make it more difficult for slower joiners. I guess someone needs to build one and test it some more. Construction for the animated gate will be slightly more complex since you will need it in 2 parts for animation the base and the part that drops - as i'm sure you realize.

A longer delay before the drop will make sure all riders have joined before it drops but might increase laptimes for the first lap by a sec or so ..

Laurie

[DBR_Dodgy]

all online races are set by TRT  total race time.   pleanty of times ive come 1st over the finish line to get back to the loby and find i came 2nd even 3rd or 4th depending on the time delay,(and how tight the finnish was)
but at the start if you set the animation to drop 5 sec's after the flag man goes then "1" its more real and "2" you as as rider are ready.
you somtimes start a race (online) and on the track map you see people still at the gate and then speed up to catch you up as if you jumped the gate but as for the TRT you all start at the same time and the TRT works out who came where.
i think its worth animating a simple gate up then 5 second wait then gate on deck and test it online and see.
as for the 1st lap times they are overwritten anyway because they arnt a full lap so 5 seconds lost aint a big deal.
i think its worth doing or trying so as to simply advance this game even more than it already has been.


Ian.

[tw0_f0ur_]

Maybe it will work. Humm if i knew how 2 animated objects i would make a start gate and test it out

[ElDiablo (Paul)]

Well...unless Andrew or Laurie want to help me out I guess I can't animate this thing!

I have no trouble linking the gates to the frame and animating it in MAX is also NO PROBLEM...my problem however (and it seems to have ALWAYS been a problem that nobody can figure out for me) is that when I render a preview it LOOKS like it's rendering right in MAX...but after its done rendering and opens in Media Player...it's UPSIDE-DOWN!!!???

I've tried using different codecs, all kinds of wierd crap..but nothing seems to work. I've had the same problem on the last couple items that I tried to animate...actually I think that Extreme wound up animating some stuff FOR me since I couldn't figure out the preview problems.

Anyway...I updated the pic...it's now a 20-gate  and it's all ready to go...just need somebody to do the MAX animation stuff, if anyone knows how...evidently I don't! ARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!! 

[DBR_Dodgy]

looking good paul,  i still think some tire burn/bleach marks would set it off a treat.

Ian.

[tw0_f0ur_]

yeah i agree with ian again it needs some tire marks 2 spice it up a notch

[DBR_JIX_]

hey,
paul once you have done can you give me link or something so i can use this is in my track cause this is perfect for what im looking for
thanks

[Daniel Ahlgren]

paul im just wondering how many polys is it?

[VMX_Burn]

Having this animated will be good for the game, making it have a delay after the race has started I think would be awesome, as it makes it so everyone starts at the same time. I would love to see this in a track it would be for some good online racing. Well, the start anyway

[thormx985]

the starts all part of good racing drag racing to that first turn.