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ASC Opponent paths

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coffeycup
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ASC Opponent paths

Post by coffeycup »

What is the best shape to export for an ASC opponent path?

I tried exporting single connected vertices, no polys, but I ended up with a empty(?) 1KB 3DS file.

I can try extruding the shape so it's like a ribbon, but then I end up with twice as many vertices (delete very other one?)

The ASC path I create is 3 dimensional, it follows the hills and gullies.

In SketchUp you can 'drape' an outline onto another object. So I tried draping the 3D path onto a 2D plane so that I'd have a flat plane with the path outline with polys filling the center. I was able to export that shape. BUT it lost the sequence of vertices, so instead of a path that follows the perimeter it sticthes back and forth. See below:

I have some other ideas to try out, but was wondering what shape other people use to export a path with.
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Path should've gone around the outside, not criss-crossing!
Path should've gone around the outside, not criss-crossing!
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Harmalarm
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Re: ASC Opponent paths

Post by Harmalarm »

I export my paths in 3ds max using spline shapes and my tool. I'm not sure if that will help you as you are using sketchup, but I can help out if you need me to.

By the way, I would not recommend draping a path onto geometry because it will then generate a lot of unneeded path points where the track has height differences... The cars follow the terrain anyway, regardless of the height of the nodes/points.

Can't you export in Cad format of something of the likes? Like a spline shape to cad format, and then read out the point coordinates? (just taking a wild guess)
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coffeycup
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Re: ASC Opponent paths

Post by coffeycup »

Hmm, I hadn't thought of exporting in a different format. I can export 3DS, DWG, DXF, FBX, OBJ, VRML, XSI.

Maybe I can open one with a text editor and grab the values. If it works I'll need to parse through the values and do some manipulation because I scale and translate the imported model in PT2.

Of course if it all becomes too convoluted I can always fall back on doing it manually, but that would really be a pain in the ass on a map so big.
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coffeycup
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Re: ASC Opponent paths

Post by coffeycup »

Ok, I think that exporting the path as VRML is going give me what I need. The coords are pretty easy to isolate. I'll just need to manipulate the numbers for scaling and translating the X axis. But as long as the numbers have the correct position among themselves that will be doable.

Quick test of tracing out a star was successful. I have a little HTML5 webpage that will spit out the path onto a canvas so I can see what the stream of numbers is trying to draw...look a star! With points in the proper sequence!

Now to try it for real!
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yayPath.jpg
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coffeycup
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Re: ASC Opponent paths

Post by coffeycup »

Exporting path as a single edge WRL file worked great. I never would have thought of trying a different format from ASC.

I had to spend a bit of time figuring out how to manipulate the values (scale, translate and invert Z axis) and then spit them out as an opponent path. But I got it. And now I can use this html/javascript template for the rest of the subpaths or any new map.
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Harmalarm
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Re: ASC Opponent paths

Post by Harmalarm »

That's great man. Can you share this template with the rest of the sketcup users on the forums?
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coffeycup
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Re: ASC Opponent paths

Post by coffeycup »

When I am done with this Mad Max project I'll try to make the template a little more user-friendly with a write-up on how to prep the output from the WRL before converting it.
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