Any road tutorials?
- Thread starter Scoot
- Start date
schweitzerdude
Active member
Probably the most important discovery about roads
I made is that the track-straightening tool works not only for track but for road splines as well.
I spent 2 years learning Trainz and never knew that until reading this forum. Why Auran did not put that tool on the spline menu is a mystery.
Using the track straightening tool on roads will go a long ways to make your roads look better.
I made is that the track-straightening tool works not only for track but for road splines as well.
I spent 2 years learning Trainz and never knew that until reading this forum. Why Auran did not put that tool on the spline menu is a mystery.
Using the track straightening tool on roads will go a long ways to make your roads look better.
ray_whiley
Active member
If I remember correctly, this way of straightening roads was included in the TRS2004 manual - I certainly knew about it from my first tentative steps with Trainz. It also works for walls, fences, etc. Another possibility is to lay a length of road without connecting it to anything else - it will automatically be straight. If traffic flow is needed, use some invisible road to connect the two splines at either end of this disconnected length. I use this method to connect to rail crossings when roads will not connect without dipping below base level.
Ray
Ray
OMG I didn't know that could be done until reading this post.....I've just added extra spline points to straighten the roads up until now
Thanks for the tip
Road tutorials
First, Schweitzerdude, where and what is the 'Track straightening tool' for roads? I can only find the one for rail tracks.
Second, I'm having problems with roads which float above the ground and despite all efforts cannot be brought to contact the surface. I know this was discussed in this forum once, and a type of rail/road was mentioned which didn't have the same defect (JRAM?), but I can't trace it. Any pointers would be most welcome.
Thanks in anticipation,
Kihara.
First, Schweitzerdude, where and what is the 'Track straightening tool' for roads? I can only find the one for rail tracks.
Second, I'm having problems with roads which float above the ground and despite all efforts cannot be brought to contact the surface. I know this was discussed in this forum once, and a type of rail/road was mentioned which didn't have the same defect (JRAM?), but I can't trace it. Any pointers would be most welcome.
Thanks in anticipation,
Kihara.
ray_whiley
Active member
You use the track straightening tool for roads. Lay your road spline, go to track, choose the straightening tool, and click on your length of road.
Ray
ray_whiley
Active member
If this seems like a paradox, it must be remembered that roads are tracks - except they are not!
In other words, the config file for a road includes the tag 'kind track'. (There is no 'kind road'). Then the tag 'istrack 0' (zero) is added which means it is not a track. If it read 'istrack 1' then it would be a track and presumably trains would run along it - I haven't tried! Other tags are added to show whether it is a road, a road which is traffic enabled, the rate at which vehicles are generated, etc.
Fences etc. are similar.
Here is part of the config for a ground texture spline I made recently - this is a spline for use when a clearly defined area of ground texture is needed rather than the usual blended pattern:
length 6
istrack 0
isroad 1
carrate 0
bendy 1
width 3
repeats 1
Not a track, but a road, and no cars.
Hope this explains why the track straightening tool works!
Ray
schweitzerdude
Active member
Just a response to ray whiley about the TRS2004 manual
Going back to the TRS2004/2006 days is when Auran included detailed manuals in .pdf form that were much more informative than the printed ones that accompanied the CDs.
I challenge anyone to show me that the documentation that comes with TS2009, TS2010, or TS12, in either printed or .pdf file form, would lead any new user to think that the track straightening tool also works on road and other splines.
Going back to the TRS2004/2006 days is when Auran included detailed manuals in .pdf form that were much more informative than the printed ones that accompanied the CDs.
I challenge anyone to show me that the documentation that comes with TS2009, TS2010, or TS12, in either printed or .pdf file form, would lead any new user to think that the track straightening tool also works on road and other splines.
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I wouldn't challenge you on this.
Documentation is a bit sparse even with the TS12 Ann. edition. The manual is pretty, but has nothing in any detail.
For floating roads try thicker roads such as YARN roads. They tend to follow the ground a bit better.
John
ray_whiley
Active member
Nobody will accept this challenge - for obvious reasons! The 2009 and 2010 manuals are basic in the extreme and I am sorry for anyone who joined the Trainz community with either of these versions. (I can't comment on 2012 as I haven't bought it - there's still a lot for me to learn with 2010.)
In addition to a 64-page printed manual (the last few pages were thanks and credits), which was adequate for making a good start, 2004 came (as John has said) with additional manuals on the CD dealing with different aspects of the program. I printed these and keep them in a box file to which I can refer when needed. The file also contains print-outs of tutorials that I have found, or which have been mentioned in these forums - including very basic TACS/GMax tutorials, much more helpful to me than the official GMax ones. I also have extensive folders named tutorials (for those not yet printed), 'tips' etc. - and different ones for different versions of Trainz.
To summarise, I think I could write a fairly comprehensive manual covering a lot of questions raised by newcomers. But I'm not going to - it would probably take several months to write and I prefer to make models - which themselves take long enough - with frequent reference at times to the tutorials or tips folders!
I believe TRS2004 is still available in the UK for about a fiver - it would be worth purchasing for the manuals alone.
Incidentally, I still can't get to grips with layers in 2010 - every time I make one and try to move scenic objects on it, anything underlying it at route level moves instead.
Ray
Price confirmed, from JustTrains - £5.10. Cheaper used from Amazon UK - OK if you buy just for the manuals but you wouldn't be able to register a used copy. Price quoted in dollars on another site (probably Australian?) - over $63. (If US dollars, this seems a tad pricey ...)
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Road tutorials
I've tried lowering the spline points but as the road approaches the ground the latter starts to fall away beneath it so the gap remains.
Kihara
I've tried lowering the spline points but as the road approaches the ground the latter starts to fall away beneath it so the gap remains.
Kihara
cascaderailroad
New member
I believe that track and roads, when you hit the: "Smooth Spline" button, leaves a 0.20 gap (and that you can lower the roads by 0.20 later on) ... but by viewing at a slight downward angle, (as opposed to down low), most times you rarely notice the gap.
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ray_whiley
Active member
Further to my earlier note about the TRS2004 manual, I believe that 2006 included a good manual on the CD (or DVD) - as I don't have that version, I can not confirm this - perhaps someone else can.
Ray
Amazon UK TRS2006 £1.99 used (see comment above about not being able to register.) JustTrains £10.20 new.
Ray
Amazon UK TRS2006 £1.99 used (see comment above about not being able to register.) JustTrains £10.20 new.
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Floating simple solution
Depending what you are going to do with your route, for the floating road, here is a simple solution: edit the config file of the road you are using. On the line ''grounded'' you change the height. For example, I wanted to use a road that was ''grounded'' at a height of 0.4 and was floating so I had to change it for -0.1 to fit perfectly without gap between the road and the ground.
With hundred km of road, I don't want to ajust every spline point. Now I will ask the author if I can release it or if he can make a new kuid with the modified config file (not a new version of this kuid because for the ones who ajusted all their spline point, they will have to start all over again) so it need to be a new kuid.
Rail4Pete
Depending what you are going to do with your route, for the floating road, here is a simple solution: edit the config file of the road you are using. On the line ''grounded'' you change the height. For example, I wanted to use a road that was ''grounded'' at a height of 0.4 and was floating so I had to change it for -0.1 to fit perfectly without gap between the road and the ground.
With hundred km of road, I don't want to ajust every spline point. Now I will ask the author if I can release it or if he can make a new kuid with the modified config file (not a new version of this kuid because for the ones who ajusted all their spline point, they will have to start all over again) so it need to be a new kuid.
Rail4Pete
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