Any TIPS, TRICKS and SUGGESTION for CHOPPING UP a large route ?

[edion2]

Hello,

Unlike many of you, I am a relative newbie. Started July 2007 with TS2006. I was hooked and spent hundreds of hours building my route. By March of 2008 my route became so complex that it reached the limit of “save” function of TS2006. My route is only 25% to 30% complete. Couldn’t save my route and multiple scenarios. It’s a bug in 2006. I also invested in a new video card ($300 US).

The release of the TC series made me think that Auran has abandoned the TS series. I tried switching to TC but too many assets did not show up in TC that my route did not look the same, thus requiring many hours of work to fix it. I got disgusted and didn’t run Trainz since April 2008.

Please check out my thread from screen shots to get an idea of size and complexity of my route (look for posts by edion2).

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=23447

I built my route with the idea that distance between “cities / yards” to be 20 to 30 minutes driving time apart and 5 to 10 minutes to “industry areas” from each “city”. Now I realize that “ONE LARGE WORLD” was not a good idea in 2006.

With the release of TS2009, which I just pre-ordered, I have renewed hope and interest in running and building my route again . . . But, I want to approach things differently this time.

I am planning to “CHOP UP” my route into many pieces. Doing so will decrease the “SIZE” of my routes / regions. I understand that doing this will not increase FPS but will solve any future “save problems” . . . If any. Eventually I’m hoping to upload my industry areas and completed regions of my route.

When I stopped building, I was just starting to explore PORTALS. I never got into I-PORTALS.

BEFORE I start chopping up my existing route in TS2009, I thought it would be best to gather information about “HOW BEST TO . . .” do this. I’m hoping to pick up some tips, tricks and suggestions to help me, and anyone else who might be thinking of doing the same.

Any tips in accomplishing the following is appreciated.

1. I’m thinking that REDUCING the route to the KEEPER areas is a simple matter of “SAVE AS” then deleting the unwanted areas. What is the fastest and most efficient way to do this ?

2. I want to run a scenario, which ends in driving into a PORTAL. Then LOAD the next portion and DRIVE OUT of a PORTAL at the start of the next scenario with the EXACT SAME TRAIN that I ended the last scenario, thus continuing the journey from one portion / route into the next. Do I use the I-PORTAL to accomplish this ?

3. With UPLOADING in mind (for free, of course), what should I keep in mind with regrads to asset usage ??

If you have a large route you wand to chop up . . .

4. Would you do it by geography or scenario dependant? What would be your priority and why ?


Thanks

 

[escafeld]

I have one very large route with several usable portions (Stations, yards etc.). I decided to chop the route up and leave these portions for add-ons to other routes and save them as separate maps. I outlined in red texture the areas I needed to keep and then in surveyor I looked down onto the map from directly above with the map aligned at exactly NSEW and opened up mini map. I positioned the mini map over the intersections of four baseboards and then it was four easy mouse clicks to get rid of the lot in quick succession. If you look down directly from above, the map doesn't spin around and disorientate you when the area beneath you becomes blank, it just moves to the next nearest square. When the four are deleted you can quickly click on the next four intersections while the map is still thinking above moving on.

NOTE - Be warned, depending on the capabilities of your PC will determine how many times you can do this without doing a Save, but it's not a bad idea to try your luck first.

If you have twelve worthwhile areas, save two maps of sixes, then four saves of threes and then spilt them all into single maps. Time consuming, but worthwhile and you can then upload them elsewhere if you wish. By the way, it does help if you split the areas up so that six are close together and so on. There can be an issue - A piece of track can get hung out into space without you realising it! These bits of track can be seen in TrainzMap. You will then need to add blank baseboards until you reach the offending article and delete back again. As a guide it helps to lay track around the extremities of your map so that you can see how far away you are from article you need to reach

Regards

Dave

 

[nbrettoner]

Hi,

Having been involved in the DHR Project, I was naturally drawn to this thread.

Some excellent discussion, for which I thank you.

:wave:

 

[edion2]

escafeld,

I did not know that you can delete baseboards in map view! THANKS !

We become good with commands we often use but are totally ignorant about ones that are rarely used. I'm a NEWBIE.

That should make removing baseboards a bit easier.

The more I think about it, I am leaning towards SCENARIO DEPENDENT solution. In other words, a REGION of my route would serve several scenarios. This would mean an average scenario length of less than 1 hour each. My current scenario length are 1-1/2 to 3 hours each.

Anyone using PORTALS to move a train from one route to another ?

 

[Vern]

As an erstwhile builder of the longer style route I will be interested in seeing if TS2009 handles this type of creation better/different. It's not just saving that gets to be a pain when the route reaches a certain size in TRS2006, it's also functions such as copy and paste. On my West Highland route, after reaching a certain point it took well over a minute for a copied selection of terrain texture and trees to appear after clicking to paste.

If we are now looking at a draw distance of 5km for TS2009 that's also a whole lot more real estate per given route km than in previous versions of the programme even if the more distant tiles will just be terrain painted for effect. It means on average the 6 to 7 board "strip" with the track in the centre will have to become a 14 board strip, where visibility dicates it will be seen from the cab or following the train in external view.

 

[seeseeme]

Hi edion2,

I am not sure you can delete baseboards in the Mini-Map part of your layout (but I stand to be corrected).

What I have done is basically what Dave has said. I have the areas marked out in some way that I understand. So what ever method you use to show the deleted area is up to you. I also use textures to mark my area, and these you can see in the Min-Map.

So I go to the top of my layout that will not be in my first segment layout as you may call it. With the Mini-Map showing, I then use the Mini-Map to GUIDE me around so that I know what baseboards to remove. Once you get used to this you will find it is not as hard as first thought, just time consuming. Sometimes I have made a mistake and forgot to remove a baseboards that now seems "un-attached" to my main layout and is hard to get to, but with the Mini-Map you can get there and then remove the baseboard. You may also see some "funny" things happening while doing this, but again use the Mini-Map to get you back to the area you want.

The main thing in all of this is to back up a copy of your layout some where safe. Maybe save it to disk, or as a CDP file, or anything but have it away from 2006 so no errors on that file can occur, and leave a copy in 2006. This copy then becomes the one that you will pull apart and once you have a section you want name it different to the main layout. Again, come up with a naming system that you understand and can work with.

Hope this helps,

Craig

 

[escafeld]

I perhaps didn't make it clear that I wasn't deleting baseboards in Mini Map, just using it and the red texture as a guide. I assumed that edion2 would know that it's not possible to do any in Mini Map, apart from view the layout.

I copy the map folder to my other drive after working in Trainz. It overrides the fact that I may have forgotten that I've been working on one or more maps.

 

[edion2]

OK . . . I understand. The map view is an aid in navigating around "the world". If I MARK the "edge" with something visible in map view, I will be able to navigate there quickly. I think I got it.

I have now tried my THIRD download of 2009 BETA . . . still no luck. It keeps coming up "corrupted" when I try to decompress the zip. file.

Maybe I'll just wait for the boxed version to arrive , , , cause I just ordered a new computer! Mainly cause I needed a faster platform for my day job.

Tiger Direct (Item number V133-9300) barebones unit. T8400 C2Duo 3Ghz, 2MB Ram, WiFi, DVD & 550W PS. Added 320G HD, 2MB Ram, CPU fan and Win XP Home. All for $786.94. I'll be transferring my super-clocked 9600GT into it. It will get a fresh install of TS2009. My monitor is a 7 series 46" Samsung HDTV, a recent upgrade from my 37" 720p Westinghouse. I'm hoping to run TS2009 in 1920x1080. Should be awesome with the surround sound !! I'm hoping this will serve me well as my Trainz platform and for my Auto Cad software for my day job.

Anyone have tips on using the PORTAL or I-PORTAL to transfer trains from one route to another ??

Thanks

 

[seeseeme]

Tiger Direct (Item number V133-9300) barebones unit. T8400 C2Duo 3Ghz, 2MB Ram, WiFi, DVD & 550W PS. Added 320G HD, 2MB Ram, CPU fan and Win XP Home. All for $786.94. I'll be transferring my super-clocked 9600GT into it. It will get a fresh install of TS2009. My monitor is a 7 series 46" Samsung HDTV, a recent upgrade from my 37" 720p Westinghouse. I'm hoping to run TS2009 in 1920x1080. Should be awesome with the surround sound !! I'm hoping this will serve me well as my Trainz platform and for my Auto Cad software for my day job.

Thanks

Let us know when it arrives, sounds as though even in Aussie we may hear it blasting away. I am sure I remember where I left my ear plugs :hehe: :hehe: :hehe:

Craig

 

[edion2]

I finished chopping up my first "piece" of my route . . . still in 2006. I gave up on downloading 2009 Beta. I'll just wait for the boxed DVD to arrive.

The process was time consuming. The map view is almost essential when "chopping up" a large route . . . ITS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THERE IS NO UNDO WHEN DELETING BASEBOARDS. A bit scary but no big deal.

My first piece consists of the main yard in the first city plus one branch line for local industries. I'm glad to report that my first "piece" of my large route has the SAVE FUNCTION BACK TO NORMAL IN 2006.

I'll be chopping up more pieces in 2006 while I wait for the arrival of 2009 . . . and my new computer.

I did look into i-portal, but I'm a bit confused about the properties setting. I'm glad it has an option to "send trains only within this computer".

Any tips with i-portal, anyone ??

 

[escafeld]

Just something to note, edion2. It might not have been a problem so far, but I would be inclined to add spline points within the boundaries of your preferred baseboards. This will help with lengths of vital trackwork being deleted.

Dave

...oh, and start a new thread re the portals. I've not done much on that score, so have no real knowledge worth talking about.