titaniclover
TS2010EE SP3; Build 49933
oh my can you create a new thread if yo havent yet on a singnaling argument please not here! thanks for taking the load off American i needed it.
Tips and Tricks-Surveyor
- Thread starter titaniclover
- Start date
Well I'm pleased everyone that doesn't want to know about signalling is all clued up about them ...NOT.
If that was aimed at me for the thread I posted earlier, it was about triggers and rules - not how to set up signals.
My tip of the day: To make rivers, use water / river splines instead of the anmated water. There are three reasons for this:
1) When you're speeding past on a train you can't really tell it's not moving.
2) Performance will be massively better than if you used animated water
3) Splines allow you to make realistic rivers which flow down hills, rather than having lots of flat bits broken up by rocks / waterfalls etc...
Cheers,
JB
If it wasn't about signals, it wasn't about you.
Hey Guys
The starter of this thread intended this to be a thread for tips and tricks that others have learned while using Surveyor, not a tech support thread.
For those seeking tech support on a particular issue please start a new thread where helpful responses and discussion can take place.
Oh, and my tip
When making large industrial or residential areas, set up a nice looking section and then use the copy/paste tool to expand the area. This can save you hours when route building.
AJ
The starter of this thread intended this to be a thread for tips and tricks that others have learned while using Surveyor, not a tech support thread.
For those seeking tech support on a particular issue please start a new thread where helpful responses and discussion can take place.
Oh, and my tip
When making large industrial or residential areas, set up a nice looking section and then use the copy/paste tool to expand the area. This can save you hours when route building.
AJ
And the award for "best post by a mod in a long time" goes to.... 
I agree copy / paste is an excellent timesaver, useful for making forests as well
I have recently set myself a rule when route-building and that is to keep things simple. I think it's a good tip if you want to save on performance. Here's one I made earlier
This:
Is in fact this:
Cheers,
JB
I agree copy / paste is an excellent timesaver, useful for making forests as well
I have recently set myself a rule when route-building and that is to keep things simple. I think it's a good tip if you want to save on performance. Here's one I made earlier
This:
Is in fact this:
Cheers,
JB
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I mentioned the tip about copy and paste a while back. Now if someone disagreed with the principle about that then we would all have been happy to see the outcome. Someone gave us a tip about signaling and there was a slight disagreement about that. What was the problem with that? To my mind it's the only way to get things running in Trainz correctly; or does everyone agree that misinformed/misunderstood tips are to be glossed over?
Dave
BTW, copy and paste can have disastrous results when a layout starts to get big. Splines can start to fly off in all directions and you could end up relaying a lot of track, as I know from experience. Make sure you have saved up to the point where you begin copy and pasting. Good tip or not?
Dave
BTW, copy and paste can have disastrous results when a layout starts to get big. Splines can start to fly off in all directions and you could end up relaying a lot of track, as I know from experience. Make sure you have saved up to the point where you begin copy and pasting. Good tip or not?
Excellent tip and for me, one of the hardest things to do. Since my route is prototype based, there is always the push to add just a little more detail. Then I look and find myself more than 1 km from the nearest track where nobody will see the art unless they spend all their time free roaming. This is where less (objects) is definitely more (fps)....
I have recently set myself a rule when route-building and that is to keep things simple. I think it's a good tip if you want to save on performance. Here's one I made earlier
...
Cheers,
JB
American_Connections
AC MonkeyWrench Models
TEAM: Togeather Everyone Achives More!
Tip to all: Use Tips & Tricks-Questions for the above to post questions that can be directed to posted answers from with in this post or directly answered there. lets keep the peace! T&T-Questions is a free speach thread!
Oh dear! here we go again.Tip to all: Use Tips & Tricks-Questions for the above to post questions that can be directed to posted answers from with in this post or directly answered there. lets keep the peace! T&T-Questions is a free speach thread!
My tip:RTFM
Buffers, bumpers, end of the line etc...
Following on from Lewisner's tip at the start of this thread, what I do is insert a spline point a few yards / metres before the buffers, and then drop the end spline point down to -0.2m or -0.3m below the level of this spline point. This gives the track a nice subtle "fade" as if rubble and ballast had gathered around and on top of it, rather than an abrupt end. Place a few bits of grass around the buffers and there you go.
Inserting a spline point may move the buffers from their original position so make sure to put them back to where they were! Also you will need to use the "straighten track" tool after lowering the spline point, the main siding track should be the part you straighten, with the end section "unstraightened" to allow it to slope gently into the ground. If your siding is curved you will need to insert a third spline point between the point you inserted and the end point, and then straighten that short section instead.
Standard track...
Spline point inserted in the bottom right hand corner of the screen
And a bit of grass to boot
Cheers,
JB
Remember that real Train Drivers wll not allow their trains to actually make contact with the Bufferstops/Rail Ends.Thus, although your siding rails may be shiny , the last few yards and -certainly- any track beyond the Bufferstops should be rusty since no trains ever run over it!
Following on from Lewisner's tip at the start of this thread, what I do is insert a spline point a few yards / metres before the buffers, and then drop the end spline point down to -0.2m or -0.3m below the level of this spline point. This gives the track a nice subtle "fade" as if rubble and ballast had gathered around and on top of it, rather than an abrupt end. Place a few bits of grass around the buffers and there you go.
Inserting a spline point may move the buffers from their original position so make sure to put them back to where they were! Also you will need to use the "straighten track" tool after lowering the spline point, the main siding track should be the part you straighten, with the end section "unstraightened" to allow it to slope gently into the ground. If your siding is curved you will need to insert a third spline point between the point you inserted and the end point, and then straighten that short section instead.
Standard track...
Spline point inserted in the bottom right hand corner of the screen
And a bit of grass to boot
Cheers,
JB
Thanks for digging up my old post Jivebunny.However, I was young and naive when I wrote it and I forgot to mention that it only applies to British railways.My trusty friend Mr S.R.Chasm reminded me that if you were modelling (for example) Australian railways the rails there are made of Stainless Steel so they"re bright and shiny all the time.For extra effect you could throw into the debris around the Buffers a busted Crocodile Dundee VHS tape , a scratched Men At Work CD and (my favourite) an old pair of Kylie Minogues" hot pants.Finally you could download a soundfile of the folk song "Don"t Let Your Kangaroo Dump On My Didgeridoo Matilda" and play it in the background.Hope this helps... P.S on second thoughts I"ll hang on to Kylies hot pants
P.S on second thoughts I"ll hang on to Kylies hot pantsAmerican_Connections
AC MonkeyWrench Models
If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
I see that the (Tips & Tricks-Questions}, thread is missing, why they have to change things that people like, yet they overlook the things with errors that they should be monitoring
So... Don't anyone give me caca about asking questions in surveyor anymore if they do not want a seperate question thread set up for it!
I see that the (Tips & Tricks-Questions}, thread is missing, why they have to change things that people like, yet they overlook the things with errors that they should be monitoring
So... Don't anyone give me caca about asking questions in surveyor anymore if they do not want a seperate question thread set up for it!Tip-"On UK Railways"- CATCH POINTS were spring loaded trailing points provided on rising gradients to derail runaway wagons in the days when many wagons were only fitted with handbrakes or had "through" Vacuum Pipes.They are best used on lines where you normally let the AI drive and Alastair should not be allowed near them.They should be laid with rusty track and provided with a Catch Point sign (photo).
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You would use an invisible lever. Whether or not a lever would exist in real life would depend on whether the line is bi-directional (e.g a single line) or if trains only ever pass the catch points as trailing points. Obviously if you have trains travelling in the other direction you would need a lever or motor in place to change the points. Whatever you do make sure not to place any signals on the catch point itself as that will cause the AI to wait for the line to clear!
JB
JB
Catch Points normally had a lever (as in the photo) in case an out-of course "set back" movement was required.In cases where "Wrong Line Working" was authorised (usually at weekends) they would be Clamped out of use and a Pilotman would be provided for the Driver who would also of course be expected to know where they were as part of his Route Knowledge.Trainz Ai will treat them as normal points but if it protests you can place an Invisible Signal before them and then it will be happy.If you make frequent mistakes when driving manually they should be set "Normal" for the main line and treated as a Scenic item.Theres a nice illuminated "Catch Point Indicator" on the DLS for for (erm) "foreign" railways.They were mostly removed in the 1980s and I doubt whether any still exist..
American_Connections
AC MonkeyWrench Models
Speed up cache
I found out the hard way that if your memory is damaged, the cache will be very slow. If you have this problem, check your memory boards
I found out the hard way that if your memory is damaged, the cache will be very slow. If you have this problem, check your memory boards