Questions About Detail and Performance

[motorbreath]

Hello helpful Trainz gurus. I really want to have my routes detailed and looking as convincing as possible. I have made great improvements having learned tips such as using low-poly objects when available, and using only a few kinds of trees in bulk ect. What about splines? I used to use alot of forest splines and city splines until I heard they take a toll on performance. Is it using too many different splines or just too many splines period? I really like making detailed old North American town and city scenes and although I do use JPK city blocks, I do add alot of street splines, although I limit them to about 2 types, usually one version with and without traffic. And as or the city blocks only use 2 or 3 and I rotate them to show different sides. I know to keep ground textures to a minimal. What are some of the other culprits of bad performance? Right now I'm settling for medium performance on my current computer in hope that when I get a new and improved one my routes will perform better. My current set up is a Toshiba Satellite from early 06 and I'm running TRS06.

 

[Euphod]

The use of splines appear to cause a cumulative performance hit, but using a city spline as compared to using two dozen different buildings to replicate it? It would be hard to draw a conclusion unless you compare them on a case by case basis.

 

[motorbreath]

I pretty much limit my use of splines to pure necessity, streets mainly. But there are power lines and fences ect.

 

[johnwhelan]

Hello helpful Trainz gurus. I really want to have my routes detailed and looking as convincing as possible. I have made great improvements having learned tips such as using low-poly objects when available, and using only a few kinds of trees in bulk ect. What about splines? I used to use alot of forest splines and city splines until I heard they take a toll on performance. Is it using too many different splines or just too many splines period? I really like making detailed old North American town and city scenes and although I do use JPK city blocks, I do add alot of street splines, although I limit them to about 2 types, usually one version with and without traffic. And as or the city blocks only use 2 or 3 and I rotate them to show different sides. I know to keep ground textures to a minimal. What are some of the other culprits of bad performance? Right now I'm settling for medium performance on my current computer in hope that when I get a new and improved one my routes will perform better. My current set up is a Toshiba Satellite from early 06 and I'm running TRS06.

You could move to TRS2009, duplicates don't have the same impact on performance.

Cheerio John

 

[SuperFudd]

I realize "to each his own" or "what everfloats your boat" aplies to Trainz route/layout building but I wish to state (and so I am) that I and some other trainzers are more interested in recreating the railroad operation experience and so are not much interested in detail more than perhaps 300 feet from the right away. Even within that distance the detail may be not so much, as in no grass or other FPS sucking features.
This is not a criticism, just a statement.

 

[Euphod]

In an urban or even suburban setting, even 300 ft on each side could get complicated.

 

[motorbreath]

I realize "to each his own" or "what everfloats your boat" aplies to Trainz route/layout building but I wish to state (and so I am) that I and some other trainzers are more interested in recreating the railroad operation experience and so are not much interested in detail more than perhaps 300 feet from the right away. Even within that distance the detail may be not so much, as in no grass or other FPS sucking features.
This is not a criticism, just a statement.

I would like prototypical operation and a good view. I'm also still learning alot. I do try to make scenery that applies to a good cab view for sure. When I set up scenes for watching trains, I still try not to get too carried away with distant details as I generally place cameras at or close to ground level. I know for a fact that it would be a lost cause to try to detail my routes enough for far off aerial views. I see this game as being both a way to operate trains and to view them. Though I haven't yet developed the skills to create objects, I do have an eye for detail and I actually enjoy the creative process of building realistic looking routes. I agree, to each his own, and I don't take it as criticism.

 

[motorbreath]

Will TRS09 work on an older (2006) computer? If so, would it actually be an improvement as far as performance is concerned? I pretty much decided to wait until I could get a better computer before switching to 09 because I thought my old computer wouldn't handle it.

 

[Euphod]

I have 2009 and 2006 and I wish I had waited for 2009 to get better before I tried it. 2006 works well for me (one of a small minority), 2004 never did, and 2009 is what I would call a "mess" right now. Unlike the cheerleaders for this new release, I'm going to suggest you wait unitl the "public beta" is over before you purchase it.

 

[motorbreath]

TRS06 seems to be working great for me. I'm just hoping the frame rate vs. detail will improve with a better computer. I got laid off not too long ago, so a new system is not a priority right now. When I bought TRS06, I tried to buy a version that was created before my system was outdated, if that s ever possible. Aside from the learning curve for a 1st time Trainzer, I'm happy with it. It seems to have cured my desire to build a model RR, and the fact that multiple layouts and eras can be created without spending the money and wasting the room is great.

 

[johnwhelan]

Will TRS09 work on an older (2006) computer? If so, would it actually be an improvement as far as performance is concerned? I pretty much decided to wait until I could get a better computer before switching to 09 because I thought my old computer wouldn't handle it.

You should get better performance in TRS2009, especially if you have a dual core cpu.

Cheerio John

 

[motorbreath]

Thanks for the help, folks. A new version of Trainz will be much more affordable than a new computer. I'm still going to wait it out a bit. The job market is hell right now. I work on motor homes (RV's or caravans depending on where you are), and half of the manufacturers are closing because no one is buying. I can't blame the consumers though because those things are expensive and times are tough.

 

[SuperFudd]

Welcome to the layed off Trainzers badly in need of a new computer club.