Are You New To R.e.?

This is for you if you are just getting into the Route Editor. First, I highly reccomend Michael Vone's book on the RE, available from abacus.com . Second, go to the file library and download; ttrack01.zip by Mark Todd, less than 1mb. This is a test track primarily designed to test acceleration and braking. It also has 3 test grades. As a test track, it is a bare bones route with no scenery, except for a few trees, signals, markers, and sidings. This route and Mikes' book are great for learning how to import objects and place them. How to set up yard definitions, sidings, platforms, signals, etc. Better to work with this route first and gain experience before doing things on your favorite routes. Be patient, you won't learn the RE overnight.JohnIn memory of:
CYNDI RICHARDS
1938 * 2004
You will always
be here with us.

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RE: ARE YOU NEW TO R.E.??, wildh0rse, Dec-14-04, 12:38 PM, (1) RE: ARE YOU NEW TO R.E.??, OTTODAD, Dec-14-04, 02:17 PM, (2) RE: ARE YOU NEW TO R.E.??, DCRR1, Dec-14-04, 03:19 PM, (3) RE: ARE YOU NEW TO R.E.??, OTTODAD, Dec-14-04, 06:49 PM, (4) RE: ARE YOU NEW TO R.E.??, wildh0rse, Dec-15-04, 08:42 AM, (5) RE: ARE YOU NEW TO R.E.??, DCRR1, Dec-15-04, 11:40 AM, (6)

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That's good advice, John. I'd work with Vone's book and ttrack for a while.But, if you get into making your own objects, be forewarned; it ain't easy. If you really want to do it right, get some info on 3D graphics. Look for tutorials for your program of choice, either TRain Sim Modeler or Gmax.As I've said (ad nauseum) I prefer gmax beacuse of it's astounding capabilities (all of which, I bet, I still don't know)and its FREEFREEFREE. Make sure you understand UVW mapping,faces/vertices/polygons, and how your prog of choice exports to .s files. Learn how to write script files from reading the "wonderful" tachdocs that come with MSTS, and learn the naming conventions for special objects like crossings and such; some need their sub-objects named a certain way. Become very adept at LOD designations, you can build some wicked stuff.If you want to get totally crazy, learn how to make and script signals. If you want to make a locomotive, it's tough and you have to be careful doing it. Rolling stock's a little easier, and satic objects are better still. Don't try and make something invisible/visible to show it at night/day if it's animated... we had a real problem trying this a few years back (Cal: Airport beacon?).Maybe some other of us 'closet modellers' who likes TSM can rebut a little, so we can get some of the other side of trhe story. Any other thoughts for newbies, folks?
Bruce

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> Any other thoughts for newbies, folks?I think what you two summarised is enough to put any "Newbie" off from even trying ! O t t o

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>I think what you two summarised is enough to put any
>"Newbie" off from even trying !
>
>O t t o Really?I think using the barren test track to hone ones' skills with the RE is an excellent idea. If you mess it up too bad, no loss. Bruce was expounding on creating objects from scratch, no easy task. Better to know what you are getting into before hand. JohnIn memory of:
CYNDI RICHARDS
1938 * 2004
You will always
be here with us.

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> I think using the barren test track to hone ones' skills with the
> RE is an excellent idea. If you mess it up too bad, no loss. Agreed, John !That's how I started and is still my favourite for testing new tracks like Y-Tracks, ScaleRail and thought to be impossible layout configurations. After all it's the tracks infrastructure and signalling which makes railways work and not objects or scenery ! Adding to the N.&.J.C. and working with Frank Carver on his MARIAS KOOTENAI I soon realised that working on a Route in the RE is like Russian Roulette and unless one has got everything absolutely right, problems ensue. Not that this is an absolute guarantee ! O t t o

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>
>>I think what you two summarised is enough to put any
>>"Newbie" off from even trying !
>>
>>O t t o
>
>Bruce was expounding on creating objects from scratch, no
>easy task. Better to know what you are getting into before
>hand.
>
>John Expound I did - sorry. I guess the point was, yes, if you're going to do the from-scratch-object thing you have to be forewarned.But as far as starting out with thte RE, yeah it's like russian roulette, it screws up my machine so much I have to reboot STILL, with an Athlon 64 and 1 gig memory.I originally tracked my route from end to end and then added stock objects, many from the file library. Nothing was "right", i.e. true to life, but it looked far cooler than I thought it would. Then I made the mistake of screwing around with track objects and my route became unusable. As everyone here says, don't add signals, platforms, pickups or crossings until you're done tracking. Sometimes I'll add one or more of these for testing; I just make sure to go back to RE, delete all the track objects, re-save and close the RE.I've given up on the markers/tracklaying/roadbed thing using progs that automatically do this. I figure that most route authors are familiar with the route they're building in real life (like mine). So what I do is simply use the markers as a guide, and have a topo/photomap handy and do it by hand, following the route and making small marker files as I go. This is due to the distortion introduced when you make the world flat.Also I actaully went to the roadbed itself (in real life) and noted what the crossings and such look like. This is not easy either, because my imperial head can't guesstimate metric distances as well as I'd like LOL. It helps a lot with placing structures though.Lastly, avail youself of the brillaint minds here in the forum. It's helped me immeasurably!!!!! If you don't ask, you won't know!!!!Bruce

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Hi Bruce:>But as far as starting out with thte RE, yeah it's like
>russian roulette, it screws up my machine so much I have to
>reboot STILL, with an Athlon 64 and 1 gig memory. I only have a P3(1g) & 512mb ram. After adding an object I save the route. When the screen goes black after about 10 saves I know it's time to get out and reboot.>Also I actaully went to the roadbed itself (in real life)
>and noted what the crossings and such look like. This is
>not easy either, because my imperial head can't guesstimate
>metric distances as well as I'd like LOL. It helps a lot
>with placing structures though. I got a free converter program at
http://www.joshmadison.com/software
It converts just about anything to anything and is the only converter I use.John In memory of:
CYNDI RICHARDS
1938 * 2004
You will always
be here with us.

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