[Aidan]

Hi there, getting a Triple Cup set on order and wanting to get a nice track done rather than the boring oval track which I comes with. I'm planning on putting it on my table tennis table which is 3m long and 1.5m wide.

Can I get a decent track on this or not?

I have a mac so found it difficult to find any track designer software. Plus I am not tech savey so wouldn't be much good anyway. I have tried one bit of software for the mac but got lost in it. Struggled to join and rotate the pieces no matter what I tried!! So I need your help.

Obviously it comes with the pit lane game which is cool, so does anyone have pre-designed track layouts which might work with my current space on the table? Or ideas of what I could do here?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[falkster]

Ive just had a quick search on google for some ideas and there are plenty out there, you just need to use your imagination and use the height rather then just the board.

Found this traack which looks a pretty good use of space - you have to forward it to 32 seconds, lots of Minis!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfGR8z8mjKA...player_embedded

 

[Aidan]

Like I said not technically good to even going to Google I get confused. Thanks I'll give it a go and see what I come up with. Yes use the height to add a layer so hence extending the track. Will look into this, never thought about a bridge etc. they can be quite steady now? In my day and I'm talking 30 odd years ago the bridge with not that solid and you would get movement on the track as the cars passed over the bridge.

 

[falkster]

You could always use trial and error?? Bridges are as solid as you make them. I raised my track on graduated pieces of wood the had a consistent size piece of wood every 10 or so inches on the fully raised bit but also cut a piece of foamed PVC that keeps everything steady.

 

[Aidan]

Ok thanks Falkster I'll look into it. Good to see things have improved on the bridge front.

I'm now on the look out for some new tracks or ideas to use. Are there standard rules regarding what makes a good competitive track or is it just personal choice.

 

[jamracing]

I have a simular situation of having to work to 'small' dimensions! Look in my signature for images of my track. Fits on a mdf sheet 6ft by 4ft.
with such a small space, radius 1 corners are your best friend!

 

[Si.]

Hi jamracing

Nice track dude.
Looks like a lot of fun !

Hi aidan

Drawing out ideas in the 'free' UR3 software can help a lot in seeing how much you can get in your space.
Arh...just read back...having software problems...

Before I had UR3 software, I used to design my tracks using small paper cut-outs.
Get the track-geometry drawing off the cardboard packaging from some Scalextric track.
( could do other sizes as well, but this worked good for me )

Cut-out the curve shapes & a straight & 1/2 straight etc.
BINGO...
...old fashion style template for quickly drawing track sections & planning layouts on paper.
If you're acurate in using it & get the 'join angles' correct, it can be VERY spot on size wise.
Helps to have a protractor & square also.

You should be able to get a pretty decent track going in your space.

I was flatting in London a few years back & had like jamracing a 6x4 to work with.
It's amazing what you can do with a 6x4 which is obviously smaller than what you have.

( this is actualy a couple of inches bigger than 6x4, if you want the borders )

Anyhow thought I'd put it up.
It was a VERY fun track, & loads of great racing was done on it.

You can see the X-over in the top-right, this was put in for solo-racing & timed rally stages.
Basicaly DOUBLING the lap-time.
Of course you don't need that with changers; but others after a 6x4 might !

Cheers

Si.

Try the paper cut-outs with scotch-tape for planing, IT WORKS !!!

 

[Aidan]

Thanks Si,

Yeah got the set today and set it up. I brought a set of 4 long straights as well. So now I just have a long oval track which of course has a massive advantage to any driver who just wants to sit in the inside lane. Being that its just right hand turns on both corners and then long straights. Lap times are basically 2 secs which is way too short!!!

Even my 6 year old son has cottoned onto it now and just sits there. I need to create something which evens itself out. I like your design Si, will look into what pieces I need for this one. Being just one point on the track where your can cross lanes makes it quite restrictive. Will need to get another cross laner. Thinking of something on one of the corners. Do you get one which goes from outside to inside or vice versa, which is the better option?

Maybe a hairpin somewhere on the track, force cars to slow right down. Maybe a bridge to fully use the small space I have.

 

[Aidan]

I'll see if I can attach this plan of a track I have designed. I would love to get some feedback and comments on the track both negative and positive. I have a 3mX1.5m table so planned it within these dimensions.

Track Layout

Tried to attach it but it wouldn't let me use the flickr link to the photo. I used Ultimate Racer to design it. Coudn't quite get the final part right so just left it.

 

[Aidan]

I have tried both flickr and opened a account with Photobucket and both doesn't like the links so I'm not sure what I am doing wrong. Anyway you need to click on the above link in the previous post to see the track, unless someone can kindy host it.

Cheers

 

[MrFlippant]

For Flickr:
1) Go to photo
2) Click "Share"
3) Click "Grab the HTML/BBCode" at the bottom of the popup
4) Click the "BBCode" selector at the bottom of the popup
5) Choose the size of the image you want to insert in the message
6) Click in the code box and copy or cut that text
7) Come back to the forum and paste that code into the message.

That's what I just did to get this in here:

Untitled by AidanHill, on Flickr

 

[Aidan]

I've designed another track and I'll see if I can upload it onto here for some comments or ideas. Thanks MrFlippant for your details on how to do it, I will try it out now.

 

[Aidan]

Untitled by AidanHill, on Flickr

Hey it WORKED!

Don't worry about the 4 Car Powerbase up by the pitlane, I used Ultimate Racer and there is not Pitlane device so just use this as it was the same space..

What are peoples thoughts? LC'ers in the right place? Layout ok? What should be changed?

 

[MrFlippant]

You've got a lot of track in that space, and you get to use up all your R2 turns, that's for sure. You might enjoy the drive more with a little more variety, such as some turns that change radius as you go, rather than start and end on the same radius. Your previous layout had that in spades, but maybe too much. Somewhere in the middle might be good.
As for the lane changers, well, the CLC and the pit entrance are in a bad place for magless racing, but if you do magnets for a while, it will be fine.
If you have to buy more track to make that layout, you might consider reducing the R2s. No one ever has a need for more R2 turns after they get into slot racing. Usually they're trying to trade or sell them so they can get more R3 and R4 turns. ;-)

What track do you have now? I might take a crack at what I can do with it in your space. Is 3x1.5m pretty firm, or can it be longer or wider?

 

[Aidan]

QUOTE (MrFlippant @ 16 Feb 2012, 07:13) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>You've got a lot of track in that space, and you get to use up all your R2 turns, that's for sure. You might enjoy the drive more with a little more variety, such as some turns that change radius as you go, rather than start and end on the same radius. Your previous layout had that in spades, but maybe too much. Somewhere in the middle might be good.
As for the lane changers, well, the CLC and the pit entrance are in a bad place for magless racing, but if you do magnets for a while, it will be fine.
If you have to buy more track to make that layout, you might consider reducing the R2s. No one ever has a need for more R2 turns after they get into slot racing. Usually they're trying to trade or sell them so they can get more R3 and R4 turns. ;-)

What track do you have now? I might take a crack at what I can do with it in your space. Is 3x1.5m pretty firm, or can it be longer or wider?

Thanks for your comment Mr Flippant. You make some valid points and I'll look to change it a bit. I have started with the Triple Car Set, added the hairpin extension and 4x long straights so far. It's on a table tennis table so 3m x 1.5m is all I can play with.

Maybe a bridge can help me add some variety with the limited space.

 

[MrFlippant]

Oh, ok, so you don't have much track yet at all, really. That's good, because you can choose not to buy a bunch of R2 track that will eventually collect dust. ;-)
Interesting that PingPong tables are different over there. Ours are 5'x9' which is different than 3x1.5m. I have a few old 5x9' designs, but they're old and not very good. I think I'll play around and see what I can come up with that I like. If I come up with something, I'll post it here.

 

[Aidan]

That would be awesome Mr Flippant.. Yeah 3mx1.5m table, aren't these the full sized tables for table tennis?

Anyway looking at maybe doing a bridge or elevated part on the track to give me some more track.

 

[MrFlippant]

5x9' seems to be the consensus around the world. Is yours home made?
I've been working on a 1.5x3m layout, but if you have an actual ping pong table, then it will be too big for that.
5' is near enough 1.5m to not matter much in this situation, but 3m is several inches longer than 9'.
That, or TrackPower's units are messed up.

 

[Aidan]

I'll measure it again tonight but that's the size of my table if I remember rightly. 150cm x 300cm

 

[Aidan]

QUOTE (Aidan @ 16 Feb 2012, 23:29) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I'll measure it again tonight but that's the size of my table if I remember rightly. 150cm x 300cm

what a tit I am... its actually 150cm x 275cm! Must have been blind when I last measured it! Sorry folks... No wonder my track wouldn't fit in length ways! ha ha