Atomic Systems

Hi Folks.

I've been messing around with the Rail Works route editor for a long time now and while still hitting some hic-cups, for the most part I feel I'm ready to start work on my first route. There's just one question I want to get some input on before I start. How far from the tracks do you build your world?

For me, I very rarely drive the train outside, I usualy play in the cab, in the driving seat. I do pop outside sometimes, but I'm mostly a cab driver player, so as long as the view from the cab is good, I'm happy. Now this doesn't mean I only lay scenery for about twenty feet either side of the tracks, I do build a bit out, but if you drive outside, from a height, you will see details along the tracks and then vast scapes of empty land.

What I'm looking for is some input into what you think? What do you do? When you are driving a train, what do you want to see?

Hi Paul

I think you need to make your own decision on this one as people have different ideas on what they want to achieve.

I fall into the category that thinks you should be able to see as far as the horizon with landscaping. You can use a few tricks here by adding a some hills or mountains nearby so that the horizon comes nearer and you can just keep adding forests and woods at the extremities of vision to make it look as though the world goes on.

Other people just landscape a couple of hundred metres from the track, but on a long fast route this may be OK as you do not hang around long enough see every tree and village in detail.

A good compromise, perhaps, is to landscape in detail up to about 1km from the track and add scenery beyond that but in much less detail.

I can see from routes that others have built that we tend to adopt our own style and will probably become recognised just from the style of a particular route.

I would say build in the way that pleases and satisfies you, and you cannot go too far wrong.

As Geoff says, it's a personal preference. But bear in mind that placing scenery is very time consuming, so your decision will greatly affect your route building time. It will also have FPS implications, especially in built- up areas.

South Devon Banks has pretty minimal scenery beyond what's visible from the cab and makes a lot of use of 2D backscenes, but you rarely notice the lack of scenic depth. I imagine that's a major reason why jetgriff has been able to build it so rapidly.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll do just that, built for my own liking. Hopefully should have my first route released soon.

Hi,
I usually drive diesels, and my rule of thumb is to place whatever items can be seen from the Class 47 cab.
In a cutting for instance, a hedge or fence is placed at the top and perhaps a house or tree or two is placed alongside a road crossing over a bridge, and on my route, telegraph poles halfway up the cutting. A hedge or fence will go away from the line at right angles, but only as far as I can see it from the cab.
At other places more is placed on both sides say to a field's length away, and where there's an embankment to go over, probably wider than that. But if I can't see it from the cab, I don't place it or I delete whatever is there to reduce the number of assets per tile.
With roads, the shorter the length of road placed the busier it gets. A long length will space the traffic out quite a lot. A long length of light traffic road will space them out enough for me to dash a short train over an ungated crossing between cars! (It's good fun is that!).
regards Ted.

Thanks, Ted.

See my comment on this subject here : http://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic. ... 04&t=99897

BFM