TransDem Tutorial

Hi,

Sometimes taking a short break and doing something entirely different can be really beneficial.
Plan your sessions with Trainz (for recreation), Man shed - for social, and Transdem (in small sessions!)
I’d started my Fife project some years ago, the let it alone until you prompted me…

Just be careful in the snow!

Colin

ColPrice2002 said:

Hi,

Sometimes taking a short break and doing something entirely different can be really beneficial.
Plan your sessions with Trainz (for recreation), Man shed - for social, and Transdem (in small sessions!)
I’d started my Fife project some years ago, the let it alone until you prompted me…

Just be careful in the snow!

Colin

Click to expand...

Yes, excellent advice!

I do this all the time with various projects whether it's in Trainz or music. Stepping away give the mind time to work out the problems and mentally process the project. I've noticed when I go back to working on them again, I've almost rehearsed the steps making the process quicker and easier. I just wish the mental part did the physical parts too!

You both have nailed it there. I have never been as busy as now when I have retired and don't have a 9-5 job. I have a great amount of work to do and I would still like to peck away at Surveyor when things are quiet. I have a bit of playtime to be used up in Trainz especially with the Wescott Town route that I can muck up to my hearts content and when really in trouble I can wipe and start again, ideal, no pressure and plenty of FUN. lol

I do this when working on the Scroll Saw as then I always have (at least) 2 projects on the go and swap back and forth between showing/demonstrating/teaching and doing the sample of the next project to be used in class. Keeps the mind active and allows me to find hard pieces/difficult sections before loading them on to students.
Thanks for your help guys I will stay with it for a bit but when classes catch up it could be a while before I return.
I got word today from napierdeltic to say she will send me the dem she was involved with in creating the Dundee - Edinburgh ECML route and it has the start of the branch line from Thornton to Leven. Hope she can set it up ok as I believe she is refurbishing a cottage that is off grid and solar powered.
Don W

Just a suggestion. Some time back, Hiballer produced a PDF document for the forum - How to use Goggle Earth and TransDem to create routes for Trainz, It’s a 9 page gem that has enabled me to create various 5 to 50 mile WIP’s of one-time real railways. Step by step instructions. It may still be available on the Forum but a PFM to Bill would be an alternative.
Regards
John

pitmilly said:

Just a suggestion. Some time back, Hiballer produced a PDF document for the forum - How to use Goggle Earth and TransDem to create routes for Trainz, It’s a 9 page gem that has enabled me to create various 5 to 50 mile WIP’s of one-time real railways. Step by step instructions. It may still be available on the Forum but a PFM to Bill would be an alternative.
Regards
John

Click to expand...

Hello John,

The tutorial is still available and can be downloaded.

Here is the link https://forums.auran.com/trainz/sho...-Google-Earth-amp-TransDEM-for-route-creation

Kind regards

Kurt :wave:

I still have it on my computer if you can't download it.

EDIT: Put it up again on my website. You can get it here.

Bill

Hi Bill,

just had a quick read and that seems quite comprehensive by using google earth.

In the UK we can use the Ordinance Survey maps from the “raster map - map tile servers”…
I can select the OS mapping, select a view, then save the view as a georeferenced tile. This shortens the process a bit for UK route builders.

Many thanks for your guide and hosting it.

Regards,
Colin

You're welcome, Colin. I happy to see there is an alternative source for charts.

Bill

pitmilly said:

Just a suggestion. Some time back, Hiballer produced a PDF document for the forum - How to use Goggle Earth and TransDem to create routes for Trainz, It’s a 9 page gem that has enabled me to create various 5 to 50 mile WIP’s of one-time real railways. Step by step instructions. It may still be available on the Forum but a PFM to Bill would be an alternative.
Regards
John

Click to expand...

Thanks for this, I will sort it out immediately
craigdon

belgian46 said:

Hello John,

The tutorial is still available and can be downloaded.

Here is the link https://forums.auran.com/trainz/sho...-Google-Earth-amp-TransDEM-for-route-creation

Kind regards

Kurt :wave:

Click to expand...

Thanks for this, I have downloaded and will take a look later.
craigdon
EDIT I have had a look and started to set up as advised but when I reach the NOTE: If you wish to have the rail line highlighted by GE, you can expand the Layers at the left and move to Primary Database > More > Transportation and check the box for Rail ?? I don't have a box for Rail. When I choose More it only shows a tick box for Transportation ?? Any ideas

I would just like to say I have finally got a route ? into TRS19. It is not good by any means and will take a bit of sorting but it is a start and I am very proud. With all the help on here I should be up and running sooner rather than later.
I would like to thank everyone for their help so far especially ColPrice2002 and JCitron and I will be back with more questions.
Thanks again everyone
take care and stay safe
craigdon

This was a change that Google made that angered a lot of people. When you want just the train lines and check the Transportaiton box, you now get the busses, trams, and rickshaws dropped onto the map. I wish they would change it back to just the rails.

Bill

In the last route I've done I litteraly painted the rail line on the images

That really is a bit extreme. Why do they make it harder than it needs to be. The old adage "if it ain't broke ......." doesn't seem to apply for these people. It doesn't help newbies like me trying to learn and them shifting the goalposts willy nilly. I am struggling a bit with creating a route and at times I have to stop and walk away from it, my old brain doesn't seem to work as well as it once did.
take care all
craigdon

You’re not alone there!

Unfortunately, all of the mapping servers and DEM data is provided by different organisations and in different formats depending on the goodwill of national governments or commercial interests.
we have to manage with whatever is available, or find a subscription service…

Colin

We have to take what we are given then ?? It seems strange that the programmers keep "updating" these programmes and then they don't work ?? Would it not be better if they stored a programme with the version number and you could download that version number and run the programme as it was originally written and not have to look for missing commands/links etc. ???
I have in mind the document (an excellent piece of work, I think) that Kurt has just suggested on using Google Earth and TransDEM to create routes for Trainz. I suppose this could of course apply to most programme updates as there is always something going to toss the spanner in the works for newbies ?? However I must get back and see what I can do about creating a route I can see in Surveyor and start laying in scenery.
craigdon

Just for the record: I created the PDF file that Kurt links to. Outside the small changes that GE instituted concerning the various checkboxes to bring up GE features (like rail lines), the document is still viable.

Vill

Thanks for that. I just find it awkward trying to learn something as a complete novice and the goalposts have been moved so to speak.
craigdon

It is far easier to get rail lines from Open Street Maps, including historical rails... They're already drawn, just select the ones you want, export them as a .gpx, and load them into TranzDEM... can get streets and rivers this way, as well...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Meeq_5_keYs&t=1s

I made this today, here is how I do it. I haven't gotten the hang of getting the textures in yet, but it will come sooner or later. The DEM acquisition is, unfortunately, USA-Centric, but after one has obtained their particular elevation products, the rest of the process is still quite applicable. I am open to constructive criticism (suggesting ways it could be better). I will ignore bashing and not even think about any criticism that does not include helpful information on how to make it better. I hope it helps those of you who need it.

This is a PDF tutorial, made in OpenOffice. Took about 7 hours, including route creation, typing, editing, eating, the other thing, proofreading, etc...

For those worldly people who will bypass the US-oriented acquisition, stay away from 30-meter (1 arc-second) dems. 10-meter (1/3 arc-second) is ok, but no more than ok. 1/9 arc-second dems (3-meter) are perfect for the resolution of Trainz terrain. There is no reason 30-meter dems are any easier for a beginner than 3-meter dems. I made my first TranzDEM route with 1-meter files; they look no better than 3-meter dems until we finally get HD terrain in Trainz.

Also for my worldly friends, if you are unable to find dems that work from your country, try The National Map method in my tutorial just for the fun of it, to get an idea of how the rest works.

Cheers.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fqV8jQFhyR6D7BhlvdyH4F6JJjvLVmSM/view?usp=sharing