It's been a long time.... Questions about TS2010

[lightrail]

Hi all, I'm back. I joined the forum in the days of the Community Edition.

I'm debating getting back into Trainz (I've spent most of my sim time in the last couple of years in MS Flight Simulator).

I would like to know what's new and better in TS2010 over TS2006? My main areas of interest (out of the box):
1. signaling. Do signals see beyond the first junction, or are we still stuck placing signals between every junction to make them work properly?
2. AI operates signal to signal - in TS2006 the AI operates junction to junction making it impossible to drive a train with AI operating - does the AI drive according to signals?
3. Route setting - in real railways trains are route-set by signal controllers. Is there a means to set the train path in advance?
4. distant signals - do they actually work? In TS2006 distant signals are seen by the AI as home (block) signals.
5. menu system - I found it really hard to find anything in surveyor in TS2006 (TS2004 was easier) - so how is the interface improved?
6. turnouts (points) - is installation of frog and point easier and built in, or is it still only third party add-ons?
7. Speed trees - what is the hit on frame-rates over the standard static scenary?
8. Auranjet - has it been updated and if so, how is that reflected in the game?
9. Does TS2010 take advantage of multi-core processors?

Might be more questions. But I can't find much in the way of screen shots or information on TS2010 that answers these questions? In fact, the information is quite dismal considering we're so close to release.

Would love to get back into Trainz. I've been frustrated by the direction trainz took a while back, but it seems to be going back in the direction of interest to me.

Thanks

 

[ColPrice2002]

Hi,

First,

thanks for all you previous work!

. signaling. Do signals see beyond the first junction, or are we still stuck placing signals between every junction to make them work properly?
2. AI operates signal to signal - in TS2006 the AI operates junction to junction making it impossible to drive a train with AI operating - does the AI drive according to signals?
3. Route setting - in real railways trains are route-set by signal controllers. Is there a means to set the train path in advance?
4. distant signals - do they actually work? In TS2006 distant signals are seen by the AI as home (block) signals.
5. menu system - I found it really hard to find anything in surveyor in TS2006 (TS2004 was easier) - so how is the interface improved?
6. turnouts (points) - is installation of frog and point easier and built in, or is it still only third party add-ons?
7. Speed trees - what is the hit on frame-rates over the standard static scenary?
8. Auranjet - has it been updated and if so, how is that reflected in the game?
9. Does TS2010 take advantage of multi-core processors?

TC3 (and later) allows for home & distant signals - there's a tutorial available, but IIRC it's quite possible to have (almost) prototype signalling.
Ai still basically goes from signal to signal, but has improved with the home& distant signalling (if will pass distant on signals at half speed).
There are serveral path setting rules (available for download) on the DLS. You can add a path setting instruction to the driver commands.
Points - Andi06's points work (though they need to be "wired" & named correctly (so the signalling system works with them) - otherwise it's simple points by default.
TRS 2009 will use muticore processors (and IIRC the GPU as well).

HTH

Colin

 

[lightrail]

Bump - anybody else?

 

[FootplatePhil]

Bump - anybody else?

Any one thats actually seen TS2010 is still covered by an NDA, so I'm not sure what your expecting. Although if your after conjecture, maybe you've come to the right place

Phil

 

[amigacooke]

Probably best to wait for purchase until well after release when no doubt all questions will be answered.

 

[ColPrice2002]

Just for the fun of it, I downloaded the Delph Donkey into 2009 last night (compatability mode on) + session

There are a couple of missing/faulty assets that I'll have to sort out - possibly re-installing 2004 to see what they were!
(one was a built-in -1 kuid).

However, the Alastair arrived at the station, the coaches loaded (doors open/close) and the distant and home signals operated correctly.
I then spoilt the session be trying to access another program (Alt tab) and it crashed.

I noticed that it used "Hornz" - that has caused problems in the past - so I suspect a small amount of editing needed....
Othewise it's quite impressive

Colin

 

[lightrail]

I bought 2010 and I'm really enjoying it. I'm building a light rail route in Edmonton.

Compared to railworks, Surveyor is much easier to use. But Railworks has two big advantages.

1 Importing Terrain
- - Railworks, download HGT files from the Internet, then in the editor press "T" - instant terrain
- - Trainz - buy TransDEM, download DEM, convert using TransDEM, combine using Trans DEM, export to Trains. Open CMP and import then commit.

Which one is better?

2. Laying tracks
- Railworks - select number of track and then lay them down.
- Trainz - lay down one track at a time. However, once laid down, it is much easier to edit and more tracks in Trainz. Railworks makes it next to impossible to move track without breaking it and having to "weld" it back together (if you can).

Trainz wins - but it sure would benefit from a means to draw more than one track at a time.

Trainz has splines - still the best way to quickly draw scenery of any kind

More thought to come as I progress....

 

[geophil]

1 Importing Terrain
- - Railworks, download HGT files from the Internet, then in the editor press "T" - instant terrain

Very simple indeed. But very limited, too. You need external tools as soon as you want more than standard 3 arc sec DEMs. And who doesn't? After that you need more external tools to peg-out your route.

So many people are building prototypical routes in Trainz, so few in RS/RW. Doesn't seem to be that easy after all then, even handling geo data.

By the way, try the Canadian vector map CanVec, to lay your track with TransDEM and Trainz automatically. Admittedly, it will be a bit rough and will require some alignment but does not need extra marker files.