Macintosh iMac, Boot Camp, Parallels 4, Fusion 2

[Cayden]

Recently I purchased a new iMac because I wanted to run Trainz and being a Mac user I didn’t want to buy a PC. I had been previously running Trainz on someone else’s PC.

There isn’t much information on this forum other than to indicate that Trainz will run on a Macintosh. But how well, and will it work with Parallels or Fusion, software that eliminates booting back and forth between the Mac and Boot Camp?

Bottom Line:

Trainz runs well on Boot Camp on the iMac, even better than on the PC I had been previously using. Any limitations (e.g., redrawing in Surveyor) appear to be with the Trainz program itself.

Systems compared:

Hewlett-Packard
Model: a6130n
Processor: AMD Athlon™ 64x2 Dual Core Processor 5000+ 2.60 GHz
Memory: 3.00 GB
Graphics Card: GeForce 6150SE nForce 430
Software: Window Vista

Macintosh iMac
Model: iMac 9,1
Processor: Intel Core 2 Dual 2.93 GHz
Memory: 4 GB
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GT 130
Software: OS X (Leopard) 10.5.8, Windows XP with Service Pack 2

Programs installed:

Trainz: Version 3 Build 38411 (right out of the box).
Parallels 4: Internet download, temporary license (15 days)
Fusion 2: Internet download, temporary license (30 days)

Boot Camp, Parallels 4 and WMWare Fusion 2 comparison:

The iMac was partitioned using Apple’s Boot Camp assistant. (A note of caution: Read the Boot Camp installation instructions available from the Apple site before installing Boot Camp. It may save you some unexpected grief. In particular, make sure you are installing Window PX with Service Pack 2. Earlier versions do not work even if upgraded with Service Pack 2 over the internet. Make sure you choose the proper partition to install Windows. For you Mac users who are like myself and don’t read instructions, READ the Boot Camp instructions BEFORE installing Boot Camp.

Parallels and Fusion were installed, run on temporary licenses to compare, and used the Boot Camp partition opened in either program.

Results:

I am most impressed with how smoothly the Trainz graphics are when running in Boot Camp. Boot Camp is capable of running either in DirectX or OpenGL but performs better in OpenGL. On the contrary while the Hewlett-Packard PC is capable of running either in DirectX or OpenGL but performs better in DirectX. Nevertheless on the PC, even in DirectX, Trainz in Driver mode was somewhat “jumpy”. On the iMac in Boot Camp running DirectX it was perfectly smooth.

Neither Parallels nor Fusion can run Trainz in OpenGL and do open it in DirectX. However in DirectX, Trainz in Driver mode with either Paralels or Fusion was decidedly poor. I would say that it is not usable with Fusion and only barely with Parallels.

This said, it is interesting that Surveyor mode and Content Manager ran well with Parallels, almost as well as in Boot Camp itself. This may be useful if you are like me and want to look at other files on the Mac (Google Earth, maps, elevation calculations, etc.) while working in Trainz Surveyor. Use the Coherence mode; Parallels hung when I tried to run Trainz in the Full Screen mode.

So, for you Mac users, Trainz runs well on an iMac with an Intel processor capable of running Boot Camp and Windows XP with Service Pack 2.
Happy Railroading.

Cayden

 

[julian97]

Nice post but please note: saying "Boot Camp" means everything and nothing. Boot Camp is just an OS X Utility that let's you partition on the fly your HD, start the process of installing Windows on your Mac and supplying additional drivers for your Mac peripherals running Win.
Therefore a Mac with Win via Boot Camp (or "manually") is just like any other PC with Win on it as the whole actual Apple hardware is 100% PC. Though, drivers supplied by Apple (as from any other producer for his PCs) could make the difference and this is why you're finding out that DirectX works better than than OpenGL.
Regarding virtualizers I own original Virtualbox, Parallels 4 and Fusion 2. In Parallels Trainz run fine in DirectX in low conplexity scenarios. It's a bit worst in OpenGL and I then do confirm what's written in your post. Didn't try it in Fusion as I prefer Parallels and don't have anymore Win in it.
But I have a strange problem with the third vitualizer (http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?t=44437): Virtualbox. No way to have Trainz working in neither graphic mode. OpenGL is supported since long time but is a mess of graphics and text an DirectX may not work because it's still experimental (OS hosts: Mac OS 10.5.8 Leopard and Ubuntu 9.04 - the latter on a Dell Precision 4400). Anybody had experience with Trainz in VB?
Thanks
Simon Julian

 

[Hans]

Trainz and Mac

I am about to turn my back at mr Gates soon and will switch to Mac. The only drawback is that there is no Trainz for Mac available. Does anyone know if there are plans for a Mac version of Trainz?

 

[julian97]

In the worst case you can still install Windows with Mac OS X on the same machine via Boot Camp Assistant. You can then boot directly in a native Windows and benefit of all the hardware. Trainz will work, of course.

 

[Dralex]

Hi Cayden,

I run Trainz on a MacMini with Mountain Lion. It can handle your Canadian route quite nicely (except, perhaps, near or at Revelstoke, where there is a slight stuttering. I am lacking some of the rolling stock, but I don't believe this is because of the Mac itself, but rather of the Trainz edition. If I put my mind to it, I can work around these troubles.

So:
Trainz runs quite well in native mode. The content manager does work a little differently from the Windows version, but it it quite self-evident. Only wish that I have is a program with which I can make a Trainz terrain from DEM data. TransDem (although I liked it while I was still on a Windows system) is out because so far I am the only one who asked Geophil about it. Besides, he has no Mac and does not wish to get one. I don't know about HOG.
What do you use to create terrain? (this question goes to all Mac trainzers)?
I think I will try running TransDem under WinE.

Dralex

 

[Cayden]

Hi Cayden,

What do you use to create terrain? (this question goes to all Mac trainzers)?
I think I will try running TransDem under WinE.

Dralex

Hi Dralex,

I use topographical maps to create terrain as shown in the tutorial section of my website http://www.doug56.net/MBC_Tutorials/

I have never used DEM maps or TransDem so can’t comment on them. Haven’t heard of WinE.

Use of topographical maps doesn’t require any other software, and the maps, for Canada at least, are available on line, although the newer version are not as good as the ones posted before the site was recently upgraded.

Cayden