PRR Horseshoe Curve Route (in the works) Screenshots

[cascaderailroad]

PRR Horeshoe Curve

I need a vote: US Mainline Old/Dark is low poly and looks rugged and dirty...but this high poly "135 Lb Jointed Rail" looks absolutely fantastic...so does 115 Lb High Detail Track. But these 2 high poly tracks absolutely kill my framerate. What type of track would YOU, ALL want on the PRR Horseshoe Curve Route should I release it ? I need a vote !


Which track looks best ? And consider swirls, and bad framerate problems with using the higher poly tracks on the Left !

Note: "135 Lb Track Joiner Bars" have been dropped into the outer track, and 3rd track...love the detail !
Any idea on how to get rid of those pesky track "swirls" ?

 

[PerRock]

I need a vote: US Mainline Old/Dark is low poly and looks rugged and dirty...but this high poly "135 Lb Jointed Rail" looks absolutely fantastic...so does 115 Lb High Detail Track. But these 2 high poly tracks absolutely kill my framerate. What type of track would YOU, ALL want on the PRR Horseshoe Curve Route should I release it ? I need a vote !
http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc339/cascaderailroad/Rockville.jpg?t=1229189763

The Closer one.

peter

 

[cascaderailroad]

Loco on Fire !

http://www.rail-videos.net/video/view.php?id=1808

 

[srr89]

Any idea on how to get rid of those pesky track "swirls" ?

I think the swirls are there because the tracks are so high poly, so unfortunately I don't think they can be taken out.

The route is looking good, keep up the good work.

Robby

 

[gfisher]

because the tracks are so high poly

The 'swirls' as you call them are a moire effect caused in this case by the fact that the ties are modelled in three dimensions. As the track moves away from you the ties get closer and closer together and the moniters screen resolution has trouble dealing with very small angular changes seen in the perspective. I don't know of any way to get around it.

I have used my track with reasonable sucess on double tracked mainlines, but I am not sure I would recommend it for a four track line as the poly hit would be considerable. s-driver has a low poly version of his high poly track, so it might be a better choice.

 

[slave-driver]

I agree with George. If you only have a single main and maybe 1 siding the high poly would be OK. Unless you have a high end computer I wouldn't recommend the high poly track if there is over 3 tracks next to each other even though they have unit-mesh on them. My standard track is still 26 poly. If the standard track still makes your computer slow to much go with the chunky mesh. At a bit of a distance you can't tell the difference.

Bill

 

[cascaderailroad]

Rickity Track

I need a track like this:

Note the rickity rail, misaligned, uneven ties, and railjoiners!

I tried all the fantastic high poly tracks, and dozens of other lower poly tracks. None of them look PRR, or don't offer a 2m (for switches), or don't accept the 115Lb railjoiners. The best high detailed low poly track so far seems to be US Mainline Old/Dark.

 

[srr89]

I don't know if this will work or not, but it was the closest thing I could find.

Click here

Robby

 

[strench707]

You could mix that track with some vegitation splines and it would look pretty accurate.

Davis

 

[cascaderailroad]

G Fisher's PRR Signal Bridge with Seniorchief's PRR Position Light Signals are awesome !

 

[cascaderailroad]

Trainz are really taking off !

I laid three tracks...one 1 hundered feet from my railline, and the 2nd one 2 hundered feet from my rail line. All 3 tracks parallel each other by 100 foot apart the length of my route. I raised the 1st track to 888.00', and the 2nd track to 999.00', as the rail line on my route is set at @ 650.00'. I placed a driveable airplane on the 1st track, and a jet sled on the second track. Started both off, and chased the airplane, with my jet sled. The airplane is on the inner 888' height rail line in the sky, and the jetsled is on the outermost 999.00' height rail line in the sky. So now I can fly planes and look down on my route, and also look down on my planes that are flying above my route. I can take aeriel screenshots in "Cab" mode on the ariel rail lines. I will replace the regular track with Invisatrack, once I get the desired effect. WARNING: applying invisitrack in the sky can result in difficulty deleting it, or moving it, as it tends to hide the rail spline height, and it is difficult to find later on. That is why I place a Paint-"Green" splotch where each and every one of the aerial rail splines are located. Makes them easier to find later on when I edit the aeriel rail lines.

 

[cascaderailroad]

Carving Baseboards with Track (Making Mountains and Valleys)

This may seem hard to desribe, and possibly ther is a better way to carve realistic valleys and mountains on a baseboard. But in this case I started out laying a negitive (-2.27%) grade for my rail line. Which made a ever deepening spiraling grooved valley into the baseboard. Then I laid a road spline at a negative (-9.00%) grade paralelling my rail line. Which made an even deeper ever spiraling groove where the creek once carved out the mountain valley, eons ago. Then by hitting the "Smooth Spline" tool repeatedly, the track and the road effectively cut grooves in the valley for me.

The by constantly holding down on the "Shift Key", all the while laying many, many segments of track, all non-connecting with track segements, but going from the valley floor, up to the mountain ridge. And Likewise using the "Smooth Spline" tool over and over again, progressively hitting each hillside temporary vertical spline, I leveled out the hillsides. And when I got the desired effect, I deleted all the temporary vertical hillside track splines.

This is the start of the prototype: "Juniata Gap" on the Wopsy RR (Altoona & Wopsononock RR)(Altoona Northern RR). I have ALOT more work to go. If I had a DEM of the all the missing area(s), that are missing from the DEM that I am working on, things would be easier ! This rail line will connect to the PRR Horseshoe Curve route in East Juniata. The Muleshoe Curve is next !

 

[srr89]

Seriously dude, that is some awesome work. :Y: :Y: :udrool: :udrool: :udrool: :mop::mop: Can't wait until it is done. :udrool: :mop:

Robby

 

[cascaderailroad]

Wopsononock RR

I have just about completed the terrain and topography of the Wopsy RR. The gradient is 14 miles of 2.75% MP Rusty track (looks OK for built in low poly track). I have installed twin invisible tracks into both sides a double lane highway (by using the "Shift" key). I can now drive a Jet Sled uphill at 62 mph in cab view, up a 3.80% mountain road. And with "freeintcam=enable" added in trainzoptions file it looks really like your driving a car. Driving a JetSled in cab mode and passing cars on the road is awesome in Trainz. Screenshots to come. I have my trainzoptions "surveyorfov" set way out at 185, so its like super wide angle viewing from inside a fishbowl looking out (makes surveyor-ing work easier). When I set "surveyorfov" back to 35, I will take some more screenshots. My "aerial flyways" are also taking shape quickly.

The Wopsy RR in the Upper Horseshoe. The rock outcropping is true to the prototype area. Still in it's Desert Storm texturing, thousands of Autumn folliage tree's will be here soon. The Wopsononock RR (Altoona Northern) was built as a means of getting the wealthy quests (who vactioned in the Altoona/Johnstown resorts) up to the Wopsononock Hotel at 2717' elevation above Altoona Pa. Altoona, Galitzin, Cresson, and (ill fated lake) the Johnstown Rod & Gun Club were once very extravagant exclusive resorts for the rich and famous railroad, steel & oil barrons: Carniagie's, Ford's, Mellon's...advertised as: A get away for city dwellers, from the smog and pollution of the, coal fired, smokey cities such as Pittsburgh...where allways a cool breeze is stirring... It will be made in two versions: one narrow gauge 1897, and the other latter version standard gauge 1902. Nothing remains of this railroad today, asside from the indiginous rock ballast-rocky strewn (still quite intact and maintained) roadbed, a few 100+ year old rotting RR ties, and bent up rusty discarded NG RR spikes, left after its demolishion in the 1930's. This route will be made mergable, so anyone can add it onto the DC Fox DEM, as the Fishlipsatwork DEM doesn't go north far enough to Dean Pa. I have merged the 2 fore mentioned DEM's for a super long detailed route from Altoona to Johnstown Pa. The PRR 1920's, will rise again ! More screens soon...Credits for the fine Loco and cars go out to Bdaneal of SubParProductions, a superb site !

 

[cascaderailroad]

Now I have too many trees, can't see the trains, for the forest ! Experementing with tree types, and sinking big trees halfway into the ground. Seems that 15m trees are the biggest I want...as any larger trees tower over the route. A 45' tree is a pretty big dang tree anyway ! Gum trees resemble most of Pennsylvania's hurting forests ( scarred from over cutting, erosion, strip mining, forest fire damaged...etc...). Most Pa forests are sticker bushes, scrub brush, and small saplings. in the time of the Wopsy RR (1897-1920) most of this area would have been totally deforested, and clear cutted for firewood. A huge forest fire decimated the entire area in 1902 (engine sparks), and the Wopsy Hotel burnt to the ground. Tourisum was lost forever, and the line was freight only, for coal and timber. it connects with the PRR in East Juniata, and the now RJ Corman line at Dean Pa.

 

[cascaderailroad]

Hey, Auran...Greetings to you, from the US...We have this much snow here...

In Fairbanks Alaska it was -29F...in Vostock Antactica (AQ) it was also -29F with, 14 mph winds, blowing snow, blowing ice crystals, freezing fog...record temperature was (winter: June) -129F, with wind speeds of 229mph (Note to self: Cross AQ off of my places to visit as a tourist (even in summer: January). Two places I always wanted to visit were AQ and Austrailia.
Heard it was 114F down under...send us photos of your crew at the beach"Beach Day" !
It would be kind of interesting if Auran would put a couple of their crew photos in a company album, so we could see our favorite people hard at their work, and leasure pastimes (beach shots, city shots, outback...etc...).

 

[NormP]

cascaderailroad.

Hi Mate the Auran Crew live here in Brisbane (I'm not a crew member) and we are only suffering with 86F (30c) heat, the Cities suffering with the heatwave conditions of 100 +are Melbourne and Adelaide so you can say that we are lucky at the moment.
But we can still envy you your colder conditions.

NormP.

 

[cascaderailroad]

Re-Skinning

<-------PRR other pages........This is Page#6

What is the overall general rule about re-skinning others freeware content ? I'm sure this topic has come up several dozen times before.
Is it OK to experiment, clone and re-skin others freeware cars, loco's, etc... for use ONLY on your own route, without asking permission ? Is Showing (Posting) screenshots on the forum of these un-requested non-permissions of re-skins illegal ? I am under the impression that Uploading and, sharing files, releasing to DLS and the public, the un-requested, non-permissions of re-skins of other peoples freeware is not only wrong, but illegal as this is still their property. ? I just want to know the legal rules and regulations about EXPERIMENTATION for use on your OWN route, and POSTING SCREENSHOTS on the this forum, and other forum(s) of un-requested non-perrmissions of freeware re-skins.

And as to payware, could I re-skin someones Example: wooden water tower, and post screenshots of the scene on the forum(s), and use the item on my own route, as long as I don't release, sell, or make a profit from it ?

I made a paintshed re-skin of a TGV in PRR paint scheme...(and it looks rediculous, but cool), is posting screenshots of it illegal ? Can I upload it to DLS, as it is allready a paintshed re-skin format item on DLS ?

In comparrison:
If I were to take several music CD's that someone loaned me, and remix the songs and dub them onto a CD of my own, or downgrade them to a cassette format, for listening of my OWN USE, is this illegal ? What about if I were at work, and others at my work too were listening to the music for their enjoyment. What is the law ?

 

[srr89]

What I can tell you is you may reskin assets and use them for personal use, you just can't release them without getting permission from the original author. I am pretty sure you can post screenshots of your private reskins as well. Also, you can definitely post screens of Paintshed reskins as well, and you can release them without getting permission from Auran (Anybody please correct me if I'm wrong).

Robby :wave:

 

[cascaderailroad]

PRR-TGV comming to DLS

Who say's TRS2006 Trainz Paintshed doesn't work on a Vista OS ? ? ?

The time is...the present. The PRR survives, and has now been electrified with overhead cantenary, from the NEC, all the way to Chicago. The Horseshoe Curve has been bypassed, suffering the same fate as the Muleshoe Curve (now a rails to trails
ls bicycle path), :'( :mop: in light a new 8 mile bore through the Appalachian Front Range. Screenshots of the PRR-TGV high speed dedicated right of way in the Altoona-Johnstown area are comming...soon.