Finally had a chance this evening to watch some races at all of the courses you've created (I'd previously just checked out a few of them), and I must say what you've done really is hugely impressive. For some of the tracks that I was less familiar with, I brought up some Google images on my other laptop while I was watching the races, and the detail you've added to some of the tracks with you resources you have available in the editor is incredible. It really is top class work, and I can't wait to see the other tracks that you produce in the coming weeks. Not only has your work encouraged me to expand on the US season I was planning to add as part of my UK schedule, it's also got me considering playing a separate US-only game in addition to my UK game!

Just a couple of things I wanted to ask. It's obvious that your skills are improving with each new track that you do, so I was wondering if you were considering small tweaks to some of your early tracks at some point, mainly with regard to rails on bends. I think you already mentioned about how difficult you originally found it with the tight bends of Delta Downs, but then you really mastered it with your excellent version of Charles Town. I think Del Mar also has one or two sharp corners, so I'm guessing that was also one of your early ones.

I was also wondering if you'd considered substituting the blue water at some of your early tracks with the silvery water Mark added in a recent patch? I know you've already added it to Woodbine. The blue water works really well for some of the tracks though, especially some of the Florida and California ones that have more of a tropical feel.

Lastly, just a quick suggestion. I love how you've done the big lake at Gulfstream Park, but as it's on such flat terrain, the track feels a bit like it's in the middle of nowhere. I was wondering if you'd consider adding some of the distant skyscrapers of Miami in the background, to give it more of a feel of a city track?

I hope you don't mind me offering these suggestions, and speaking as someone that couldn't get the hang of the course editor at all I must admit I don't even know how easy it would be to make any of these changes! Thanks again for all your hard work.

Wow, I'm speechless. When I started making these courses they were mainly just to make the US game more enjoyable and more realistic. When I was making the SO6 version of this mod, I was planning on doing more silks and schedules than anything else, but the course editor is just too much fun to not work with. Thank you so much for all the compliments. Means a lot.



Delta is actually on the docket for a change. It was more because the detail in it is so much less than that at the other tracks I did. Del Mar is the same thing. I want to add in the houses on the hill and make the infield more lively. After I finish all the tracks for the US game, I will be working on updating them. The ones for updating (as of right now) are: Delta Downs, Del Mar, and Belmont (adding in hedges). I will probably go through and update all of the courses I've done after I finish. The only problem is the new crowd makes it very difficult to edit pre-914 courses without deleting the crowd in the .map file first. If I can find a way to go back to the old crowd (which will also fix my fps problems too) then it will make the process easier.



Yes. When I first did courses, I was awful at terrain editing so I just decided to paint over everything. But now I am getting better so all of the courses from here on out will be getting the silver water, and I will go back add in the silver water to the tracks I've done before that should get silver over blue.



I will see what I can do.



Don't worry, they aren't too hard to make possible. I am glad you enjoy them, and I am sure you could learn the editor. Try editing a few courses already made and you will get used to it. It takes a while to get everything to actually work well (especially the rails), but you get used to it and it is quite fun to use! If you ever need any help, just ask. I am more than happy to help anyone with the editor.

Update on 2.22:
Finished about 20 silks, going to try to finish another 10-20 for the release.
Also finished Belterra, Finger Lakes, and Oaklawn. Good news is that most of the courses from here on out will have higher fps since there will be less entities (not less detail, just less entities since there are smaller grandstands, smaller crowds, less infield trees, and other stuff larger tracks have). I am also working on my listed schedule and hope to have that done sometime in mid-August. I will keep you posted.

Noob question here - How do you mirror an image? I've tried online instructions but I am getting nowhere using Paint.net.

I assume you need it for overlays. Well after making the image in Paint.net, save and open in Paint. Then at the top should be a drop down menu that has adjustment tools, crop, resize, reflect vertically, reflect horizontally. Use reflect horizontally and there you go.

New Update Posted Today. Please Download 2.211 Update (on first post). Contains Floodlights in courses data file for any courses that needed them, along with adding in any courses the were missing (i.e. Chantilly). Renamed Great Leighs to Chelmsford City. Also added in silver lakes for Aqueduct, Arlington Park, and Meadowlands. More to come later.

Neither paint.net or paint has a "reflect horizontally" button. Am I to assume that to "Mirror" is simply just "flip horizontally"?

Thats what I meant. Flip horizontally. My apologies. Didn't have paint open when I wrote that. Just was going off of memory.

I knew it had to be something simple. Went on a goose chase looking to mirror an image.

Just to be clear and sure once more - Just one simple flip horizontally?

Is mirror a UK term for flip? If so - damn you brits

Finished up Sunland Park earlier today, and just looking at it makes me want to go there haha! Look at that amazing lake in the center, and the mountains in the distance. Wow!

Great work like always. Looks fantastic!

Sunland Park looks great... can't wait for the 2.22 release. Thanks also for adding the silver water at those other three tracks.

Well, there is one way you can fix that. Basically, what you do is move Southern Hemisphere races down a year for the second half, August to January (similar to how the world fixes race ages for them, see Dubai World Cup wiki page for example). This works out for other countries too. They will enter the Australian races at the right age. Look to 2011, Dunaden won the Melbourne Cup and was listed as a 6yo in Australia, even thought he was a 5yo in Europe. So if you have a race for 3yos, make it for 2yos and treat Australian 2yos as 3yos. Most Australian horses rarely leave to go elsewhere unless they are above and beyond so it shouldn't effect too much realism for other countries.

Hi MJ--

Any idea where Dubai/Meydan went in this latest version? It's missing from my game whenever I install the 2.2 full version.

Thanks!

--jag

Update on the next set of course:
Been away from the editor for the past few days. Going back to it tomorrow. My goal is to finish all of these by Wednesday. I will also try and finish all the US Courses by mid-August. I am also including Meydan with the next set of courses so that then it works in game (wasn't in the full set of courses for some reason).