"Sandbox" is the geometry editing tool that was used to create the racetracks in NASCAR® Racing 2003 Season.  This overview will go over the very basics of Sandbox.  Before you jump in and start building tracks, it is highly recommended that you read this overview.  Also, you should be aware that Sandbox is a very unstable tool and it is prone to frequent crashes, some of which are so severe that they may lock up your machine.  Bear this in mind before you use this tool.  Because of the unstable nature of Sandbox, it is highly recommended that you save your work often.  This tool is offered as-is and is completely unsupported.  Please do not contact Papyrus or Sierra regarding issues you encounter while using this tool.

Sandbox is comprised of four main windows: Sandbox, Height, Camera, and Properties.

Sandbox Window:  The Sandbox Window is the main workspace used for track editing.  The Sandbox Window has three main modes/views:  Geometry Editing View, Object Placement View, and Track Surface Editing View.  The Geometry Editing View is used for creating segments, laying down feature sections (f-sections), adding walls (w-sections), and laying down sections that allow elevation changes (x-sections).  The Object Placement View is used for adding objects (TSOs) to the track.  The Track Surface Editing View is used for adding track decals (TSDs) to the track.

Height Window: The Height Window is used to change the elevation and gradient of x-sections.  The Height Window has two modes: Height Profile View and Banking Cross-Section View.  Height Profile View is basically a profile view of all of a track’s x-sections unwrapped and laid out from the lead segment on the left to the final segment on the right.  Banking Cross-Section View displays a cross-section of all of the x-sections in the currently selected segment.  Height Profile View can be used to change the gradient of a given x-section.  Both views can be used to change the elevation of a given x-section. 

Camera Window: The Camera Window allows you to preview your track in a 3D window.  The Camera Window has two modes: Driving Mode and Slew Mode.  Driving Mode moves the camera forward and backward around the track along the DLONG zero line.  Slew mode allows the user to freely move the camera around the world.

Properties Window: The Properties Window is the control center for setting the characteristics of selected track sections and elements.  The Properties Window has three modes: Section Properties Mode, Track Side Object Properties Mode, and Track Surface Decal Properties Mode.

Segments are the basic building blocks of a track.  Tracks splines are built from a series of interconnected segments.  A segment is an arced or straight piece of track that can have textures assigned to it and changes in elevation.  The space within a segment is defined by its DLAT and DLONG position.  The purple line that appears within a segment represents DLONG 0.  DLAT goes positive as you move to the left of this line and negative as you move to the right.  DLONG 0 is defined at head (beginning) of a tracks lead segment.  DLONG goes positive as you move forward within a segment and negative as you move backward.  

Sections are the individual elements contained within a segment, such as grass, walls, fences, pavement, and elevation changes.  There are many types of sections that can be placed within a Segment, each of which servers a different function. 

F Section: F-Sections act as anchor points for texture assignment.  To lay down an F-section, click within a track segment and from the menu select Insert > F Section.  Unselected F-Sections show up as dark green lines.  Selected F-Sections show up as light green lines.  When you lay down an F-Section, it will create an area that spans from the f-section of origin to the nearest f-section to left within which you can assign a texture.  

X Section: X-Sections act as seam points from which you can bend a segment.  To lay down an X-Section, click within a track segment and from the menu select Insert > X Section.  Unselected X-Sections show up as dark red lines.  Selected X-Sections show up as light red lines.    

W Section: W-Sections act as physical walls.  To lay down a W-section, click within a track segment and from the menu select Insert > W Section.  Unselected W-Sections show up as dark blue lines.  Selected W-Sections show up as light blue lines.   

Before you’re able to create a track, you first need to set up a workspace. This workspace should be structured in three levels. To start, create a folder and name it "tracks" (Level 1). Within this “tracks” folder, create another folder and name it “my_track” (Level 2). Within the “my_track” folder, create another folder and name it “trackmat” (Level 3).

The Level 1 “tracks” folder will contain all of the individual track folders that you create.
The Level 2 “my_track” folders (where my_track is the name of your track) will contain each track’s TSOs (*.3do), TSDs (*.mip), and TSO textures (*.mip).
The Level 3 “trackmat” folder will contain each track’s surface textures (*.mip).

An unpacked “shared” directory should be copied to your Level 1 “tracks” directory. If you are unfamiliar with unpacking .dat files, read the papytools.txt document.

To summarize, your final directory structure should look like the following:
tracks
tracks/shared
tracks/my_track
tracks/my_track/trackmat

If you are starting a track from scratch, there is an issue that you will have to work around in order for the textures to appear. You will first need to run Sandbox and place a segment (straight or curve). Once the segment has been placed, save your track within your “my_track” directory. Then select File>New and then re-open the track that you just saved.

When adding flaggers to a track, the following textures must initially be present in your Level 2 folder. You can grab these files from an unpacked shared.dat: flag_black.mip
flag_blue.mip
flag_checkered.mip
flag_green.mip
flag_red.mip
flag_white.mip
flag_yellow.mip
series_flagger.mip
stopgo.mip.

When adding flaggers to a track, certain flagger objects must also be present in your Level 2 folder. These files can be copied from an existing unpacked NR2003 track and should be used as follows:

Main pit road:
- flagger_pit_0.3do (for pit road 0)
- flagger_stopgo_0.3do (for pit road 0)

Secondary pit road:
- flagger_pit_1.3do (for pit road 1)
- flagger_stopgo_1.3do (for pit road 1)

Pick one of these, but not both:
- flagger_sf_l.3do (s/f on left side)
- flagger_sf_r.3do (s/f on right side)

1. Let's start with something simple... a basic 1-mile (1609.344 meter) oval with 10-degree straights and 20-degree turns. Begin by opening up Sandbox and select the Sandbox window. 
2. Before we begin we will have to unlock the geometry editing features of Sandbox. To do so, right-click within the Sandbox window and select “Unlock All Geometry” from the menu.
3. Let's start by placing our first segment.  To do this, right click within the Sandbox window and select "Create Straight" from the menu. A straight segment will appear where you clicked.  We will use this straight as the front stretch of our track.  
4. This segment obviously isn't large enough to be our front straight so let's find out how much we will have to increase its size by. Click within this segment.  In the lower left corner you will see "Segment Length: 10.00m".  This means that the Segment is ten meters wide.
5. Click the inside (left) x-section and the outside (right) x-section.  In the upper left corner note that they are each ten meters away from the center of the segment.  If we want to create a track that is one mile long, this segment certainly isn't long enough or wide enough to be the front stretch.  Let's widen and lengthen it.
6. Click the innermost x-section and drag its head (start) and tail (end) out to 40 meters from DLAT 0.  Do the same with the outside head and tails.  The track should now be 80 meters wide.  The segment now needs to be lengthened.  Let's say the front strait at this 1-mile track is .25 miles.  Click on the tail of the DLAT 0 line and drag it out until the segment is .25 miles, or 402.33 meters long.
7. Now that we have placed our first segment, we should assign it some basic features.  We'll start by laying down the infield, the racing surface, and the outfield.  To do so, we'll have to use of f-sections.  Add four f-sections to the segment.  Pull the head and tails of the innermost and outermost f-sections out to the innermost and outermost edges of the segment.  Position the center f-sections 15 meters to the left, and 15 meters to the right of DLAT 0.  
8. Now we will have to texture these sections.  Click the outermost f-section and bring up the properties window.  Assign it a grass texture.  Note that the grass texture has been applied to the section and spans inwards until it meets the next f-section. Now select the next f-section and assign it an asphalt texture.  Select the next f-section and assign it a grass texture.  
9. Now that we have the feature sections created, we should begin to set up the framework that we'll need later on to create the tracks banking.  To do this we'll need to lay down a couple of x-sections.  Right click on the racing surface section of the racetrack and from the menu add two x-sections.  
10. Pull one x-section in to the inside of the asphalt and one out to the outside.
11. At this point it would be a good idea if we put in an outside track wall and an inside retaining wall.  To add walls we'll have to use w-sections.  Let's add the outside track wall first.  Right click on the racing surface and select Insert > W Section.  Drag the head and tail of this w-section out to the outer track surface f-section. 
12. Now that we have created a wall we have to texture it.  Select the w-section in the Sandbox view and then bring up the W-Section Properties Window.  Walls have 5 main facets that you may have to texture: near, far, left, right, and top.  From the Facet drop-down select each of these elements and assign it a texture.  
13. The wall will default to being .5 meters wide and 1 meter high.  If you would like a wall of different dimensions you can modify the Width and Height in the upper right corner of the W Section Properties Window.
14. Now we need an inside retaining wall.  This wall should be placed at some point in the infield... perhaps half way.  Follow the steps you used to create the outer track wall and create an inside retaining wall.
15. Now that we have a basic track segment with textures, walls, and the framework needed for elevation changes, we can begin to build the rest of the track.  To do this, right click within your segment and from the menu select Append Segment > Curve.  This will create a curved copy of the first segment.  This is a very convenient feature because it will save you from having to re-create all of the texture, wall, and x-section work that you did in the first segment.
16. We will have our turn consist of two segments.  Since the turns at our 1-mile track will each be .25 miles long, these segments will each have to be .125 miles long.  Grab the tail of the segment and manipulate it until it has a tail angle of 90 degrees (upper right corner) and is 201.16 meters long. This will take some finessing.
17. Append Segment 2 with another Curve.  This curve will be an exact copy of Segment 2, so it's length and tail angle should be correctly set.
18. Append Segment 3 with a Straight.  This straight will be used for our back straight.
19. Drag Segment 4 out to a length of 402.33 meters (.25 miles).
20. Append Segment 4 with another Curve.
21. Once again we will break the turn up into two segments, so create a 90 degree 201.16 meter long curve.
22. Append Segment 5 with another Curve.
23. The tail of Segment 6 should match up with the head of Segment 1.  If it lines up properly a dark purple line will appear that will bridge the gap between Segment 6 and Segment 1.
24. The start point and the end point of the track now line up but are not attached. To attach them r-click on Segment 6 and from the menu select Attach Segment > At Tail.
25. Now that we have our basic track spline set up we can begin to add banking.  This track will have 10 degrees of banking on the straights and 20 degrees of banking on the turns.  To change the banking we will have to make use of the Height Window.
26. To bring up the Height Window, click on View > Height Views.
27. The Height Window will appear in a separate window.  
28. We will begin by making the racing surface banking of Segment 1 10 degrees.  
29. Select Segment 6, the Segment that directly precedes Segment 1.
30. Within Segment 6, select the outermost asphalt x-section.
31. Select the Height Window and in the Banking Cross-Section view pull the highlighted x-section up until the degree readout reads 10.00 degrees.
32. Move forward to Segment 1 and do the same thing. 
33. Move forward to Segment 2 and pull the x-section up until the degree readout reads 20.00 degrees.
34. Move forward to Segment 3 and pull the x-section up until the degree readout reads 10.00 degrees.
35. Repeat this process until the track is completely banked.
36. We now have a basic 1-mile oval.  Congratulations, you have created your first track!