New Dual Gauge Track? Updated Version at Least?

[Thad09]

Howdy!

I've been using Elvenor's MAN6 Dual Gauge track for years now. Great track. Recently, I've began to notice something.

The quality of track has been increasing over the years, in part to the newer releases like TS '09 and up with new graphics properties and details. It's now 2012. Years have past since the Dual Gauge track's first use. I say it's time to give it an update. I say that the rails need to be of a heavier grade, the ties and ballast more crisp and 3d. I would love to take on the making of a new series of the MAN6 Dual, Standard and Narrow Gauge Tracks, yet due to time, resources, and experience, I can not perform this task. What I am saying is what I think would look best in on a newer version of the MAN6.

Seeing how the forums here have been recently with the 'gimmie pig' and 'Freeware vs. Payware' episodes, I do not want to sound like I want this done over night. I'm only expressing my concern with the awesome assests that were created back in the day. I want to see this track more in the future with an updated look.

Just wanting to see if anybody else feels the same with older assets like this getting the reconition they deserve by updateing/rebuilding them for the newer versions of TRAINZ. Anybody up to the task of (or at least consider) making a newer version of the MAN6 series of Dual Gauge track for TRAINZ?

(please don't make this a tread about 'gimmie pigs' and such that is all-too-common around here these days)

Thad

 

[Shortline2]

Hi,

I might be mistaken and taken to a pole to get set straight as my knowledge is from when involved with the TS2009 and the introducing of the new tracks system back then.

In order to make the dual gauge work it had to be set up to be of kind bridge and as far as I know that kind has not been transferred into the new spline system, as in, there are no support for more then one track in the new system.

So, in order to make proper dual gauge track I think Trainz need to be written with support of more then one track again using the new spline system, or else it would need to use workarounds to be used with more modern looking tracks.

But, I hope I am wrong, but not active in Trainz building really I just relay on old knowledge and hopefully smarter more up to date people can shed some light here.

Linda

 

[JCitron]

Is it possible to create a dual gauge track by making the rail on the inside to be modeled as part of the outside rail next to it? If what I am thinking is possible, then this would be the workaround for this kind of issue.

I'm not a content creator or developer. I'm just thinking outside the box so to speak.

John

 

[Shortline2]

Hi,

My simple way to look at tracks in Trainz is that a track is really only a single center line which the trains follows and the rails we model is only there to look at, not function at all for the train it self.
Hence, to make a dual gauge track we need to have a setup where the track in question has two center lines, and only setup in Trainz that has had that kind of support is the kind bridge used to support two or more tracks on bridges, and also used to make tracks with two or more tracks together.

With this new track setup I have not seen a way to support more then one center line, hence there are no way in that setup to support a dual gauge or two parallel tracks or anything as far as I know.

One workaround might be to to use fixed tracks, then other is to use guides, two meshes where one is invisible track and the other a modeled dual gauge like the MAN6 dual gauge in reality is, and then use the guides at each and every spline point to support the dual gauge.
Not quite sure how it would work out, but it might be feasible...

So, how the mesh look has in reality no bearing on how Trainz see the track, you can test that by setting up almost anything as a kind track and run trains on it...

Linda

 

[TorenHynes]

Linda, I think you may be right. If TS2009 doesn't support two tracks on one spline, you can't make dual gauge track.

Also, you could try using a dual gauge spline, and then putting two invisible tracks side-by-side -- the only problem here is that the tracks will tend to make junctions where you didn't want them.

 

[Thad09]

Linda, My thoughts excatly with the fixed track. All one needs to do is make 4 things. The guide(fixed track) SG with fill, NG rail (for use inside the guide) NG track w/ fill for when using on other parts of the line. The Sg track will be the main part of it and then place the NG rail to give it the dual gauge look. Both SG and NG tracks will have to be the same rail, so as not to cause any issue with clipping and such. The guide will have no visible track when first layed. When one connects track, it would change to the track conencted.

Elvenor's Dual gauge is classified as a bridge while the rest of the series are classified as track. With the system that I'm thinking of, only 4 items will need to be made. There will not need to be any use for Invisible rail.

Anybody following?

 

[bendorsey]

A few years ago Linda kindly made me some 4 rail dual gauge track to match the MAN6 components. When you connect std ga and ng track at the same end it generated a switch. When you do the same with MAN6 dual gauge track it does not. To me thats the advantage to the way the MAN6 dual gauge track was made so whatever method is developed and works I'd hope it acts the same as the MAN6 dual gauge track.

Interesting discussion and topic.

Ben

 

[Shortline2]

The biggest problem with a fixed track or a guide as far as I can tell it how to do when there is grade involved.

I know the model can be made to roll, but controlling the grade is hard, and cumbersome, and I have had hopes since TS2009 days when I was part of the TrainzDEV forum setup and stuff that a true inbuilt support for dual gauge would surface, but I guess, the demand is not there...

I love the new mesh setup system, but I fell of it during the years and has trouble adjusting to it my self, but the opportunities, I love those!
Just so darn much work to make a track now a days I feel not up to it.

And, I my self is moving away from building a large fill into the track, I would make a meter or two of fill, and then add a second fill model to be used as a road or a larger fill - pencil42 did it and I love the way it allows me to adjust the fill from the track and so on, and I love his tracks so in reality I been more inclined to maybe one day use his as a starting point to add to with dual gauge as I have a need of a lot of dual standard and 3-foot track my self and the MAN6 tracks has some limitations due to the use of the kind bridge type to get the true dual gauge working.

I know of one other person using an external CAD program to program all spline tracks in and just export it there with regular spline track, special made to have single rail and so on - but this is not as useful for a lay track here or there kind of map where there really are no plan on where the tracks goes until we pluck them into a landscape.

So, from my limit experience with modern day Trainz I would think a fixed track/guide is best option, I first though of a guide I delete for every track piece I connect up, but maybe it would be better left in place.
Experiments are needed, not feeling up to do all that yet, but as Ben said, interesting discussion and topic, close to my heart!

And Ben, I might email you tomorrow around the last email, have an idea that might help, but it is lot of work and might explain how the payware works...

also, anybody knows if a script can control 100% any rail cars on a piece of track or at least inside a kind buildable?
Years ago I saw mention someone saying along those line, that would make it easier to make some stuff for me and Ben I am sure as he is way ahead of me in creating nice mining and hence dual gaugish stuff... LOL

Sorry for a little of topic here.

Linda