Creating additions to a route with TranzDEM

TransDEM easily lets you divide a long route you are creating into several projects by defining common boundaries that match in each project.

But surely I'm not the only person who has used TransDEM to create an addition that can be merged with a route to add a few baseboards to a specific area of an existing route without using the boundary method.

In one instance I was working with a mountain route that needed some extra baseboards to improve the view. I didn't want to discard all the work that I'd already done on the route and start over. Using the same DEM and geo-referenced maps, but not loading the original poly lines, I made a short poly line over the area of interest to get TransDEM to export a small patch as separate route. Then exported it into Trainz, where I removed individual baseboards until the new 'patch' matched the edge of the existing route exactly and merged them together.

I've also done the same thing to add a branch line to a completed route. In another instance I added an extension to a route downloaded from the Download Station.

Surely others have done this too. Right?

Three of my routes are combinations of different DEMs from different places, height shifted of course.

I've shifted the height of a DEM to get around the 3000m elevation limit in an older version of Trainz. But I haven't height shifted a DEM to match another one. Thanks for pointing that out.

OddRails said:

I've shifted the height of a DEM to get around the 3000m elevation limit in an older version of Trainz. But I haven't height shifted a DEM to match another one. Thanks for pointing that out.

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TransDEM no longer adjusts route height unfortunately. I have a copy of TANE SP1 just for this purpose.

I do it all the time.

I've also done what-if scenarios by putting in tracks were none existed. I keep roads and buildings in place as much as possible and work the tracks into the various towns and alongside roads as needed. When completed, this can produce some amazing results.

JCitron said:

I do it all the time.

I've also done what-if scenarios by putting in tracks were none existed. I keep roads and buildings in place as much as possible and work the tracks into the various towns and alongside roads as needed. When completed, this can produce some amazing results.

Click to expand...

Same here, mainly with my route based on Madison, Indiana. Freelance is more fun!

Want a real volcano as background for a route?

Using Google Maps or Earth, find a likely subject - island volcanos work best. Try Aleutian islands, Japan, Kamchatka, etc.

Create a volcano-only route in Transdem, trim as needed and merge into your existing route. I have done this numerous times.