Atomic Systems

Derek,
I find your comments very interesting for the insight they offer into the vetting process of choosing features to include in the package. Performance, support software levels, etc. are among the issues being considered. At some point, you should consider a bit more discussion on such matters.
Bill Hobbs

buyme wrote:
well if you ask me thats like saying cars have lights not to light the road up

Well in a train can you swerve or stop in 10-20 feet?

buyme wrote:
well if you ask me thats like saying cars have lights not to light the road up

you did see the videos, did you?

might be something with your eyes, not with the lights.

Ryosuke wrote:

buyme wrote:
well if you ask me thats like saying cars have lights not to light the road up

you did see the videos, did you?

might be something with your eyes, not with the lights.

I saw the video - I also saw nothing to write home about ! I could see more in a dark sewer tunnel I think. What was I supposed to be looking for ?

Regards...

Jim McDermott

Most Australian locos also have high-intensity headlights, I suspect that outside of Europe, virtually all locos need decent lights for night working.

I am not looking for lights which are perfect at dawn and dusk. Lights like those provided for MSTS where you can put them on low to replicate UK head code lights, or high to replicate U.S./real world locos are perfectly adequate.

Unfortunately, I asked about these and working level crossings the fist week Rail simulator came out in 2007 and was told then they were being worked upon, so I would not hold my breath waiting for them.

Mike

In Denmark (Part of Europe ) we use high-density lights too. The germans wants it too. So i guess, its more or less a UK thing, where lights are more like signals.

Bab

ka959 wrote:

Ryosuke wrote:

buyme wrote:
well if you ask me thats like saying cars have lights not to light the road up

you did see the videos, did you?

might be something with your eyes, not with the lights.

I saw the video - I also saw nothing to write home about ! I could see more in a dark sewer tunnel I think. What was I supposed to be looking for ?

Regards...

Jim McDermott

that was the point mate, you were looking for the dark!

Gav

bab7000 wrote:In Denmark (Part of Europe ) we use high-density lights too. The germans wants it too. So i guess, its more or less a UK thing, where lights are more like signals.

Bab

Same goes around here, at winter the high intensity lights illuminate quite well:
http://vaunut.org/kuva/359

I would rather they first fix the way the AI lights only appear to pop on as you get within a 100yds of them..

bab7000 wrote:In Denmark (Part of Europe ) we use high-density lights too. The germans wants it too. So i guess, its more or less a UK thing, where lights are more like signals.

Bab

Has anybody actually ever observed a Class 66 in the countryside, on a single-track line, well away from oncoming traffic, road or other trains, with it's headlights on full beam, if they're allowed to do so ? Just wondered. I see it all the time in New Zealand, and it's very effective and safety-oriented with all curve-entry, and warning boards lit up to aid the locomotive engineer.

Regards...

Jim McDermott

Dear casual browser of fractions of light-related threads: As often repeated, lights have two purposes:
a) Make sure the engine is seen.
b) Illuminate the track and its surrounding.

Variants of engine lights range from very poor lanterns to arrays of very strong lights. Which one is right for you totally depends on the place on the globe and the era you want to model. All the other variants will be totally wrong for your case, and still, someone will consider them perfect for his own case.

a) Is always a concern (but even that was limited drastically during WW II).
b) Varies a lot. Where there is open, unpopulated land, where the engine drives on sight (as opposed to relying on block signals), and/or where they try to introduce a second level of security (as in contemporary railways in general), they promote strong lights when and if the technical limitations permit this.

I've a bad feeling that the problem of headlights illumination is somehow beyond the capability of the current graphics engine.
This is the real reason for the unclear status of this feature.
All the stories about "realistic as can be" are in my opinion only the cover for the real problem.
Moreover, I can hardly believe that this issue will be rectified in the near future (if ever).
The another real problem is connected with the drops in the frame rate, annoying as in Rail Simulator, but even harder. Also, beyond the the capability of the current graphics engine.

Adam

adam3544 wrote:I've a bad feeling that the problem of headlights illumination is somehow beyond the capability of the current graphics engine.
This is the real reason for the unclear status of this feature.
All the stories about "realistic as can be" are in my opinion only the cover for the real problem.
Moreover, I can hardly believe that this issue will be rectified in the near future (if ever).
The another real problem is connected with the drops in the frame rate, annoying as in Rail Simulator, but even harder. Also, beyond the the capability of the current graphics engine.

Adam

CaptScarlet wrote:

adam3544 wrote:I've a bad feeling that the problem of headlights illumination is somehow beyond the capability of the current graphics engine.
This is the real reason for the unclear status of this feature.
All the stories about "realistic as can be" are in my opinion only the cover for the real problem.
Moreover, I can hardly believe that this issue will be rectified in the near future (if ever).
The another real problem is connected with the drops in the frame rate, annoying as in Rail Simulator, but even harder. Also, beyond the the capability of the current graphics engine.

Adam

I can see absolutely no reason om Earth why RSDL can't come out straight and tell us honestly whether or not they are positively able to provide proper, illuminating headlights on diesel or even steam locos, but when most of the locos produced so far, are generally British and European, with the rare exceptions, but I cannot see anyone wanting to model a New Zealand Dx or Dc diesel electric loco, or Ef class electric loco, etc. with correctly-working headlights, anytime soon, just to make us Kiwis happy. And even though we do have some North American built diesels here, I wouldn't really want to drive too many American diesels, even if they did provide good headlights for the SD-40-2s and the others, and I do like driving the British trains, but am disappointed greatly by the lack of good headlights, and it would be good to see a few different Class 166 or Class 66s with powerful headlights, and some exactly the same, except with "normal" British "bicycle lamps" on the front, as they prefer them to be, but let us of different preferences, actually be able to place those British locos or DMUs, etc. on our routes, with the sort of headlights we really want to have ! Compromise will suit everyone, I say. Keep us all happy, eh ? Cheers.

Regards...

Jim McDermott

I disagree. A locomotive from any country, should be as correct as possible. And if a British locomotive ain't got "powerful" headlights, then they shouldn't have it in RW either.
But any other country should have the possibility to build correct lights ,for whatever is right from their own countries.

Bab