new route blueprint

[sweep54]

Hi,
I'm very new to all this but need some help with understanding the Blueprint for routes.
I have created my folder structure (correctly I think) for a real world route - although non existant today. What I am confused about is the route blueprint asking about Time of Day, Weather, etc.

In the Railworks Wiki it seems to suggest that you can utilise the data supplied with the original game (i.e. Provider = Kuju, Product = RailSimulatorCore, Blueprint ID = TimeOfDay\Core_Spring.xml, and similar for Weather, Terrain, etc).
Is this just an example?, or, can you use this data and point to it's location (thus not duplicating files)? or, do you copy them into your locations with same / different names?, or, do you have to create totally new ones?
Hope for a point in the right direction (probably the first of many).

Thanks in anticipation,
Sweep

[Oldpufferspotter]

Hi Sweep,
The simple answer is yes, use exactly the same named files as in the original game.
Take a look in the Route Building Challenge section, and read the Denby - Boxford thread. There is a good tutorial there on how to set up a new route using the default items from the original game. I would think that that will be a useful guide.
regards Ted.

[sweep54]

Thanks for the reply Ted, that gave me confidence and got me going - then 1 forwards 2 back.
Actually extracted some terrain, which gave me a lift (pardon the pun) but I seem to be having problems getting the terrain to be anything but blue. I think I followed some instructions correctly (can't remember where - need to get more organised) but could someone try and explain where I might be going wrong. Very frustrating - like a kid with his favourite sweet and can't get the wrapper off.

Many thanks,
sweep

[Basherz]

So you are saying that you have blue terrain??

In "Scenario" Edit:-
What directory is your template in? ie: ..\Assets\Sweep\routename\.. - You need to have this ticked in the "Objects Filter".
Also, you must have: ..\Assets\Kuju\Railsimulator\.. - You need to have this ticked in the "Objects Filter".
Exit the scenario via "F2" - Save
Now go back into the scenario, and hopefully you will have terrain.

[sweep54]

Thanks for the reply Chris,
Yeah the terrain is blue. I followed the guide (I think correctly) - At the start I opened the Blueprint editor, filled in the navigation lat / lon values, filled in the weather / terrain /time of day fields, etc, all with the relevant locations shown in the tutorial and exported this with successful build at the end. Opened RW and created the new route using my new blueprint as the template - all seemed fine. At this point I was keen to try the terrain extraction tool, so I tried and had success (well it appears successful to me as it's not flat now) and then I tried to add the colour to the terrain as it was difficult to determine what was what. In the Object Set filter window I selected Kuju + Railsimulator / Railsimulator US, Castlerock + Scenery, RSDL + Foliage, and my own developer + my add on. Saved this and closed. Selected my new route which appeared in the list and chose 'Free Play'. Then and every time since the terrain has remained blue. Any ideas ? What have I missed ? Did I do something in the wrong order? It's very early days for me - if there is a gliche I am not adverse to uninstall / reinstall if that might help - but 'd like to understand why.

Silly Question ? - in the Object Set filter window/drop down, RailSimulator and RailSimulator US are there but should there be RailSimulatorCore to select as well ? Because it isn't.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Sweep

[Acorncomputer]

Hi sweep

At this point I was keen to try the terrain extraction tool, so I tried and had success (well it appears successful to me as it's not flat now) and then I tried to add the colour to the terrain as it was difficult to determine what was what.

Your description suggests that you tried the 'terrain extraction tool' before you had ticked the Kuju and other developer boxes. The terrain will not actually appear until you have ticked these boxes so I am not sure what you actually edited. Some other posts on the forum have me puzzled as well so a couple of suggestions -

When you have created your new route from your new route template, and start the route for the first time, you should see this -



It is then that you tick the developer boxes, close the world editor and then exit the route. On starting the route again you should now see the green flat grass and the blue sky

Some people have reported getting a blue flat ground with white grid lines on it before ticking the developer boxes, and not the black area as in the screen shot and I suspect that this is the blue terrain you talk of. If this is the case then you have probably made an error in the blueprint in the bottom section by pathing the terrain to RailSimulatorCore instead of just RailSimulator. Although the weather is pathed to RailSimulatorCore, the terrain is not.

If this is the case you need to need to delete the route you created by selecting it in the main route selection window, press the delete key on the keyboard and follow the prompts. Get back to your route blueprint though the blueprint editor, change the terrain pathing, press export, then save. Now go to the new route creator in RailWorks, choose your route template again and create a new route. Enable the Kuju and other developers as per the tutorial, exit the route, run the route again and the green flat grass should be there ready to be worked on.

RailSimulatorCore will not show up in the developer list so you are not missing anything.

[sweep54]

Many thanks for that 'AcornComputer'.

4 attempts and it suddenly happened. Brilliant - onwards and upwards to the next hurdle. It's amazing how quick you get after the umpteenth time around.
You were quite correct about the terrain fault - user era on my part. After the second and third failures I noticed also that my Skies had ....._spring.xml, ......_winter.xml, etc. whereas in your example it was just ....... Default.xml. Also the terrain was ......EUTexturing.xml and yours is ........Texturing.xml. Don't know what difference that will make to me right now (or how important later on). I can't remember where I got this information, but it was referenced somewhere for some reason - maybe I took it out of context or something, but I know I didn't dream it up. But what the heck, many thanks again.

Just one quick question - Now I have my 'proper terrain' I am finding that moving the camera around is a bit awkward. What I want to do is view my new terrain as though like a bird and see the grid system (like viewing in Google Earth) - is that possible? Maybe I need just a bit more experience and time with the controls.

This can be a frustrating way of spending time, but on the whole thoroughly enjoyable when there are guys like yourselves out there sparing time to deliver the much needed medicine. No doubt as Arnie would say - "I'll be back"

Sweep

[Acorncomputer]

Hi Sweep

With practice you can move the camera around very quickly whilst route building and get the best view for what you are doing. A full overhead view is useful in certain circumstances but you cannot look directly down without the image flipping over so you always have to be looking at your subject slightly less than vertically.

You cannot see the grid system of the terrain, which I believe is in 8 mete square grids, unless you are working on the terrain when it shows up but that does not allow you to select a specific grid square or point to work on. You can overlay a grid guide and rotate it by using the toggle button in the bottom left flyout window of the editor but this is just a guide and is not linked to the terrain grid.

The route template shows the path to the default weather data which is split into different seasons. Your route template does not have to specify this. Note that at the moment the main sources of weather and terrain data are the Kuju and RSDL Island Line core data. With RailWorks, however, almost anything is possible and the Rail Simulator Developer Documents and the RailWorks WIKI contain instructions on how to create your own weather and terrain textures. This is quite advanced stuff but perfectly 'doable' so with your own weather and terrain files, you would show the paths to these in the route template instead of the default Kuju or RSDL paths.

There is a lot to learn about route building and some of it is quite difficult, but the information you need is somewhere on this forum or in links from the RailSimulator.com website.

Happy Route Building

[Basherz]

But you can see "a" grid Geoff, 1000m x 1000m, which is useful especially when setting DEM for your route. Areas of DEM can only be set for 9 squares around, and incl, the square you are actually over. You know you are over a particular square as the border turns white. You can switch these on/off with the button to the left of the routemarkers toggle.

[Acorncomputer]

Hi Chris

Yes, that grid shows up the tiles and gives tile information in the bottom left hand corner of the screen including the number of assets on the tile, but it is not quite the same as a much smaller grid showing the editable sections of the terrain.

[Basherz]

Hi Geoff, no I wasn't suggesting that, sorry.

[sweep54]

Thanks guys,

I can see an outline of the tile I am on but as I move the camera around a lot of the area where I was disappears (by that I mean reverts to black - at the top of the screen). It's as though there is a pretty small limit on how far you can see and with only a reletively small area visible it's proving a bit awkward to visualise where you are going/been and what you have done, apart from noting the tile numbers. Is there a setting somewhere to improve this ?

Thanks,
Sweep

Note: I am in the process of finding a better graphics card (think this may be contributing) with the help of my work colleague (please don't ask I.T. questions - can't answer, that's what my work colleague does for a living)

[Acorncomputer]

Hi sweep

I cannot visualise what you are describing as it does not sound like the normal situation. The viewing distance is not enormous it is true, and the distant hills turn to a grey colour generally, but there is still more than enough in view to see where you are going or have been.

If you can post a screenshot it would help. As you say, though, it may be a graphics card problem.

The only other thing I can think of is that your settings in the options section are set at the minimum for everything so the graphics are poor.

Any ideas Chris?

[sweep54]

Thanks Geoff,

Very new to this - a few skills to learn on the very basics. Will do a screen shot when I read and try that skill.
Sorry to be a nuisance but where do I check/change the graphic settings ? Think this may be the problem.

Sweep

[Basherz]

No idea at all Geoff. I have had some pretty bad cards in my time, but always a resonable display. So do you not get a piture similar to this Sweep? (forgetting the lines & hills)