How to create a large freeway simulation

[srhyne]

I'm working on a project were I need to create a freeway with multiple interchanges and overpasses. I need to create the striping and all pavement markings. I use AutoCAD to create my geometry and then export to 3DS. I have been successful with smaller scale projects, but I'm forseeing a nightmare with this particular project. My smaller projects consisted of geometry for the following objects: Roadway surface, sidewalks, dashed striping, solid striping, and pavement makings. I've read about surface baking, and I feel that is the direction I need to move in order to make this work. In theory, I should be able to combine the surface asphalt and striping, and bake the object. I've tried this process for my larger freeway project and the image is skewed. It looks like it has been squished. Also, because it is 9 miles long, I don't think I will be able to create a high enough resolution that I can map later to my surface.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks,
Steve

[Dodgy]

The map would have to be enormous if you want to get a decent resolution. What you chould do is create a profile/crossection of the road, UV map that from above, so the cross section is just a line in the UV view, then use a rail extrude with UV's on and this will make them for you.

Alternatively, you can use UV spider to creat UV's along a row of polys. Look that up in the manual.

[srhyne]

I tried your suggestion of creating a UV Map from the top view. My UV Map shows solid striping on the edge of pavement, a single dashed line for the lanes, and a grassy median strip. I created a path and a cross-section of the roadway width. I used the rail extrude tool and made sure to select the U on the Make UV's and it almost performed correctly. The UV Map follows the extruded roadway surface correctly, but the dash striping isn't visible and it seems to have stretched the image along the roadway. My understanding is that the image would replicate itself along the roadway. Is this correct?

Thanks for your help.

[Dodgy]

Well, you should adjust the map after you first do the mapping, to give the pavement vertical parts a little more room in the UV. Then do the extrusion.

As for the stretching, this occurs because the whole of your image map is spread over the entire length of your road. Use the stretch tool to scale your UV's so that you get many stripes along the road.

[gjjackson]

You could check the people who did 405 the movie at http://www.405themovie.com/Home.asp

The way they did it baffled some of the Hollywood pros, especially how little it cost.

[shaol]

You could modulate the section(s) (straight,curve, etc) then but them together.

[srhyne]

That's what I have been leaning towards. Build it like Legos.

Thanks for your suggestion.