Trainz Plus Beta Plant Factory support 129607 & 129620

[n3v_laurence]

Hello Everyone,

This build includes a new rendering system to support the new Plant Factory assets. It adds an imposter system (a 2D image) for foliage scenery assets, which effectively acts as a dynamically-created low LOD for those assets, substantially increasing performance when large numbers of the same asset are in the scene.

This build also includes several fixes to TLR Phase 2 including double stack rolling stock and an issue causing low and blurry textures to appear on Mac devices.

Please review old foliage assets that may render incorrectly and, in addition, try out some of the new Plant Factory assets. Three Plant Factory assets have been prepared for you to test with.

Do NOT place these assets on the DLS. These are for testing purposes only.

PlantTree-TrainzPlusBeta-3assets.cdp

drive.google.com

Be on the look out for:

• Imposters that look completely wrong (both old assets and new Plant Factory assets)
• Foliage assets appearing as imposters in close proximity to the camera
• Any major performance impacts - Please wait until the first run and Compiling Shaders process completes before reporting. This will cause significant performance reduction while the shaders are built and is to be expected. Some performance impact is to be expected with the new imposter system, while things are still being refined.
• Any crashes or freezes
• Any issues with the new Plant Factory assets
• Any ongoing low/blurry textures close to the camera (Mac)
• Any missed issues with double stack rolling stock

Key Features:

• New Imposter system
• Improvement of texture ram limits
• Fixes for double stack rolling stock

Change Log:

• Foliage assets in the distance will render as 2D camera facing images
• [Fix] Improved handling of texture ram limits (caused low/blurry textures on Mac devices)
• [Fix] Crash for Load at & Call At Driver Commands
• [Fix] Clutter positions at different render origins
• [Fix] Double stack rolling stock load & copy commodities
• [Fix] Freeze due to deleting effect layer
• [Fix] Missing $stringnames
• [Fix] HUD and Controls lost of save game while loading passengers
• Process Objects behind camera option removed in System Menu -> Settings

Known Issues:

• This build lacks precache shaders. Stuttering and small freezes during first loads of routes is to be expected as well as longer initial load times. 'Compiling Shaders' can be seen top of the screen during initial runs and slow performance is to be expected during this process.
• Assertion Errors are enabled for this build. Trainz will pause until Assertion Errors are closed. Users can select Continue and Ignore Errors. (Reporting when these occur with bugs will help with troubleshooting)
• Trees in distance may not appear as camera facing imposters (this may cause them to not appear as rendered if the imposter is set/viewed at a 90 degree angle to the camera)
• Trees may be rendered as imposters at incorrect locations (Trees may appear floating in the distance)
• RenderImposterPage::CullDynamicBillboard Assertion Error triggered on first loading - This leads to some performance impacts
• MPS is not supported for this build

REMINDER:
** Please ensure you have a backup of your local data folder before using it with Trainz Plus Beta **


INSTALLING & PATCHING:

For Trainz Plus Beta via the Trainz Plus Beta Stream
PC Trainz Store Only:

PC: Requires Trainz Plus 129343 (PC). This is a small patch 77 MiB for build 129620
Mac: Requires Trainz Plus 129393 (PC). This is a small patch 103 MiB for build 129607

Please report any bugs using this link: https://n3vgames.typeform.com/to/xRdryu

 

[Sanek17]

I would also like to see what the fir and pine trees look like with this system.

 

[pware]

The first 3 Plant Factory plants for Trainz Plus. Replacements for SpeedTrees(TM), they can be rolled and tilted in 3D.

Apple Tree (left), Berberry Bush (centre) and Tree 1 (right)

 

[wreeder]

The imposter system is very cool. I can see how this greatly improves performance.

 

[JAGG]

Are the impostors meaned?

 

[hutten]

Hello,

My first experience is not positive, unfortunately. Imposters disappear entirely when looked at at a low viewing angle, e.g. from rail level. At a larger distance, some imposters disappear entirely but reappear when looked from rail level. Yes, just the opposite effect. In other locations, imposters are apparently not following the camera, and appear as a thin line. All this concerns speed trees, mostly by RMM.

Regards,
Paul

 

[wreeder]

Hello,

My first experience is not positive, unfortunately. Imposters disappear entirely when looked at at a low viewing angle, e.g. from rail level. At a larger distance, some imposters disappear entirely but reappear when looked from rail level. Yes, just the opposite effect. In other locations, imposters are apparently not following the camera, and appear as a thin line. All this concerns speed trees, mostly by RMM.

Regards,
Paul

I have seen this type of behavior as well when in chase camera mode. It makes me wonder if it only works in cab camera mode.

 

[pware]

Imposters disappear entirely when looked at at a low viewing angle, e.g. from rail level. At a larger distance, some imposters disappear entirely but reappear when looked from rail level. Yes, just the opposite effect. In other locations, imposters are apparently not following the camera

If you look at the "Known Issues" in the original announcement post ...

• Trees in distance may not appear as camera facing imposters (this may cause them to not appear as rendered if the imposter is set/viewed at a 90 degree angle to the camera)
• Trees may be rendered as imposters at incorrect locations (Trees may appear floating in the distance)

 

[hutten]

Hello pware,

You are right. But "may not appear as camera facing" is a formulation which still asks for confirmation: does it happen and is it disturbing or not?
And the other effect, that of the viewing angle leading to a sudden total disappearance or reappearance, is a different phenomenon, which is not mentioned.

I was just hoping that my comments would be appreciated by some...

Regards
Paul

 

[jjeff1955]

All of the Trees disappear in a very short distance when moving around in surveyor.
LOL, not usable as of yet, back to my 122411.
Kind regards.

 

[pware]

But "may not appear as camera facing" is a formulation which still asks for confirmation: does it happen and is it disturbing or not?
And the other effect, that of the viewing angle leading to a sudden total disappearance or reappearance, is a different phenomenon, which is not mentioned.

That is why these trees are a beta version and are only available in the beta release of Train Plus. There is obviously still a lot of work to be done before they are "user ready".

I was just hoping that my comments would be appreciated by some...

They were.

 

[IsambardKingdomBrunel]

Deleted.

 

[PC_Ace]

Bring my trees back!!
Whilst the provided Tree Factory examples and imposters display ok in my routes when added to the scene - almost all others disappear/ fail to render at all, at intermediate LODs and in the distance.
Persistence of objects is really important to me in Trainz scenarios. I hate pop-ups, disappearing assets and perceptible LOD transitions due to render distance from the camera, as it completely destroys any illusion of realism.

Ok, so I know this is a known issue with this early beta build, but I urge you not to throw the baby out with the bath water on this critical matter and bring back my oh-so-carefully-chosen legacy vegetation so that it is clearly visible at all distances from the camera - albeit with appropriate LOD transitions.
To quote @pware above: "There is obviously still a lot of work to be done before they are "user ready" ."

 

[railroader86001]

Yes, please bring the trees back! All of the distant trees on my routes have disappeared and it looks terrible.

 

[pware]

Yes, please bring the trees back! All of the distant trees on my routes have disappeared and it looks terrible.

Then don't use them or don't use this beta version until further improvements are made. That is why it is a beta, to find all these issues.

In any case SpeedTrees has had its day! A succession of owners, licensing changes and an uncertain timeline for the future all meant that a replacement had to be found.

 

[railroader86001]

Lol, of course I know it’s a beta version and realize how a beta version works. It would be nice to have a simple way to revert back to the previous version if issues arise, such as the ones that are happening with the disappearing trees.

I agree that speedtrees have had their day and need to be replaced ASAP.

 

[wreeder]

It would be nice to have a simple way to revert back to the previous version if issues arise

Just run two copies. One of the stable release and one of the beta.

 

[pware]

Just run two copies. One of the stable release and one of the beta.

That is what I have been doing with Trainz Plus for several years now. I don't do any development work in the beta but I use it to test the work I do in the stable release.

I also have a copy of TRS22PE (non-beta) installed without any DLC or 3rd party assets. It has built-in and DLS assets only. I use this to ensure that any routes/sessions I create do not contain any assets that are not built-in or on the DLS. That means that anyone who downloads the route/session does not have to play the "hunt the missing asset" game.

 

[railroader86001]

Just run two copies. One of the stable release and one of the beta.

Thanks for the advice! I didn't realize you could run two copies on the same computer.

 

[wreeder]

Yep, the version sold by N3V directly can be installed more than once by just changing the name of the target folder in the installer. I give mine the names of Trainz Plus Beta and Trainz Plus Stable to avoid confusion. Sadly, the Steam version does not allow this.