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This page is a part of the '''Custom Track Tutorial'''. [[Custom Track Tutorial|Back to the main tutorial page]].

== Introduction ==
Track scale (track size) is an important topic for Custom Track authors. A track that is scaled too small will make players hit corners on turns and complete the course too quickly. An over-scaled track will be boring and take ages to complete. '''Picking the right scale early is important.''' It takes far more time and effort to change a track's scale when the track is close to completion than it does in the early stages of the project.

=== Scale Factors and Percent ===
This article uses scale factors and percent numbers. Multiply a scale factor by 100 to get the percent value.
; Examples
* Factor 1.2 == 120%
* Factor 0.8 ==  80%

== Using Meters ==
[[File:Sketchup-SelectMetersasDefaultTemplate.jpg|200px|thumb|Making the Simple Meters template in SketchUp the default template.]]
[[File:Blender Unit Scale.PNG|200px|thumb|Setting the Unit Scale in Blender]]
It is up to the creator to decide his or her preferred unit so as long as they are consistent all the way through the custom track creation process. Most modeling programs use SI (Metric) units by default. It is much easier to calculate scale changes and make measurements with SI units than English measurements (inches and feet). Therefore, it is a good practice to use meters. 

It is highly recommended for [[SketchUp]] users to use the ''Simple Meters'' template. If SketchUp normally starts with a template using English measurements, set the ''Simple Meters'' template as the default template for new projects. Click on ''Window > Preferences'' then click on ''Template'' and select ''Simple Template - Meters'' from the list and press ''OK''. [[3ds Max]] starts up unit-less by default.

[[Blender]] uses meters by default, but they are scaled differently than the units used in Mario Kart Wii, KMP editors, and [[SketchUp]]. To fix this, open the Scene Properties menu and under Units set Unit Scale to 100. Now the values shown in Blender can match the values recommended by this article. If you do this, you will need to export the model with a scale of 0.01. Alternatively, you can use the ratio '''1 Blender meter : 100 MKW Units''' to find equivalent values.

== Choosing a Scale ==
''Note: These recommendations are for SketchUp. Scaling factors may be different when using other 3D editors.'' 

A good scale for the width of a road can range anywhere from 2000m to 4000m across. Narrow sections shouldn't be much less than 1500m across. Your road should be at least 3000m wide at the starting line to accommodate player starts. This all very flexible because the road width is influenced by many factors, including:

*Length of straightaways
*Angles of turns
*Angles of slopes 
*The presence of off-road or guard rails
*Boosts and Jumps
*Boosts from nearby item boxes
*Intended difficulty  
*"Natural" roads (dirt roads) can vary widely in width. 
*"Artificial" roads (streets, corridors) will have fixed widths through much of the course.

Avoid making long stretches of narrow roads without any wide sections; this can lead to problems when players fall off the track. [[KMP_Editing#Respawn_Positions|Respawn points]] need to be placed on wide sections of track because when more than one player respawns at the same time, the additional players spawn to the left or the right of the respawn point. If there is no track below the player, they will be picked up by Lakitu and dropped over and over again.  

It's a good idea to compare your track's scale to other custom tracks, especially if this is your first track. Many custom track models are [http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/cldetails?mid=4f00cc649f1c3c5716f4e7364e857caf available to download] from the Google 3D Warehouse.

=== Inside vs Outside Drift ===
Mario Kart Wii vehicles have different handling characteristics. There are two main categories, vehicles that use outside drift (all karts and 9 bikes) and ones that use inside drift (Mach Bike, Flame Runner and 7 other bikes). Some turns that might be easy when using one type might be overly difficult with another. Therefore you should [[testing a track|test]] your track with a variety of vehicles at different speeds to determine if your scale works for everyone.

== Changing Scale ==
To change your track's scale, you have the following options:

* Re-scale your model in your 3D editor. In [[SketchUp]], this means using the Scale Tool. First, you should mark the zero point before scaling so you can recenter it afterwards. Then highlight the entire track and choose ''Scale'' from the ''Tools Menu''. This is usually the best choice while you are still editing the model, and before you have finished the [[KMP]]. 
* You can also adjust the scale when importing your model into [[CTools]], but it is not recommended to do this by extremely high values because it may mess up texture mapping. Adjusting the scale this way will let you use your old .obj file.
* Use [[Wiimms SZS Tools]] to automatically scale the whole track. This includes the course model, vrcorn model, [[KCL]], [[minimap]] and all KMP points. For more information see [[Track Transformation]]. This is usually the best choice when the level is complete. 
* Use [[SZS Modifier]] by going into the course_model [[MDL0]], add a Matrix. Now create a new KCL using the same tool, and update your minimap, and KMP.

Scaling the entire model is not the only option. Sometimes it is better to change the width of roads or the angles of turns, especially if only certain parts of the track are problematic.
 
After altering your model in your 3D editor, you will also need to edit your [[Solidity|collision model]] to generate an updated KCL, update your minimap and your KMP.

== Recommended Scales for Retro Tracks ==
These recommended scales are '''not''' definitive. When possible, comparisons with Mario Kart Wii's retro tracks were made to determine the scale used by [[Nintendo]]. In other cases, the values listed here were arbitrarily made by custom track authors.

'''Note:''' Scaling factors may be different when using other 3D editors.

=== Mario Kart Games ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Game
! Scale
|-
| [[Super Mario Kart]]
| Assuming that 1 pixel is 1 game unit:
* '''40.625''' for Ghost Valley 2 and Mario Circuit 3
** '''37.5''' for the walls in Mario Circuit 3
|-
| [[Mario Kart 64]]
|
|-
| [[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]
| Assuming that 1 pixel is 1 game unit:
* '''31.25''' for Shy Guy Beach
* '''36''' for Bowser Castle 3
** '''27''' for the walls
|-
| [[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]
|
* '''1.2''' for Peach Beach and Mario Circuit
* '''1.44''' for Waluigi Stadium and Cookie Land
* '''1.56''' for DK Mountain
BCO files converted to OBJ using MKDS Course Modifier have to be additionally multiplied by '''7.5'''.
|-
| [[Mario Kart DS]]
|
* '''12''' for Yoshi Falls, Desert Hills, Twilight House and GCN Mario Circuit
* '''12.5''' for [[SNES Mario Circuit 1]]
* '''14.4''' for Delfino Square, Peach Gardens and [[GBA Bowser Castle 2]]
NSBMD files converted to OBJ using MKDS Course Modifier have to be additionally multiplied by '''16'''.
|-
| [[Mario Kart 7]]
|
* '''11.<span style=text-decoration:overline>1</span>''' ('''100/9''') for Wii Mushroom Gorge, Wii Coconut Mall and Wii Maple Treeway
* '''12.5''' for Wii Koopa Cape
|-
| [[Mario Kart 8]]
| For the models submitted by [http://www.models-resource.com/submitter/Ray+Koopa/ Ray Koopa] to [http://www.models-resource.com/wii_u/mariokart8/ The Models Resource]:
* '''1000/2.54''' for Wii Moo Moo Meadows
* '''1000/2.413''' for Wii Grumble Volcano
|-
| [[Mario Kart Tour]]
|
|}

=== Other Games ===
{| class="wikitable"
! width=144px| Game
! Scale
|-
| [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diddy_Kong_Racing Diddy Kong Racing]
|
|-
| [http://www.snesmaps.com/maps/F-Zero/F-ZeroMapSelect.html F-Zero (SNES)]
| The scale for [[F-Zero White Land I|White Land I]] and [[F-Zero Big Blue|Big Blue]] was determined by measuring recharge lanes and narrow sections of track (80 pixels) and giving them a value of 2,000 game units. That works out to 25 game units per pixel. Smaller scales, such as 20 game units per pixel, would be acceptable for many tracks since the tracks vary in size. <!-- That number was easy to work with and I didn't think about a per-pixel scale at the time. I would probably go smaller if I were making those levels today. --Jefe -->
|-
| [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego_Racers_(video_game) LEGO Racers (N64)]
| 1,600,000 (when importing the VRML into MeshLab, exporting as 3DS, and then importing into SketchUp)
|-
| [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey%27s_Speedway_USA Mickey's Speedway USA]
| The scale factor used on [[MSUSA Alaska]] and [[MSUSA Philadelphia]] are usually between 3000 and 3500 depending of the width of the track. (when importing the VRML into blender, then scaling in SketchUp)
|-
| [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_Adventure Sonic Adventure (DX)]
| A scale factor of 20 was used in [[SADX Twinkle Circuit]]
|-
| [http://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Mario_64 Super Mario 64]
| 
|}

== Next ==
It is a good idea to [[Testing a Track|test]] the scale of your model as soon as possible, so follow the [[Solidity]] tutorial to make your track solid. 

You will also need edit the [[KMP Editing|KMP]] to put the start position over the track. Once you are satisfied with the model's scale, you should return to the [[Modeling Tutorial]] if your model is not complete. 

{{Custom Track Tutorial}}
[[Category:Tutorials]][[Category:Custom Track Tutorial]]