Help creating a racetrack using splines
polycounter lvl 3
Hello! I heard of a method recently, that I really want to experiment with further, but I'm having some trouble getting it to work efficiently.
The method involves creating a spline (I use a NURBS curve) to form the basic shape of the track. Then creating, from a spline, the shape you would like the track to be, then finally selecting your track and using Loft > Select Shape to conform the racetrack to that shape.
That part is easy and it's all instanced so I can change the splines to modify the look of the final result any time I want.
But this is where I get stuck. I am unsure on the best way to cut the track in to pieces and have different parts of it use different track shapes, so I could have a tunnel, for example.
Here's a closer picture. Thanks!
The method involves creating a spline (I use a NURBS curve) to form the basic shape of the track. Then creating, from a spline, the shape you would like the track to be, then finally selecting your track and using Loft > Select Shape to conform the racetrack to that shape.
That part is easy and it's all instanced so I can change the splines to modify the look of the final result any time I want.
But this is where I get stuck. I am unsure on the best way to cut the track in to pieces and have different parts of it use different track shapes, so I could have a tunnel, for example.
Here's a closer picture. Thanks!
Replies
If you really need to have it in pieces though, then you will probably need to modify the track to something where e.g. green = straight line piece, red = 90 degree corner piece, orange = sharp corner piece, blue = slightly curved
or something in those lines, and then you should be able to re-use those pieces to build the track that you want inside the engine
Also I guess it depends on the engine as well, e.g. in Unreal to create a simple road, I was able to get away with having just 1 straight piece and then attaching it to a spline created using the landscape spline tool, which basically duplicated and deformed the piece to follow the spline.
I don't really have much experience working with roads/tracks by the way, and this is all off the top of my head, so I might be wrong
It's under path parameters, pick shape I believe.
I recommend you to run a "normalize spline" modifier on your track spline though, it'll break your spline in equal segments and makes it way easier to control.
I know how to use pick shape, that's what I'm doing, but I can't figure out how to use pick shape for individual sections like you said. I have to select the entire track first, not just a section. Hrmm..
I was able to cut it in to pieces and just join them together, but there must be an easier way.
watch part 2