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Hello All, I have had MSTS for a couple of months now and find it much more to my liking than any of its competitors offerings. I paticluarly like that you can learn one aspect of the sim while running the rest in default or easy downloads. I have found Micheal Vonne's manual very helpful in the area of route building. I am now attempting my first route. I would like to loosly model it after a short line in central Texas (Austin&NorthWestern). I have generated a quadtree, downloaded DEM, and picked the end point of the line for a startin position. Once I open the RE can I mark certian positions before major track laying? for instance if company A is at mp 4.4 or you know smallville is 12.8 miles sse of mp 0 can I set a marker of some sort as a guide post? Thank you, BB
The difference between the stone age and the space age is .0001"
BB, You need to read the "How to create marker files" text file included on your MSTS CD's. There are several instruction text files on your CD's that aren't copied to your computer when you install. You should find them and read them. They aren't much, but are better than nothing. Even better is to obtain a program called USA Photomaps (try a google search). It is free and uses USGS aerial maps. It allows you to mark locations and then use the DEMEX to convert the marked locations to a marker file. Route creation is not for the faint of heart, so good luck.Larry
BBI may have misunderstood your post, but I believe this is what you need to look at next…,http://www.jdmcox.com/Check the photomap info.Have a sparkling day !!Bob
Larry and Bob are right - USAPhotomaps is a good way to generate a marker file. You may be much more talented than I am ( which isn't setting the bar terribly high), but for me, it would be much easier to start with building a prototype rather than a fictional line, or at least building a fictional line where an actual railroad exists. That's because you don't have to figure out where to lay the track or place the industries, roads, etc. If you follow an existing line (even if you decide not to include all the sidings or want to add more), the hard work of finding the path through the terrain is already done - just place your markers on the map, transfer to MSTS, and you're ready to go. For your first route, make it as easy on yourself as you can. The Route Editor is enough of a challenge without piling more on!Andy
Newbie,I'll second or third the motion to use UsaPhotomaps. I recommend, however, that you exclusively use either the aerial photographs, (preferably) or the topo maps to digitize from. Don't mix them if youi can help it (since topo maps have contour interval, you probably will have to pick up the intervals from the topo., but I would not use anything else) because I find there is a error of several meters between the two, not enough if you are using them for reference material, but significant if you are digitizing a route from them.Since I started using that method last year, I have not used anything else. The .mkr file in your route, which is a unicode text file, is the place where lines of text, describing marker points is placed. I would recommend you get a licensed copy of DEMEX (about $20) from the DEMEX website also. Among other things, it has a utility to convert marker files from the UsaPhotomap "Waypoint" File, to .mkr file format.J. H. Sullivan
Jerry, I have found that the error between topo and photo in USAPhotomaps is far more than few meters. Also, the error varies depending what scale of photo you are using. I have found the error to be as much as 50-100 meters depending on location.Another problem with USAPhotomaps is that the maximum resolution on the topographic maps is not good enough for accurate for placing markers. I am getting ready to do the Mt. Hood branch line on Columbia Gorge but I don't have the needed topographic maps for that area. I tried to use USAPhotomaps to place markers for the track but it is almost impossible to make out the fine detail. There is a highway that parallels the track most of the way and in a couple places the track crosses the highway at a shallow angle. I cannot make out enough detail on either the map or photos to place markers "accurately".I will locate the missing maps (my original source went out of business) and use Makemarker to place markers. It requires scanning the map and registerring two known points on the map to scale it properly. It is more work than USAPhotomaps but much more accurate.Cal Rasmussen Beaverton, OR (My email is in my profile)Columbia Gorge Route (Phase 2-- Started)
thank you all for your help, I have found the tech docs on the discs and USA Photomaps. It appears that once I figure out how to coordinate Demex, RE and Photmaps it will be just the hint I need to start.Thanks again, Brad Brooks
The difference between the stone age and the space age is .0001"
