Second Creek Data Wanted!

[JonathonBarton]

Howdy all...

She's gone, but certainly not forgotten.
I've started a new project - and that project is getting Second Creek into rFactor (http://www.rfactor.net), a racing game that uses the same rendering engine as Simbin's GTR and GTL, as well as some older F1 titles...

As a result, I'm trying to dig up as much data on the site as possible.
copies of any photos, videos, whatever that you might have that you can chuck my way will help.

I've already got the track in game, and driveable...now it's just fleshing it out, texturing it, adding all the little things that matter, like...uh...elevation, for one thing (it's pretty flat at the moment!)

Some pics of the WIP (only about 24 hours into the project, and before I got the textures turned the right way. *grin*)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v297/jonathonbarton/3ds/2ndCreekWIP01.jpg
http://www.jonathonbarton.net/rfactor/images/2cr001.jpg
http://www.jonathonbarton.net/rfactor/images/2cr004.jpg

[LoCore]

Now that is cool!

I wonder if something like Google Earth or NASA World Wind would contain the altitude data that you need to get the elevations right?

[JonathonBarton]

I checked Google Earth earlier... it only gives 1 meter increments.
I think what I'm going to try to do is grab some 1/9 arc second (3.33 meter spacing) data from the Seamless GIS Server (seamless.usgs.gov) and see if I can't import that into MICRODEM to get a heightmap, then use a technique I read about the other day to use the heightmap as part of a cloth simulation...then the track lays down over your "cloth" terrain, and matches up perfectly with your real-world terrain.

I'm also wondering if Adams County still has original drawings tucked away on microfilm someplace - after all, someone had to draft the track plan and get it approved for building *before* all that asphalt got laid... :)

[Eric Pollock]

If you want some video of the site at the last known conditions you can check out our video section of the Last SCR day here:

http://www.generic-racing.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=106

There are some video with good track info with elevation changes with some good track drivers.

[PaulL]

That's very cool, indeed.

I checked my "Topo" program, but it only goes down to a 7.5' map series ... sort of hard to get the elevation off the contour lines with it (see pic), but the softweare DOES try to interpolate and guess what the elevation is in between lines.

If you can't find any blueprints, perhaps you coulkd walk around the track with a GPS or an altimeter - with permission, of course ;)

[LoCore]

Good idea Paul. I have the DeLorme topo software, and will check to see if it has useful resolution.

[Starkman]

Well it just so happens that I work for Adams County and know the County Surveyer. I will ask her if the maps are available.....:)

Rich Stark

[alby426]

Hi, I have several pictures and some videos. If I can help with more detailed info, please let me know. It sounds great and would love to see the end result too.

Al PIZZATO

[JonathonBarton]

Well it just so happens that I work for Adams County and know the County Surveyer. I will ask her if the maps are available.....

Rich Stark
http://www.jonathonbarton.net/im_not_worthy.gifhttp://www.jonathonbarton.net/im_not_worthy.gifhttp://www.jonathonbarton.net/im_not_worthy.gif
http://coloradoairsoft.org/modules/Forums/images/smiles/racer.gif

perhaps you coulkd walk around the track with a GPS or an altimeter - with permission, of course...
Who would I be wanting to ask these days, anyway?

[Starkman]

She's checking now. She can print a map accurate to 1/2 a contour. Is that good?
Rich

[JonathonBarton]

She's checking now. She can print a map accurate to 1/2 a contour. Is that good?
Rich
Combined with the 289 photographs I took out there today, I imagine it will be... :)

Any hope at all for getting the blueprints of the buildings that used to be onsite? Elevations in particular would be helpful. I would imagine that they exist *someplace*? Aren't copies needed in order for the county to issue a building permit?

[jhadler]

The grandstands are all gone, but the tower is still there, as is the farmhouse. At least they were when I drove by the other day...Go and get some pictures, they're still as they were (at least from a distance)...

Grandstands I'd think would be easy enough to create, as well as concrete barriers and tire walls, all of which you can probably get from the assorted videos that have been posted.

Let us know how this goes, I would LOVE to see it when it's all done. I already miss that track.

-Josh2

[Starkman]

I have on my desk a map. It has evrything! Buildings, wells, porta johns, fenches, light polls, Second Creek everything even some trees. Where can we meet?
Rich

[JonathonBarton]

*bows down*

You pick...I'll drive. :)
I work at DIA, and live in Brighton, and get off work at 6:30 Tuesday through Saturday evenings.

[rofltaco]

Too bad you can't put this into gran tursimo.

Either way, rock on - I'll be watching this :)

[JonathonBarton]

It's getting there... Still flat, but with a lot more trackside objects, and the Computer controlled AI cars work - though I need to do pits and garages yet, and the cars drive WAY too much on the dirt. I need to fix the edges of the pavement definition.

...but it has a killer soundtrack, too! ;)

With mad props to Jesse Caudill and the whole Generic-Racing crew for the massive amounts of caffeine-fueled inspiration...
http://www.jonathonbarton.net/rfactor_SecondCreek2.wmv (150MB of 640x480 video)

[CorSport]

It's getting there... Still flat, but with a lot more trackside objects, and the Computer controlled AI cars work - though I need to do pits and garages yet, and the cars drive WAY too much on the dirt. I need to fix the edges of the pavement definition.

...but it has a killer soundtrack, too! ;)

With mad props to Jesse Caudill and the whole Generic-Racing crew for the massive amounts of caffeine-fueled inspiration...
http://www.jonathonbarton.net/rfactor_SecondCreek2.wmv (150MB of 640x480 video)

Incredible. Thanks for that. I sure do miss her.

Tai

[ianacole]

That was way cool!! I love the side exhaust back fires, and they looked like they were at the right points too. They sure did spend a lot of time in the dirt. Was that how Second Creek was driven? This is a PC based game, how does it compare to say a Forza Motorsports, Project Gotham, or Gran Tourismo? What's your set up on your computer (steering wheel, pedals, etc)?

Oh, and I don't know if it was just me, but that video had about 2:10 of dead space at the end...weird.

[JonathonBarton]

The cars spent *WAY* too much time in the dirt because I didn't spend enough time setting up the "AIW" (AI Waypoint) file. So that bit is my fault. :)
It's all a work in progress - I've since gone back and redone the AIW, and the cars stay on the pavement now.
Additionally, I've added elevation to the track, so it's not flat anymore. *YAY*
I also took close to 300 photos at the track last week, so I've got reference for the banking in the corners, and better references for the track edge, tree locations, buildings, etc., as well as taking some shots vertically to use as track textures, etc.
Pitboxes have been added, as have "Garages" in the paddock area (Tents and trailers yet to come), and Start boxes for a standing-start race. There are a few other "glitches" that are visible in the video that have been corrected, too...like the fact that the cars cast a shadow on the dirt, but not on the track...*DOH*

The dead air at the end of the video is my fault, being an Adobe Premiere Noob, I left one little cliplet WAAAAY out at the end...*DOH*

I'm building the track using 3dStudio Max, along with Image Space, Incorporated's rFactor export tools on my PC at home, which is an Athlon64 3200+, with a Geforce 6800GS video card and a Gig of RAM. I typically get 75 FPS at 1280x1024 resolution with all the toys (antialiasing, ansiotropic filtering, etc.) turned on. I use a Logitech Driving Force Pro (for the PS2) as my wheel/pedal combination, and love it.

I can't really compare it to any of the other PC-boxed games, or console games since I don't really pick up a game unless I can mod the crap out of it...and don't own a game console...
My last big race game was Nascar Racing 2003 Season...and I drove the "Craftsman Truck" mod and the "North American GT" Mod for it, and rarely drove the Cup Cars it shipped with. :)

rFactor was *designed* with the modding community in mind. Most of the configuration for individual cars is done via text files, and the "online-anticheat" is done by comparing them (among other things) between the client and race server.

Examples of mods and tracks that are out there...
1990 Civic hatchbacks around Sebring? Done it.
How about Shifter Carts around the Nurburgring? Done that too...(THAT is a ton of fun...even if you only get 2 laps per tank!)
Mclaren F1 around Spa-Francorchamps? Yep. I took 6th place in that one.
Porsche Carrera Cup GT3 at Suzuka?
"Daytona" style Prototype racers around Sears Point? Yep.
Lawnmowers around the Milwaukee Mile?...well...Yes to the lawn mowers and yes to the Milwaukee Mile, but not that specific combination...yet.

And even a mixed Porsche GT3 Carerra Cup + Australian V8 race around our own beloved 2nd Creek... :)

And if you just can't find what you're looking for, you can build it with some research and perserverance...

[jhadler]

That was an awsome video clip! Loved it! Keep us updated on the latest versions please!

A couple things I noticed, and I'm sure they're going to be addressed.

1) No corner station bunkers. They are an integral part of the visual nature of the track.

2) I saw a lot of cars shorting the turns pretty heavilly. One thing that wasn't in there was the severity of the shoulder in a lot of the turns at SCR. Especially turn 6. You can't short that turn that much unless you're driving a rally car.

3) And I'm not sure about this, but the strights seemed awfully short. Is there a scaling issue? I didn't time those cars around the track, but something in the low teens would be what I'd expect from cars like that.

Loved it, let us know when the next SCR video is availalble so we can all get misty eyed watching it... :)

-Josh2

[Weston]

Any updates on this? The video has gone 404... is it still online anywhere?

Thanks