UltraScenery May Return - Read Post and Would Like Views

[mcguirel]

Now that I am retired at a young age, I find myself needing something to focus on. I am entertaining the thought of returning and revitalizing UltraScenery. With this return, you will see dramatically improved TS12 SP1 Content. The reason for this also is to help the community with Advanced SpeedTree Creation on a "Sponsorship Level" and then the collection becomes a Redistributable UltraScenery Package. Pofig Trees have many flaws within them, and we as a community need someone to step up. I am wiling to consider at this time a possible return. I also feel that the collections should only be that of the Summer Version and small in nature. How do you feel in a professional manner on this topic? I will be in need of a Third Party Website Host of long standing and positive future stability as well. My guidelines will be very clear on Redistribution, only utilized in Freeware Routes / Freeware Session Combinations with the open consideration of Payware Utilization. As a community, you will have to be extremely patient with me on the development of a package as time to complete such a package would be long in nature. As a community, you must respect my work in all regards and not do as what has happened to Pofig nor place them on the DLS.

 

[Vern]

Good news as I do like your trees - they are the primary foliage in a couple of my routes - and I fully support the freeware initiative.

Just one suggestion - please spare a thought for those like myself who have opted not to install SP1 or the Hotfixes at this stage but continue to work in TS12 49922. It would be nice not to be excluded from the future content because we have decided to stay with the proven earlier version.

 

[mcguirel]

Vern, fully noted and will be heavily considered. If this was implemented, I could not guarantee the same look in prior versions. It seems as there has been some coding corrections with SpeedTree, however not confirmed. Some previous content has changed with TS12 Sp1 and well has ruined it. As for the above statement by me, here is a sample with correct colors and better lighting that should offer improved appearance in TS12 without the Pofig Blue Hue/Extreme Sharpness-Motion Sparkle Distraction:

 

[mcguirel]

With the above sample, I am torn regarding poly count ranges. With limited poly counts, extremely realistic trees are not in the cards. Many have with technology improvements the ability to handle higher poly count SpeedTrees IF UTZILIZED in the proper manner thru PROVEN ROUTE BUILDING TECHNIQUES. Again, the above is just a quick sample, and not that of a tree to be released nor at this time a commitment to do this. The community must also commit to this as well as a Third Party Site. If many state they would continue more exclusive utilization of Pofig Content, in right that is your choice and would be a strong distraction to do this. Yes, I am approaching this as a Sponsorship Release whereas Pofig has not. Yes, Pofig has a large existing collection, but "In Motion" among other aspects have many flaws.

 

[Paul_Bert]

I hope you do decide to start creating again. I love your trees. I use them in many of my routes.

I would second the motion to develop them for compatibility with TS12 version 49922.

 

[RRSignal]

I appreciate you asking. I have mixed feelings on the TS12SP1 issue as well. I'm still route-building in TS2010 because of problems with TS12. Have you considered creating new KUIDs for the TS12SP1 content? Regardless, the two most important things to me is that any route dependencies be available on the DLS, and that, as you probably already know, is that I'm looking for springtime rich-green foliage, which isn't common in Trainz. Most of the stuff out there, regardless of who made it, is very dark to just about black. Beyond that, I can live with any changes.

 

[mcguirel]

I appreciate you asking. I have mixed feelings on the TS12SP1 issue as well. I'm still route-building in TS2010 because of problems with TS12. Have you considered creating new KUIDs for the TS12SP1 content? Regardless, the two most important things to me is that any route dependencies be available on the DLS, and that, as you probably already know, is that I'm looking for springtime rich-green foliage, which isn't common in Trainz. Most of the stuff out there, regardless of who made it, is very dark to just about black. Beyond that, I can live with any changes.

I concur on the Spring Foliage Color as well as the other aspects you mention which is also my strong reason for a consideration of returning. I concur with your desire for a DLS Content Availability and TS2010 Utilization to open up the availability to a more vast community. Again, this is in the thought process stage whereas structure of my return is preliminary and not a full commitment at this time. DLS Availability means additional KUID Structure and creates a strong conflict with Redistribution. This is where I wish N3V would highly consider me for Builtin Future Content whereas all this could be provided to the community without the Content Structure Utilization Issues that have developed with N3V Content Structure Changes. I can promise this, if my return is warranted and I can find great compromise with many requests the completed return content availability will not be of a huge quantity and primarily consist of IDV Foliage Texture utilization instead of custom foliage creation.

 

[JIb228]

I'll agree with RRSignal on the DLS issue. I love your content Mcquirel, so much so that 90% of the textures on my current route are your ultra series. All of the trees are ether your billboard series or you MP Performance trees. And I would love to see more content come form your talented mind.

But I do intend to post my routes as freeware on the DLS with content only found on the DLS. So that's why if you did start making content again Id hope you go with the DLS.

Though if your looking to make a few bucks here, there is one idea pulled from the web comic world. Take donations. Then every time you hit a cash goal, you release new asset for every one. But this is just an idea.

 

[boc61]

I think you do excellent work and always like to see an accomplished creator stay with Trainz, even more so if the are committed to being SP1 compliant. which I know is painful but I do think it will be for the better in the long run. As someone who doesn't create and relies on others I am always grateful to and respectful to the creators and their standards for using their content. While I do like to see as much on the DLS as possible as hunting down items can be frustrating at times, in the end, you have to decide what's best for you and your work. Whichever way you choose is fine.

 

[mcguirel]

Though if your looking to make a few bucks here, there is one idea pulled from the web comic world. Take donations. Then every time you hit a cash goal, you release new asset for every one. But this is just an idea.

That is not an effective manner to do this as was attempted in the past. I leave this post for community discussion at this point and will review the posts and consider my final decision based up the mass. I do want to state that I am against putting new content on the DLS for one reason, N3V owns it and at this point my skills are of great value to me and allowing N3V to own the content without a business contribution is against my views. Only prior content that I determine needing fixed and pre-existing on the DLS will be placed on the DLS. I have offered a variety of DLS Freeware and Also Retired Payware for the community, but the quality is not of that I can provide today. This adventure will include new mesh creation techniques that I feel if N3V needs as well as for the benefit of the community whereas I can deliver, they have a viable option at their disposal but I can almost guarantee winning the lottery is a much easier opportunity. I also want to note this is not an attempt to "Get Rich" Scheme.

 

[JIb228]

I do want to state that I am against putting new content on the DLS for one reason, N3V owns it and at this point my skills are of great value to me and allowing N3V to own the content without a business contribution is against my views.

Well that's your decision. I, in my opinion and building limitations, am limited to only using content from the DLS. While I will no matter where you put it download and use any thing you make. Its just that good. But I do limit my self to DLS only content for MP reasons. Though I know MP has given all of us a hard time at one point or another, I still hold onto the idea that N3V will get it sorted our at some point. Or we'll all move over to Run8 if its editors and tools are as user friendly as Trainz's are.

But just my $0.02.

 

[mcguirel]

Yep, MULTIPLAYER is a big consideration I have in this thought process.

 

[JIb228]

If any thing, I know you don't want to put your content on the DLS, but maybe you could make more performance trees in your performance mp series and at least put them on the DLS. Just a thought.

I don't want to turn this into a request thread, but if you did get back into the swing of things, could you maybe make a spline of your ultra grass's? I find that splines that can conform to uneven ground look better then single assets.

 

[johnwhelan]

Yep, MULTIPLAYER is a big consideration I have in this thought process.

Two versions? Low poly on the DLS works with multiplayer higher quality available same kuid number but higher version number elsewhere.

Cheerio John

 

[mcguirel]

SpeedTree Splines can not be made, however Group SpeedTree Assets can conform to uneven ground. At this point, this is also a heavy consideration of content to be made as well, however in doing so there are challenges I have not fully felt I have overcome on the config scripting knowledge I am trying to obtain and understand. I have my limitations in some aspects. There are many advantages to SpeedTree Group Creation, but I refrain from making this knowledge available.

 

[mcguirel]

Two versions? Low poly on the DLS works with multiplayer higher quality available same kuid number but higher version number elsewhere.

Cheerio John

The KUID Conflict with this structure has flaws thus when implementation of Multiplayer and Asset Structure for Multiplayer was developed created many issues. You can not Obsolete DLS Multiplayer Content with Third Party Content utilizing higher version numbers. The same version number in use in the route config must match the DLS for Multiplayer Utilization. If one person uses Version 1 in the Multiplayer, yet has the Redistributed Content installed any Route Building will use the highest version. If I am wrong, please correct me. I am going to have to choose Multiplayer or Redistribute Content and I am leaning for many many many reasons not to support Multiplayer which I know will not be suitable for some. On a mass scale, multiplayer is not utilized and to support N3V getting my skills for free I no longer support. In effect, this would be asking JVC Payware Content, JointedRail, Checkrail, and RRMods to offer all their hard work for FREE to N3V which I know is not a consideration.

 

[JIb228]

If one person uses Version 1 in the Multiplayer, yet has the Redistributed Content installed any Route Building will use the highest version. If I am wrong, please correct me.

I don't know if its 100% right, but it will all ways revert to the version on the DLS. So if I upload a asset to the DLS, MP looks to use that one. Then make a new one called asset 2.0 and put it on the DLS, same thing. Then if I give you the same asset bust as asset 3.0 MP will use the 2.0 version.

Now here's where it gets tricky. If I put asset 2.0 in a MP route, and you have asset 3.0 installed MP will temporally revert your asset 3.0 to asset 2.0. But if you build a route with asset 3.0 and I have yet to upload asset 3.0 then you'll get an error and be unable to do MP.

So as long as the route creator uses the version that is on the DLS, others can still use your updated version form you. Just they will not be able to see the better looking version in the MP session as it will be changed to the version on the DLS.

But this is just my understanding of it.

 

[KenRuof]

I use your MP trees and textures on my route and would like to see that continue but as JIb228 pointed out it needs to be on the DLC to work. I tried Pofigs and decided to go back to yours.

 

[mcguirel]

Just got back from going to a Thai Restaurant for lunch because I have been craving it since my return from Thailand. Upon my return, I see the majority of the topic is Multiplayer Support Driven beyond anything else. Per comment 16, this may not be a viable return but it is preliminary. I refuse to have N3V be rewarded for my three years of knowledge. Creators of SpeedTree for games such as Battlefield 3 and Upcoming Battlefield 4, Call Of Duty, and movies such as the latest release of Star Trek to use SpeedTree make a considerable amount of money. I am not in this for the money aspect and not the motivation for my return.

 

[boleyd]

I have found that your trees and grasses have the touch of an artist. A feature that is needed to take an object beyond the " looks like it was made on a computer" stage. I really dislike it when the majority of various trees use the same shade of green Even within a tree there are variations, usually with some yellow. That really helps.

Ok on no tree splines but what about grass splines.That is where you have a problem with a section of grass glued to a high spot and hanging out in the air elsewhere. The spline fixes that.