Anybody else try this - draw distance

[hminky]

Trying to increase draw distance in TS2009 I edited the the globalmodule.txt value to 10000. It actually worked:

The arrow indicates this train:

The long shots are with the train moving and I went from one hilltop to the other.
I am using the Steam version of TS09 build 45856 which is almost TS2010 without the distance limiter. I already had good draw distance but wanted more. My low valley Ozark Air Line suffered from "pop-up".

I tried the idea with TS2010 build 44088:

That is 5000 meter draw. Below is with 10000 as a value:

TS2010 had a problem. It only worked from a computer restart. Going out and coming back into the program reset it to 5000. A computer restart got the 10000 back.
The 10000 didn't change the built-in routes. The longer draw distance lowers frame rates but I just use 1870's steam. Maybe it is an anomaly with new routes or my route.

Harold

 

[Pencil42]

Nice find! I just tried it with one of my routes in TS12 and it appeared to work. After exiting, the value was still 10000.
Now I can see the tall mountains across the valleys!!
Of course, this is on relatively empty baseboards; it will be nice to see how filling the near baseboards with scenery affects this....

Thank you!
Curtis

 

[bolivar]

Where in the TRS2010 folder, does one find the globalmodule.txt file?

Update, never mind found it in User Data Folder.

 

[mar1971]

Yes its great, but in cab mode you are still heading to sea .....

 

[hminky]

It works now all the time in TS2010 44088 without a restart. Who knows why stuff like that happens. I have even increased the value to 15000 with only a drop of 10 in FPS.

Works in TS12 at 10000 and 15000 but only a few Speedtrees tank FPS.

Harold

 

[schweitzerdude]

Good weather fog is your friend

Since I don't have an Alienware PC, I crank down the draw distance and crank up the good weather fog.

Some day I'll get a better PC.

 

[Gary_Evans]

Thanks much, Harold. Been waiting for a post like this since started using 2010.
G

 

[hminky]

Thanks much, Harold. Been waiting for a post like this since started using 2010.
G

Well so have I. Geez and all those "high post" genius types on this forum kept whining it couldn't be done. So much for expertise in the Trainz world.

That is all "Trainz Tuner" did with TS2006. I ASSUMED that the brain trust that are EXPERTS who whined about the distance limiter hunted this down.

That is how STUPID I am. The simplest is always the solution.

Since I don't have an Alienware PC, I crank down the draw distance and crank up the good weather fog.

Some day I'll get a better PC.

As was once said: "You can't run "Crysis" on a "Doom" machine, life moves on." That is why Trainz is a bad simulator because of the stupid attempt to accommodate a community that has bad equipment.

Happy in 2010
Harold

 

[WindWalkr]

That is all "Trainz Tuner" did with TS2006.

Correct.

I ASSUMED that the brain trust that are EXPERTS who whined about the distance limiter hunted this down.

Note that this setting doesn't override the distance limiter, it just increases the maximum draw range beyond what we allow in the UI. If you are using inefficient content, it will still result in draw distance limitation.

Before everybody gets too excited about this discovery, I should also point out that any simple increase in draw distance comes with a corresponding decrease in precision, which is why we don't offer it as an option. If you find that you like it this way then great, but please don't complain about flickering or noisy graphics when using this hack.

cheers,

chris

 

[hminky]

Note that this setting doesn't override the distance limiter, it just increases the maximum draw range beyond what we allow in the UI. If you are using inefficient content, it will still result in draw distance limitation.

Before everybody gets too excited about this discovery, I should also point out that any simple increase in draw distance comes with a corresponding decrease in precision, which is why we don't offer it as an option. If you find that you like it this way then great, but please don't complain about flickering or noisy graphics when using this hack.

cheers,

chris

Third party routes seem to perform without any problems. The only ones that don't perform well are the routes built into the game.

The "hack" isn't for everyone but at least it gives a choice.

Harold

 

[TRam__]

Note that this setting doesn't override the distance limiter, it just increases the maximum draw range beyond what we allow in the UI.

Any way to increase draw-distance from cabin view ? Its really worth, despite "flickering" or "noisy graphics".

 

[WindWalkr]

Third party routes seem to perform without any problems. The only ones that don't perform well are the routes built into the game.

.. which are also third-party routes.

So what you're saying is "some routes look better, some look [much] worse", which was pretty much my point.

chris

 

[WindWalkr]

Any way to increase draw-distance from cabin view ? Its really worth, despite "flickering" or "noisy graphics".

No. Nor will the above hack increase the external view past 10km.

chris

 

[hminky]

No. Nor will the above hack increase the external view past 10km.

chris

At a value of 10000 you can see over 13K in real meters. I placed trees on the DEM and measured the distance on Google Earth.

This is great.

Harold

 

[bolivar]

deleted wrong forum

 

[Zorronov]

Harold, I would suggest waiting awhile before celebrating this "discovery." See this thread from 2008 after TRS2009 came out.

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=34912&highlight=Draw+Distance

Note the last entry and the resounding silence that followed.

Cheers,
Fred

 

[hminky]

Harold, I would suggest waiting awhile before celebrating this "discovery." See this thread from 2008 after TRS2009 came out.

http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=34912&highlight=Draw+Distance

Note the last entry and the resounding silence that followed.

Cheers,
Fred

The title of the thread is "Anybody....." I wasn't celebrating just making an inquiry. Just wondered if anyone had tried this, numbed by the silence. If Trainz would support more that 4GB it would really work well and oh, yeah and efficient game engine.

The draw distance question was asked a lot since 2008 and no one pointed to that thread.

Harold

Edit: 50000 works, you can tell by the decrease in FPS

 

[WindWalkr]

Edit: 50000 works, you can tell by the decrease in FPS

Setting 50,000 might make your computer work a lot harder, but it won't significantly increase the practical draw distance.

chris

 

[Zorronov]

What I meant was...give it some more time and experimentation before you think that this method works well. First, I said it worked great, then, a few days later, after playing around with it quite a bit more, I changed my mind. Yeah...funny that no one (other than me, of course) ever points out that thread.

It was many months (I think almost a year) after that thread was posted that the limiter that is written into the program code was actually revealed.

Cheers,
Fred

 

[WindWalkr]

At a value of 10000 you can see over 13K in real meters. I placed trees on the DEM and measured the distance on Google Earth.

Ehh.. what?

The draw distance is measured in meters. At a value of 10,000 you can see 10km.

chris