Tips and Tricks-Surveyor
- Thread starter titaniclover
- Start date
BLACKWATCH
Mechanical Engineer
"AJS Dighole" kuid:122285:1010:1 (on the DLS)
It digs holes in the grey stuff to make good tunnels.
That's what lewisner said.
I temporarily drop 'hydralic buffers' onto the track and shove the platform up to them and that way you get the width correct and the ends to match as well.
What some of you might not know - Trying to rotate an object to match the angle of the track and can't quite get it spot on. Hold down the 'Ctrl' key when you rotate the object and get a 1/10th more precise angle.
Sick of planting trees and texturing. Build up a random clump of trees and add the texture beneath in a square somewhere out of sight on a baseboard. Name one of the trees 'Trees' so that you can do a 'find' if you forget where you put them. Now copy and paste where they need to be. Stagger the paste in a brickwork fashion and rotate each time to avoid repetition.
Planted trees/objects and now don't want them. Copy and paste a blank area of board onto the trees/objects and now they're gone.
If you are using a very small variety of trees and it's all looking a bit similar, try pulling a few into the ground to resemble less mature trees and also shrubs. You can do this with the ones you are going to copy and paste and they will retain the heights above ground. Do this with grass as well and then it won't look like a harvester/mower has been through it.
Cheers, Dave
tommylommykins
KUID 224131
You know, my video works perfectly well for that purpose... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIZCvdB0Vn8
I know it's just a silly little ego thing, but it would be nice if you gave me credit next time
-- I have spent a lot of time working on what I do; it would be nice if you recognised that.--
It is possible to develop the technique much further than what is shown on either of the videos. complex station layouts are achievable through cutting and splicing tangents and straight tracks
It doesn't tend to be so good for faster, main line sections. The fact that the curves don't represent the easements of real life becomes more apparent as trains become faster.
With some tunnels a 'dighole' has to be used in order to see through the tunnel. The 'dighole' is then masked with a suitable 10x10, or larger, terrain object that resembles the surrounding texture. At least one of andi06's tunnels requires the 'dighole' and he has created a piece of terrain to cover above and below the tunnel.
Last post for me, this thread is getting too hostile.
Dave
Last post for me, this thread is getting too hostile.
Dave
Same here - up until March 7th the posts in this thread were pretty-much on topic but after that it turned into an "i can't be bothered reading the manual, how do i...?" thread.
It's a shame because this started off as one of the few threads on the forum which was interesting to read..
JB
It's a shame because this started off as one of the few threads on the forum which was interesting to read..
JB
titaniclover
TS2010EE SP3; Build 49933
ok cool tips no more off topic. please.
cool tips.
ok this is it. as JB said till March 7 the post have been on topic. just try to stay on topic please.
heres a tip ive been using.
with yards use the lines on the grid to make striaght or fair so tracks.
anyothers?
cool tips.
ok this is it. as JB said till March 7 the post have been on topic. just try to stay on topic please.
heres a tip ive been using.
with yards use the lines on the grid to make striaght or fair so tracks.
anyothers?
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See page 91 of the TRS2004 Content Creator's Guide, version 1.04, for information about a dighole.
From looking at the picture you provided, does the track entering the ground use a tunnel spline to go under the industry? if you don't want to use a tunnel which has a build-in dighole, you can use the track smooth function to create a slot in the ground where the track will go and then cover the resulting gap with some ground plates, concrete slabs or other large objects.
And that's it from me, any more questions - RTFM, search for previous Q&A or start your own thread.
=============================
Now for a tip.
When placing many of the same objects to preserve the local frame rate, vary their heights to avoid that cookie cutter look. You can also overlap and rotate objects like buildings to create different looks.
From looking at the picture you provided, does the track entering the ground use a tunnel spline to go under the industry? if you don't want to use a tunnel which has a build-in dighole, you can use the track smooth function to create a slot in the ground where the track will go and then cover the resulting gap with some ground plates, concrete slabs or other large objects.
And that's it from me, any more questions - RTFM, search for previous Q&A or start your own thread.
=============================
Now for a tip.
When placing many of the same objects to preserve the local frame rate, vary their heights to avoid that cookie cutter look. You can also overlap and rotate objects like buildings to create different looks.
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American_Connections
AC MonkeyWrench Models
Past and present
All these were fine before, and yes this is a tunnel from Auran. I tried several times to smooth the track, and to move the tunnel openings. I also looked at a canned senario that came with the program and even in them the tunnels are blocked. I will try the slab idea, is a good TIP! I guess I will ask help desk but before they tell me to reload the program and I lost even more custom items then. Do you thing if I do this, I will still have my maps? As for the cookie thing, I wanted this to look like a wall, the tunnels into mountains do the same thing. I want to thank you for you kindness to my request for tips, some people seem to have nothing better to do than complain! Your a good man!
FootplatePhil
Trainz Tragic since 2002
Oops, forgot the price of entry (my Tip). This one for better frame rates on average systems.
Don't try and populate your world with every item available (whether inbuilt, or downloaded). Pick a set of items you can use repeatedly, and try and stick to them. Only add a new item to that set if it can be used in many places. Use the adjust hight and rotate buttons to add variety. For vegetation for example - as others have said - a tree can be a bush by burying the trunk, but its can also be raised above ground to add variety, without its supension being obvious from a distance. Overlay/combine buildngs to create new buldings. Only use high poly items (such as 3d trees), where they are in full, close and lengthy view of a camera. While the 3d trees look great in the screenies posts, they have less impact at 100 km/h from the loco cab. Finally, you can force perspective by using matching tall/short trees sets for foreground and background. For Oz layouts 'Tree Gum Group' (kuid -1:100275) can be use in the foreground, and the smaller 'Tree Stickish Group' (kuid -1:100286) used in the distance
I apologise if these tips seem obvious to some, but they seem to be often overlooked.
Phil
Don't try and populate your world with every item available (whether inbuilt, or downloaded). Pick a set of items you can use repeatedly, and try and stick to them. Only add a new item to that set if it can be used in many places. Use the adjust hight and rotate buttons to add variety. For vegetation for example - as others have said - a tree can be a bush by burying the trunk, but its can also be raised above ground to add variety, without its supension being obvious from a distance. Overlay/combine buildngs to create new buldings. Only use high poly items (such as 3d trees), where they are in full, close and lengthy view of a camera. While the 3d trees look great in the screenies posts, they have less impact at 100 km/h from the loco cab. Finally, you can force perspective by using matching tall/short trees sets for foreground and background. For Oz layouts 'Tree Gum Group' (kuid -1:100275) can be use in the foreground, and the smaller 'Tree Stickish Group' (kuid -1:100286) used in the distance
I apologise if these tips seem obvious to some, but they seem to be often overlooked.
Phil
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American_Connections
AC MonkeyWrench Models
Read my post, I did all this. OK, I start a suggestion thread and lasa-ma aici!
titaniclover
TS2010EE SP3; Build 49933
hmmmm your right actually.
never mind the post above ignore it.
never mind the post above ignore it.
American_Connections
AC MonkeyWrench Models
A great Answer!
I want to thank jivebunny for his solution to my problem, his tip was "You'll need to go into the TRS options and set the "Ground Detail" option to the maximum." and this cleared ground problems. Again thanks dude for your understanding, good attutude, and your post to T&T-Questions!
I want to thank jivebunny for his solution to my problem, his tip was "You'll need to go into the TRS options and set the "Ground Detail" option to the maximum." and this cleared ground problems. Again thanks dude for your understanding, good attutude, and your post to T&T-Questions!A common mistake made in Trainz involves the placement of Signals near Level Crossings.It has been a mandatory requirement on UK railways since 1876 that Signals must be "Interlocked" with Level Crossing gates so that you cannot recieve a Clear signal when the gates are closed and so that every Train movement over the Crossing is protected by a Signal.The photo below shows how its done.If a train approaches on the left hand line and wants to go into the Siding on the right,he has to;- Drive past Points "A" (protected by a Disc Signal), set back over Crossover A-B , over the Level Crossing and pst the Disc Signal , then drive forward into the Siding.An Invisible Signal at the Buffers of the Siding lets him know the Siding is empty.These rules apply to both Semaphore and Colour Light Signals..
So looking at the other side of the crossing Lewis, is that one semaphore sufficient to protect the loop, crossover and gates? I'm interested to know the answer to this as I would either added another near the gates or preferably placed a combined semaphore instead. I'm not entirely clued up on this situation.
The disc this side makes sense I suppose although once the gates were open for the train coming forward to reverse, they surely wouldn't shut again.
Dave
The disc this side makes sense I suppose although once the gates were open for the train coming forward to reverse, they surely wouldn't shut again.
Dave
Escafeld , yes - I"ve been a student of signalling for many years and I"ve even wired up Real (3D) Signals and Signalboxes.In the layout pictured the "Tall Home Semaphore" next to the Siding is able to stop trains either a) passing the Siding or b) crashing through the Crossing gates if they were closed across the railway.At the siding itself the exit from the siding is protected by a Disc Signal and Trap Points.Thus, every place a train could approach the Crossing from is protected by a Signal.If you placed a Signal between the Siding and the Crossing it would serve no useful purpose and stopping a train at it would cause the train to straddle both the Crossover and the Siding points as well as meaning that (in real life) the Interlocking would make it impossible to move the Crossover or the Siding points.You have to think of Signalling as being like a game of Chess , where you deploy the minimum Pawns (Signals) to get the maximum effect (a Checkmate).I"ll explain Sykes Lock And Block Signalling if you like.....
PS. In the picture the whole point is that the gates COULD shut again.The Train Driver is not entitled to assume that because the gates are open its OK for him to move.He has to recieve an an actual Signal that its OK to move and the Signalman has to have a means of stopping the train if he thinks it needs to stop EVEN IF the gates are open.Absence of a signal is considered a Danger signal and its a Train Drivers duty to use the phone and enquire why no signal is given..or possibly face dismissal.
PS. In the picture the whole point is that the gates COULD shut again.The Train Driver is not entitled to assume that because the gates are open its OK for him to move.He has to recieve an an actual Signal that its OK to move and the Signalman has to have a means of stopping the train if he thinks it needs to stop EVEN IF the gates are open.Absence of a signal is considered a Danger signal and its a Train Drivers duty to use the phone and enquire why no signal is given..or possibly face dismissal.
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Hey, don't get cocky....I"ll explain Sykes Lock And Block Signalling if you like.....
Thanks Lewis, that's explained it very well. I am now going to send two layouts and a station terminus for your perusal.
Cheers M8.
Dave