ASC Edit Help File

Overview

What's New ASCEdit 3.1

• New Features

  1. Ability to make a 257x257 displacement map. Scaling the 257x257 ASC up to 513x513 and then back down to 257x257 causes subtle blurring that will affect a finely tuned track. To get around this I added the 257x257 option which allows creating a displacement map from an existing 257x257 ASC and going back to an ASC without loss of information.

• Fixes

  1. Closing the Conversion dialog with the Close button ("X") didn't cancel the conversion process.
  2. Cleaned up some of the dialog handling when opening a Base ASC and creating a displacement map.
  3. After converting an SX track and then saving an 257x257 ASC file the "All Done" status would not be displayed.
  4. The %TRNFile% in the .SCN file was not being replaced with the real .TRN file name.
  5. You couldn't cancel the saving of the 257x257 ASC from the Save As dialog.
  6. Updated Help File and fixed a few bad links.

What's New ASCEdit 3.0

• SX

  1. Ability to create a 17x17 displacement map of the SX track piece
  2. New Mirror Horizontal and Mirror Vertical buttons
  3. Ability to Shift within range
  4. Default range is everything

• Nationals

  1. Convert an SX track to a 513x513 displacement map
  2. Convert an SX track to a 1016x1016 texture
  3. Load a 257x257 ASC file
  4. Position an SX track piece anywhere on a 257x257 ASC
  5. Overlay an SX track over terrain
  6. Fix Edges of a 257x257 ASC File
  7. Creates a .TER file
  8. Creates a .SCN file

Limitations of Unregistered Version

Registering

Please register.

ASC Files

SX ASC Files

SX ASC files contain the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the track piece. By changing these files, you can change the shape of the different track pieces used to create Motocross Madness SX tracks. Which ASC files are used by the different track pieces, are defined by the plugin's INI file. For each track piece, the INI file contains lines for the 4 different directions (North, South, East, and West).

SX ASC files come in 3 different flavors:

1. There are ASC files that are the same in all directions. This type of ASC file is an NSEW type, and all 4 lines for that track piece can point to the same ASC file.
2. There are ASC files that are symmetrical so that they work the same in the North and South direction and in the East and West direction. These pieces are NS and EW track pieces. In the INI file, the North and South lines would point to the same ASC file, and the West and East lines would point to the same ASC file.
3. There are ASC files that are different for each of the four directions. This type of ASC file has an N, S, E, and W version. Each of the four lines would point to a different ASC file.

My editor is enforcing a standard by forcing a piece that works in all 4 directions to end in NSEW. A piece that works in 2 directions will end in NS and EW, and a piece that only works in 1 direction will end in N, W, S, and E. You can only edit the N, NS, or NSEW version of the ASC file. You will get an error message if you try to load a file that doesn't end in N, NS, or NSEW. If you really want a different name for your ASC file, just copy it and give it the name that you want. Keep the original file so that you can edit the ASC file in the future.

National ASC Files

National ASC files contain the entire track, which covers the entire center grid, in one large ASC file. The typical National ASC file is around 13 meg in size and contains 65535 points.

An SX ASC is only 17x17 points, and a National ASC file is 257x257 points.

Using the Editor

Quick Tour

The rest of the window is made up of the following:

Track Piece

Example: Slope each row between Column 1 and Column 5.

Before:

Col    01 02 03 04 05
-----  -- -- -- -- --
Row 1: 01 01 05 05 05
Row 2: 01 01 05 05 05
Row 3: 01 01 05 05 05
Row 4: 01 01 05 05 05


After:

Col    01 02 03 04 05
-----  -- -- -- -- --
Row 1: 01 02 03 04 05
Row 2: 01 02 03 04 05
Row 3: 01 02 03 04 05
Row 4: 01 02 03 04 05

Slope Cols button

Example: Slope each column between Row 1 and Row 4.

Before:

Col    01 02 03 04 05
-----  -- -- -- -- --
Row 1: 01 01 01 01 02
Row 2: 04 04 04 04 08
Row 3: 04 04 04 04 08
Row 4: 04 04 04 04 08


After:

Col    01 02 03 04 05
-----  -- -- -- -- --
Row 1: 01 01 01 01 02
Row 2: 02 02 02 02 04
Row 3: 03 03 03 03 06
Row 4: 04 04 04 04 08

Example: Mirror every Row

Before:

Col    01 02 03 04 05
-----  -- -- -- -- --
Row 1: 01 01 01 01 02
Row 2: 04 04 04 04 08
Row 3: 04 04 04 04 08
Row 4: 04 04 04 04 08


After:

Col    01 02 03 04 05
-----  -- -- -- -- --
Row 1: 02 01 01 01 01
Row 2: 08 04 04 04 04
Row 3: 08 04 04 04 04
Row 4: 08 04 04 04 04

Mirror V button

Example: Mirror every Column

Before:

Col    01 02 03 04 05
-----  -- -- -- -- --
Row 1: 01 01 01 01 02
Row 2: 04 04 04 04 08
Row 3: 04 04 04 04 08
Row 4: 04 04 04 04 08


After:

Col    01 02 03 04 05
-----  -- -- -- -- --
Row 1: 04 04 04 04 08
Row 2: 04 04 04 04 08
Row 3: 04 04 04 04 08
Row 4: 01 01 01 01 02

• ASC17 - 17x17 SX ASC file (Can be edited using the grid)
• ASC257 - 257x257 National ASC file (Cannot be edited using the grid)

Menu

Display 3D

To the right of the display windows, is a scroll bar labeled Zoom. Use this scroll bar to adjust the distance that you are away from the track piece. Move it down and you will be closer, move it up and you will be farther away.

On the bottom of the windows are 3 scroll bars, labeled X, Y, and Z.

The X scroll bar will rotate the track piece around the X axis (an invisible horizontal line going across the track piece). With the Y and Z scroll bars centered, the X scroll bar will rotate the track piece so that the top will rotate away from you when you click on the right arrow.

The Y scroll bar will rotate the track piece around the Y axis (an invisible vertical line going up the track piece). With the X and Z scroll bars centered, the Y scroll bar will rotate the track piece so that the right side will rotate away from you when you click on the right arrow.

The Z scroll bar will rotate the track piece around the Z axis (an invisible horizontal line coming directly towards you). With the X and Y scroll bars centered, the Z scroll bar will rotate the track piece so that the top side will rotate clockwise when you click on the right arrow.

Getting Started

To do this, copy the Classic plugin to another directory in your Plugins directory. Give it the name that you want to call your plugin. You can just use Test if you want. Also,copy the Classic.INI to the same name as you called your plugin directory. Add this to your plugins.ini (be sure to add 1 to your count).

Example:

• Before
  • \mcm\trakedit\plugins\classic
  • \mcm\trakedit\plugins\classic.ini
  
  
• After
  • \mcm\trakedit\plugins\classic
  • \mcm\trakedit\plugins\test
  • \mcm\trakedit\plugins\classic.ini
  • \mcm\trakedit\plugins\test.ini

Try editing pieces first. You can just recopy the stuff when you really want to get started. If you want to create a new piece, it is usually easier to start from an existing one. If you just type the new name in the Track Piece text box, you will create a new piece when you do a File->Save.

Playing with Track Pieces

Let's modify the big jump

1. To start off with, let's make a copy of the standard classic big jump. I am assuming that you have already made a copy of the Classic plugin and called the new directory, "Test." So, using the File->Open menu, navigate to the Test directory and open the ASC file named JBGN.ASC.
2. After it's loaded, click on the 3D button and check it out. Use the Z scroll bar to rotate the track piece around.
3. Now let's make it 1.3 times bigger. To do that, enter 1.3 into the text box that is located under the words "Current Range."
4. Then, highlight the entire grid by clicking in the upper left cell (the empty one under the A in Active.)
5. Then, click on the button labeled Scale. This will multiply every cell by 1.3.
6. If you click on File->Save now, your big jump will be 1.3 times bigger. If you want to give it a different name, then enter the name in the Track Piece text box and then click on File->Save. If you want to save it in a different directory, then use File->Save As.

   To make use of a piece that you give a different name to, you will have to edit the INI file associated with your plugin and add a new track piece to it.

Let's create a Monster Mound.

First, we need to clear the grid and give the new piece a name. To clear the grid, enter a zero in the text box for the Apply Value button. Highlight the entire grid and then click on Apply Value. Since I don't have an undo feature, it is important to save your work.

Let's give this piece the name MMound by entering it into the Track Piece text box. This piece will be symmetrical, so click on the 2 file - NS,EW option for file type. Then, use the File->Save menu to save this new track piece.

To build this new track piece, we will use the Displace command. This isn't necessarily the easiest way, but it should give you some practice.

1. First, enter 0.3 in the text box under Current Range. Now, highlight all the cells from row 22.5 to row 1.5. You want all cells highlighted except the top and bottom rows. Then, click Displace. All the cells that were highlighted should now contain 0.3.
2. Enter 0.4 in the text box and highlight rows 21 thru 3. Then, click on Displace. All the cells that were highlighted should now contain 0.7.
3. Enter 0.6 in the text box and highlight rows 19.5 thru 4.5. Click on Displace and all the cells that were highlighted should now contain 1.3.
4. Enter 0.7 and highlight rows 18 thru 6. Click on Displace and all the cells that were highlighted should now contain 2.
5. Enter 1.15 and highlight rows 16.5 thru 7.5. Click on Displace and all the cells that were highlighted should now contain 3.15.
6. Leave the 1.15 there and highlight rows 15 thru 9. Click on Displace and all the cells that were highlighted should now contain 4.3.
7. Enter 0.5 and highlight rows 13.5 thru 10.5. Click on Displace and all the cells that were highlighted should now contain 4.8.
8. Enter 0.2 and highlight row 12. Click on Displace and all the cells that were highlighted should now contain 5.
9. Click on File->Save to save it, and then check it out using the 3D button. You should have a nice symmetrical mound.

To make use of this piece, you will have to edit the INI file associated with your plugin and add this as a new track piece.

Let's make an angled Mound.

1. We will start with the Monster Mound that you created above. If it's not loaded, go ahead and open it.
2. The first thing to do, is to make the whole thing about 20 percent smaller. To do that, we will scale the whole piece by 0.8. Enter 0.8 into the text box below Current Range, highlight all the cells, and then click on the Scale button. Now, the tallest part of the mound should be a 4.
3. We will now shrink the left side of the mound to 1/4 the size. To do this, enter 0.25 in the text box, highlight all rows of column 0. Your highlighted area should be just 1 column wide. Once you have the appropriate cells highlighted, click on the Scale button. The highest point of that column should now be 1.
4. We will now slope all the rows of the entire track piece from left to right. Highlight the entire track piece and then click on the Slope Rows button. If you have done it correctly, the highest part of the mound should build evenly from 1 on the left, to 4 on the right. Check it out in the 3D view.
5. Modify the track piece name to AMound and click on File->Save to save it. Then check it out using the 3D button.

To make use of this piece, you will have to edit the INI file associated with your plugin and add this as a new track piece.

Getting Started Making a National

The Basics of National/Quarry creation:

If you want the cliffs that are around the edge of the world, then you need to download the appropriate Rainbow Sample. If you want to make smaller sized (2-3MB) nationals by using flat.ASC, which is the default for ASCEdit, then you do not need the Rainbow Samples.

What else do I need?

Support

I would love to hear what your thoughts are. Please send me your suggestions.