If you "ran out of buildings to place" then you are probably going about it the wrong way and being very inefficient with CPU/GPU rendering cycles/time.
Using fewer different assets for scenery items results in far better frame rates and smoother animations. I use only about 4-5 different tree objects in my layouts but can still create entire forests that look like they contain many different trees. We would all like our Trainz layouts to be totally video realistic but the price you pay for high detail and variability in your scenery is unacceptable frame rates and video "stuttering".
With city buildings use just a few basic types but rotate them so that the one building is presented from 4 (or more) different angles or viewpoints. When it comes to streets that run parallel to the track, use the same set of houses/shops/buildings on both sides of the road - but the side nearest the track will only see the back views. Trees can also be a great way to hide the use of low quality scenery items.
Lowres buildings with low poly counts are ideal for the background while the more expensive (in terms of CPU/GPU cycles) higher poly count buildings should only be used close to the track. From a moving train (real or trainz) the scenery normally flashes by quite quickly so you don't need continuous originality and a lot of high detail.
After all, which is more important - original and high detail scenery in the distance or the experience of driving the train without video stuttering?
Peter Ware
