Creating racetracks using WED or something similar?

[LesterBoffo]

In my work on the Phillip Island GP racetrack in Victoria, I've come to a conclusion that draping/modifying the track mesh to match the lay of the terrain is a labor of almost futility. If there were some way to actually cut the track into the scenery it would look better and have a better match to the scenery.

Is anyone familiar enough with TerraGear or WED to know if there is a way to do what I'm talking about? The problem with the PI-GP track is that it's got a couple small lakes/ponds in it's near center, and it also is bordered by 2 roads to it's East and West. The one to the West is it's entrance and also makes up a good portion of its parking lot. I have most of the track's road modeled, in addition to a few buildings and the extensive 'sand traps' to stop vehicles that have gone off the race course. It would be icing on the cake to make the terrain have land classes like inland water/lakes, roads, sand, and cropgrass instead of the ubiquitous scrubland that makes up 90% of Phillip Island.

[IAHM-COL]

can the race track look like a mesh of taxiways?
If this is the case, WED would be totally a posible solution to implement such.

(the lakes/wholes in the middle is no problem)

[SHM]

If the lakes are inside the track boundary, wont they be lost?
Terragear gives priority to "Airports" class and then only lakes landclass

[IAHM-COL]

I thought WED can use the boundary tool to create holes within airport specifications, where other landclasses show.
I think I know, instead of I thought. If I recall correctly I used this trick on KXTA layout to build the taxiways of the Rock rwys.

[SHM]

Oh. Didnt know that trick.

[LesterBoffo]

I thought WED can use the boundary tool to create holes within airport specifications, where other landclasses show.
I think I know, instead of I thought. If I recall correctly I used this trick on KXTA layout to build the taxiways of the Rock rwys.

How about an area about 4 miles to the West of YPID, Phillip Island Airport?

Here's about the best image you're going to find of the Phillip Island GP circuit..

As you can see the center lake is pretty big and there's a few smaller ones both inside and outside the course.

The main East-West road from the bridge, the mainland and Cape Woolamai, to the West Cape is the Back Beach Road, which is present in the terrain. The only 'town' in the scenery is Cowes.

[IAHM-COL]

that is 100 percent achievable with WED. [I am almost certain]

Something that's important to know.
Terragear will construct the racetrack, but if the lake is missing in the landclass specification, it will miss in FG.

The solution is rather simple. In addition to creating the WED racetrack, one needs to use QGis to add a "Lake" shapefile in the correct area. You can draw those lakes with amazing accuracy that way, and allow terragear to render them.

The hint is, in WED, use the airport boundary tool to create a donut shaped boundary.

[LesterBoffo]

The possibility of importing a pre-made .ac shapefile into either WED or QGis? Since I've already researched a lot of the road course's 'layout' and elevation. I'd like to keep my work on the track's texturing, as you'll notice there's a considerable amount of blue and white stripped curbing on the inside apex's of the major turns. I'd like to maintain that appearance if possible.

I like where this is heading, as it means that the Bathurst GP circuit could also be more easily made. The problem with both the Phillip Island and Bathurst courses is that there are some severe elevation anomalies. There's a big east west, (approximately 3~5 meter high) ridge that cuts across both courses, that might be SRTM averaging mistakes, and (or) scenery anomalies due to changing from Scrub to Urban land classes. If these can be leveled or even eliminated entirely would be great.

[SHM]

I love Mount Panorama in Australia.
Do you want me to start the WED work?

[IAHM-COL]

The possibility of importing a pre-made .ac shapefile into either WED or QGis?

I don't think so (maybe just my ignorance)

But, the ac file is not a shapefile. It is a 3d object.

Both WED and QGis are totally two dimensional work. They must be drawn internally with bezier curves.
I dont see any way to take the ac and import it to either of these tools. So on that one I think you must either scrap and re-begin, or persist on your current approach to the end.

Sorry about that.