steamboateng
New member
InTS12, the sky view is a handy way to get around a map. Simply zoom out all the way and right click to move around. A link to a sky view of the Boston area map is below. The grid overlay indicates the various individual base boards.
Mapview; Boston area:http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/5986/nemassbostonarea.jpg
Once the route is installed in Trainz, it should be inspected for missing base boards and gaps. A quick 'fly-over' along the right-of-way wil lreveal any errors. So far, I have found TrainzDEM to be a reliable route generator; any errors being a product of my own oversights.
I have included some extra base boards in the route for scenery purposes, such as land fall across open water. This is accomplished within TransDEM by drawing vector polylines where I want the scenery base boards included. Remember, TrainzDEM will generate baseboards to either side of a vector polyline, since it interprets the polyline to be part of the route.
Createa Session
The installed route can be found in the 'Editing' folder, which is located in the 'User Data' folder in the 'TS12' install folder.
To mitigate layer errors and misplaced content errors, which Trainz is want to do at times, I do not edit the route directly. In Surveyor Mode, highlight the new route and select the arrow on the right to 'Sessions', then select 'Create Session” and give the new session a name, such as 'Default 01'. All editing of scenery and content will be done in this session. The session will then, from time to time, be merged with the route using the 'Layer' tools while in the Surveyor screen. Each time I want to work on the route I open it with thesession highlighted and select 'Edit Session'.
To save your work, from the 'Main Menu' select 'Save'; then from the pop-up select 'Over write Route' and 'Over write Session'.
TheBase Boards and Topology
As I mentioned in my previous post, the TrainsDEM generated terrain will have some error, but from my experience, the error lies in the elevation dataset which created the DEM. If you don't include a raster map (either as an overlay or as a UTM object) you won't notice the errors at all, except when it comes to laying the roadbed for the track. For ease of track laying, I prefer to lay the roadbed first.I also prefer to flatten the areas where stations and yards are located. The Topology tools 'Get Height', and 'Use Height' and'Plateau' as well as the track laying tools 'Get Gradient, and 'ApplyGradient' , 'Get Spline Height' and 'Apply Spline Height', in conjunction with 'Smooth Spline Height', all function to modify terrain and lay a smooth roadbed.
A simple example is shown with the link below: I have applied a series of 2-track splines to grade a road adjusted to its correct heightinto the surrounding topography. I used the 'Smooth Spline' tool to apply a gradual grade into the lower countryside, then deleted the track splines. This technique is the primary element in laying smooth track roadbed.
See here: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/828/nemasssmoothingtopograp.jpg/
After flattening out an area to the same height, using the USGS map overlay contour lines as a guide, and then smoothing into the adjacent topography. I have laid track for the station area at Rockport. I'm using KUID:106916:10389; 132 lb. US wood MRT, as the mainline track for the area, as it's a very good match to the prototype and quite realistic. If anyone knows of a suitable replacement with matching track for less used and overgrown areas, please let me know and I will investigate.
Rockport,with its one lonely farm house can be seen here:
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/1158/nemassrockport01.jpg
Mapview; Boston area:http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/5986/nemassbostonarea.jpg
Once the route is installed in Trainz, it should be inspected for missing base boards and gaps. A quick 'fly-over' along the right-of-way wil lreveal any errors. So far, I have found TrainzDEM to be a reliable route generator; any errors being a product of my own oversights.
I have included some extra base boards in the route for scenery purposes, such as land fall across open water. This is accomplished within TransDEM by drawing vector polylines where I want the scenery base boards included. Remember, TrainzDEM will generate baseboards to either side of a vector polyline, since it interprets the polyline to be part of the route.
Createa Session
The installed route can be found in the 'Editing' folder, which is located in the 'User Data' folder in the 'TS12' install folder.
To mitigate layer errors and misplaced content errors, which Trainz is want to do at times, I do not edit the route directly. In Surveyor Mode, highlight the new route and select the arrow on the right to 'Sessions', then select 'Create Session” and give the new session a name, such as 'Default 01'. All editing of scenery and content will be done in this session. The session will then, from time to time, be merged with the route using the 'Layer' tools while in the Surveyor screen. Each time I want to work on the route I open it with thesession highlighted and select 'Edit Session'.
To save your work, from the 'Main Menu' select 'Save'; then from the pop-up select 'Over write Route' and 'Over write Session'.
TheBase Boards and Topology
As I mentioned in my previous post, the TrainsDEM generated terrain will have some error, but from my experience, the error lies in the elevation dataset which created the DEM. If you don't include a raster map (either as an overlay or as a UTM object) you won't notice the errors at all, except when it comes to laying the roadbed for the track. For ease of track laying, I prefer to lay the roadbed first.I also prefer to flatten the areas where stations and yards are located. The Topology tools 'Get Height', and 'Use Height' and'Plateau' as well as the track laying tools 'Get Gradient, and 'ApplyGradient' , 'Get Spline Height' and 'Apply Spline Height', in conjunction with 'Smooth Spline Height', all function to modify terrain and lay a smooth roadbed.
A simple example is shown with the link below: I have applied a series of 2-track splines to grade a road adjusted to its correct heightinto the surrounding topography. I used the 'Smooth Spline' tool to apply a gradual grade into the lower countryside, then deleted the track splines. This technique is the primary element in laying smooth track roadbed.
See here: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/828/nemasssmoothingtopograp.jpg/
After flattening out an area to the same height, using the USGS map overlay contour lines as a guide, and then smoothing into the adjacent topography. I have laid track for the station area at Rockport. I'm using KUID:106916:10389; 132 lb. US wood MRT, as the mainline track for the area, as it's a very good match to the prototype and quite realistic. If anyone knows of a suitable replacement with matching track for less used and overgrown areas, please let me know and I will investigate.
Rockport,with its one lonely farm house can be seen here:
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/1158/nemassrockport01.jpg