Routebuilding - pointy hills and flashing waters

[marlonza]

Hi

I am busy working hard to become a route builder, so I hope this is the right place to ask.

I have a problem or three, which might or might not be related.
Please have a look at a screenshot with relevant issues visible in it.

http://vudu.za.net/marlon/marlonza_20100426_0037.jpg


Firstly, it feels like i can't manipulate finer details. Look at my small hills and textures, they appear sharp, pointy and blocky. My textures, on the smallest radius, look like checkerboards when I paint them on the ground, Its like I can have minute control over textures/terrain controls.

Lastly, my water, in surveyor and driver mode, its flashing, and relfecting like a wierd alien pond. I can understand shimmer, but my whole water bodies appear to flash and wave around, its quite psychelic (unrealistic).

Any ideas what I am doing wrong?

Thanks in advance
Marlon

 

[ApproachMedium]

Your best bet for the mountains is to turn down the sensitivity dial. Personally I do that and use a bigger area tool. This allows for more control since it won't raise the hills so fast as to create a point, and it will cover a larger area making the hills easier to blend together.

-Joe

 

[whyfly2]

Joe's ideas will help you. You might also try moving the cursor faster so it spends less time in any one place. You could also try reducing feature heights by using the Height Down tool in Topology. I suggest clicking Create New in Surveyor and just practice getting the hang of using the tools in Topology so you don't risk the work you've already done in your route.

Art

 

[BobCass]

Hi: Also if you're having a problem with a pattern look try pushing the brackett key the same time your painting..Using your Height tool, take a short piece of track, put it up in the air(above the table) and use the smoothing tool..Bingo you got yourself a protruding rock..And like one of the other guys said , Create new table and practice different things..You might be surprised what you can do..

 

[ray_whiley]

In TRS2004 at least (I don't know about other versions) there's a tool to the right of the up and down tools which allows very fine adjustment of height by mouse movement. I use this frequently, often on closely spaced individual grid points, to get exactly what I want. It certainly eliminates pointy bits.

Ray

 

[marlonza]

Many replies in the time I slept, thanks ! You guys rock.
I tried being more sensitive on the terrain shaping and that works well! Cool.

Now for the blocky/flashy water and painting textures, that seems to still be bugging me. New screenshot below.

Sorry for all the stupid questions, but nothing else seems to explain it better.

http://vudu.za.net/marlon/marlonza_20100427_0003.jpg (65kb)

Note on the diagonal part of the road, i tried to paint some textures, and its like they just WONT be smooth, they form "steps" if you will.

Is that normal? If so, Ill shuttup now

Thanks again
M

 

[ray_whiley]

Blocky textures:

In TRS2004 (and this may apply to other versions - I haven't any experience of others), you have a choice in "Surveyor - Performance Settings" (drop-down menu at top left of screen) of four settings for "texture passes". The lowest setting produces textures in square blocks corresponding to the baseboard grid. Each higher setting gives less of a block effect, and the best for blending is of course the highest. This does affect frame rates but it's worth choosing for the best scenic effect even if you have to lower other settings such as fog or draw distance. Remember that your chosen setting will apply to the whole route so if for any reason a square slab of a texture is needed, it will have to be done by using a scenery object of the appropriate size coloured with the chosen texture. This would be perhaps the easiest thing to make using Asset Creation Studio.

Also, different textures behave rather differently, some blending better than others - so experiment with radius and scale. My preference is usually for the smallest radius and medium scale (half-way on the dial). And light taps on the mouse can give subtly lighter effects - such as for creating a shadow under a tree. Remember to continually rotate the texture at random by holding down the square bracket key "[" whilst you apply it to avoid a repetitive effect as many textures have a pattern which will repeat like your illustration if this is not done.

Ray

 

[marlonza]

Great stuff! It seems I explained the situation well enough then!
Thanks alot.

PS: btw Ive been using some Dukes stuff, they are awesome. keep it up

 

[ray_whiley]

Thanks for the compliment. I'll continue at least until September but as I don't plan to upgrade from TRS2004 (it would probably mean a new computer!) the future after that will be uncertain - although I do know of at least one web site which will host CDPs but the problem would then be letting others know what is available - perhaps Trainz Resources Directory would allow me a link to my web site?

Ray