Driveable Boats ?

[Acorncomputer]

Hi

I am in the process of updating The Big Layout for RailWorks and I am thinking how cool it would be to be able to stop at a station near one of my lakes so that the passengers can get aboard a Lake Cruiser and then as train driver, jump from the loco to the cruiser and then take that for a trip, perhaps down the coast to another location near a station when we can all get back on board another train and continue our journey.

Drivable boats have already been tested I think, but if anyone can come up with a suitable track to lay just below the water surface and (more difficult) adapt a boat so that it can drive like a loco (steam or otherwise) then I would be very happy to redesign The Big Layout to make good use of this feature and give it a good public airing.

With the ability already to jump to a narrow gauge railway in the route and the plan to add a small tram system in a new town, driveable boats would really add to the variety of things to do.

[veetkam]

hmmm.. sounds good but i dont have a clue!
Anyway hope you can get help good luck and cant wait for the finished product

[RSAdam]

Tug Boats, Trucks, Cars, Tractors, Planes, Bicycles, and even a UFO:

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrGreypea#p/u

Regards

[Acorncomputer]

Hi Adam

Rail Similarity is a brilliant site and I have a permanent link to it. The fantastic work done here is partly the inspiration for my query.

In practice I do not (yet) have enough experience to create my own driveable boats but I know that it can be done. I just need someone to have a go at leading the way on this type of development and I am sure that I can pick it up a little further down the line.

[ladyoflynn]

Hi Geoff,
I done an experiment on Little Paxton NGR useing the Personnel carrier from I o W as a river patrol boat,I made a consist,it seemed to work ok,
its called River Patrol,maybe someone could put a new body or some kind on the Personnel carrier?

regards Eric (ladyoflynn GWR man)

PS you can see it on the activity on Rail Sim or Railworks have it on both

[Acorncomputer]

Hi Eric

That sounds good. I have been able to create some basic railway track so I might be able to do the same for an underwater track but it would need someone experienced to create a boat, give it some physics and also a bridge view.

[TransportSteve]

I've seen a canal barge moving on a scenario on The Port Road v3, and on SAD's new route there are some speedboats hurtling along going under the bridges whilst my train goes over the top, I assume he has these running on some sort of script or whatever to make them move around, unfortunately, I didn't stop to take any screenshots, but, I assumed that if we have animated people and vehicles, boats and other craft can move around also in the game.

Cheerz. Transport Steve.

[overmarze]

Thinking thay work the same way as cars

[BenBlairL]

Trainz was able to create the scripts for Driveable Boats, although I'm not sure if RW uses different code for scripts.

[eyore]

Thinking thay work the same way as cars

That's right.

Make the boat into a scenery object then create a vehicles properties blueprint. Use an invisible road loft and add the two together in a Traffic control blueprint and you have a moving boat. Its much simpler than it sounds but there are issues with this, see http://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic. ... &sk=t&sd=a. I think this may have improved with the update but I havent checked yet.

However, a driveable boat requires a cut down loco blueprint and I haven't worked out how to do that yet, perhaps Gray can add an item to Art of Railworks telling us how?

[RSAdam]

All of Grays vehicles are trains technically. He has just changed the body like you would with an RC car. Think along the lines of the Blackpool tramway when they do illumination floats. They are all still trams underneath.

Simply follow the tutorial on the wiki about creating a locomotive (which explains all the minimum requirements to build a working engine) and then give it the body of a bus or a barge.

Next you can either create some track where the physical geometry is below ground, or just make it editor only viewable (I think there are details somewhere about that).

regards

[Acorncomputer]

I've seen a canal barge moving on a scenario on The Port Road v3, and on SAD's new route there are some speedboats hurtling along going under the bridges whilst my train goes over the top, I assume he has these running on some sort of script or whatever to make them move around, unfortunately, I didn't stop to take any screenshots, but, I assumed that if we have animated people and vehicles, boats and other craft can move around also in the game.

Cheerz. Transport Steve.

Hi Steve

Yes, you have been able to lay tracks for speedboats, barges and planes right from the days of Rail Simulator. You have no control over the model which starts at the start and finishes at the finish and then a new one starts at the start automatically. These are very effective and I have used them many times in my routes. The track is a bit difficult to lay as it is effectively invisible but there are techniques for getting round this and the results are worthwhile.

Hi eyore

I think if just one person with the appropriate skills could produce a good example of a drivable boat, then it may inspire others. Captain Bazza where are you

Hi Adam

I am about 75% through updating The Big Layout but when the bulk of the work has been done I will check out the Wiki and see if I can make anything of this myself.

[CaptainBazza]

One of the projects on the 'must do' list is this lake steamer, TSS Earnlaw, a contemporary of the Titanic and still going strong.

Cheers Bazza

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSS_Earnslaw

http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/earnslaw.htm

(Not sure when I'll be doing it, but it's promised for a NZR route.)

[Acorncomputer]

An excellent choice Bazza.

This steamer seems to have a wealth of interesting features.

[TransportSteve]

Hi Steve

Yes, you have been able to lay tracks for speedboats, barges and planes right from the days of Rail Simulator. You have no control over the model which starts at the start and finishes at the finish and then a new one starts at the start automatically. These are very effective and I have used them many times in my routes. The track is a bit difficult to lay as it is effectively invisible but there are techniques for getting round this and the results are worthwhile.

I wasn't aware of that Geoff, never having had Rail Sim before, thanks for the explanation. Do you place the track on a dry river bed then, or, after you've put the water in ?? Bit of a silly question really, just thinking aloud.....

Cheerz. Steve.