EverTrainz
Electric Blue
I hate to turn this into a suggestion thread but it may be worth asking since these are pertinent to the direct trackside atmosphere:
1) Dynamic "procedural" ballast; completely ditches ballast as provided in the track asset, and uses terrain below to form random shape of ballast below track. Tracks (from config) could be able to marked as "no ballast" to disable this feature, and ballast properties such as spread (how far out from track sides), shape (is it a squiggly shape? Straight, neat?), and smoothness (freshly laid, geometric shape? Or more organic, rounded and random over time?). These would use all the new eye candy features, specifically detail maps so that different colorations and hues could be visible over a larger stretch. "Wild card" random textures, such as oil spills or random streaks? Height reached would be set by track height, and other environment features such as existing terrain shape.
2) One big pet peeve found in almost all Trainz routes is the embankment grass texture, how it is always a different shade. I think a new terrain forming technique could be implemented called a KIND "embankment" spline asset, which literally splits the grid below. There are 2 sides to an embankment spline, the upper and the lower obviously. In Surveyor, you could manipulate both sides of the embankments' heights individually, without affecting the other. When an embankment ends, there has to be some sort of algorithm or something of the sort to smooth out the gaps made either side, and a way to fill in the cuts. I highly, highly doubt this is going to ever be implemented, but just a nice thought.
3) Separate KIND "catenary" asset that automatically ("prodecurally") snaps to location of track, through auto-generation and technology (
), places catenary masts and lateral gantry splines where the tracks end (laterally). The user can use a "move" tool to slide these supports up and down the track, stretching the catenary length inbetween, and if multiple shorter gantry supports are preferred, the user can "split" the gantry spline. Curves would automatically be detected and gantries placed along accordingly. Can also use Properties to change type of catenary supports, for example in stations or on long bridges/tunnels. The appropriate wire splines used for different situations such as turnouts, diamond crossings, under bridges, etc. would be in the config, and some sort of newfound computer algorithms and technology (again :hehe
would detect whether these conditions are satisfied e.g. bounding box under bridges or tunnels.
4) Automatic SSS: "Smart signal system" uses that new computer logic to automatically wire up the signals to the appropriate rods and/or wires, and can cut under the tracks and across the rail line as needed. Factors such as where the linkages turn/change direction can be altered by user using "pin points", to allow users to move them where the prototype rail line had them. The wires, rods, linkages, etc. would all come out from a new asset "Signalbox", and a change in a signal state based on train position on the line would work backwards as in, the change in signal state would maneuver the wires and rods, which would then change the position of the mechanism sticking out from under the signalbox, in the case of older versions. I doubt modern signals use this, except for a small white covered box "spline" that covers the electric signal wire from weather.
It's all a dream for now but Trainz is becoming more up-close and real with the detail, like TSW, instead of being a representation. These new Turf Effects are a great example of that, and the simplicity massively trumps the old method of manually placing spline after spline.
Trainz's biggest advantage is its Surveyor, and to have to manually do everything would be a bigger chore. So why not push what can be done and have the computer do the busy work, while the user can focus on the creative aspect? I feel that if the user does not have to finick as much with trackside details such as signal wiring and rodding, and catenary, routes would get longer and the builders would be more satisfied.
Making everything dynamic/interacting with the environment or other assets frees up time to focus on other aspects of route building such as laying more track and placing buildings. Just like railway building shifted from man-powered to technology, railway simulation should also shift from doing everything by hand, to technology/computer.
1) Dynamic "procedural" ballast; completely ditches ballast as provided in the track asset, and uses terrain below to form random shape of ballast below track. Tracks (from config) could be able to marked as "no ballast" to disable this feature, and ballast properties such as spread (how far out from track sides), shape (is it a squiggly shape? Straight, neat?), and smoothness (freshly laid, geometric shape? Or more organic, rounded and random over time?). These would use all the new eye candy features, specifically detail maps so that different colorations and hues could be visible over a larger stretch. "Wild card" random textures, such as oil spills or random streaks? Height reached would be set by track height, and other environment features such as existing terrain shape.
2) One big pet peeve found in almost all Trainz routes is the embankment grass texture, how it is always a different shade. I think a new terrain forming technique could be implemented called a KIND "embankment" spline asset, which literally splits the grid below. There are 2 sides to an embankment spline, the upper and the lower obviously. In Surveyor, you could manipulate both sides of the embankments' heights individually, without affecting the other. When an embankment ends, there has to be some sort of algorithm or something of the sort to smooth out the gaps made either side, and a way to fill in the cuts. I highly, highly doubt this is going to ever be implemented, but just a nice thought.
3) Separate KIND "catenary" asset that automatically ("prodecurally") snaps to location of track, through auto-generation and technology (
), places catenary masts and lateral gantry splines where the tracks end (laterally). The user can use a "move" tool to slide these supports up and down the track, stretching the catenary length inbetween, and if multiple shorter gantry supports are preferred, the user can "split" the gantry spline. Curves would automatically be detected and gantries placed along accordingly. Can also use Properties to change type of catenary supports, for example in stations or on long bridges/tunnels. The appropriate wire splines used for different situations such as turnouts, diamond crossings, under bridges, etc. would be in the config, and some sort of newfound computer algorithms and technology (again :hehe would detect whether these conditions are satisfied e.g. bounding box under bridges or tunnels.4) Automatic SSS: "Smart signal system" uses that new computer logic to automatically wire up the signals to the appropriate rods and/or wires, and can cut under the tracks and across the rail line as needed. Factors such as where the linkages turn/change direction can be altered by user using "pin points", to allow users to move them where the prototype rail line had them. The wires, rods, linkages, etc. would all come out from a new asset "Signalbox", and a change in a signal state based on train position on the line would work backwards as in, the change in signal state would maneuver the wires and rods, which would then change the position of the mechanism sticking out from under the signalbox, in the case of older versions. I doubt modern signals use this, except for a small white covered box "spline" that covers the electric signal wire from weather.
It's all a dream for now but Trainz is becoming more up-close and real with the detail, like TSW, instead of being a representation. These new Turf Effects are a great example of that, and the simplicity massively trumps the old method of manually placing spline after spline.
Trainz's biggest advantage is its Surveyor, and to have to manually do everything would be a bigger chore. So why not push what can be done and have the computer do the busy work, while the user can focus on the creative aspect? I feel that if the user does not have to finick as much with trackside details such as signal wiring and rodding, and catenary, routes would get longer and the builders would be more satisfied.
Making everything dynamic/interacting with the environment or other assets frees up time to focus on other aspects of route building such as laying more track and placing buildings. Just like railway building shifted from man-powered to technology, railway simulation should also shift from doing everything by hand, to technology/computer.
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