Nature Screenshots! (BIG and NUMEROUS pictures!)

[RoysTrainz]

Morning Casper,

i see you try handmade mountaineering?? that is a lot of work!
I think soon we can call you OTZI the guy the found (frozen) in a Tranzdem file oft TRS2004 of the Austrian Alps.
Nice work but I still think you better get your easel and paintkit packed and hop on a T:ANE commuter to the brave new world like the most of us.

BTW I still have all my DEMS tracks etc from Vancouver to Calgary east coming from TRS2004 all the way to and in T:ANE, they are looking GOOGLE GE alike. Of course i used Tranzdem they are all prototypical but still some finishing touch with my paint kit and easel(s) before you get the final result as shown in my routes.:hehe:

Welcome to T:ANE soon.

Roy

 

[mezzoprezzo]

Greetings Roy.

I quite like hand building terrain. It's very therapeutic and rewarding when it starts to look good. It's also good practice for mastering and developing the many skills and tricks of the Surveyor tool kit.

I researched DEM applications a couple of years back but found that the available mapping wasn't going to provide the level of detail I like to achieve. I believe it might be better for creating other parts of the globe, but UK and northern Europe mapping data couldn't provide the sharp relief I was looking for.

The other concern of mine is making the efforts truly personal. In some ways using DEM is a bit like buying a ready made glass fibre model ready to paint which you place on your model railway wooden baseboard, rather than creating your own from scratch from frameworks, cloth and plaster. I prefer the more creative challenge (with the total lack of mess and drying times).

The other advantage in building "in the style of". rather than "exactly as is", is that you can get a pretty good representation of the area without the expectation that everything has to look exactly right. There will always be the rivet counter who will tell you that something is in the wrong place!

Anyway, I must go and colour in a bit more terrain. That's the next challenge - getting the rocks, snow and greenery to look good. I almost tempted to leave the distant stuff as bare baseboard (but I won't). Once it's 3000m or more distant the baseboard squares can't be seen, and just the shading on the terrain is quite effective; in fact, bad texturing can make it look worse. You know it's right when it looks as good, or better, than the distant untextured board.

I'm a great believer in making the most of what can be discovered from the historical past, but won't be falling into any glaciers.

Anyway, I've added a bit more distant mountain range and experimented with the foreground levels for the best view, prior to laying track and objects. This looks a good height for scenic mountain railway track laying, with a view of the 5000m distant mountains.

Cheers
Casper

 

[RoysTrainz]

Casper,

distant mountains and even closer you can fiddle with even tone grayish or brownish but greysih seem to have a neutral good effect at different daytimes looking just right.
You will see and yes detailed textures not do the job on distant mountains in older versions i remember. i had my draw view set at 20-25K until the magic man came and blocked draw view in TRS2006-2009 etc....
Have fun my friend enjoy the therapautic value of the so many little tools most people not even know what they can achieve.

Roy:wave:

 

[mezzoprezzo]

Alpine progress

I've done some foreground track laying and landscaping.

Middle distance mountain tops done. Middle to far distance still to be done.

Cheers
Casper

 

[jango]

 

[RoysTrainz]

 

[MeowRailroad]

All of these pics are really nice to look at!

 

[rickf77]

..........

 

[cressjl]

...
The other advantage in building "in the style of". rather than "exactly as is", is that you can get a pretty good representation of the area without the expectation that everything has to look exactly right. There will always be the rivet counter who will tell you that something is in the wrong place!
...

Casper, I am really liking your take on things. Definitely food for thought!

Perhaps I have been holding myself to a far too stringent standard, always to end up disappointed. Where's the fun of it if it isn't creative? I think I'll borrow your strategy from now on.

 

[jango]

White Pass nature

 

[mundek01]

 

[mezzoprezzo]

.

 

[Epoche3bis4]

Nice Greetings

Epo

 

[mezzoprezzo]

Late summer in the UK

Good evening.

Now back from summer travelling and doing a bit more route building. Apologies if there is too much railway hardware for this thread within this shot.

Foreground shows a Freightliner Class 66 hauling a string of Novak and Goode “Weedzfree” herbicide tankers.

Meanwhile, in the background, is the local heritage steam railway with an ageing 9f pulling a small collection of freight wagons over a short viaduct.

In between is the local village, set in the rural UK landscape of Dorset, Hampshire or Wiltshire (you choose, I’ve just made up the scenery based on my local area, but representing no particular part).

Cheers
Casper

 

[mezzoprezzo]

More from the UK countryside

View from higher up in the hills, overlooking the valley area in the previous post.

 

[Matt3985]

Wow Mezzo. Those shots look amazing. Are those in TANE? Plus is that your route? If so is that the only heritage railway on the route?

 

[Stationbeem]

Matt3985...

Casper only uses TRS2004.. It's his ability to create shots like these that has us all in awe of his talents.

Casper..

Another master piece. Keep up the good work

Regards Dave.

 

[Matt3985]

Ah yes good old TS2004 it's amazing that after nearly 10 years since it was released its still looking pretty good. Not bad for the sim that started my love for this Sim.

 

[mezzoprezzo]

@matt3985
@Stationbeem

Thanks guys!

No, Matt, it’s not T:ANE as Dave has already revealed. I’m afraid I’m happily stuck in the past, for the reasons stated back in this thread (post #1822).

I have to say that reflections and shadows would be nice to have though. When it works straight of the box and looks good I might give it a go if/when I get a powerful enough PC.

Meanwhile I’ve got a bit bored and have run out of inspiration on the UK route, so I’m back in the lakes and mountains tonight looking at improving and extending the distant landscape.

Cheers™
Casper

 

[cressjl]

Well, I add my absolute amazement to the mix, Casper. What an asset you are to the Trainz community; well done!