Procedural - Meaning?

boleyd

Well-known member
Procedural popped up in the context of Trainz. I do not remember the meaning of the word as used in Trainz.
As an example procedural track versus its forerunner - the differences.
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I rechecked the Wiki and found an answer that somehow I missed earlier:

https://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/How_to_Use_Procedural_Track
A well done treatment of the subject.

Simply put - things that used to be customer supplied elements of track are now builtin.

The dreaded Red Circle is explained....
:confused::eek::(
 
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While this Wiki article pertains to the track with its computer auto-generated track components, the Turf-FX grass and other plants are also procedurally placed by the computer based on the components given and by the math in the algorithms used for placing the objects. In other programs, in particular 3d graphics programs, some textures are procedurally generated. Textures such as wood, marble, stone, bricks, and other patterns are generated using algorithms.

While the textures have their usefulness in some areas, there are those that require a specific pattern and that's impossible to obtain due the the random number generator and the numbers used to generate the textures.
 
As they said in Laugh-In" Verly interesting". Perhaps some math fiddling could cleanup the lumpy spline/PBR interface.
 
DTG TS also refers to procedural grass and flora, i.e. auto generates along with the texture.

Mind you spline is another invented word which I can't recall seeing prior to the emergence of the train sim hobby, though in point of fact it was coined by the people who did 3D Railroad Master which precede Trainz by some years. Auran as they were then latched on to it in order to describe their version of flexible/stretchy linear assets, mainly track.
 
According to my dictionary a spline is a mathematical term that long predates any train sim.
A spline curve is a mathematical representation for which it is easy to build an interface that will allow a user to design and control the shape of complex curves and surfaces. The general approach is that the user enters a sequence of points, and a curve is constructed whose shape closely follows this sequence.
Sort of sums up nicely what happen in Trainz. We specify the start and end points and whether the previous and subsequent splines have a straightened parameter applied and the track is generated. Elevations also need to be considered when junctions have to be created hence the red circles when not within track norms.
 
And in hardware terms, a spline shaft is one that has flutes, allowing a gear with a corresponding hole milled into it to slide along the shaft and still have a positive drive, such as found in rear-wheel drive propeller shafts of motor vehicles. Google for Spline shaft.

Trevor
 
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