Adding cameras to BTB tracks

[guitarmaen]

5) "Note: all values are negative values" : That's not quite right. In fact you have to multiply all xyz-coordinates from the waypoint-editor by -1 to get the same coordinates. (That's not my idea!)

9) "I don't think the elevation value for the AR matters ..." : In most cases you are right, especially when the track is nearly flat. In fact the AR is not a circle but a sphere, so if you don't like any surprises I suggest to have y coordinate roughly at track level (maybe the 'CTRL-h value' from the mic is a good value)

10) : You can do it this way, but if you want to have precise control over de-/activating a cam, then you have to create ARs which overlap the track at exact the entrance and leaving point for a car, but only there. I recommend to look at some tracks by others and learn from them.

Pos.Offset : It affects tracking cams only. A tracking cam has always the 'middle' of the car in the middle of the screen. With this you can move the 'middle' of the car.

Track.Rate : Just want to add that a value of 0 pans with the car.

Movem.Rate : Movement Cams are tracking cams which move along a given movement path with a certain speed - this is the movement rate. If you want to create a movement cam out of a tracking cam, just press 'i' (in cam editing mode) to create the first movement path point (a movement path should consist of at least 4 points). Then press 'm' to get into the 'Edit Movement Path' mode and then press 'h' for help.

Orientation: Remember, setting the orientation to a reasonable value (1st and 2nd field, 3rd field left zero) for tracking cams could also make sense for a camera fetishist (like me). I'll try to explain: Let's say you're reviewing a race and you press 'PAGE DOWN' then all cams working as described, but if you press 'END' (more often) then ALL cams work like STATIC cams and you can follow the cars by pressing 'END' everytime the cars are out of sight.

What's a mystery for me until now is the meaning of the flags variables - all I know is that they can be 0 or 1 - maybe you can explore this.

[powerslider]

OK, I've updated my "Streamlined BTB Camera adding Instructions" based on the points and corrections guitarmaen made to my original post.

Thanks again! Now I'm going to go play with my Basse-Terre cameras some more!

[Duff]

Thanks for the instructions powerslider and guitarmaen (and for the app)
It takes a little getting used to but evetually it all makes sense!

Have you managed to get the moving cameras going? - apparently flag1 is for camera zoom (1) and movement (2) but this didn't seem to do much for me. Flag2 is shake, but again I couldn't seem to get it to work properly.

There is some info on here -> http://rfactor.primalmultimedia.com/...FileDefinition

[powerslider]

I just updated the first post (and the link) to reflect the best way to use this tool (IMHO) since guitarmaen released version 3.10.

[powerslider]

Thanks for the honor! My first "sticky."

[CodeF1]

When I move the cameras, there is a light blue (cyan) circle and line that stays at the point where the camera was but the yellow plus moves. It seems that those are the positoins it plays from but I have no idea how to move them.

What are they and how do I move them?

Thanks.

[powerslider]

Originally Posted by CodeF1

When I move the cameras, there is a light blue (cyan) circle and line that stays at the point where the camera was but the yellow plus moves. It seems that those are the positoins it plays from but I have no idea how to move them.

What are they and how do I move them?

Thanks.

Sorry, I just now noticed your post! I'll check that when I go home for lunch in about 5 minutes and try to give you some guidance this afternoon.

[Duff]

These are the movement paths. You need to set flags to get them to play from there. You are better off deleting them to start with and adding them back later when you want them, alternative set the flags to 0 and it should play from the position you define.

[CodeF1]

Yes I figured it out eventually. Thank you!

[powerslider]

Glad to hear it. And thanks, Duff, for jumpin in!

[roadhog29389]

Thanks for the tutorial. Thought i'd add that with the new .255 aiw editor is now a cam editor which is amazingly easy to use. Just thought the masses should know, in case, they don't

[powerslider]

Originally Posted by roadhog29389

Thanks for the tutorial. Thought i'd add that with the new .255 aiw editor is now a cam editor which is amazingly easy to use. Just thought the masses should know, in case, they don't

Whaaaat??? How did I miss that? I don't remember seeing anything about it, but there it is, under 'Dev Corner' at rFactor.net (BTW, roadhog, you might have provided the link: http://www.rfactor.net/index.php?page=devcorner)

Waypoint and camera editing tools
Download v1.255

What I now have in front of me is a zip folder 'rFactorAIWCAMEditor1255.zip' which, when I double click on it, reveals the single file 'rFactor AIWCAM Editor.exe' dated 2007-11-01. [This has been available for more than a month??? Please give us a link to the announcement, either at rFactor.net or here on RSC.]

No installation instructions, either on the rFactor site or in the form of a readme, just the executable. Damn those ISI elitists...

Should I extract this file to my rFactor root directory? I'd better first extract it to a temporary folder, just to be safe...

OK, so now I have what appears to be the AIWCAM Editor, version 1.255, ready to run as an application. Or is it merely a setup executable? I just double-clicked on it to check and got an error message about a missing file, and since I remember reading about that in the v.1.255 (F) thread, I know I'm simply to put this file in my rFactor root directory.

Of course, I won't be doing that until I first update my game to version 1.255 (F). Snowyman's recent frustrating experience has made me VERY skittish about that.

So please respond with some VERY reassuring words about how v1.255 (F) works great, how you didn't have any trouble installing the update, and how the new ISI AIWCAM Editor is so much more user-friendly than the original rFactor AIW Editor!

[Duff]

Powerslider, what you have is aiw exe and should replace the one you currently have for the old editor in your rF directory.You will need to update to use it, unless you want to keep switching licenses. Remeber to keep the DEVFILES folder as it still needs it though.

It works fine as an AIW editor but I have not worked out the camera side - I'm still using guitarmaen's fine editor for that.

Perhaps roadhog29389 could shed some light on it?

[powerslider]

Originally Posted by Duff

Powerslider, what you have is aiw exe and should replace the one you currently have for the old editor in your rF directory.You will need to update to use it, unless you want to keep switching licenses. Remeber to keep the DEVFILES folder as it still needs it though.

It works fine as an AIW editor but I have not worked out the camera side - I'm still using guitarmaen's fine editor for that.

Perhaps roadhog29389 could shed some light on it?

Thanks, Duff, for that confirmation, and for the reminder about the DEVFILES. Is the new AIW editor more friendly than the original, or does it have the same awkward user interface? Just thinking about updating my rFactor again makes my head hurt, but I've read it really speeds load times, both within and between mods.

[Duff]

Interface is possibly a little easier although has some new quirks. It also seems more reliable now.

I found the update painless and it really is much quicker now when you have loads of mods. It also gives you the oppertunity to strip out the chaff you no longer use. I also moved the install to another drive (you can have 2 installs if you want to keep the old one by the way) since BTB was filling my C drive with it's temp files.

[powerslider]

Originally Posted by Duff

Interface is possibly a little easier although has some new quirks. It also seems more reliable now.

I found the update painless and it really is much quicker now when you have loads of mods. It also gives you the oppertunity to strip out the chaff you no longer use. I also moved the install to another drive (you can have 2 installs if you want to keep the old one by the way) since BTB was filling my C drive with it's temp files.

OK, thanks. Guess I'll cross my fingers and take the plunge.

[roadhog29389]

Ok, I've been using it and got 4 tracks done in btb to rf and running w\ ai and cams. A couple of things to remember

Turn off hotkeys as soon as you start, they can really stuff you up! in options in the aiw menu ingame(haven't used for a while)

Be careful in the cam editor, rules turn themselves on in this but not in the aiw part, if you go around the track the wrong way, you can get dq'd.

They've updated the aiw menu so it looks bright and shiny, but apart from the cam editor, it hasn't changed much. Although i find it's a lot better to do camera's seeing what the camera see's.

One last thing, in cam editor, there's a mode called fly mode or something like that, it hold's the cam in place and you can move it around with the mouse, i find this really helpful setting up cams with

[Woffin]

Quick question regarding these AIW and CAM files you can make . I'm coming upto the end of finishing my track within BTB itself and am going to be moving it across to 3DSMax or something soon so I can start fine tuning it and working on objects. If I create a CAM/AIW file and update the track with new objects and terrain etc, will the files still work or will I have to re do them?

Many thanks
-Woffin

[obmit]

As long as you dont change the actual track or pit lane geometry, the AIW file should still work fine. I'm at the same stage, adding the track "furniture" with 3DSimED, and it hasnt messed my AIW up. Of course if you make a CAM file and change the terrain, you could possibly make a camera go underground.

[Woffin]

Thanks for the quick and helpful response answered exactly what I needed to know! Looks like I'll be doing my cameras soon then just needed to make sure that once I did them, they wouldn't be wiped out.

EDIT: Just downloaded the AIW and CAM editor and, to be perfectly honest, I haven't got a clue what I'm doing . I load up the CAM file for my track from BTB and it isn't even the same layout so I'm a bit confused.

[ismael_34]

Thanks Friend For Your Information

[Abujamra]

Sorry guys, but all of camera editor available are miles away from something handle.

Guitarmaen looks nice, but it's necessary to graduate for some years before.

Any tip?

[chub_pearson]

Hi Abujamra,

I think this thread has lost it's beginning - in #5 Powerslider says 'My first sticky' which sounds like he started the thread, but it's listed as guitarmean's thread - anyway, where it starts doesn't make sense!

I used the rFactor AIWCam editor to set camera positions, then guitarmaen's editor to adjust them. But I also did a lot in Notepad editing the camera file.

Guitarmaen's editor was difficult for me and english is my first language lol. I gave up on it totally two times, but the third time it began to make sense. It's very useful when you know how it works.

I was thinking of maybe writing what I know about camera files like I did with the AI. Do you think it would be useful?

Have you seen the guitarmaen editor thread in the rFactor track editing forum? http://forum.racesimcentral.com/showthread.php?t=288118

[Fatboymart]

Please go for Chub_Pearson, I have yet to look at cameras, after seeing the editor I froze in fear

Any contribution that simplifies this whole process would be of value to all especially me

Regards

Martin

[Abujamra]

I've not seen the topic that you linked... Thanks Chub. I was wondering where was the beginning of this thread because it starts from a middle of a conversation.

I agree to FatBoy, when you got a time-frame, if you can, share some infos through of a kind of tutorial..

I was only changing the values by hand using Notepad, but the way of they organize the coordinates is totally confuse to me. Instead of use a commom XYZ system, the engine puts all the thing upside down, the second number is not Y but Z (elevation), negative values means higher values and so on. Sometimes it seems that is was only done to confuse the people.

Originally Posted by chub_pearson

Hi Abujamra,

I think this thread has lost it's beginning - in #5 Powerslider says 'My first sticky' which sounds like he started the thread, but it's listed as guitarmean's thread - anyway, where it starts doesn't make sense!

I used the rFactor AIWCam editor to set camera positions, then guitarmaen's editor to adjust them. But I also did a lot in Notepad editing the camera file.

Guitarmaen's editor was difficult for me and english is my first language lol. I gave up on it totally two times, but the third time it began to make sense. It's very useful when you know how it works.

I was thinking of maybe writing what I know about camera files like I did with the AI. Do you think it would be useful?

Have you seen the guitarmaen editor thread in the rFactor track editing forum? http://forum.racesimcentral.com/showthread.php?t=288118