Trainz Update Announcement (SP6)

[amigacooke]

Without wanting to sound as if I am mocking, the next update will be released when it is ready and, hopefully, not before it is ready. As I have noted in a previous post, even announcing a vague release date will generate angry posts if its release is even a day late.

I know that we were originally told that Trainz Plus would be getting quarterly updates with new features. This was a schedule that I thought, at the time, was probably too ambitious given the history of software projects. Since the last Trainz Update, according to the date of this thread, was August 2025, 8 months or 2.5 potential update releases ago, then one could conclude that perhaps they have encountered a major problem with a new feature (TLR or something else) and do not want to release an "update" that would generate howls of protest just to keep to an impossible schedule (remember the original release of T:ANE). That would be a wise decision, in my view.

I wonder if N3V are going to give a subscription 'holiday' to reflect that subscribers are a little short on their updates?

 

[wreeder]

I would point out that we are approaching the 4 year anniversary of the official release of TRS22 Standard next month. While we have had 6 service packs to this product in that time and the code as far as bug fixes is fairly updated. There have been few features updates. Those have instead gone to its half sister TRS22 PE which itself is 2 1/2 years old but not showing its age as badly as TRS22 Standard.

So far I have spent $105 USD to have both products since I was allowed to buy TRS22 PE at half price since I paid full price for TRS22 Standard. I am quite happy with TRS22 PE. It is my go to version of Trainz.

 

[paulper]

I would point out that we are approaching the 4 year anniversary of the official release of TRS22 Standard next month. While we have had 6 service packs to this product in that time and the code as far as bug fixes is fairly updated. There have been few features updates. Those have instead gone to its half sister TRS22 PE which itself is 2 1/2 years old but not showing its age as badly as TRS22 Standard.

So far I have spent $105 USD to have both products since I was allowed to buy TRS22 PE at half price since I paid full price for TRS22 Standard. I am quite happy with TRS22 PE. It is my go to version of Trainz.

I have Trainz Plus and I feel like I've just got a collection of beta features that have never been finished. I feel I've only benefitted from Surveyor 2 since the release of TRS22.

In my view the following features or changes seem to have their flaws or appear incomplete:
- Surveyor 2.0 (N3V acknowledged as recently as October 2025 that features in Surveyor 1 are yet to be copied across into 2.0)
- Removing the option for Process Objects Behind Camera (forced a dramatic negative effect on running my dense route and session - not sure why it was removed)
- HD Terrain system (file size issue)
- Plant Factory Treez (no animation, poor performance - and the update resulted in SpeedTrees now 'popping' into the scene, even with Tree Detail set to Ultra)
- Living railroad and dispatch manager (the wait for full passenger support goes on)

I have read that a number of forum users appear to prefer TRS22 PE - perhaps it's time for me to switch to this and stop paying the annual $69?

 

[wreeder]

I feel like I've just got a collection of beta features that have never been finished.

Yes, you should feel that way because that is correct. In fact, when the concept of Trainz Plus was introduced back in 2019, it was sold by pointing out that access to new features still underdevelopment was the major reason for buying it.

Plant Factory Treez (no animation, poor performance - and the update resulted in SpeedTrees now 'popping' into the scene, even with Tree Detail set to Ultra)

Just a slight point to make. Plant Factory is just a program for making 3D trees. Nothing new here. What you are citing as troublesome is the Imposter system. This is a totally separate system that while it works with PF Trees, it is not a feature of Plant Factory Trees. The Imposter system is a work in progress designed to work with any tree model including Speedtrees. It will even work with buildings and rolling stock by reducing a 3D object beyond a certain distance from the player's POV to a flat 2D object which will in theory render much faster. The Imposter system concept has been used by many 3D game engines for years. Bringing it into the E2 Engine of Trainz will when fully implemented help to bring better performance to routes with high density of scenery objects.

 

[pware]

Surveyor 2.0 (N3V acknowledged as recently as October 2025 that features in Surveyor 1 are yet to be copied across into 2.0)

Some of those features are in the current Trainz Plus beta version.

 

[amigacooke]

Some of those features are in the current Trainz Plus beta version.

The key words being some and beta. S20 has been in beta since December 2021.

 

[paulper]

The key words being some and beta. S20 has been in beta since December 2021.

This probably makes my point a bit clearer.

 

[paulper]

Yes, you should feel that way because that is correct. In fact, when the concept of Trainz Plus was introduced back in 2019, it was sold by pointing out that access to new features still underdevelopment was the major reason for buying it.

Just a slight point to make. Plant Factory is just a program for making 3D trees. Nothing new here. What you are citing as troublesome is the Imposter system. This is a totally separate system that while it works with PF Trees, it is not a feature of Plant Factory Trees. The Imposter system is a work in progress designed to work with any tree model including Speedtrees. It will even work with buildings and rolling stock by reducing a 3D object beyond a certain distance from the player's POV to a flat 2D object which will in theory render much faster. The Imposter system concept has been used by many 3D game engines for years. Bringing it into the E2 Engine of Trainz will when fully implemented help to bring better performance to routes with high density of scenery objects.

I did not envisage that the introduction of new features would then remain in a beta condition for as long as they have. For me personally, limitations, problems and changes associated with updates have not contributed to any overall improved experience of Trainz since I first started using plus and Surveyor 2.0 in 2022 (but I appreciate things like HD terrain might be important to others who might also not be bothered about file size limitations).

Regarding Plant Factory, etc, thanks for clarifying and apologies for using the wrong terminology (albeit I still think it's the Plant Factory trees that are not animated). I think I'm right in saying that SP6 introduced us to the imposter system in Trainz. From N3V's post about the imposter system linked to the release of SP6, we were told to expect:

• Dramatically improved performance
• memory optimizations
• Seamless visual quality at distance

I tested the RC thoroughly and reported performance issues. Then out came SP6 without the fixes. The hotfix returned my FPS to how it was before SP6, so no improvements were obvious, but I did notice trees 'popping' into view. This doesn't meet my expectations of the three bullet points above. We're now 8 months on from SP6.

 

[wreeder]

Plant Factory trees that are not animated

Animation and even trees that grow over time are features of PF trees when use with Vue 3D, the animation program also available for free from Bentley Systems. However that function has not been released yet for Trainz. Maybe in the future.