Wow it's been ages since I updated on here, I've been hectic over the last 6 weeks and have finally sat down to finish off the track pack for the new update, which I'm aiming for release end of Oct/early November.
One thing that is missing is "stuff" on the tracks, and because of this I've tried to add new features to new tracks. One of these features is the bridges. The whole world of Rush Rally is procedurally generated, and as such it is quite hard to change one thing and not have it affect another. The old tracks have to stay exactly as they are with the jumps and bumps in the same place. Changing one bit of code could easily affect the outcome of the positioning of these bumps and then change the track which is already playable by users now.
So for bridges I came up with the idea that I would work out areas which would "suit" placement of bridges, so the whole track knows where it can place bridges, and then what I do is decide whether or not to "place" a bridge in that suggested location, and interpolate the track spline into more detail at that point. I then drop the terrain based on a few variables to make a big dip in the mesh, as shown below.
This is all that is needed to create the "terrain" for bridges. Then comes the actual placement of the bridge itself.
Using the same tech created for the stone walls, I've created a bridge in parts, and from this I can then easily span any distance of terrain dip to create a unique bridge for that section. It can also choose from a few random parts to create some variation in the visuals. To top it off, I use the same code for the "telegraph pole" and "tape" wires to create a suspension style wire for added affect.
The results are really cool, and it adds another layer of depth to the game!
And the 4 pieces of the bridge that create the above effect, of course bridges can be as short or long as you want :)
Ste