Train Simulator 2012 (Part 2)

[nobkins]

Shouldn't it read... the upgrade will be free to existing users - provided that you don't have to upgrade your hardware to take advantage of it.

Not really no.

RS.com have made it clear that if you can play RW now then you can play RW after the update with at least the same level of detail. it will also be able to take advantage of the abilities of most graphics cards and multi core processors so if you have any of these performance should be better.

The upgrade is free. You should not loose out on any detail compared to your existing setup. The majority will probably get better detail.

I think "the upgrade will be free to existing users" is accurate and clear.

[Acorncomputer]

Whilst it is nice to have as much authenticity in the terrain and scenery as we can, most of us are not really aware of the illusions that already exist in the game and cleverly fool us into believing that what we see is correct.

Terrain textures are best when the images are two or three times their scale size for example, and if you carefully measure the sleepers and their spacing you will see that these are all 'wrong' as well.

The fact is (as I have tried this) it often looks wrong if you try to model reality exactly so whilst a smaller terrain mesh would be desirable, it is not essential and a higher resolution texture with a smaller mesh may actually look worse than we already have. We can learn a lot from the techniques that RS.com and their forebears have developed to create the illusions that fool many of us.

With so many people on the RS.com team now, their combined knowledge and experience is second to none and I believe that we will get the best that the program can offer at the point in time when TS2012 is released. There is undoubtedly much, much more to come to blow our little socks off in the future.

[class43HS125]

hi,

Bless those little cotten picking socks

Ross
NZ

[Kariban]

Well, it's free if you own it already new owners are going to be paying for product still.

Then really they should be the only ones complaining I guess!

No way, we paid for these complaints!

Geoff I'm sorry, but when you have giant 10ft right-angles in your riverbank/embankment/other diagonal landscape feature because the terrain mesh is too big to smooth them out, no illusion in the world is going to cover that up. The nearest thing you can do is make a loft - and if you're making a deep rock cutting you might end up making a loft of *all* of it at that point, and then you have it's texture being a totally different resolution to the ground. Maybe we can get LODding in the ground mesh?

[danny3]

Although I thought that it was the Upgrade is Free for those that have Railworks 2 but then you have to pay for the route as extra (but still get all the "updates" to the program free), only those that pay for the new version (2012) via steam get the route too for free? (from Facebook though from what i remember?)

[Acorncomputer]

It is possible to fine tune the grid tool -

http://www.railsimdownloads.com/wiki/ti ... e%20Manual

and with some careful use of the smoothing tool you can get rid of many of the very sharp dragons teeth.

Not ideal I will agree and my own solution for the worst bits is to create scenery items to place over them (lofts are not necessary). Not a solution for everyone but route builders with some basic knowledge of 3D modelling can deal with this.

This does give me an idea though. We need a Freware Pack of cuttings and embankments as scenery items so that they can be placed over the sharp edges by anyone. Perhaps we can get Jim to start collecting contributions for a pack as scenery like this is relatively easy to create.

[bdy26]

Big triangles in the terrain are very noticeable to routebuilders! Perhaps less so to others.

I've been banging the terrain mesh drum for some time - it's important to me, but truthfully a better lighting engine is probably more important. I'm expecting that it will make lofted embankments look much more natural than they do currently.

There are ways to minimise the triangulation effect, but it is so time consuming and doesn't get a great look unless you're lucky with the grid angle.

B

[Acorncomputer]

Scenery cuttings -

[nobkins]

We need a Freware Pack of cuttings and embankments as scenery items so that they can be placed over the sharp edges by anyone. Perhaps we can get Jim to start collecting contributions for a pack as scenery like this is relatively easy to create.

Yes definitely. I can add them to the existing "Blocks and Lofts" pack if anybody wants to donate models or create some reskins.

The Developer /product folder structure is:
UKTS_FP\Blocks_and_Lofts

I am happy to edit files to make them fit the above structure or if you are creating something from scratch you can configure it when you start.

[RSderek]

At the end of the day (after it has got dark) everyone wants more and better.
Thats ok, more and better come with time and dedication (and money)

Right now the terrain system is better as I have said, you get self shadowing and water blends with the terrain and shows depth, so look here at my pond scene:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... =1&theater

No edge jaggies.

As for embankments you have 2 options, 1 - lofts or scenery objects along the track or 2 compromise with the current grid, both are acceptable in my opinion.

d

[Acorncomputer]

Looking at your cow Derek ... Demonstrating my routes on RailWorks at the weekend I found a young lad sat next to me who was fascinated by the simulation on the big screen. His father and I had a good laugh as he cried out to see more of the cows and horses in the fields (he was probably only about 3).

RailWorks ... enjoyment for all ages in one way or another

[Retro]

As for more bomb shells, yeah sure there will be a few.
regards
d

How many is a few and will they seriously affect content already produced in Railworks 2.
Kind regards James.

[Kariban]

That scene is almost flat ground though, and the rocks behind are conveniently hidden by the trees I guess we need a *lot* more lofts, hopefully they'll blend in with the ground better with the new lights.

[bigvern]

The scene looks very nice Derek, but when the lynch mob is baying for 150 mile routes they are not going to come if you're bogged down spending a week fine detailing each 1km strip across the track. As it happens my own mindset is currently fixed on doing some shorter more detailed routes, maybe even grabbing some Kalmbach track plans if I can figure out how to get these into a decal and seeing how it works out in the sim. Who's for Hungry Horse Timber in RW!

[MikeTrams]

Hey Derek, I'm just thinking. Do alpha mapped objects cast shadows? Just interested in if it will be ignored, or if the shadow will show through the transparent bits?

Take care!

Cheers,
Mike