Ballast and ground texture mixes

[Thai1On]

I'm at the point of adding ground textures to my route now and I would like a little advise on track/ballast and ground textures mixes. What are some good track/ballast and ground textures that mix well together in color and looks and most importantly performance in TS12?

Dave

 

[steamboateng]

I won't comment on track/ballast textures as generally I dont use any. The paint tool simply is too big to to be splashing ballast about the countryside. I prefer my roadbed simple.
Now, getting into ground textures is a whole 'nuther bucket of worms......
I prefer my ground textures to be subtle toned down and color matched as close as possible. It's a workout going through the texture samples, trying out what works and what don't, but worth the effort. I have found four textures that I pretty much use as a ground cover base. They are:
KUID 328583:16036; JVC-(tx1); grass dirt......this is a dirt texture fine for track roadbed and along the sides of roads.
KUID:428217:558; d texture4...........a basic dirt texture mixed with the above texture for similar uses.
KUID:1987:9; A9;............Clumpy grass and dirt used at the edges of feilds, roads, etc.
KUID:2:53424:90001:1; Track Grass;............A basic grass texture best used mixed with other grass/dirt textures.
Highlighting the basic grass texture is, for me, a work in progress. However this flowered grass seems to work......KUID:328583:16038; JVC-(tx-1) Green Grass w/flowers.
As I mentioned above, it's a trail and error affair and very much subject to one's own view of the countryside.
For pix of how these textures appear in TS12, you can refer to my blog posts referenced below.
Good luck and keep on Trainzin'

 

[cascaderailroad]

There are ballast splines, gravel road splines that can go right under track ... to make a wider, more solid edge. But may effect framerates 2 times more, as all splines are bad for framerates.

Ballast textures are best painted at minimum scale, and @ a 9:00 radius ... then carefully paint ground textures close, but not to close, so that they don't paint over the track ballast texture.

http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc339/cascaderailroad/Screen_005-14.jpg

I found the Forest1 and Forest 1 are great for overall ground textures, as they effectively replicate trees, bush's and schwubbery without any other ground textures.

Hold down on the [ ] KB buttons when painting ground textures so as to rotate and blur textures ... however, ballast looks best un-blurred.

 

[Dermmy]

I'm in the 'don't use ballast texture' camp, except in yards etc but on main line trackage it just never looks right. If you do want to use it though many tracks have a matching ballast texture, if you search CM for the author of your track you may well find a purpose-made matching texture...

 

[Euphod]

It is very hard to find a good combination. I have not, as of yet.

 

[JohnnyC1]

It is very hard to find a good combination. I have not, as of yet.

You got that right!

John

 

[JCitron]

I use a combination of coal cinders and grey and pink ballast textures for the track ballast. I put the cinders down first with a wider radius than the track ballast. I then put the track ballast down on top of that, letting the cinders blend into the ballast. For the ground textures, I use about 4 or 5 out of all that I have. I find that combination of darker greens and browns are good for under-growth colors with lighter greens and browns for more exposed areas. I let the ground texture mix right into the cinders and ballast in some areas to simulate the overgrowth that occurs along many ROW.

John

 

[Thai1On]

Thank you everyone as this is helping me out a lot!

Dave