Testing tracks in the Blender Game Engine

[Anon]

I've created a file that, when imported into a track in Blender, will let you drive around using the Blender Game Engine.

To use it, simply append all objects from the file into a track, position the kart by moving the "protoKart" object, and make sure that the camera behind the kart is the active one. Then, go into camera view and enter the game engine.
Controls (if implemented) are the same as the default in-game keyboard controls.

I'm not sure how useful this could be, given how easy it is to just export a track and test it in the game, but I think that this still might help in speeding up the testing cycle for tracks.

Known issues:

Controls are snappier than in-game
Camera is fixed
Gravity isn't completely identical to in-game
Skidding in mid-air is different from in-game
Acceleration is the same no matter what the current speed is
Going up hills is slow
Turning radius is only identical to in-game at 21 m/s
Kart doesn't align self to terrain
Kart bounces when going downhill
Controls aren't reversed when going backwards
Crashing doesn't reset momentum

EDIT: Uploaded new version with improved handling and camera

[samuncle]

Hello

It's an original idea, I will try it tomorrow.

However I prefer to directly test ingame because what I see is the end result (what the player will see). It's important to have the same gameplay, the same characteristics and the same appearance.

Usually to speed up the iteration process I launch stk with the track directly loaded without any menu. Just the loading time.

[Anon]

Yeah, I do the same when I test tracks.

I think that if this file finds any use, it'll probably be in the early stages of a track, before drivelines have been made and when the basic shape of the track is still in flux. Or maybe to check the general shape of the modeling of the track.