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Old 2009.11.27, 11:33 AM   #1
Sinister_Y
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Track Designer

Hi Jesus,

Thanks for the great software. I will be setting it up tomorrow morning as part of the grand opening of my store/track.

Last night, I just started to use the Zround track designer program and I'm having issues trying to open a track design that I had saved.

The error message says something like, looks like a track design file but cannot load. The program saves the files as ".rcp".

Also, are there some special steps to take in terms of showing the driving line on the track? In what order should I save? Save the track design first. Then export to the simulator???

I successfully saved and loaded only once into Zround race manager but was not able to do it and I'm getting tired of having to keep designing the same track again and again so it will save and load.

Additionally, do you have any plans to incorporate the RCP Large Radius Oval track pieces? I would appreciate if you could since my store/track will be running hybrid tracks soon, i.e. outside is an oval with a road course inside of the oval. This way I can hold heats with just oval racing for beginners and have their time recorded and then can hold a heat for more advanced racer which will use part of oval and the inside road course.

Please help.

Thanks in advance.
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Old 2009.11.27, 11:56 AM   #2
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I get that error from time to time aswell. Pretty annoying when you've spent an Hour drawing a track.

on the track animation you have to use the path tool to draw the driving line around the track. then the software uses that to animate the car icons.

The order I do is draw the track and save it.
use the path tool to draw the path then save it again.
Then I export to Z-round, although this hasn't always worked So I save a copy to desktop aswell then drag and dropped the track sim file into the relevent folder in Zround.

Last edited by ScoobyPete; 2009.11.27 at 12:00 PM.
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Old 2009.11.27, 01:35 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinister_Y View Post
Hi Jesus,

Thanks for the great software. I will be setting it up tomorrow morning as part of the grand opening of my store/track.

Last night, I just started to use the Zround track designer program and I'm having issues trying to open a track design that I had saved.

The error message says something like, looks like a track design file but cannot load. The program saves the files as ".rcp".
.
The program can save tracks in three different formats.
  • .rcp: By using the "Save" and "Save as ..." menu options (or the disk icon on the top tool bar). This file format is undrestood ONLY by the track designer. ZRound Race Manager cannot open this files.
  • .jpg: By using the "Save as jpeg..." menu item. This is just an standard .jpg image file. In the first release, I saw that you could save a JPEG image with a ".rcp" file extension. The file content was an image bitmap but the filename looks like a ".rcp" track definition. If you cannot open the ".rcp" file you could rename it as ".jpg" and try to open it to see if this is the issue.
  • .zts: By using the "Export to ZRound ...". This file format is understood by ZRound Race Manager. These files has information about the "route" the cars must follow on the simulation and a bitmap with the track desing. You need the .zts and the .bmp files generated which has the same name as the zts file on the same folder in order to use them with the race manager.
Please try to download the latest version and try a silly track desing to test the file open/save functionality. It has solved the issue about the "file type" used when saving files. They must work, I use them a lot.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinister_Y View Post
Also, are there some special steps to take in terms of showing the driving line on the track? In what order should I save? Save the track design first. Then export to the simulator???
Track design (.rcp) and Simulator file (.zts) are different things. You must always save the ".rcp". This is the only which holds the "tile" design.

You can have a lot of designs. When you choose one to make real, you can export the track for using with ZRound Race Manager by using the "Export to ZRound ...." File menu option.

You must draw the "route" to be followed by the cars during the race or simulation before saving. If you haven't done it, an error message will be displayed about this requirement. To draw it, you must use the "path draw tool", this is the "rulers" icon on the toolbox. You can see the track length of your route ( only in meters ) on the top information panel, at the right of the track size.

It is important the way you draw the route because the software learns about the relative speed of your drawing. If you draw quick, the car will go faster and vice versa. Please be patient and repeat the route the times you need to a have "realistic" race. You can test your simulation by using the play button(triangle icon on the top tool bar) so you don't need a real race on ZRound to preview the expected result.

NOTE: If you don't use a RCP track you can use the Track Designer to load your desing from a bitmap (file/background ... menu). This allows you to draw the route and export the .zts to be used by the Race Manager.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinister_Y View Post
I successfully saved and loaded only once into Zround race manager but was not able to do it and I'm getting tired of having to keep designing the same track again and again so it will save and load.
I apoligize for the inconveniences

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinister_Y View Post
Additionally, do you have any plans to incorporate the RCP Large Radius Oval track pieces? I would appreciate if you could since my store/track will be running hybrid tracks soon, i.e. outside is an oval with a road course inside of the oval. This way I can hold heats with just oval racing for beginners and have their time recorded and then can hold a heat for more advanced racer which will use part of oval and the inside road course.
I have not found the design of the Large Radius tiles on the RCP site. I think some of them has not an square layout. I appreciate if someone had the kit tile desing in order add this to the software.

You can use the Background image feature to set your own non standard tile designs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinister_Y View Post
Please help.

Thanks in advance.
I hope this helps. Suggestions are always welcome.

Jesús.
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Old 2009.12.01, 02:47 PM   #4
Sinister_Y
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1) I had downloaded and installed the latest from the zround site (1.8.4)

When I launched to check the version of Track designer it is 1.1 build 1.

Is this is the latest version of Track designer?

2) Here is a link to the design for the Large Radius Outside Oval from RCP:

http://mini-zracer.com/forums/attach...3&d=1200716448

Thanks again for a great product. I got things figured out mostly using your new videos, the manual and playing with the system.

Additional question Jesus, is there anyway to get the program to call out the lap times as they happen instead of the "beep"? maybe even the driver name and then laptime?

I remember when running 1/10 scale racing (Jlap), the program used to say "Shawn- 10.12" each time you completed a lap. I found that helpful to see if my driving (consistancy) improved or if setup changes actually worked.
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Old 2009.12.01, 04:36 PM   #5
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Track designer and ZRound Training features

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinister_Y View Post
1) I had downloaded and installed the latest from the zround site (1.8.4)

When I launched to check the version of Track designer it is 1.1 build 1.

Is this is the latest version of Track designer?
There is an update after the 1.8.4 release. You can download Track Designer 1.1 build 3 standalone here. This will be packed into the next 1.9 suite.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinister_Y View Post
2) Here is a link to the design for the Large Radius Outside Oval from RCP:

http://mini-zracer.com/forums/attach...3&d=1200716448
The link doesn't work.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinister_Y View Post
Thanks again for a great product. I got things figured out mostly using your new videos, the manual and playing with the system.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Sinister_Y View Post
Additional question Jesus, is there anyway to get the program to call out the lap times as they happen instead of the "beep"? maybe even the driver name and then laptime?

I remember when running 1/10 scale racing (Jlap), the program used to say "Shawn- 10.12" each time you completed a lap. I found that helpful to see if my driving (consistancy) improved or if setup changes actually worked.
Yes you can. ZRound can speak every completed lap with the name of the racer and the lap time. If there are several racers running and lap times are low (9 - 10sec) the system will be speaking every time with a annoying result ... depends on you.

If you are running alone, only your lap time will be speaked (not your name). The "every lap reading" feature can be configured by racer. You can have one racer selected, many racers or none.

This configuration is not saved when zround is closed. You need to enable it after starting zround again.

Here you have the menu option to do it.


The number of digits used for speaking after the period is also configurable and many other settings.


Another interesting feature for training is thay you can setup the training session duration according your classification heats duration (or mains) on your competitions in order to have an estimation about how many laps / times you do. After the time limit (plus the lap for lap time) has been reached the system will speak the session result (name, lap and time) and reset the counters for the racer. A new session will be start after next detection. The staggered start rules are applied and each racer will have their own clock ...

... but on every day trainings, there are racers who wants heat estimations, mains estimations and overall best lap, and all of them run at the same time. If you leave the training time to 00:00:00, there won't be a time limit and the lap times, best lap, etc. won't be erased while the racers were registered. If a racer want to establish his own particular practice time, he can edit this by editing his properties (double click on the racer name) as follows:


Note this value won't be saved. You must edit the practice time each time you are registered into the training if you want a value different from the default. 0:0:0 means you want the default value.

You can view the training sessions lap times by opening the data files with Zviewer. This files are stored under the "Entrenamientos" directory with a year, month, day tree structure (a file per racer and day).

ooops it finally is a long post talking about training and not on track desinger

Regards,

Jesús.

Last edited by zround; 2009.12.01 at 04:42 PM.
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Old 2009.12.01, 07:56 PM   #6
BrianMidnight
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Track Designer

Would it be possible to include the RCP 50cm large radius oval (part ref 15052) ???? The inside curve is already included in the designer but the unique outside curve is not. Thanks in advance.
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Old 2009.12.02, 12:05 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BRIANMIDNITE View Post
Would it be possible to include the RCP 50cm large radius oval (part ref 15052) ???? The inside curve is already included in the designer but the unique outside curve is not. Thanks in advance.
Sinister_Y asked me the same some posts before. I hadn't the design of the LROO pieces but he sent me a link with a useful picture. I have now the tile desing and I think it will be ready soon.

Regards,

Jesús.
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Old 2009.12.02, 06:22 PM   #8
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The track designer has been updated with Large Radius Oval tiles. If you want to draw individual tiles you can uncheck the "group tiles" option into the "L.Oval" page. It works in the same way the other kits (diagonals and large curve).

I have added also the ref #15052 to the stock control by using the "Add Large Radius Oval" Edit/Stock menu option.

Since 1.1.3 you can print the track desing (with a small tile separation) to help you when assembling the track on your room.

Regards,

Jesús.
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Old 2009.12.03, 07:28 PM   #9
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Thank you great work
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Old 2012.03.07, 06:54 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zround View Post
Since 1.1.3 you can print the track desing (with a small tile separation) to help you when assembling the track on your room.
If I print it I get the wrong colors.
If I make a "picture" I don't get the grid, so I can't tell how many squares I used.

How can I make a picture of the track with the grid in place?

I'm using v1.1 build 6
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Old 2012.03.07, 03:06 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NoBrainer View Post
If I print it I get the wrong colors.
If I make a "picture" I don't get the grid, so I can't tell how many squares I used.

How can I make a picture of the track with the grid in place?

I'm using v1.1 build 6
The print out removes the "black" color from the tiles to save ink. You will see the layout with the grid lines.

You can copy the layout with the grid to the clipboard by using the Edit/Copy printable image menu. Then you can paste the bitmap to your favorite image editor and change what you want.

Regards,

Jesús.
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Old 2012.03.16, 06:23 AM   #12
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Yep, that works, but it takes a lot of time.

Is it possible to move whole sections?
Let's say 6x4 tiles to another position.

Is it possible to add new types of tiles yourself?

Is it posible for others to update this program for and with you?
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Old 2012.03.17, 10:56 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NoBrainer View Post
Yep, that works, but it takes a lot of time.

Is it possible to move whole sections?
Let's say 6x4 tiles to another position.

Is it possible to add new types of tiles yourself?

Is it posible for others to update this program for and with you?
You can move sections by using the "arrow" tool (red arrow icon into the toolbox). You must select the tiles to move by using shift-click, then drag to the new position. I know it can be improved a lot ...

You cannot add new types in any way

It is not possible to update the software by other than me as it is not open source code. For the time being I can't find free time to spent with this application so don't expect new releases at short-mid term.

Regards,

Jesús.
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Old 2012.03.17, 11:43 AM   #14
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I do agree some stuff could be changed or updated, but if you play with it a little you'll get the hang of hit and it works realy good.
To me it's stil the best track editor I ever used.

What kind of tiles would you be adding besides 30cm?
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Old 2012.03.18, 09:51 AM   #15
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NoBrainer, I've added a new option to the View menu: Display Grid. When the option is checked, the bitmap is saved (to clipboard or .jpeg) with the grid lines.

You can download the latest release here: ZRound Track Designer 1.1 Build 7

It will be included into ZRound Suite 1.12.5 (cooming soon).

Best regards,

Jesús.
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