Next version of Trainz?

This is what I would like the next version of Trainz to look a and feel like!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YG-haI4WXg&feature=related

FW

That's awesome. Is that how they train IRL?

Approach_Medium said:

This is what I would like the next version of Trainz to look a and feel like!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YG-haI4WXg&feature=related

FW

Click to expand...

Kinda hard to tell from the video (although the trackside cars look like they might be computer generated), but bear in mind that it could be done like the Japanese trainsims for the PS3 - recorded as video that is played back at varying speeds to simulate different train speeds. If that's the case, then it'll be a long time before any trainsim that favours freedom of running and layout can look as good.

NikkiA said:

Kinda hard to tell from the video (although the trackside cars look like they might be computer generated), but bear in mind that it could be done like the Japanese trainsims for the PS3 - recorded as video that is played back at varying speeds to simulate different train speeds. If that's the case, then it'll be a long time before any trainsim that favours freedom of running and layout can look as good.

Click to expand...

That's what I was afraid of. We can't have 'real life' images because of the literally infinite number of the routes that TS can produce.
Someday, but not today

FW

p.s. I did not take the YouTube video. I just stumbled into it while watching some other cab ride vids.

Video based sims have never been that successful, compared to those that draw with a custom graphics engine. They were a novelty back when they were the only alternative to the text based driving games in the early to mid 90's but there are just too many limitations on flexibility. For starters the video will run at the speed the train was going at when filmed, which can lead to jerky playback if you go at a different speed in the sim. The weather and time of day won't vary, unless you produce km of video footage for differing conditions. The train will always follow the same path through the route and signalling has to be done by superimposing aspects on top of the signal heads in the movie.

The Japanese Railfan for PS3 were probably the best example, these were shot on high speed high definition film stock and put out on Blu-Ray disc. And of course to add in new routes you are going to need permission from the railway concerned to film from the cab - highly unlikely in these safety and security conscious times. (And what about creating - as many of us do - long closed and forgotten railway sections?).

The following links to some Japanese online (Flash) driving sims using video clips...

http://www.realrailway.com/en/sim/online/

Fun but you begin to see what I mean by the limitations.

That Japanese sim looked and ran very well, but it was too short!
I didn't download the longer version though.

FW

Vern said:

For starters the video will run at the speed the train was going at when filmed, which can lead to jerky playback if you go at a different speed in the sim. The weather and time of day won't vary, unless you produce km of video footage for differing conditions. The train will always follow the same path through the route and signalling has to be done by superimposing aspects on top of the signal heads in the movie.

Click to expand...

However, these are not particularly major limitations if you're using it for training purposes rather than entertainment purposes, which is why the video method is still very popular for training simulators (not just for trains, but cars, trucks and even some aspects of flight training)