Roadmap: what I'm thinking about building next
RaceTrackDesigner is a side project. I build it because I find circuit design interesting and because the response from people who use it has been way more positive than I expected when I first pushed it live. But it is still one person working on this in spare time, not a product team with a sprint board. So what follows is not a commitment or a release schedule. It is a look at the things I am thinking about adding. These are not listed in any particular priority order, and I have no timeline for any of them.
Some of these will ship. Some will turn out to be harder than they look and get shelved. Some might get replaced by better ideas that come up along the way. That is the nature of building something like this in the open.
Features I'm considering
Export to XML, GPX, and KML formats
Right now you can export a PNG image and share a link. That covers the basics, but a lot of people have asked about getting their circuits into other tools. XML, GPX, and KML are the three formats that would make RaceTrackDesigner circuits usable in mapping software, sim racing editors, and GPS applications. This is probably the single most requested feature and it is near the top of the list for a reason.
Revise how straight and corner speeds are calculated
The current physics model works well enough to produce lap times that feel realistic, but I know there are places where the speed calculations could be more accurate. Specifically, the way the model transitions between braking zones and corner entry could be smoother, and there are some edge cases where very tight sequences of corners produce speeds that do not quite match what you would expect from watching real onboards. I want to revisit the underlying math and tighten things up.
Incorporate elevation changes
This is the feature I am most excited about and also the one that scares me the most. Elevation data is available for most of the world, and incorporating it would transform the accuracy of the physics model. Uphill sections slow cars down. Downhill sections speed them up. Blind crests and compressions change the feel of a circuit completely. Spa without Eau Rouge's elevation change is not really Spa. The challenge is doing this in a way that actually improves the experience rather than just adding complexity for its own sake.
Choose straight line vs curved placement
Currently every section between waypoints is drawn as a smooth curve. That works well for flowing circuits, but sometimes you want a dead straight section between two points. A toggle that lets you choose whether a segment is curved or straight would give designers much more control over the character of their layouts. Think of the long straights at Monza or the Mulsanne at Le Mans.
Label turns
Every real circuit has numbered or named corners, and being able to label turns in RaceTrackDesigner would make it much easier to talk about specific parts of a layout. I am thinking about both automatic numbering and the option to give corners custom names.
Add pit lanes
A circuit without a pit lane is just a road with a good view. Pit entry and exit placement has a real effect on race strategy, and adding pit lanes would make layouts feel significantly more complete. This one has some interesting design challenges around how the pit lane geometry interacts with the main circuit.
Adjust track section widths
Right now the track renders at a uniform width. Real circuits vary their width considerably, and narrow sections create very different racing dynamics than wide ones. Being able to adjust width per section would add another layer of design control.
Add run off areas
Tarmac and gravel run off areas are a huge part of modern circuit design and a constant source of debate in the sport. Adding the ability to define run off zones would make layouts more realistic and would let designers think about the safety implications of their corner geometries. It would also make exports look a lot more like real circuit diagrams.
Improve mobile controls
The app works on mobile but the experience is not as smooth as I want it to be. Placing waypoints accurately on a small screen, dragging them without accidentally panning the map, and managing the UI with limited space are all things I want to keep refining. This is less of a single feature and more of an ongoing effort.
More comprehensive first time tutorial
The app is straightforward once you know the controls, but the first thirty seconds can be confusing if you have never seen it before. I want to build a better onboarding experience that walks new users through placing their first waypoints, closing the loop, and understanding the analysis panel. The goal is to make the first experience feel intuitive without getting in the way of experienced users who just want to start designing.
Known bugs
Track sections disappearing at low zoom levels
If you zoom out far enough, sections of the track can disappear from the map. This is a rendering issue related to how the track is drawn at different zoom levels, and it does not affect the underlying circuit data. Zooming back in brings everything back. It is annoying rather than destructive, but I want to fix it properly.
A note on snap to road
One feature I am not planning to add is a snap to road option that would automatically align waypoints to existing roads on the map. I actually had this in an early version of the app, and the feedback was overwhelmingly negative. People found it frustrating rather than helpful. It fought against the creative intent of placing waypoints freely, and it made the tool feel restrictive in exactly the moments where you want the most control. The whole point of the designer is that you can put a circuit anywhere, shaped however you want. Snapping to existing roads works against that, so it is staying off the list.
If you have thoughts on any of this, or if there is something you want that is not on the list, I would love to hear about it. The best way to reach me is on X at @Kylelibra. And if you have not tried the app yet, it is free and runs entirely in your browser.