1.1 Getting started


Let's start by checking what programs we'll need. (You'll find them all at Planet Maim) The first is a modeling program. I use CarEd, and this small modeling part was designed for it. [EDIT: I don't use CarEd anymore, but I leave the tips here. I've started to use GMax, which is free. Read more: GMax's site] You could use some other modeler, as long as it's able to export ASC-files, which you can import in PT2. Or at least to export into some popular 3D-format, which you can convert into ASC. So you will also need Plaything 2, that's for sure. It is used to do the advanced texture mapping (like re-scaling them for more detailed surfaces), and for importing objects (lamp posts, trees, signs...), and finally preprocessing the track for smashable fences and pedestrians. (We'll deal with them later)

So that makes CarEd and PT2 so far. Get also Cesm's modifications, it gives you many new tools to play with. Other programs are TWT Packer/Unpacker to get stuff from original tracks or cars (textures, tippable objects), Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro to make and edit new textures (if you need any), and Carmageddon 2 to play the track!

Getting textures

To get some textures, look for the original tracks in data/races-folder. If you want textures from the city track (newcity), don't extract the newcity1.twt: they are not there. Instead, extract newc.twt, because that has all the textures from the city track. Similarly, the TWT-files with no numbers have the textures within them. Make a new folder to somewhere, and extract the TWT-files there. Once extracted, you will find a file "pixies.p16". Use CarEd's tools/pixies extractor to open them. CarEd extracts them into three folders: pix8, pix16 and Tiffrgb. The tiffrgb-folder contains tga-files, which you have to convert into TIFF-files. In Pix16-folder there are .pix-files. You don't have to convert those, you can use them immediately. Just put them in your track's Pix16-folder. But you can't edit these textures: No program supports (opens) pix-files. By the way: pixies extractors might not extract exactly all of the textures, I don't know why.

Putting the track in the game
Races.txt

You could start by making a simple square surface with some texture (in CarEd), group its components (read CarEd's help file), save it and compile it. Now, after compiling, copy the empty track's textfile from this ZIP-file into your track's folder, give it the same name as your track has, open it and change the name at the bottom of that textfile. Then copy your track's folder into data/races-folder. Now the files are in the right places. Then open data/races.txt, and replace some existing track first: (Look at the picture) Change the title, and write the exact name of your track's folder in the .txt-line. Put zero to number of opponents-line. Now you can try it in the game.

Making a track

Making a track goes by these steps:
1. A simple surface with solid stuff is made. (Cliff, hills, roads, and some buildings)
2. (Read note 1 first) When surface is done, the compiled track will be opened in PT2. In PT2 we'll do the advanced texture mapping and give it some detail by importing new objects. (those lamp posts, trees, signs, maybe even houses)
3. The textfile will be edited for all those checkpoints, opponents and drone paths, smashable fences, etc.

Note 1: When you are proceeding to the second step, make sure the surface really is done! Because you can't easily modify the model anymore in PT2: it's not a modeling program. (Some things can be done, read note 2) If you modify your track in CarEd, and re-import the modified track in PT2, you'll have to re-map the textures and re-import all the other objects, which will be too much work, especially if you already had completed them in the previous version of your track! (Or you could just forget adding new stuff, and return to that previous version, if you had a backup)

Note 2: Doing modeling stuff in PT2. (Object -> Face/triangle operations)
You can:
- Move vertices and faces
- Build a face (Triangle) from three vertices
- Flip faces (Invert triangles)
- Delete faces (Triangles)

You can't:
- Add vertices (points), so you can't make new surfaces. (Unless you import them as ACT-file)
- Easily select vertices, because there seems to be no de-selector. (And usually it selects too many points)


Unit conversions (CU = Carmageddon unit, could be also BRU = BRender unit)

1 CU = 6 meters
1 meter = 0.17 CU

I've updated these, I think these new values are more exact. Tip: in your modeling program, make the track by using real-world values, and scale it down only in the end. This is how you don't need to convert the units all the time. (Which is what I did in the beginning, it was slower, even if I had a calculator for the purpose)

Before you begin to make your real track, read the tips!

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