Tracks Nemuno Žiedas 1987-Present

mantasisg · Feb 2, 2017

The work on my local track was going on for quite some time now. I'd like you to present a track called Nemuno Žiedas. Some also calls it Nemunring, Kačerginės žiedas, but real name is Nemuno Žiedas.

The track is located in Lithuania, Kaunas city. It is not a big track the length of a lap around this circuit is estimated to be 3350m, it is very quick and with a great elevation changes.

Few RL videos:

Real track pictures:

Mod previews and posts about progress of the mod will come soon. This is from scratch, not rF conversion.

Till now I have been mostly working on getting the road accurate. But it is already about half filled, has functional (and IMO bot bad) AI, a set of cameras. It shouldn't take months for you, to find a test version to download in this thread.

That's it for now, I hope you'll like it.

Video prevews of AC track:
FastLap

https://youtu.be/ipH3hDcZUYI
Extended
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrgqcHPh8kQ

Fat-Alfie · Feb 2, 2017

First cars and now tracks! Is there no end to this man's talents?

Is that a rally cross track in the middle? If so, will you be modelling that section as well?

I am really looking forward to watching your progress - make sure you post plenty of screenshots showing us how you are getting on.

I have been lucky enough to test an early beta version, and I think, if you take your time, this could be a superb little track - I love circuits with elevation changes, and this track has one hell of an elevation change!

Good luck!

cerebralvortex · Feb 2, 2017

Looks interesting. Lot's of fast corners, seems quite challenging. And the elevation change is huge suddenly !

mantasisg · Feb 2, 2017

Thank you for a kind words, guys

Yeah I started with a Jaguar, but I wanted to do Nemunring way before i even knew that XJ13 existed, but it all looked too complex at that time. So finally it is getting together.

There are a lot of stuff inside, I might consider in later stages of development.

I'd like to show a track with a video from a race against AI, gotta get video recording software to do its job properly somehow...

I hope to get it a bit more photogenic soon lol There is a lot to be done to the looks, as mostly it has been road tweaks (by the way probably will have to redo it with a spline properly, as you suggested @LilSki and @Fat-Alfie )

I'll try to show how it is in game in the next posts. Some previews from blender so far:

AccAkut · Feb 2, 2017

I knew this track through videos from that annual event, but never saw an onboard video. The spread of performance in the grid was crazy. Fully tuned Evos at the front, diesel BMWs and Hondas at the back

The elevation changes are huge

So far I was only able to do a bit of F7 flying around it, no driving yet.

William Levesque · Feb 2, 2017

I'm the only one who voted GTL/rF, wooooooh.

mantasisg · Feb 2, 2017

Yeah in steepest part it is like up to the 12th floor in few seconds haha

@William Levesque Seems like not anymore, there are more oldskool simracers around hehe

By the way, I used J.Vaitekunas version as a reference for elevations, since he had them pretty much alright. At first I wanted just to do a conversion, but there were too much of stuff to improve.

William Levesque · Feb 2, 2017

mantasisg said:
@William Levesque Seems like not anymore, there are more oldskool simracers around hehe

By the way, I used J.Vaitekunas version as a reference for elevations, since he had them pretty much alright. At first I wanted just to do a conversion, but there were too much of stuff to improve.

One more

Great track tho, but it's been forever I've run it.

mantasisg · Feb 2, 2017

It is always nice just to pick a track from somewhere nowhere for a few hotlaps or races hehe

I wonder if you'll be able to tell the differences, there are so many in my track - widths, cambers, few curves totally different (horizontally and vertically). Also that one other person haha

aphidgod · Feb 2, 2017

William Levesque said:
I'm the only one who voted GTL/rF, wooooooh.

I voted "aware" but only because Mantas has sent me a couple betas.

William Levesque · Feb 3, 2017

mantasisg said:
It is always nice just to pick a track from somewhere nowhere for a few hotlaps or races hehe

I wonder if you'll be able to tell the differences, there are so many in my track - widths, cambers, few curves totally different (horizontally and vertically). Also that one other person haha

Lol, that must be 5-6 years ago now !

Sergio Loro · Feb 3, 2017

go Mantas!! fully support this project!!

mantasisg · Feb 10, 2017

Hi there, honestly I haven't been working on this track or anything lately. Gotta focus on some other things seriously, and restart the rhythm.

Also restart the road mesh, because it has no spline for it at the moment, making it real difficult to do it properly. Advises has been given, and I want to have final result - good.

This being said, I have been working on the road precision for so much. And I think it is pretty good already. At the beginning I had this track being tested by real racers and a lot of comments has been made, that helped me to improve quite a lot of things. And I'm happy about it all by now. It just has no spline, and a lot of things has been tweaked in a primitive way, creating a lot of small issues all around the track, it is mostly aesthetic issues, but I'll have to do proper physical mesh, and UV map everything properly, and road is the main thing. So decision has been made.

I should be able to follow existing road mesh very closely, gonna see... And when the road will be there for keeps, I'll be confident to really get down on everything else.

***

Recently I have been trying to show you my track through the video. But I have been failing everywhere - failing to to proper recording, and then uploading proper quality to youtube with 500kb\s speed.

Treat this as screenshots batch lol, but it shows that AI is working though:

This video shows track cams starts at 1:24

mantasisg · Feb 10, 2017

Sorry for double post, it is actually going to be tripple lol

Part 2 few screens.

Lithuania is mainly flat land, it is nice that they chose place like this, PS it really doesn't make it easier to maintain and cope with safety issues:

F40 is literally getting high here. But what is that pit hole right by the inside apex ? It is old water drainage. Well maybe i have it a bit too low, but it should make cars roll a lot, sometimes it breaks suspension IRL.

It is not exactly usual to have a chicane right before S/F line. But is it exciting to finish like this ? Yes it is.

Few more, just to make this page loading even longer, and making below post to read more difficult (and grab the download):

mantasisg · Feb 10, 2017

Part 3

I'm uploading early version here, like Alfie was doing with Thompson Road. I hope to hear something from community, whats good, and whats bad.

But I hope you'll like the layout. No physical random road noise at the moment.

Here we go, version 0.0x

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vevvt0fx9shaj62/nemuno_ziedas.rar?dl=0

Also try racing AI (track has 10 grid spots at the moment), but it is known that lower downforce very fast cars might have problems staying on the road.

Edit: Very stiff high downforce cars has these problems too, especially over water drainage apex, but they shouldn't drive over it.

Jack7793 · Feb 10, 2017

Just tried to load a race with AI but it kicks me back to the main menu. The Praga is nice around here it seems, off to do more laps

Edit: and thanks for the WIP release

mantasisg · Feb 10, 2017

Your welcome

I forgot to say that it has only 10 grid slots at the moment, it might be the issue.

garyjpaterson · Feb 10, 2017

Wow, what a joyous experience - wasn't really expecting that! And if I hadn't seen those onboard videos I honestly wouldn't believe that elevation, its crazy, but I love it!

Wasn't really sure where to go at the bollard/chicane bit just before the start line, not sure if its not clear enough or its just me

Love the little details like the drain that dips into the track, makes it really enjoyable to drive even when it visually is quite early in the process (that being said, I've seen worse looking proper releases...

).

Awesome stuff, love it already (though I don't think I'd have to balls to do a proper lap there IRL, looks terrifying

)!

---

Huh. Seems I might not be taking the quickest line

Can't get close to your time, will take many days of practice to get comfortable with some of those corners!

mantasisg · Feb 10, 2017

Awesome ! I think I have recently decreased peak grip for the surface it is like 0.97 on old tarmac, and 0.98 on new tarmac (maybe gonna set this to 0.99). Bt I used to drive it on "fast" all the time, and now it is like "fast" on "optimum". Will have to try to repeat the laptime now

True, will have to make something to be more clear how to take chicane. Probably will use cones on their sides with tops pointing to "tire barrels".

Jack7793 · Feb 11, 2017

Really good track for the Praga IMO, such a fast flowing layout. I'll try more cars tomorrow.

Only two things jumping out at me atm. First, the gravel trap on the outside of turn 4 has a nasty step in it, not sure if that's how it is IRL http://i.imgur.com/jH9plop.png and second the white line on the inside just after the big drain as you come over the crest floats above the track http://i.imgur.com/nV5Waj9.png