T2009 or earlier for easiest route/map creation?

[WBFLine]

Hello all

Brand new to the form

I want to recreate a few local for me, CT lines (NY, NH & H w/ South Norwalk & Danbury and the New Canaan branches)

I’ve looked at MSTS and Rail Simulator and while they both seem like fine programs, they both seem like there route and scenery creators are really really hard and time consuming.

Basically I need something more simple and easy and from what little I’ve read on the forms, it seems like with they TrainZ product, I can overlay a map of the routes and very easily and quickly, layout the correct track and make the added needed sceneries.

So one, is this really true and also, which version would be best to use for this?

Personally I would rather get T2009 as I’m assuming it has the best features and scenery quality aspects but as it is so new, but is using it for what I described above the easiest and fastest version for this right now?

Thanks

 

[leeferr]

First, welcome to the forum.
I have 2009, but haven't worked with it much yet. I work mostly in 2004 and find it very easy to create routes. There's a way to overlay maps to get accurate reproductions of areas, but I don't create that way. Someone will be along to give you advice on that.
You'll find some die-hard 04 fans like me around, but 09 is probably the future of Trainz. Most older content can be imported into 09 without any problems although some older content will not work in 09 until the original creator makes some corrections. They may or may not do that.
There are still some bugs in 09 from what I've read, but I believe they'll get worked out by Auran. What little I've used 09 has been very satisfying except for the trees. It appears that there's a problem with the older content trees in 09 because of the way alphas are processed, but I'm sure some of our clever and talented creators are working on new trees for us to use.
You can read these forums and get your taste of what members think about the different versions, but I think you hear more on these forums from the dissatisfied and those that are happy spend most of their time running trains and not complaining.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Mike

 

[Jerker]

G'day WBFLine,

Again, welcome. Indeed, compared to MSTS (with which I have had experience), the Trainz process of creating routes leaves that product "for dead". There are several ways to create prototypical routes in Trainz but the easiest way is UNDOUBTEDLY with a third party payware program (of relatively little expense) called TransDEM. TransDEM will do almost everything for you, all you have to do is track down the DEM for the area you need, the raster overlays that you require and bring them all together in TransDEM and it will create the route for you. It, is of course, possible to do this without this utility but it involves a number of third party programs and a lot more time and effort. I cannot do more than recommend the TransDEM way...

...for further details see here...

...(and yes, this is an unashamed free plug)...

Jerker {}

 

[WBFLine]

Hello Guys and thanks for the welcome and the quick replies,

Yes Jerker, I also saw your product and while I haven't had the time to read though all the info on it, it in fact was one of the major things that drew me to TrainZ

So just to ask you a bit about this, you state that it will create the route for me, does this mean that somehow once I put in the correct overlays, your program will completely "create" the route based upon the overlay somehow?

I thought I would basically have to create the route from sort of a copy over what the overlay was showing but at least for the route, is this not the case?

Thanks

 

[bernhart_lossiemouth]

It creates the topography and can texture it for you if you really want. It can also put tracks down for you, but it will not put down your houses and stations, fences, warehouses, strip clubs, porn shops, signalling etc etc. Yes you will still have to basically create the route from an overlay - baseboard sized maps that you can use for referencing that can be turned on and off.

Love Berhart

 

[Jerker]

G'day WBFLine,

Despite my 'enthusiasm', let me state here and now, that I have no connections whatsoever with TransDEM (other than being one of the many very happy and satisfied customers of "the good Doctor"). Having spent some years prior to his 'intervention' with it creating routes "the hard way", I have no compunction giving TransDEM my full support...

...I'll not bother to answer your question, though, as I think Bernhardt has "got it in a nutshell", although I don't quite understand why he brought up the matter of "baseboards" (though I really do think you meant "basemaps", Bernhardt), which are creation aids available for use in transDEM. TransDEM allows you to create a protypical route (as far as DEM elevations are concerned) with a number of different overlay possibilites (supplied as textures to the terrain) to aid you in locating roads, rails and rivers (etc.), with the option of laying the track onto the location of a polyline spline that you provide during the creation process, to save some of that effort once the work in TransDEM is completed...

...I noticed that your original post did enquire about the best Trainz version to use, though no-one appears to have responded to this part. For my own, I am quite happy using TRS 2004 but if you are prepared to wait, Roland is currently working on an update for TransDEM that will allow it to work in TS 2009's native 5 meter grid (all previous versions of Trainz used a 10 meter grid), which gives a much higher option for terrain detail, at which point I would recommend TS2009 with that new version of TransDEM...

Jerker {}

 

[WBFLine]

NP on the misunderstanding about that you not affiliated with TransDEM Jerker (I'm not a jumper on anyones case for the slightest misunderstanding types anyway)

At any rate thanks for the info.


So if I understand you correctly, at the moment TransDEM does not work with T2009?

Second, your the second person who stated they were happy with TRS 2004.

I only mention this as by looking at the caparision chart, it seems that 2006 and the classics have more features so are they really nothing to get all that chazzed about as well, were there some issues with these versions?

If theres one thing I know is that not always is a newer version a better version so is this the case with these?

 

[Euphod]

You will find as many different opinions of the various versions as there are versions, but; I second the thought that you should use the latest version that Transdem works with. However; 2006 and 2009 contain the 2004 legacy objects, while TC and TC3 do not. Pity that, TC3 has better signaling logic than 2006.

 

[WBFLine]

Roland is currently working on an update for TransDEM that will allow it to work in TS 2009's native 5 meter grid (all previous versions of Trainz used a 10 meter grid), which gives a much higher option for terrain detail, at which point I would recommend TS2009 with that new version of TransDEM...

Jerker {}

Hey Jerker, any idea on a ETA of this, a week a month, three?

From looking at TransDEM site it states that 2006 is the last one that it would work with

Any idea if a route can be made in 2006 and then after completed and installed in 2006, could be imported into 2009?

Thanks

 

[bernhart_lossiemouth]

Any idea if a route can be made in 2006 and then after completed and installed in 2006, could be imported into 2009?

No problem furry friend

You will have to import/download all the assets on the route too - textures, objects, track, sessions, etc etc. There's a possibility some things might not work 100% correctly (like for example the US legal system) but they can be fixed. You will miss out on the ability to create the new resolution terrain though.

Your true admirer,
One and only lost love
Bernhardt