Track building software

Been a while since I started a forum thread...

I've been doing some web browsing (as you do) and have come across something I though some of you might be interested in. Now I'm not sure if any of you have come across it, but this piece of software is called "Bob's Track Builder Pro"

http://www.bobstrackbuilder.net/btbpro.aspx

I've been looking for software like this, or anything similar as I fancy having a go at making my own tracks, the only problem with this software is its cost, $79 AUD.

Has anyone got any recommendations of free software that can do this sorta stuff.

What do you guys who create tracks use?

I also thought we could implement our home made tracks into the league if they were any good

http://gridmotorsports.com/forum/league/11785990

I have a pretty low opinion of BTB.  It's an interesting take on doing the actual track topology, but for putting together a complete *venue* I think it's utterly inadequate.

Most of the people doing tracks use illegal copies of 3DSMax.  It's the dirty little secret of the sim-racing mod community that most of the content comes from unlicensed use of 'professional' content tools.  This doesn't have to be the case - there are alternative to 3DSMax and Photoshop that are just as feature-capable, but the goddamn game developers all write their importers/exporters natively in Max, which does a terrific job of preventing people from doing anything useful with any tool other than Max.

For example, it's basically impossible to do anything useful for rFactor because it's core file formats are only completely supported by the Max plugins that ISI released.  That's their idea of a "community friendly" game: they release their in-house custom exporter for a $3000 pro 3D tool, which spits out an undocumented file format.

And don't let me discourage you... but a good track probably represents up to several hundred man-hours of work.  By someone who already knows what they're doing. 

Bob's Track Builder isn't necessarily a bad program, but using it to build tracks is akin to writing a book by cutting and pasting words from a dictionary.  If your dictionary is sufficiently large, and you can figure out how to deal with the punctuation, you could eventually end up writing War and Peace...but as it it, you're more likely to end up with a simple Dick and Jane book.

Now, I'm not saying you can't create a good, usable track with BTB. I've seen some really well done tracks that were created with BTB. The track authors really knew how to utilize the software's strengths, and did everything they could to minimize it's weaknesses.  However, if you really want to create a track that has all the little details and things that make the better tracks sparkle - for lack of a better term - then you really have to get into the guts of it with a true 3D modeling app.

To go that route, you basically have two paths you can take.

1. 3Ds Max and Photoshop. This is the 'preferred' path as it's the only path that's supported by ISI's utilities, as well as the Nvidia utilities needed for working with the .DDS texture files directly. This is also the most expensive path. so you can either shell out a couple grand for the software; be a pirate and download the illegal, hacked versions; or do like I did - get a older, but legal and legit, copy from a friend. 
2. Open Source plus relatively inexpensive 3rd party applications. The minimum software needed for this is Blender, for modeling; Gimp, for image editing; and an additional tool like 3DSimEd for converting the Blender files to ISI's GMT format. The only software you would need to buy in this path is the 3DSimEd. Luckily, it's pretty inexpensive at £25. Those three applications, along with the free ISI utility for creating and editing MAS files and NVidea's command line tool for converting files to the DDS format, would, theoretically be all that you need. However, there are some potential issues when taking this path. 

The two issues that I know of are:

1. The file conversion process isn't always that smooth. Some things don't convert 100% correctly. 

2. ISI's plugins for 3Ds Max automate much of the work needed to create the text files that tells rFactor where everything is in the file structure, where an object is supposed to be in game, how an object reacts to collisions, lighting effects, shadows, whether or not it's a driveable surface, at what detail levels an object loads, and whether or not there's an alternative object for different detail levels. Without that automated tool, you're going to have to hand write the majority of that stuff. It's not easy to get it 100% right, and it takes a long, long time. Especially on some of the larger tracks with over 100 individual 3d objects that have to be entered!

AJ may have more information on the pitfalls related to using Blender for modeling and the conversion process. He has more experience using Blender to create content for rFactor than I have.

OK, back to my final Photoshop Class Project for me...one more day of classes next week and I'l finally be able to get back to participating in more than just the forums! YAY!

While I mostly agree with most of what was said, and I am a Blender fan, I do not think Blender can be considered to be a feature complete alternative to at least some professional packages.  I cannot speak to Studio Max, but there are some things Maya and Houdini can do that Blender cannot.

Still, unless my day job is paying for the tools, I'll take a free Blender over several K for one of those others.

I'm a fan of Bobs Track Builder and have purchased a copy.

Hoss and Dennis right in saying that it isn't quite up to scratch on putting together a complete venue but it is a great place to start building all the basics (Layout, terrain, walls etc.) To get the results of the better tracks "for sure" you need to still use a 3d package for detail. tI is fantastic if you have never used a 3D application before. I have dabeled in 3DSmax and Maya but am far from even compitent in either package but I find BTB quite intuitive.  It's also exreamly easy and fast to export into rFactor which is quite handy when jumping back and forth between BTB and rFactor when tweaking a layout. Technically it is still a beta (I say Tecnically because i've never paid $79 for a beta before) and new versions are released fairly frequently so it is getting better all the time (more features/tools in every release).

 A great feature is the Xpacker with which you can import .gmt meshes from 3DSmax and (cough) 3dSimed. I haven't tried blender before but am goin to take a look at it.

Anyway I can upload some tracks that I'm working on (if Hoss can provide a little space on the server) They are not ready for the public so I don't really want to put them on a public server. One of them is a concept for the USGP in Austin where I have used map and terrain data from google earth based on a rumor I read about the proposed location.