I want to second the posts by Racon about tall object.
Driving around custom tracks is much easier if there are some reference points. Getting a corner right is helped if there is some tall objects at the apex. There are some ways to build stuff like this:
However, it is hard to avoid a LEGO feel and it would look better with dedicated objects.
For example a round metal post.
That could also be useful to put turn-markers a bit higher into the air, making them easier to see.
Not important, just noticed difference in the resolution of the photos.. This one ( and the rest posted in the Development thread) are 1920x1080, while the previous you have posted are 1600x900, are the 1920x1080 pics from Eric?
I wonder if some lighting objects are planned to be included in layout editor? Once the big update is released and night is possible,surely some custom lighting will be required,either to light shady areas or tunnels made out of concrete objects.
Yes. ( Atleast thats what I understand from the pic ) Scawen posted a photo, where we could see that a "Street
lamp/light" can be placed.
Look at the orange square next to the lamp. It could be either that the red thin line ends or that a custom layout object has been placed - the lamp.
What I am more curious about ( and want to see in the update A LOT A LOT ) is - Will we be able to turn off compeltely the street lights at night ( with a command for example ) ( Would be cool for videos / drifts / )
No, I actually have the ability to create different size screenshots!
For quick illustrations I have often used 1600 by 900 which is a size I like to use when LFS is in a window. For a better presentation I think at least full HD is worth it.
No, because for a lighting object to actually light other things, we need to run through a lighting process that bakes lighting into maps (in a huge lighting octree) and additionally, a lightmap (to take lighting readings for moving objects and layout objects). It's not possible in our system to add lighting instantly by placing lighting objects. The only dynamic lights we have are car headlights.
That's a screenshot from the track editor, not a layout editor. The track editor is a massive editor that can be used to create entire track environments, bridges, buildings, landscapes, fences, roads, etc. It has been used to build all LFS tracks you see. It is an entirely different thing from the layout editor which is designed to place a few special objects around to create autocross layouts, or custom configurations.
I haven't thought of that before but it is theoretically possible to turn off all artificial lights, leaving only the headlight effect. I'm not sure that would be in high demand though and there is no feature or interface to allow it. How it works at the moment, some lights are simply on all the time (e.g. in pit garages) and others switch on at sunset (e.g. street lights).
To add to this and throwing it out there for the potential future overhaul:
I've been thinking for a while that it'd be really handy to have parametric objects, especially for anything linear like the armco/barriers. Being able to have (somewhat) arbitrary length & curve radius would be really handy.
Also adding a request for 3-high armco (ie F1 armco walls) while I'm here
This is great stuff, looking forward to see what kinds of things can be done to add detail on layouts.
I hope i'm not too late to suggest anything, but Elmo's suggestion of stacked armco wall is something i'd love to see. You can stack the current armcos but it would take 3 object spots for 1 "full object", and if you want to hide the legs of the lowest armco you risk catching the tyre with the lowest armco's top part of the hitbox (the tyre tread can "jump" from asphalt to on top of it if the armco is low enough). Having coloured options of the armco would be cool as well, for example original steel, red/white variant and perhaps yellow or white with blue or black.
Also adding to the armco, would it be possible to have a fence or a fence wall as well? Would only need to be a rectangle with a texture and collision, like the ones in the current tracks we got.
Layout pitlanes could be made more detailed by having a tent like in the example pic above but without the side walls. Of course it doesn't matter that much but it's a small bit of immersion.
Last but not least, a larger ad-banner similar in looks to Westhill's ones but a lot smaller in size would spice up layouts a lot as well and has a lot of use, especially if it would have it's own texture, or a set of them, like the smaller banner boards that are in the game currently. One example of a decent sized ad board would be 2 posts above in the Tsukuba picture.
There are bunch of suggested things about what you actually need...
...here we go again.
0.125 sloped concrete signs which can add texts. ( or draw even! )
EDIT: I am blind, striked after what I ACTUALLY read.
EDIT2: Customizable Speed Humps ( from 0.125 to 16 )
Curved Customizble Speed Humps ( from 1.4 to 90 degrees, with 0.125 to 16 )
Layout objects, which has settings of Reset ON/OFF
4th and 5th Checkpoints
Support for multiple finish lines and checkpoints ( If using twin track race modes )
Scawen could add objects like this mod that would be amazing!!!
Podiums, stage of matches among other things, I think it would be very good to have this in these layouts, whether for rally competitions or even other types of competitions
Perhaps it could be similar to slabs in the way that you select how big it is. insteadd you could select length by 1 metre and height by 0.2 of a metre?
When will this update be coming out?
This would make the level of layouts raise the roof and bring more drivers to the game i know a couple of organiser that would start organise rally/rallycross/drift events if this was posible