Tree Questions

[MrScott2006]

I'm working on a fairly big route. I figured the best way to add trees is to use splines. I've must of downloaded every tree spline I could fine and I found that they all have the same problem. There seems to be a transparency problem with them all. Funny, I never really noticed this before. There was one default spline that wasen't too bad but they were the wrong kinds of trees. Go figure! So I thought I'd ask some tree experts like Dmdrake or Jankvis is there a way to fix this? Has it been figured out out to make trees without the transparency problem in TRS2006?

 

[Euphod]

It's not the content, it's the game engine. Sorting Alpha transparencies has always been a Trainz bug a boo, and is being addressed with 2009.

 

[MrScott2006]

So the only way to deal with it is to add single trees? Or dosen't that work either?
If so I got a lotta planting to do!

 

[Euphod]

The single trees do not always work either, but the outcome is better than the splines.

 

[Snowhill]

One method I use is to make up a small wood, copse with individual trees on a spare area of a board and then cope and paste.... it only takes a few moments to move the pasted trees to vary the look of a forest and I find it looks more realistic than using splines... It is a quick method of building up a forest. I also just use six types of tree...
Dennis

 

[MrScott2006]

Thanks Snowhill, I never thought of that. Very good idea. I've got time to plan this out because the greenery is the last thing going on my layout. I'm working on building a functional railroad first. Then slowly add in scenery in the end.

 

[cascaderailroad]

Cut and paste of trees and textures

I have forgotten which slows down framerates...cut and paste of trees...or cut and paste of textures. Please advise me.

Also if you use more than half a dozen different types of trees it will make your route lag, and possibly make you run out of the allowable textures and scenery on your route ? Please advise me.

 

[Zygon2004]

I don't know if it's the best solution, but if you go to options within the game you can choose "compatability mode." This made all the trees look a lot better for me.

 

[gfisher]

I have forgotten which slows down framerates...cut and paste of trees...or cut and paste of textures. Please advise me.

I don't see why either of those would impact framerates. Its the same amount of stuff, regardless of whether you cut and pasted or did it one at a time. Using more than 6 tree types would have no impact on the number of ground textures you can use. Personally, I have never yet hit the limit on doing multiple types of ground textures.