Atomic Systems

First post so please go easy on me. I'm new to railworks but certainly not new to rail sims (having worked with/for another rail sim for several years). I'm trying to get my head around a completely new method of route creation and I think the "old dog, new tricks" may be relevant to me!

My question is about creating fictional routes on real terrain - something I loved doing previously. I'm having trouble doing the same in Railworks as I keep losing the track in the terrain. Is it possible to make the ground texture transparent so the underground track can be seen, and is it possible to accurately change gradient after having already laid the track?

Hi Natvander

Its actually a very good question. It depends on how big the terrain is I guess, but ultimately you're taking on the role of engineer and finding a route through the terrain on acceptable gradients, using tunnels cuttings embankments and viaducts.

In RW you can see the track but only if you fly under the terrain. The magnet tool will cut into the terrain and round the track to make a cutting and make it appear from above, but may not look too realistic. You can edit the gradients after laying.... BUT... Make sure you put an arrow where you want to change gradient as otherwise you will change all of your track work. You can't adjust the gradient very accurately this way, it's much better to set your gradient when laying and undo and relay the track if you want to change it.

If cutting through terrain I find it easier to lay the track downhill, expose the track using the magnet, and then relay if required.

Have a look at the tutorial vids here http://www.railsimulator.com/videos.php?KW=tutorial and the wiki here http://www.railsimdownloads.com/wiki/ti ... rld+Editor if you haven't already

Hope that helps

Ben

Thanks for the reply Ben.

Yep been through the tutorials etc and while useful, it's unfortunate that is seems most similar sims suffer from the same problem of a lack of documentation, or the documentation is spread far and wide. Still getting my head around a few things - especially track rules.

I was hoping to create a sizeable route in quite hilly terrain, but after practicing for a few days (with varying results) I'm thinking that it will be quite an effort! Transparent ground texture and real-time display of the change of track gradient would make the job so much easier.

it's funny how one sim will excel at one thing, but suck at another (which the other sim will excel at). If only they could get together...

The lack of a wireframe view in RW is something RSC ought to address in time, but as pointed out there are workrounds, if you're not using markers and freelancing then the best approach is to place large trees along the path you wish to take and try to follow those while underground. Otherwise you have to eyeball it but almost invariably where you click the mouse to finish the track placement is not quite where it should be when the terrain is smoothed out.

MSTS had a useful feature in this respect (mainly used when laying long tunnels) in that there was a key command to specifically undo the last terrain action. In that way you could conform the ground around your tunnel section, attach the next piece with ease, then use the terrain undo to put the land back over the previous section, rinse and repeat. Sadly the "undo" feature in RW is more of a blunt instrument and just undoes the last action, whether it was a track, scenery or terrain operation.