Trainz 2022 Needs to Move Forward—Not Backward

[Jayco-man]

I myself have moved on to the new, if you don't then you get left behind like with any other software.

 

[pware]

if you don't then you get left behind like with any other software.

I hope that does not happen. With software used by professionals, serious enthusiasts/amateurs and the like I can understand the need to move on to the new, but not when the activity it supports is a hobby. Hobbyists do not want to spend their "hobby-time" tied down trying to learn or use a new confusing interface. Certainly, provide the new as an option for those who want it and can use it, but don't throw out the experience and enthusiasm of many users simply to keep up with modern standards.

 

[Paulsw2]

I agree with these sentiments. I commonly toggle between both (love S2.0 for working on splines) and I'm happy to have them side by side in the game. However, I doubt it's efficient for N3V to have two UIs hard wired into Surveyor so I've always assumed they'll move exclusively to S2.0 for the next version of the game. That will be a wrench for many people!

 

[IsambardKingdomBrunel]

Will be for me i do everything in S1. S2 is much too complicated for me personally.

Mike.

 

[pfx]

I use both 1 and 2 as I find some tasks easier in one than the other. The UI of 2 definitely needs a lot of improvement though as it is nowhere near as intuitive as 1, granted, there are a lot more features but I find it hard to muddle through some of them.

 

[JCitron]

I use both 1 and 2 as I find some tasks easier in one than the other. The UI of 2 definitely needs a lot of improvement though as it is nowhere near as intuitive as 1, granted, there are a lot more features but I find it hard to muddle through some of them.

That's the same for me. I find I require some extra thinking when it comes to some tasks whereas I can spend hours clicking and moving between tools in Classic Surveyor almost blindly. I suppose it's due to the fact that this version of Surveyor has been with us since the early days.

Yesterday, S2.0 showed off its advantages to me. I was merging in a segment from another route into my larger monster. This required trimming baseboards on the bigger route and then test fitting the chunk.

In Classic Surveyor, this would've meant reverting to a previous version after testing should the piece not fit properly and retrimming then saving a new version before trying again. Using S2.0 I was able to select a gazillion baseboards and remove them, test the fit, then undo the trimming before inserting the route chunk.

Once inserted, I used a scrapbook tree brush I created and continued a forest over a tween board to blend the two routes together and smoothed and blended the terrain easily.

Instead of taking me hours, I had this done in under an hour. The rest of the afternoon was spent tweaking and fiddling about as I adjusted some bridges and tracks elsewhere on the route.

 

[SanJuanPacific]

I have barely touched 2.0. Heck, I've barely touched TRS22 as a whole, as there's almost 200GB of data that would need to be transferred into a new folder before it would even work. If I hadn't gotten it on sale I probably wouldn't own it. I took a look at Surveyor 2.0, and I thought it had some very nice features, but otherwise I just don't see the point in switching quite yet. That and using S1.0 for almost half my life, it would take a lot of getting used to to switch over.

 

[acelejalde]

I need to try to learn surveyor 2. I opened it once, got a deer in the headlights look, and immediately sent back to the original

There is a YT channel where a Trainz developer went in depth about 2.0. I took notes and it actually helped me a lot.

-A

 

[KotangaGirl]

I agree with these sentiments. I commonly toggle between both (love S2.0 for working on splines) and I'm happy to have them side by side in the game. However, I doubt it's efficient for N3V to have two UIs hard wired into Surveyor so I've always assumed they'll move exclusively to S2.0 for the next version of the game. That will be a wrench for many people!

More than that for anyone who has eyesight issues Paul.

 

[jwyant01]

I've been in Trainz since the TRS2006 days. What immediately set it aside from other sims was how simple Surveyor was compared to, say, MSTS. Surveyor 2.0 is cool, but it's quite complicated, I think. I can see where it could come in handy for those that take this seriously, DLC developers, for example. I still consider myself a casual, and for a casual like me, Surveyor Classic still does everything I need and more, and I think it keeps route building accessible for all users.

But I could just be stubborn, I don't know.

Matt

Its really not complicated at all

 

[jwyant01]

Some of you say "S2.0 is hard", "I can't do it", this that them and those... Its as hard as you want it to be

 

[animal71bj]

i find myself flipping back and forth using what's quicker for me in each original and 2.0. Over time, I have been doing more and more in 2.0 as time has passed.

 

[pware]

I have been doing more and more in 2.0 as time has passed.

That is exactly how I made the transition over about 12 months. I used the S2.0 features when I needed to use them and eventually they became second nature.

 

[railroader86001]

I use Surveyor 2.0 and really like it once you get used to it. I also am hoping we get a new skybox in the near future and feel that it is really the only thing holding back Trainz from competing graphically with TSW.

 

[b9k9kiwi]

Surveyor 2.0 isn’t just a new interface. It’s a philosophy. It’s modular, immersive, and built for creators who treat every asset as part of a living system. I’ve fully transitioned—and I believe it’s time Trainz does too.
Surveyor 1.0 still lingers in Trainz 2022. And while some users rely on it, its continued presence fragments the platform, slows innovation, and forces devs to maintain two diverging logic paths.
Trainz 2022 should represent forward momentum—streamlined workflows, modern logic, and unified editing tools. Surveyor 2.0 delivers that. Surveyor 1.0, by contrast, anchors the platform to outdated conventions.
If N3V is serious about modular evolution, Surveyor 1.0 should be fully retired in the next major update or simulator release. Give users the tools and documentation to transition confidently—and commit to the future.
Trainz deserves consistency. Builders deserve clarity. And the community deserves a platform that evolves with purpose. Surveyor 2.0 is that platform. Let’s stop straddling the past.
Legacy isn’t about clinging to old tools. It’s about honoring what worked—and building what’s next. Surveyor 2.0 is what’s next.

What a strange outburst ... Surveyor 2 is a mess. I'd get a more intuitive interface if a threw up on the screen. I use it when I have to.

 

[pware]

Surveyor 2.0 isn’t just a new interface. It’s a philosophy.

Surveyor 2 is a mess.

Each to their own.

I prefer Surveyor 2.0 by a mile over Surveyor Classic. I always found Classic to be clumsy - for example: you had to select the tool first then select a single object to apply it to.

We could argue all day about the merits and demerits of each but, unlike some other products, you still have the choice of which interface to use and you can easily switch between the two.

 

[Vuil_Sekreet]

Each to their own.

I prefer Surveyor 2.0 by a mile over Surveyor Classic. I always found Classic to be clumsy - for example: you had to select the tool first then select a single object to apply it to.

We could argue all day about the merits and demerits of each but, unlike some other products, you still have the choice of which interface to use and you can easily switch between the two.

Very clumsy to first select the tool before applying it... like every game uses as well. /s

 

[pware]

Very clumsy to first select the tool before applying it

I am glad you agree with me. Just because other games do it is no reason for Trainz to follow the same bad example.

 

[IsambardKingdomBrunel]

Not about preference for me, S 2.0 is just too complicated for me. S 1.0 is a breeze to use in comparison.

Mike.