GPL Track Creating - Getting Track Information

Authored by the GPLEA

People

Don't live near the track? Find someone who does! There are usually people who live near the track you have chosen and who are willing to do a bit of researching for you - just make sure you include them on your beta-team!

Maps

Before you start making a track, it is important that you have an accurate map to work from. 1:10000 scale is good enough, but you really want 1:5000 or better. Most countries have some form of national mapping agency (e.g. the UK has the Ordnance Survey: http://www.ord-svy.gov.uk/) so see what you can get from them. You can often get aerial photography or digital mapping, but these are usually very expensive for what they are (and what the project is...)

Centre Line

You want to make sure your centre line is as accurate as possible. There are several ways you can do this:

1) Become a draftsman and use accurate rulers, compasses, protractors etc., to take measurements directly off the map (a photocopy preferably).

2) Use Paul Hoad's F1GP2 Track Editor to trace over a scanned map, placing straights and corners as you go. This can work very well, although the maximum image size you can use is a bit limited for larger tracks.

3) Trial-and-error approach. For twisty sections of track, it is very tricky to make accurate measurements. Sometimes it is best to create the track as best you can, then compare it with a known map, and adjust the offending sections.

At the end of the day, you want a track that matches a real map accurately, and that has a tracklength the same as the real track (to the nearest 5 metres is considered good).

Track Features

For the rest of the track, you are unlikely to find a map that will show all the track details - hedges, kerbs, run-off areas, etc. You will get maps showing access roads/runways, and the edges of the track, but for everything else you will need photos/film/local knowledge/imagination.

Altitudes

At 1:10000 scale, you usually get 5metre interval contours and the occasional spot-height. This is enough, so long as you also have knowledge of the 'local' elevations - bumps, camber, etc. Hopefully you have an in-car lap on video and from it you can see where the bumps are. Camber is quite tricky to spot, but a good track will always have some camber in every corner, because it makes it more fun!

The goal for altitudes is to have a 'global' set of altitudes that will give you the general vertical shape of the track, and a 'local' set of altitudes that lets you create the camber, bumps, banking, verges, hills, volcanoes etc.

Photos/Film

If you can, get a video of an in-car lap around the track. Better still, go to the track and video the lap (slow lap!) If you visit the track, make sure you get plenty of photographs of the track, the track surroundings (banking, trees etc.), and the buildings- for textures & 3D models.

Updated 30-Dec-2000

Transferred to the wiki: 23.04.2009