OnTrack September 2007 Edition includes tutorials & Payware, is it worth it?

[ish6]

Hi community,

Jam pack with useful and enjoyable information. This might not change the world of trainz, but it brings some insights of the fun things we like to do with Trainz .... click on the link to see and read for yourself:

http://wileystrainz.proboards32.com/index.cgi?board=tpc&action=display&thread=1189360889

I hope you enjoy it. Padster put lots of hours behind it. If anyone like to participate or have an interest, just register at our site and get in contact with Padster!!:wave:

Enjoy it
Ishie

*PS: Check out our Press Club for previous edition discussing more tutorials, etc

 

[Padster]

Yes, please do visit the Whistle Stop. Lots of interesting things for Trainz.

Best wishes,
Padster

 

[BidMod]

Thanks for putting this together

I enjoyed the tutorial on tunnels - perhaps for the next edition you could run a feature on the AJS tunnel system, which is more flexible but more complex.

When would the press-date (ie for contributors to get stuff in by) be for the next issue, since this one was (understandably [is that even a word?!]) later in the month than usual.

BidMod.

 

[ish6]

Glad you guys like what Paul did ... :wave:

 

[Padster]

Hello BidMod, thanks for your contribution to this months mag.

The 'deadline' for the October edition is Saturday 29th September.

Once again, thanks for your help.

Best wishes,
Padster

 

[tommylommykins]

Hi. Can I suggest you don't us jpeg compression for the text? it makes it hard to read.

 

[Padster]

You are joking Tommy?! You can't read that? I have made the font size bigger so you really shouldn't have problems reading it.

See, I cannot win whatever I do. If I switched from JPEG to Bitmap you would then complain that the magazine is taking too long to load up. A line has to be drawn somewhere.

However, I am looking into converting the mag into PDF format. Maybe that would help. Anyway, thanks for your comments, and thanks for reading our mag.

Best wishes,
Padster

 

[kcdowdy]

I want to register but, I can't because i'm not 13. :'( :'(

 

[tommylommykins]

I think the logical thing to do would be not to save the text as part of an image at all. Failing that, using a bitmap would indeed be better for the eyes, my suggestion being the .png format

I would reccomend against using the pdf format completely, since is not does not do anything unique, rather it encloses an image with the compression you choose. All a pdf would do is a)increase file sizes and b)force you to use a PDF reader on top of the web browser.

No offence meant, Tom.

 

[Wessex_Electric_Nutter]

b)force you to use a PDF reader on top of the web browser.

No offence meant, Tom.

Whats wrong with Acrobat? Its very useful and the file sizes can be compressed to a fine degree, while maintaining that readibility. I must dig out a mag I created (which could give you a lot of ideas Padstar) for UKDTG, before the collapse. It was pure waffle, but worth it.

Maybe UKBL could do with one.

Padstar, looking at your payware section, I disagree with a lot of your choices for accracy.

The Turbostar (and electrostar) is not right at all, it looks wrong, it feels wrong and the sides need to be a lot better, take a look at these images.
http://russellsphotos.fotopic.net/p37897741.html
http://russellsphotos.fotopic.net/p14135433.html
http://russellsphotos.fotopic.net/p981744.html
(shame I don't have much decent ones for detail uploaded, I've taken loads already.)

Study the front ends closely, then look at the sides, you'll see the errors sticking right out at you.
The electrostar is soo wrong in many respects, the interior is correct for a 377/3 or /1 (001 to 119) on the driving cars, but both the moquette and the layout is wrong for the MSO and PTSO.
The cab is wrong for the 377/2 and /4 (as well as units for 377140-165), so is the interior for anything other than 377101 to 119 and 301 to 327.


If I was to term the cab, it reminds me of a horseshoe with a massive aluminum panen welded on top with 2 windows cut out.
Feature wise, they nice, but very buggy, doors don't open/close properly and the DRA doesn't work properly. (try setting it in TC and move the handle). Talking of the handle, in TC, it makes soo many clicking noises, it drives me insane while driving it!

The locos are OK, I guess though, they are the only thing Snowsignal has got atleast semi right.

For railwaves? Well, the rails are too thin on the tracks, the 117 is wrong in soo many ways (front end and some places in the cab), to quote someone, the pannier is an insult to boxes, and none of the locos work proply when it comes to power...

but those are my views and yes, I am an artist, I know my models are wrong, my 141 does have a lot of errors, but you need to find them.

 

[WileeCoyote]

A very nice mag (with pixelated hard-to-read letters), but I think you guys went after the wrong locos, the SLW steamers by Pet_Shop_Boys are of a very high quality that I have yet to see surpassed by another steamer (but then again, those are the only payware ones I own:hehe. If you really want to go after something payware my suggestion would be the Goerlitzer Doppelstocker wagons and the BR 143 from PTP1 S-Bahn Leipzig, just the scripting for the Indusi and Ebula are worth it.

WileeCoyote

 

[johnwhelan]

You are joking Tommy?! You can't read that? I have made the font size bigger so you really shouldn't have problems reading it.

See, I cannot win whatever I do. If I switched from JPEG to Bitmap you would then complain that the magazine is taking too long to load up. A line has to be drawn somewhere.

However, I am looking into converting the mag into PDF format. Maybe that would help. Anyway, thanks for your comments, and thanks for reading our mag.

Best wishes,
Padster

If you used striaght html it might be a smaller download, clearer on the type and use embedded .jpgs for the images otherwise interesting content.

I was always taught good typesetting should appear to be transparent unfortunately this isn't quite.

Since the content is quite a high standard another approach would be to write a column for http://www.railwayherald.co.uk/ and let them handle the publication, formatting details etc. You never know it might start off a larger interest in railway simulators.

Cheerio John

 

[Padster]

Tell you what, Nutter, why aren't you writing a magazine yourself if you are such an expert? I can take constructive criticism (as you will know if you read this months mag I have made the font size bigger) but utterly negative comments like yours helps no-one. The review I did was MY personal opinion, I happen to think that those locos I listed were very good. How on earth can you knock the Pannier? Are we talking about the same loco here?

The Turbostar drives very well with my Rail Driver. But let's not pretend that it will ever be 'just like the real thing' because it won't. This is a simulation not real life.

Maybe the truth is that you wish to push your models instead. I am very happy to review them if you give me the link.

I will try to take on board everyones comments about the typeface, but as I don't spend that much time on the computer I might not be able to deliver on that. We'll see how things go.

Best wishes,
Padster

 

[BidMod]

Hi all,

I can only comment on the Train Driver pack, because I don't own any other payware, but I happen to think that the rolling stock is really good - I'm not so sure about the route though; the MSTS version was better. It's little things like the track being wider than most of the bridges that spoil it - otherwise it's also really good. Was it worth it? I think it was perhaps overpriced in terms of adding it on to TRS06, but about right in terms of a standalone. Perhaps if the same thing was to be done with another route, the add-on and stand-alone programs could come in seperately boxed and seperately priced modules.

Anyway, why don't people write down an article of their expertise and sent it in for publication? For example, WEN - I don't personally know a better expert on Southern Electric. WileeCoyotee, why not write a piece on German steam?

And my word on the publication type - HTML would be best in terms of quality of reproduction, but .pdf might preserve the layout better. It would also be the correct size for A4 paper (though this can be done using HTML). .bmp files would be huge, I have to agree with the editor on that one.

BidMod.

PS I've already made a start on next month's entry.

 

[ish6]

Hello Gentlemen,

we hope you enjoy it.

Associate Editor
Ishie

PS. Suggestion will get consideration only via PM here or at our public forum. Thank you!!:wave:

 

[tommylommykins]

@Padster and WEN: I believe there's a difference between technical accuracy and overall presentation... None of the railwaves stuff has ever been technically accurate, but is well presented and looks pleasing to the eye

Similarly model locos and stock aren't accurate to the closest millimetre, but they are well presented.


Can I offer some clarification on the PDF saga? if all you did was use exactly the same images (including the text as part of those images) and exported them as a PDF file, you wouldn't find any reduction in file size (there would be a solight increase, due to the waffle needed to make the file into a PDF) or an increase in quality (it would stay the same).

However, if you were you save the text as text, and not part of an image and export that to PDF it is most likely that you would find a reduction in filesize and an increase in readability... That doesn't mean to say HTML is probably best though.

Padster, remember I am not your enemy. I have put considerable effort into helping you here. Please respect that.

--

@BidMod: Bitmap doesn't mean you have to use bmp. As I stated before, png offers good compression levels while still remaining a bitmap format.


--

@WEN: I don't like adobe acrobat reader. If there is ever a worse example of bloatware out there, I'd like to see it. Although I am no expert, I don't believe that for Padster's purpose, PDF as an end format offers anything over HTML. HTML makes the document more accessible IMO.

 

[BidMod]

@BidMod: Bitmap doesn't mean you have to use bmp. As I stated before, png offers good compression levels while still remaining a bitmap format.

bitmap comment retracted, but I maintain my pdf stance. I agree with the rest of your statement.

Perhaps we should leave it to rest in this thread though, because I think we're starting to detract from the content of the magazine.

BidMod.

 

[ish6]

@Padster and WEN: I believe there's a difference between technical accuracy and overall presentation... None of the railwaves stuff has ever been technically accurate, but is well presented and looks pleasing to the eye

Similarly model locos and stock aren't accurate to the closest millimetre, but they are well presented.


Can I offer some clarification on the PDF saga? if all you did was use exactly the same images (including the text as part of those images) and exported them as a PDF file, you wouldn't find any reduction in file size (there would be a solight increase, due to the waffle needed to make the file into a PDF) or an increase in quality (it would stay the same).

However, if you were you save the text as text, and not part of an image and export that to PDF it is most likely that you would find a reduction in filesize and an increase in readability... That doesn't mean to say HTML is probably best though.

Padster, remember I am not your enemy. I have put considerable effort into helping you here. Please respect that.

--

@BidMod: Bitmap doesn't mean you have to use bmp. As I stated before, png offers good compression levels while still remaining a bitmap format.


--

@WEN: I don't like adobe acrobat reader. If there is ever a worse example of bloatware out there, I'd like to see it. Although I am no expert, I don't believe that for Padster's purpose, PDF as an end format offers anything over HTML. HTML makes the document more accessible IMO.

We appreciate your comments, but since this is a free mag, and we're not going over our boundaries .... Just read it if you like the contents! However, if you like to work on the mag and do these steps yourself we have not problem with that either ... :wave:

thank you again for your comments

Ishie

 

[Wiley4]

A fine magazine Padster, I had no problems in reading it, and my eyesight could be a lot better.

Your tutorials are informative and precise, If I were a newbie to Trainz I would be collecting these and keeping them as a source of reference, keep up the great work mate.

Cheers
Wiley

 

[ish6]

A fine magazine Padster, I had no problems in reading it, and my eyesight could be a lot better.

Your tutorials are informative and precise, If I were a newbie to Trainz I would be collecting these and keeping them as a source of reference, keep up the great work mate.

Cheers
Wiley

yep!!!:wave: