Height of Boats above/below invisible track?

[Barry]

Just wondering what is the best height for boats above/below track. We discussed this years ago and it was decided 3 metres above track for canals boats and 7 metres for coastal. This was largely due to the amount of terrain holes that had to be covered with canal bank splines.... However we also now have canal drivable boats 3 metres BELOW TRACK and and at zero....Horse drawn barges I had the height set on my DS boats to match water level and boat position, and towpath height for 2004 version, etc................... Each version of trainz alters what can be used.......... With 2004. invisible track was not visible in driver map which made most of my routes fairly useless as mainly maritime............ Back to TC3 which I am using now so nice driver map with all junctions visible for invisible track, plus we can see the part of boats below the waterline on scenery boats but not I don't think on drivable boats....... I am just experimenting with exporting my previous made blend file content from Blender using the beta exporter and have the static gaff rig sloop OK in trainz as a scenery object together with Conway castle etc.but set it to 2.8 version... May see if I can make it drivable hence this thread.... As the exporter is a beta version it is unlikely I will be putting content on the DS, and by the time 2009 version arrives not even sure I could set up the configs. or solve the content making methods, to get items onto the DS as previous... Barry...........

 

[vulcan]

Hi Barry,

All my ships are now:

invisible track at ground level (zero).
water level -3 metres
seabed -10 metres or whatever suits, as it does not effect the operational height.

This is best for placing track, signals and switches, and makes the ferries loadable. Since my invisible track is invisible in Driver but visible in Surveyor and the minimap, it works well.

Ian

 

[Barry]

Hello Ian............ I had a look at your boats and canal locks etc. Maybe what you say is best as could lay track on default ground at 0, then remove terrain below. Used to have up to 20 miles of water on some of my routes.................. The only problem is if Auran moves the goalposts again, as used single strand ordinary track previously with 2004 to make it visible in the map to change points, etc. ----------------------------- TC3 seems OK though . I remember you posted on the forum years ago and both of us on line at same time, and learn't how to make boats drivable from your posts. ---------------------------- Thanks Barry...P.S With sailing ships the ttrack will run through the mast and sails. I wonder if that would affect anything.

 

[vulcan]

Barry,

As I mentioned the invisible track (blue, green, red etc, and some of it is built-in to 2006 and TC) will not show in Driver, so does not detract from the scene or have any effect on operations.

Ian

 

[Barry]

Hello Ian I understand about invisible track, but previously, unfortunately it was not visible in driver MAP under water (not minimap or driver) in TRS2004 (at least on my computer), and I used single strand of Mikes visible track to make points visible, to enable points to be changed. That is when I had track at minus 3 and minus 7 below water level. ........... TC3 (I did not buy 2006 version), now makes the system workable with invisible track visible in driver MAP below or above water....Maybe we should have used your new system (boat below track) in the earlier years to set the boat attachment points, then presumably invisible track was invisible in Driver and visible in Driver MAP above water................. The other reference was to the actual boat mesh for mast and sail of a sailing boat which might interact with the invisible track mesh if a sailing ship waterline is 3 metre BELOW track, althouh no problem for barges, etc. That is if invisible track is a mesh as I don't know how invisible track is made. Become a bit complex but only if I put more content on download station as people have set the invisible track at different height in their routes, although I understand for your content necessary due to the functions of the items................. Thanks Barry