Map

FUEL's map data is stored in Binary_Z objects. There is a program to decode these files into images in the fuel-map repository's heightmap directory. There are pre-decoded images in the binary_maps directory.

Despite common belief, the world is not generated in real-time in the same way that a game like Minecraft is, where you change a single seed value and get a new world. Many low-resolution map objects describe the height and terrain type. Then at runtime, these objects are indexed into and blended between to get the values for the high-definition world. This does not mean the whole world was hand-crafted, procedural generation was used in the process of generating these pre-baked maps. Some small bumps and variations are also added to the terrain programmatically to rough up the otherwise smooth landscape (due to the low resolution of the maps), they are repetitive and easily recognizable if you drive around enough. In addition to these low-resolution maps and added bumps, some hand-placed fine adjustments to the heights can be added using the GenWorld_Z cA_FlatSurfaces field; these will flatten out an area and adjust the angle, often at the beginning and end of races.

While objects are placed randomly according to the AutoMesh rules, object placement can be disabled for a volume using the GenWorld_Z cancel_object_placement field, usually along the race path in addition to at the beginning and end of races. Roads automatically cancel object placement.

The roads are also pre-baked in the GwRoad_Z object. This specifies the road type and points to connect with that type of road. Rivers are roads in this system.

The bodies of water are hardcoded into the binary as a center point, height, and distance from the center to the sides of the square.

All of this pre-baked information is taken into account when generating the terrain, roads, and objects you see in the world.