Asset per tile numbers

[Austcoop]

Hi all,

As some of you will be aware I'm currently working on a route based on the Buxton to Peak Forest route. I'm aware of the good old "Something bad happened" issue, possibly being caused by RW running out of memory and, if I understand it correctly, this is caused by detailed graphics?? My question is, what can be considered a sensible amount of assets per tile? I ask the question as the tile around Buxton station (which isn't even complete) has nearly 850 assets in it. Is this going to cause problems and if so, how can i modify it to maintain the right amount of detail without removing everything?

Regards, James

[Darpor]

Many people have up to 2000 items on a tile without problems. I think where any problems are caused is when this amount is constant for several tiles in succession.

[hertsbob]

This is a question for which I don't think there is one answer.

Most of my tiles are over 1,800 and several are over 2,500. I've formed the opinion now that any issues are likely caused by the speed of transition between the tiles - if you're driving at 125mph it seems to me you're likely to have more problems that you are if you're doing 25mph.

Cheers

Bob

[Toldrabald]

Somewhere I've read that RSC suggest about 1000 assets per tile as a maximum, but I've seen and run routes with lots more. I guess it then gets down to detail levels and the cpu and graphics card the game runs on. On those very full routes I noticed a difference in framerates, instead of 50-60 as on the default routes in most parts sometimes it got down to below 30. Still playable, but noticeable slower.

[Acorncomputer]

Hi

I am with the others. The original default routes in Rail Simulator were kept to about 1000 assets per tile, presumably to try and ensure that the routes could run on the majority of computers at the time. I managed to get 7000 assets on a couple of tiles but this was unworkable, although the the program did not crash.

I try to work to around 2000-2500 at the moment although in places it can get up to 3000. There is no doubt, though, that the fewer assets per tile, the smoother the game runs. The problems usually occur at the joins between two or more tiles that have large numbers of assets on them.

You can usually get an idea that you are reaching the upper limits when you find that the camera starts hesitating when moving around in editor mode. As a rule of thumb I would say that as long as the camera responds instantly to moving around in editor mode then you are OK, but any hesitation and you are just starting to overload it.

[FoggyMorning]

Just a note - station tiles will nearly without exception have a high asset count because the platforms use a lot of assets - I think each yellow dot and blue or red arrow is counted as one asset

[hertsbob]

I didn't know that. Very interesting.

Then of course there's the difference between other actual assets and the asset count you get when you're editing lofts, although I'm sure I remember a comment Adam made a while back about being told off for using too many on lineside fencing.

Which I suppose leads to the question, when is an asset not an asset?

[Acorncomputer]

Which I suppose leads to the question, when is an asset not an asset?

When it is in your wife's name

[hertsbob]

Spot the accountant!

[Acorncomputer]

The platform one is quite intriguing as the count does indeed go up by quite a lot when you lay a platform but if you then start cutting the platform up into smaller pieces, but still retain those pieces in the same location, the asset count comes down, which is a bit odd. I can only think that there is hidden code associated with a platform and the longer the platform is, the more code is required to be stored.

I am not sure that there is any practical use for this information as cutting up a platform is possible and will save a lot on the asset count, but the passengers and/or trains may not behave correctly.

[Austcoop]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I was working to a mental picture of the 1000 assets per tile that RS had.

Regards, James

[bigvern]

On one of my (aborted) routes where I planted lots of trees to represent a forest, the count was up in the > 5000 mark. Tile(s) loaded in the editor but the game engine was beginning to choke on that number of assets and I suspect would have caused even more severe rubber banding than normal, if actually driven.

(Polite) reminder to RS.com - now that career mode is up and running can we please have some programmer time set aside for route editor upgrades, including more efficient way of handling bulk assets (forest objects a la MSTS) and as many of the other oft repeated requests for enhancements as possible/practical.

[pacerpilot]

I concur Vern. The back button needs a little work so that it undoes your last action only. Its fine 95% of the time, but occasionally I find it deletes track for example, that you had laid previously, but was connected the last piece laid.
Oh, and that bloody "T" key Im half tempted to prise the "T" key out of my keyboard. There are plenty of little fixes that would make our lives easier. Great terrain manipulation options? A finer scale/grid perhaps.
Id also like to be able to select and object that Im actually pointing at, when I click the mouse, rather than:-
"I'll just click on this tree and rotate it, oh, its not selecting it? Oh I see, it selected a section of track a few hundred yards back instead, and rotated that. No worries, I' ll use the back key. ., now its deleted the track that was joined to the piece Ive rotated, rather than the piece I need "

[hertsbob]

I suggest you try laying 4th rail through a yard in a wooded area if you want a grin.

[pacerpilot]

Only a sadist would suggest such a thing, Bob. Im kinda glad that none of that Electrickery nonsense has reached God's country, and with the state of the Gov'ts coffers at the moment, I doubt it will for a very long time.