Land map features
Introduction
This tutorial will show you how to use the land map features of SnakeDitor.
To start it, you just have to create a new track (Ctrl+N).
Track at the beginning of the tutorial
Ensure that the display is done in draft mode:
Reminder of color meaning:
- Grey parts are normal parts. They can be completely modified by the user.
- Blue parts are automatic parts used to close the track. You can only modify the radius and the direction of the circular parts.
- The red part is the selected part
Set the parameters of the track in the first tab:
Very useful shortcuts
Shortcuts associated with the buttons located at the top of SnakeDitor window.
| Shortcut | Description |
| Esc | Quit SnakeDitor. |
| Ctrl+N | New track. |
| Ctrl+O | Load a SnakeDitor file (.snr extension). |
| Ctrl+Alt+O | Load a background bitmap. |
| Ctrl+S | Save the track in a SnakeDitor file (.snr). |
| Ctrl+E | Export the track in a GeneRally file (.trk). |
| Ctrl+C | Copy the track in the clipboard as a bitmap. |
| Ctrl+V | Paste the clipboard as the land map. |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo |
| Ctrl+Y | Redo |
| Ctrl+Mouse wheel | Zoom in/out |
| Mouse wheel | scroll vertically |
| Shift+Mouse wheel | scroll horizontally |
| Clic the mouse wheel+Drag | Pan the display |
Shortcuts associated with the 'layout' tab:
| Shortcut | Description |
| Ins | Insert a circular arc after the current part. |
| Ctrl+Ins | Insert a circular arc before the current part. |
| Del | Delete the current part. |
| C | Set the type of the current part to "circular arc". |
| L | Set the type of the current part to "line". |
| M | Swap the direction of the current part (only for circular arcs). |
| Right button | Select a part. |
| Alt + Right button | Rotate the current part. |
| Alt + Left button | Move the current part. |
IMPORTANT: Don't forget to save regularly you work with the button 
(or press Ctrl+S).
Managing main road
Goto to the second tab.
Click on the button: 
or press the "insert" key to add a new part:
The new part is selected.
Click on the button: 
Then, with the left button of the mouse, click on the part and move up: this action will increase the radius.
Insert a new part:
Click on the button: 
(or press the L key) to convert the new part to a linar part
Automatically the next button is checked: 
Then, with the left button of the mouse, click on the part and move down: this action will decrease the lenght.
Insert a new part:
Click on the button: 
(or press the M key) to miror the circular part
With the left mouse button, increase the radius.
You can see that the blue part is over the track. In fact, this is the shorter way to close the track. But, in this case, we don't want this solution, so we are going to modify the blue part.
With the right mouse button click on the blue part. This action selects it. So, it is now displayed in red.
Before modifying the part, you have to push the 'lock/unlock' button: 
Then, you are allowed to prevent miroring the part: 
(or press the M key)
Now, you will insert a new part before the current part by clicking in the button:
(or press the Ctrl+Insert keys)
The track is too closed to the limit of the area, so we have to move it.
Click on the button 
to select the 'move' tool.
With the left mouse button, click on the track and drag it until the left top area of the display.
Remark: The 'move' action can be done by pressing and holding the ALT key, and draging the track
Now, there is enough place to increase the radius of the new part:
Then, click on the button (or press the TAB key) to activate the 'lenght' feature.
Whith the left mouse button, modifiy the length of the part:
The track is still too closed to the limit of the area. Now, you will rotate it.
Click on the button 
to select the 'rotate' tool.
With the left mouse button, click on the track and rotate it.
Remark: The 'rotate' action can be done by pressing and holding the ALT key, and draging the track with the right mouse button instead of using the left mouse button.
Insert a new part (with the Insert key, and transform it to a linear part (L key).
Insert a new circular part (with the Insert key), and modify it to get the same thing as shown in the next screenshot
Now, the blue part is not correct. Select it, and unlock it.
Closure feature
As you have understand, the blue parts are generated automatically to close the track. There are 2 ways to manage these blue parts:
- modify their properties. In fact, the property that is easily modified is the radius of the circular parts
- add normal parts to get closure automatic parts as small as possible
Automatic part modification
Before starting this section, you have to load the track tuto_landmap_1.snr
Modify the radius of the first automatic part
Select the second circular blue part, and modify it radius
By modifying these 2 radius you could obtain what you want.
automatic parts as small as possible
Before starting this section, you have to load again the track tuto_landmap_1.snr
Insert a circular part after the first automatic part
Then, insert a linear part
Then, insert a circular part
Then, insert a circular part
By modifying the properties of these 3 new parts, you can obtain what you want, but this method is more difficult than the first one.
Managing pits
Managing pit road
Before starting this section, you have to load the track tuto_landmap_2.snr
The pit road is build the same way as the main road, but there are 2 differences:
- It is not closed
- It can be linked to the main road: in this case, 2 closure part group will be generated
With the left mouse button, click on the pit road.
In most of the cases, the pit road is linked to the main road. You have to set the points where the link is done.
These points are set with the 'anchor' icons.
Drag the first icon to get the same display as the next screenshot.
Drag the second icon.
Now, you have to move the road
Select the 'move' feature with the button 
, and drag the pit road on the top of the image.
This road can be rotated to be parallel to the straight main road
You should be careful when you drag an 'anchor' on the main road: the order of the anchor must comply with the direction of the roads. Otherwise, you should get a strange display
In the first image, the order of the first anchor and of the second anchor are correct.
in the second image, the anchor are swapped, so the direction is not correct, and the result is bad.
in most cases, the pit road width is smaller than the main road. So it useful to modify the width.
You can update the length of the selected part. It is also possible to include new parts. In most of the cases, this is not needed. Then, it is possible to adjust the radius of the blue circular parts, to get result below:
Managing pit area
Drag the flag 
to the main road, on a straight part.
Drag the other flag 
outside of the main road.
The number of pits is set automatically by the distance between the 2 flags and is limited by the lenght of the straight part.
Managing start area
Drag the flag 
to the main road. It can be put anywhere on the road.
Drag the other flag 
to the main road. It can be put anywhere on the road.
The number of start areas if forced to 6. The distance between each other depends on the distance between the 2 flags. The lateral position depends on the lateral position of the first flag.
Interaction with external graphic softwares
When your track is finished, you can add graphic improvments. SnakeDitor is not done for that, so you are encouraged to use other softwares. The obvious tool is GeneRally TrackEditor, but you can use other softwares.
Interaction with GeneRally TrackEditor
First of all, you have to export your track as a GeneRally TRK file. You can do that with the button 
(or with Ctrl+E).
Set the name to the TRK file. Ensure that the option "lmap" is checked.
This file can be loaded in TrackEditor:
Modify the land map with this tool:
Save the track in the same file.
Now, you can go back to SnakeDitor to modify other parameters of the track (track properties, hmap, trajectories, checkpoints and objects), but you must not modify (and export) the layout any more from SnakeDitor.
Go in the first tab of SnakeDitor, and modify some properties.
Export the TRK file.
Ensure that the 'lmap' is now unchecked to prevent erasing the work previously done in TrackEditor.
Go to TrackEditor. Load again the TRK file to check your modification:
- Open the "track properties" dialog box to check the comments
- Notice the gate at the position of the checkpoint "2"
It is also possible to import the landmap made in TrackEditor in SnakeDitor by clicking on the button 
Ensure that only the "lmap" is checked.
After that, you can see the work done in TrackEditor. It is now part of SnakeDitor data, so it can be exported normally.
This import could be useful if you want to modify the land map in a GIMP-like editor. This is described in the next chapter.
If you want to remove this imported map, go to the first tab, and click on the button 
Interaction with a GIMP-like software
It is possible to transfer the land map in GIMP, modify it in GIMP and get the result back to SnakeDitor. This will be done by using the clipboard.
Copy the land map to the clipboard with the button 
(or press Ctrl+C)
Go into GIMP, and paste the content of the clipboard, that must be the land map.
Add kindy details on this map:
In GIMP, copy this image in the clipboard.
BE CAREFUL: to get best results, you should copy to the clipboard a 512x512 image that already uses the GeneRally palette (only 16 colors)
Go back to SnakeDitor, and paste the clipboard with the button 
(or with Ctrl+V).
Then, this land map will be able to be exported in the TRK file (if you check the 'lmap' option)
Conclusion
Now, you should be able to initialize land map with SnakeDitor.
Enjoy