TOOLBARS Opening the track editor we'll se several toolbars with their own functions. Not all the function will be done via the toolbar as they could be implemented in dialog box for an overall checking. Also some fuctions may work in combination with other, turning on when it's possible to use them or not seing any effect at all until the parent feature is not activated. Here are the list of function we'll see with a brief description. Their full tasks will be widely discussed later when applied to the editing process.
Main Toolbar | ||
New Track | It doesn't work. To create a new track it's necessary to edit an existing one | |
Open Track | To open a Gp3 track. They are identified by a .dat extention | |
Save Track | To save a Gp3 track. They are identified by a .dat extention | |
Import Gp2 Track | To convert a Gp2 track into the Gp3 format. Leads to it's own dialog box. See Here | |
To print on paper the track as it appears on screen | ||
Track Tree | To show/hide the track tree containing all the editable areas of the track | |
Properties | To show/hide the properties box containing. Select a sector and read here its properties | |
Scenary Editor | To show/hide the scenary window. Here you can edit the heights and the status of every ribbon | |
Zoom In | Every click will zoom in the track | |
Zoom Out | Every click will zoom out the track | |
Zoom Home | Will go back to the default zoom | |
Launch Gp3 | To launch the game from the .exe. No GpX Patch involved | |
About | Shows the About popup of the editor |
Tools Toolbar | ||
Zoom Tool | Every click it will zoom in centering the screen on the clicked point | |
Hand Tool | Click and drag to manually scroll the view of the track when zoomed in | |
Pointer Tool | To select track sectors without influencing their properties | |
Track Tool | To edit track sectors and add objects. Click to select, drag/drop to edit the sector lenght, right click to show the menu | |
Pitlane Tool | To edit pitlane sectors. Click to select, drag/drop to edit the sector lenght, right click to show the menu | |
Cc-Line Tool | To edit the cc-line. Used to add/remove cc-line sectors. Click to select, drag/drop to edit the sector lenght, right click to show the menu | |
Objects Tool | To edit objects. Click to select, drag/drop to edit the sector lenght, right click to show the menu | |
Wall Tool | To edit the distance of the fences. Click and drack to move the position | |
Ruler Tool | To take measurements of the distances. Click and drag between two points. The value will be shown in the bottom of the editor | |
New Track Tool | To change the length and the angle of a track sector manually by Drag and Drop | |
New Pitlane Tool | To change the length and the angle of a pitlane sector manually by Drag and Drop | |
New Cc-Line Tool | Not Working | |
Camera Tool | To edit the external view cameras. Click to select. Arrow keys to move it. Double click to open the dialog box |
View Toolbar | ||
Show Track | To show/hide the track layout | |
Driving Line | To show/hide the Cc-Line | |
Show Pitlane | To show/hide the pitlane layout | |
Track Fences | To show/hide the track walls | |
Pitlane Fences | To show/hide the pitlane walls | |
Texture definitions | ? | |
Show Sides | ? | |
Show Kerbs | To show/hide the kerbs along the track | |
Object definition | To show/hide the object position | |
Object bitmap | To show/hide the object type icon | |
Object shape | To show/hide the object shape. It is the shape of the 3D objects seen from the top | |
2D Objects | To show/hide the non-3D objects like trees, marshalls. 2D objects will always face the camera | |
Show scenary | To show/hide the scenary. Used to show the width of the ribbons. It works only with filled colours | |
Draw Sections | To show the track how it should appear in the game romoving the sector structure | |
Construction | To show the track units for the road, fences and scenary. It works only with the Draw Sections activated | |
Distance panels | To show/hide in which sectors are enabled the distance panels | |
Show Cameras | To show/hide the external cameras. The blue line cover the space before the camera. The purple line covers the space after it | |
Start/Finish line | To show/hide the starting/finish line and the direction of the track | |
Black Flags | To show/hide the areas under black flags | |
Commands | To show/hide what commands are placed in every sector | |
Fill Color | To set the transparency or the full colors of the track parts | |
Working Area | To show/hide the working area. It appears as a grey square with diagonals. Track must never fall outside it | |
Underlaied Map | To show/hide the bitmap imported as background for modeling | |
Show grid | To show/hide the grid in the working area | |
Annotations | To show/hide the annotations of the sectors and the object id’s | |
Distances | To show/hide the distances (in units) from the s/f line at the end of every track sector | |
Sector number | To show/hide the number of the sectors | |
Object axis | To show/hide the axis of the 3D objects. It works in the “view 3D object” mode only |
Objects Toolbar | ||
Fill color | To set the transparency or the full colors of the track parts | |
Texture Map | To show/hide the textures applied to the object or the default color | |
Object axis | To show/hide the axis to see the object orientation | |
Object vetexes | To show/hide the object vertexes | |
Object lines | To show/hide the lines of the object | |
Object backfaces | To show/hide the backfaces of the objects. It works only with the filled colours mode | |
Object normals | To show/hide the normal axis of every object face | |
Vertex number | To show/hide the number of the vertexes | |
Line number | To show/hide the number of the lines | |
Face number | To show/hide the numbers of the faces | |
Dive the Track | To simulate a driving along the track | |
View Track World | To show the track on a 3D space. It works only with Draw Sections activated | |
Camera View | Unclear. It works In View Track World | |
Show Race | Unclear. It works In View Track World | |
Show cars | Unclear. It works In View Track World | |
Show Background | Unclear. It works In View Track World |
It is advisable, unless required otherwise, to use always the pointer tool to select the track sectors. The editor is sensible to the drag mode, so you could change a sector length or move an object to a wrong place without noticicing. Still, the pointer tool does not work with pitlane, so it's suggested to use the track tree to locate and select pitlane sectors.
SYMBOLS Every command is identified by a symbol. All the commands of a category can have all the same symbol, in example all the pitlane commands or the sight commands. Here below are some symbols and their related categories:
Track Sectors | |
| Width change commands |
| Track/Pitlane Join commands |
Pitlane Sectors | |
| Texture mapping |
| Pitlane commands |
Fences | |
Scenary | |
Kerb commands | |
View commands | |
Edited Objects | |
| Default grandstands |
| Default adverts |
Default Cranes | |
Default Flyover | |
Default Bridges | |
Default Buildings | |
Edited 2D objects | |
| Trees |
Mapped JIPs | |
| Cc-Line commands |
TABLES There are also some tables that allow to have a general view of all the data about every sector of the track, pitlane, cc-line, objects, cameras etc. These are achievable from the Tables menu and each entry will open a own editable sheet.
STARDARD TERMS AND VALUES For more clearness during the editing process here are some standard terms that will be used. Each term is related to a specific area and shouldn't be confused. It is important to understand that track and pitlane are treated like two separate worlds and functions working for one will not apply to the other. - with TRACK SECTORS we'll mean the sectors of the track only. - with PITLANE SECTORS we'll mean the sectors of the pitlane only. - with FENCES we’ll mean the walls, or at least the part of the track/pitlane usually mapped with guard-rails textures. - with FENCES EXTENTION we’ll mean the part above the fences usually mapped with the metal grids or rows of adverts. - with ROADSIDE we'll mean the strip right next to the track surface. - with RUN-OFF we'll mean the more or less wide area after the roadside. Many times we'll need to enter some values to locate parts of the track or edit them. In many cases these values are intended as multiple of 2. In case of texture mapping, the used scale is: 256= 1 time the texture size, 512= 2 times, 128= half time, 1024= 4x times, 2048= 8x times and so on… In case of rotations or direction of any part, we need to set a direction to which the part will point. The used scale is the following. For future reference we'll call the next image DIRECTIONS: Also, every part of the track (fences,ribbons,runoff...) are labeled by an Id which is also expressed in power of 2.