Guide to Checkpoint Placement

[handcuff_charlie 801]

I did not put this together. I have C&P'd it here without permission from GTAForums....like I need their permission.

It's not necessarily the gospel, but I would say 90% of this is solid and if followed you can't go wrong.

Since several people have taken a new interest in creating their own races lately, I thought this could help.

 

 

The Basics

• ​​One CP should be placed either on or slightly before every corner apex. Not one before, one after. There can be leeway if the bend is gradual and the path is clear. Generally and preferably, place it such that the outside edge touches the inside curb at the apex of the turn for street races.

• Placing CPs beyond the apex of a turn should be avoided at all costs. There are circumstances where it may become necessary, such as when 2 CPs are placed close together to signify a chicane or similar. However, it's better to not do it than to get it wrong.

• Make the chevron of each CP point down the path/in the direction that you want the driver to follow.

• A CPs directional chevrons will always point to the following CP, rotation only affects the direction of the spawn points.

• Try to avoid placing CPs on a straight unless there is too great a distance from one corner to the next, there is a dip that obscures the continuation of the road or an ambiguous junction arises.

• Only use as many CPs as the race demands. Every unnecessary CP is a distraction from the race itself.

   

   

   

Additional Considerations

• CPs associated with jumps take into account what happens when a driver fails the jump and needs to re-spawn. This should be tested with both stock and custom vehicles by hitting respawn immediately after the jump.

• CPs on a high speed straight need to be far enough away from the corner CP at the end of the straight to give the driver enough time to react and correct speed.

• Hairpin CPs are ideally placed before the apex so that they're clearly visible on approach.

• Check that your points are visible enough against the background. Sometimes they can be hard to see against blue sky on uphill courses, for example.

• CP chevrons should indicate the type of corner they are signifying. 1, 2 or 3. Sometimes you will find a sharpish corner with only 1 chevron on the CP before it, this can be very misleading. It's not always possible to maintain a good placement and still get the desired CP to show but this can often be corrected by tweaking the next CP. If it still proves inadequate then either good prop placement or rerouting the course may help....On the other hand, a 2 chevron CP may occur on a very gradual bend. This is not so serious if the road is clearly visible but does require similar attention.

• If a corner is preceded by a rise in the road that levels off a little before the corner, the CP can either be obscured by the road or become visible too late for adequate braking. In this case its often helpful to place the CP at the top of the rise rather than on the corner itself. 

    -A dip in the road can cause a similar problem, particularly if it is a dip that leads to a corner. There is rarely an easy way to solve this and still maintain good CP placement. Good propping/description warnings can sometimes help if the CPs fail but this can be a major problem on a track and must be carefully considered.

• Be wary of using all 68 CPs. This could mean that you have stretched your course too far and parts of it may be flawed.

• When placing a CP, make sure you have at least 2 valid spawns in the 3 cars illustrated behind it. Sometimes only one will be possible, this is not ideal but can work for smaller races where respawns are not expected. When deciding the respawn direction you should take traffic and other racers into consideration as well as potential obstacles at the front end of the car. 

  
  

   

Creator tips

• Put each CP on a DRIVER's driving line. A DRIVER wants to go outside, inside, outside on each turn. If your CPs unnaturally restrict the driving line, with no respect for natural obstacles, then the driver will be annoyed and uncomfortable. For example, if your course directs the driver around a natural obstacle, let's say a light pole, then your CP should allow the driver to put his fender right on the light pole during the turn without missing the CP. If the driver can miss the CP here, then you as a creator have failed.

• CPs should mirror the road in an intuitive way. With city street races the roads tend to be straight with clearly defined corners, these are simple to mark. When you get into the Vinewood Hills and beyond it becomes trickier to manage. Try to identify the apex of sweeping curves by driving the racing line and then place your CPs before those apexes. Maintaining visibility between CPs is important. Doing this should help the yellow line marking your course stick to the road rather than cuttting across from one part to the next. You should be trying to make it possible to drive by reading the CPs not the road, the ideal being that both sit neatly together. Remain aware of the other guidelines mentioned above, particularly elevation changes, placing too many CPs and sticking to one per corner.

• A great way to learn the major pitfalls in custom race creation is to play other people's tracks.

• The best way to find the major flaws in your track is to follow a driver around your course. 

Edited May 8, 2014 by handcuff_charlie

[JustHatched 12,116]

Good find, though technically you do need their permission....

 

Either way it'll remain here until they (if they do) file a DMCA take down notice.

[handcuff_charlie 801]

Good find, though technically you do need their permission....

 

Either way it'll remain here until they (if they do) file a DMCA take down notice.

 

They can have their legal team contact mine.

 

I didn't see a copyright.

Edited May 11, 2014 by handcuff_charlie

[DavidCore89 7,402]

How many lanes of traffic will a checkpoint safely stretch across without getting 'checkpoint missed'?

[handcuff_charlie 801]

How many lanes of traffic will a checkpoint safely stretch across without getting 'checkpoint missed'?

 

desuno and I tested it and it is almost 5 lanes wide, maybe a hair less

[DavidCore89 7,402]

desuno and I tested it and it is almost 5 lanes wide, maybe a hair less

That's pretty cool and useful to know, thanks.