Building the NE Mass Route - page 7

steamboateng

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Buildingthe NE Mass Route - page 7


Water
Yep! It's every where. But hardly a drop to drink; or at least it sometimes seems that way.
We send ships thousands and thousands of miles into space to search for it. Ponder through millions of words, contemplating its cosmological importance. And the absolute truth is............well,...........we're surrounded by the stuff!
And, ironically, in computer terms, it's pretty tuff stuff to simulate! A dynamic simulator such as Trainz does not handle its water very well! It can't generate even the slow current of a moving stream, or project the potential energy at the weir's edge, let alone the the spent power of that same force at the bottom of the spillway! Those1's and 0's that please us so much choo-choo-ing across our high-tech screens cannot replicate well even this simplest of natures gifts.
The best we can do, stuck here in Trainz World, is fire-up our imaginations............or conjure up something that makes us think water........
Well,to be honest, I prefer the later,........had my fill of the former in my younger days..........!
Water,contrary to most beliefs, is not the same everywhere. Yes, it's…...like wet.......just about everywhere; but it's still different. I can personally attest that the Pacific Ocean is indeed, a tad blue-er than than the Atlantic. It has a different rhythm to it,also. The Caribbean is a beautiful blue in places, as is theMediterranean. The Suez is muddy brown and the Red sea ain't red!
If you did any reading in your Biology 101 class you know why. If not,..............well I'm not going to explain here. Just take myword for it.....it's different!
Trainz water, unlike the stuff we're surrounded with, comes in only one flavor. However, being the great grand children of the Enlightenment that we are, Trainz allows us to chose that flavor............in the'Environmental' section of the menu roll out.
We can tint,.........or taint.......our water however we wish, within the spectrum of choices our palate is offered; although a bit of thought might be appropriate. That steely gray-blue along the Atlantic coast is a lot different from the bull frog infested, slimy green pond you may find in the marshy country side.
To make it work, a median must be struck. Since Trainz water is translucent, just enough tint must be applied to conjure up a powerful ocean, yet also lend credence to a quiescent pond.
It is the paint texture behind the Trainz water that plies its illusion here. Experimenting with the various tints and numerous textures can render surprising and pleasing results.
To this day, no one yet has developed a paint texture in Trainz that looks...............well.....wet!
And why paint water blue?............It reflects the sky you say. Take alook at your favorite frog hang out on a cloudy day................what color is then? So we agree......water is a problem to paint? One approach is to suggest its presence with reeds and mossy, marshy vegetation. Ever notice that the vegetation is greener along small streams and marshy ground! Ferns favor shady wet areas. Moss loves the sunshine. Although I'm not totally pleased with my wetlands efforts so far, I have included a number of screenshots to show how I approached the subject . Yes, there is sound in those in those stills. I have ducks quacking, I just haven't found suitable duckz yet. And the sea is lapping gently on the shore, though I doubt my beach visitors fully appreciate that rhythmic tranquility!
Screenshots:
FrontBeach:http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh557/steamboateng/WelcomingtouristsatFrontBeach.jpg
MillBrook:http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh557/steamboateng/MillBrook.jpg
Asmall Pond:http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh557/steamboateng/Anothersmallpond.jpg
LoopPond:http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh557/steamboateng/TheLoopPond.jpg
 
Very entertaining reading! My complements

Maybe the other Auran game selections do water better. Frankly, when you are involved with trains, you are moving over or by water too fast to see the level of detail you describe. Water is relatively featureless compared to non-water. You can certainly make sound assets for ducks and lapping seas, and make aquatic creatures with sounds.Given the above, I think the level of detail offered to water by Trainz is even-handed. We could just use a good waterfall and wave lapping animation
 
Thanks, deneban, for your comments, and for finaly breaking the chain of silence!
Water is so difficlt to blend into scenery, I think, because it brings along many more elements. Along with its own dynamic properties, a variety of vegitation and ground textures accompanies it. Mixing it all together to bring out the illusion of a quiet pond or sandy beach is an artistic challenge.
The old B & M was notorious for its curvy, up and down roadbed. Speed along the section between Gloucester and Rockport would be limitd to 35-40 mph.
I'm afraid this route will never see the DLS. It's much too large; hundreds and hundreds of base boards. It's about 280 mb for the baseboards alone! However, smaller sections can easily be broken off, and with the TransDEM program, base boards generated, to which scenery and assets must be applied. I have in mind a separate Hoosac Tunnel project for the DLS, but even that would be 35 to 40 miles long.
Thanks again for following the blogs, and as always, your ideas and comments are welcome.
mbk
 
Maybe your water prayers have been partially answered - look at the great water stuff JayHolland has just put on the DLS.
 
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