How about this for an idea?

[JackClare1995]

Hi guys,

So, after a rather long hiatus from Trainz, I'm back and feeling quite determined to build a tramway. I have a query, though. I'm pretty crap at just going onto a baseboard and building. I get a general idea in my head but then start building, get bogged down in one little thing and forget about the original idea. So I'm thinking, what if I draw my design on a piece of paper, to scale (as much as I can), then scan it and insert the image onto a few basemaps? I have an A4 piece of paper (roughly 21cm x 30cm) and I've drawn a 20cm x 20cm box. 20cm = 1000m, 1cm = 50m etc...

What do we think? Will it work? Has anyone any experience with doing it like this?

I have about half the 20cm x 20cm box with track designed.

Jack

 

[RRSignal]

Whatever works for you. Sounds like you're essentially wanting to make a basemap, just not of a real-life route.

 

[oknotsen]

We recently had a similar asked question.

See here for the topic:
http://forums.auran.com/trainz/show...t-schematic-to-facilitate-building-a-route-gt
This is the first link it points at for more help:
http://www.doug56.net/MBC_Tutorials/page11.html

 

[JackClare1995]

@RRSignal: Yes that's pretty much the idea. I'll create several 20cm x 20cm designs on separate pieces of paper, measured as accurately as I can so they fit together.

@oknotsen: Thanks for the link. I've used basemaps before, but never made my own. I'm a bit worried I'm going to cock it all up :hehe:

Jack

 

[rjhowie]

Hello Jack from Glasgow the city that had the biggest tram system outside of London!

You might want to have a look at my site listed at the end of this contribution. Several years ago I built the whole of the former tramway closed in 1962. Every line, depot (in double figures), trackage also in 3 figures. I even included 2 lines closed before WW2 and it took me an awful long time. No doubt you are not planning anything as ambitious as what i started but I never ever thought I would get it finished,Indeed, I only planned to do what was on the west side where I live but in the end the whole dang thing. On my site there are a list of slideshows covering - West-North-Centre-East-Southeast-South-Southwest. Anyway it might give you some encouragment and it is a Trainz item (not on the DLS yet).Fortunately I had a line drawing of every route and traced every terminus along with walking around 120 odd miles.
See here...

www.[B]glasgowtramsim.moonfruit.com[/B]

 

[DmitriSkif]

The easiest way to build a pretty-look baseboards for an imageland is to use Microsoft Office Visio tool! You'll have a real-scaled, vector-based template, easily to convert for use as a baseboard texture.

 

[JackClare1995]

Hi rjhowie! I believe I have seen some screenshots you've posted on BTO. Your route looks wonderful! I've just come back from a day of volunteering at the Heaton Park Tramway and those heritage trams really are wonderful beasts. I'm very much looking forward to downloading your route when it is released! As for my plan, it's only a relatively small tram system I have in mind, but a fairly modern one. No tram lines down every street, or anything like that! Just a few lines with light rail vehicles running at very high frequencies so I can put all the rules and scripts available to the test!

@DmitriSkif I have never heard of that, but I've just done a google search and saw the number £529.99!! Sounds a little steep! :hehe:

Jack

 

[mjolnir]

Here's what I've done with some measure of success.

1 Draw your route on paper, more or less to scale. Scale size doesn't matterr.

2 If you're not facile with 3D modeling software like Blender or GMAX, get help from someone who is.

3 Map the bits of your drawing to plane objects, where the planes are the size of a Trainz baseboard (720 x 720 M)

4 Import a plane object into trainz.

5 Set the plane objects at the lowest topographic contour level.

6 Rough in the terrain and other major features (e.g., railroad and highway ROW, &c) at that level.

7 For each successively higher contour level, repeat steps 5 and 6.

8 For each additional baseboard, repeat steps 5 through 7.

ns

 

[rjhowie]

Hello Jack,

Recently I have been hammering away at rail builidng re the NI and IR railways in Ireland north and south and well overdue for getting my tramway up for folk to use. Only one man has it and he came to my home here in Glasgow to get a copy (!). It took me one heck of a long time and it is I have to say a very huge tramway as it is based on what had been the real thing. I didn't miss a single route out and walked every former one in my project right out to neighbouring towns. What I must also do is to be in touch with a Trainzer whom I was in touch with to have a look at it. There are simply hours of running no matter where in Glasgow of the late fifties/early sixties in. It is my tribute to a tramway which was much loved by Glasgow people and the tramway staff reckoned they were more special than the bus or subway departments! A late uncle of mine was a tram driver then buses after 1962 so a hro for me. It was estimated that a quater of the Glasgow population (1,089,00 in 1962) came out on a horrible wet night to watch the last tram convoy. It isn't really right that after an awfully long time and completing this for it not to be available. For tram fans you could sit all day driving about Glasgow and suburbs.

 

[JackClare1995]

Hi rjhowie,

I recently had a relatively similar experience to this. On May 26th the last ever fleet member of the first second generation LRV fleet in the UK (T68's), ran on Manchester Metrolink's rails. They held a last day tour, running to Eccles, Bury and Altrincham. 180 people on the tram and (it seemed like) most of Manchester watching as we rolled by with "T68 Special" on the front. I almost cried whilst leaving the tram for the last time but managed to hold back the tears. It seems odd that 50 years ago, tramways across Britain were being ripped up for the 'better' buses, and now 50 years on most major cities are getting brand new tramways! Seems daft!

Jack