When do I do the hills?????

PWHolmes · Post by **PWHolmes** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 8:20 am

Sorry about this, I have done a search and read the sticky at the front and I'm sure that some other bumbling newcomer has asked this, it's just that I can't find any similar query.

When do I do the hills?????

I only have the (rather useless) RE help files and their "order of play" reads a) Create basic geographic structure b) Lay track c) lay roads d) place objects e) create activity.

Great if you want a railway like a snooker table!!!!!!!

At what stage do you shape the ground into hills and valleys?

Paul

sbgunzel · Post by **sbgunzel** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 8:59 am

Hi Paul,

This depends on whether you are using DEM or not, I assume you are not and I won't confuse you, but basically you do your hills, valleys etc. BEFORE you lay track, then you lay track and place objects so that you can place them around the terrain. Hope this helps.

Regards,
Sam Barnett

PWHolmes · Post by **PWHolmes** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 9:09 am

Thanks, Sam.

Trouble is that I've laid the track on the billiard table.... damn!

Fortunately, its only a short branch just to start me up the learning curve so its no great thing.

Ho hum!! Start again.

Paul

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 9:46 am

1. Lay track/add gradients
2. Form Hills
3. Add signals/Linespeeds
4. Add roads
5. Add Other scenery

That's the way I do it anyhow. As it's been pointed out it depends whether you are using DEM data.

JohnEyres · Post by **JohnEyres** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 9:50 am

Usually its tracc first, then try getting terrain around track in first. I worry about putting hill in later when I need to put trees and other scenery on them like treelines. The first scenery objects I usually put in are bridges. This then makes it easier to put the roads in then I can fit houses and buildings around these.

madmardy · Post by **madmardy** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 9:56 am

i lay the track then start to sculpt the terrain around the track putting the
scenery as i go (not signals or speed posts)
i then gradually work my way up the route.
I also put in roads as i go as well
the only scenery i tem i put in before terrain as i lay the track are stations (although these are normally roughly placed for track spacing)

Timcourt1 · Post by **Timcourt1** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 10:29 am

I do mine like rob does.

Basically you need to look at things like this- even if you are using a terrain tool package.

The track comes first, work out your gradients etc, I lay the track and grade it (depends where the location is), make and place any stations you have (so you can fit the stations/platforms etc) this needs to be done when you have more than 2 platforms or island platforms are to be used.

Terraform (make hills etc) wether its with a toolkit or by using the supplied tool in RE (250M road section or the terrain tool)

I usually lay markers along the track from a map saying (Bank_Start, Bank_finish, Small Cut Start etc) I use these as a guide so I can double chack the hills are in the right place) Bridges and tunnels are also marked in the same way.

THEN, Follow the route and trim the terrain around the track with a road piece after you have followed the track pressing "Y" to make your trackbeds not forgetting to adjust your wdth and angle of embankments/cuttings etc.

Thern lay your roads- these generally follow the contours of the land anyway.

Put all the bridges in when you make the roads, whilst doing this you can also add rivers lakes and bridges.

Once all this is done rebuild your track database.

Correct any errors then do the scenery, add signals and speed limits as well as any interactive objects and hazards last.

qzdcg8 · Post by **qzdcg8** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 3:18 pm

I agree with Tim

duckweed · Post by **duckweed** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 6:14 pm

Have to say I try to do the terrain first as I found that most terrain changes around track causes the dreaded track database error. Having said that how can anyone argue with the way Tim does it.....or is he just telling us he does it that way so he can hang on to his route builder supremo title.

As I always say...play around with it for a while and see what which way gives you the most satisfaction.....lol(sorry Matt please don't censor me).

Regards,

~Terry~

Timcourt1 · Post by **Timcourt1** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 7:57 pm

Terry,

Like you say its personal choice, TDB errors usually occur because you have selected the terrain to go up or come down outside of the limits set in the RE for tile floor/ceiling or if they were set in a 3rd party terrain editor this will kill it too.

this is why I lay the track 1st since there is less risk of error.

But in the end it does pay to mess with a test tile first, make a test route or download the one from here then chop about as you wish without killing your masterpiece.

PS I learnt route editor by using the help files, and killling 2 routes - the books wernt about when i first started.

saddletank · Post by **saddletank** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 9:54 pm

Like some others I build the terrain first as that was there before the railway and a railway built through the terrain will end up looking more believeable IMHO. But I only build historical routes, or at least build routes that are set in real terrain generated from maps, so I will have either a gradient profile in front of me or one in my head before I begin.

My personal view is that a route that has the hills and valleys placed after the track looks like a route that has the hills and valleys placed after the track - it does not have a true life character to it. For a 'real environment' atmosphere you do need however to use actual height data from maps which is a whole job within a job before you get to the route building stage.

Timcourt1 · Post by **Timcourt1** » Fri Aug 23, 2002 10:47 pm

Mideast western section was done track first but I used a terraforming tool (tstools) to place the hills etc.

The east side was done by hand except lincoln which is the only non flat bit for miles!

It does look more convincing to have the hills there first mind you if you don't use a 3rd party terraforming tool.

pitleyfalley · Post by **pitleyfalley** » Sat Aug 24, 2002 2:52 pm

Ive always (now on 3rd route (lost 2 of them!)) placed the track down first so you basically get the track on a huge big embankment, and then ive made rough terrain around it, using the terrain form, then right clicking and setting the height, so that i end up with lots of flat planes all at different heights, and then i make the more detail terrain so the hills look like hills etc etc. Then place all the buildings in and the roadways, then (having never got this far before a major screw up) i fit signalling, and then put some finishing touches in!

Chris

alan2 · Post by **alan2** » Sat Aug 24, 2002 10:33 pm

I personally have been working on my route after I did all the Version 1 Terrain, now i'm building the track and tunnels, then I will Re-build TrackDataBase (TDB), scenerise and add roads etc.

But Tim's Way may work best, Many Month's work may show that, Since he got MSTS I think, How many posts is it now Tim?

Alan Heath