Adjusting Gradients in TMR2017

HiBaller

19 Years of Trainz
When I am tracklaying and I want to climb a grade, I use the gradient tool and set a basic value like 1.00. Then, when I am fine tuning the tracks and want to adjust the height of a vertex I open the Mapview and zoom in close to watch the values between each vertex change. I cannot do this in TMR2017. The font used to display gradient is so tiny it is unreadable and NEVER changes when you zoom in or out. For all practical purposes, the display gradient feature is useless.

And, speaking of gradients, When using the height-adjust tool, there is no on-screen display of the current height of the vertex, such as that displayed by a object's height when adjusting a house, for instance. Typing values into the "use this height" window and applying it hit-or-miss is time-consuming and frustrating, especially since the editing of the tiny box isn't perfect and you get outlandish values unless you highlight ALL the numbers and re-type them.

Bill
 
When I am tracklaying and I want to climb a grade, I use the gradient tool and set a basic value like 1.00. Then, when I am fine tuning the tracks and want to adjust the height of a vertex I open the Mapview and zoom in close to watch the values between each vertex change. I cannot do this in TMR2017. The font used to display gradient is so tiny it is unreadable and NEVER changes when you zoom in or out. For all practical purposes, the display gradient feature is useless.

And, speaking of gradients, When using the height-adjust tool, there is no on-screen display of the current height of the vertex, such as that displayed by a object's height when adjusting a house, for instance. Typing values into the "use this height" window and applying it hit-or-miss is time-consuming and frustrating, especially since the editing of the tiny box isn't perfect and you get outlandish values unless you highlight ALL the numbers and re-type them.

Bill

Yup. We've asked for a dynamic height display for this in the past. Maybe it's something that needs to be brought up again.

I never use apply grade either and use the height tool, check grade and repeat until I get my grade right. Having that ability to see what we're adjusting is sorely and sadly missed.
 
Thanks, John. I figure the odds to this happening as being the same as being hit by a falling asteroid while riding an elephant in downtown Los Angeles. I sure wish we could have access to fonts, their colors and sizes. the CM with that horrible faint gray on brilliant white just doesn't make it for my 77-year-old trifocal eyes.

Bill
 
I keep a magnifying glass handy, and a desktop flexible goose neck magnifier glass, and use Dollar Store reading glass's, as well as using the MS Magnifier and stretch and compact and custom adjust the lens to be a small 3/4" x 1 1/2" size and slide it around and keep it near my surveyor gradient/height window(s). I always apply 3 gradients, then go back 4 gradients, and re-check that they are not off, and then shuffle ahead another 3 gradients, constantly re-checking my previous 3 gradients in back. I am completely obsessive compulsive, and measure and adjust my 4 tracked adjacent spline point heights to be EXACTLY the same height reading. I get very upset at myself if my tracklaying is off by 3/4" scale inch :hehe: I adjusted my TrainzOptions: SurveyorFOV to be the numeral =35 so I am always as zoomed in as much as possible
 
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The trouble is that a magnifying glass doesn't help on the minimap. The numerals are just too tiny and pixellate when magnified. I bet those characters are around 6 to at the most 10 pixels high. Just a blob to me and of NO help at all when adjusting gradients.

Bill
 
The trouble is that a magnifying glass doesn't help on the minimap. The numerals are just too tiny and pixellate when magnified. I bet those characters are around 6 to at the most 10 pixels high. Just a blob to me and of NO help at all when adjusting gradients.

Bill

I ran into the same issue with early T:ANE and then the TMR2017 versions. Subsequent service packs and TRS2019 fixed the problem of ants on the screen.
 
In previous Trainz versions, there was an "options" Page where you could select many did different screen resolutions, making numerals larger or smaller
 
In this particular instance, screen resolution doesn't come into play. The resolution is just fine for most everything, but the items on the mini-map simply will not expand when everything else is zoomed in. The track itself will enlarge, but the gradient readings stay the same tiny numbers.

Bill
 
I rarly use the mini map, and instead check my gradient/height numerals by clicking on the track, and viewing it in the surveyor window boxes.
 
But if I am adjusting the vertical movement of a vertice, the mini-map is an invaluable tool to make sure you aren't messing up an adjacent gradient. TMR2017 doesn't have the running height adjustment that TANE and all the rest have available on-screen as you adjust height.

Bill
 
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