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For those adept at creating track sections, in particular switches, do you think it is at all possible to create a ROAD section that behave a little like an incoming Y point. Specifically, I am looking at being able to have two lanes (going in the same direction) merge into a single lane.I suppose there is no protection from collision, although that would be strictly visual and not physical I beleive. But on roads that are only 'occasionally' in use, this may be a minor point.If 'anyone' beleives it is possible, could I send you some specs on a test piece to layout? Oh, by the way, the 'Y' would also be on a curve!!??Martyn T. Griffin griffinmt@mindspring.com
Martyn,You can create a similar effect with a little trickery. Last fall I posted some articles called "Track Magic", describing how to make crossovers, fake switches and invisible tracks. It should be available in the archives.You can do the same kind of thing with road sections by laying one roadway, placing a carspawner on it, then laying another road with a carspawner over the top of that. You then select detail level 10 for one or the other of the road sections to make it invisible where it overlaps. If the overlap matches correctly, you probably don't even have to make it invisible. Just be sure the joints don't line up exactly with the other road section, or you might get the dreaded "One_vector, non_vector" error. If you offset the joints by 10m, you can then use equal length longer road sections and the joints won't cause a problem because they'll always be 10m apart.I have used this method to make traffic appear to enter or exit from a highway while other traffic continues on the highway. If you make the second carspawner generate very few cars, you won't have but an occasional collision. Using different times for the carspawner helps, but eventually there will be a collision. It's not too noticeable.The absolute solution I know for collisions is to use 4 lane highway but only have entering or exiting traffic on the inside lane. The branches are hidden sections of a 2 lane roadway laid on top of the 4 lane highway.BTW, you can make any road invisible with the detail 10 setting if you want to have cars run over bare ground or terrain patches. Just lay the road over the area you wish, add a carspawner and make the sections invisible at detail level 9 or below. I have used detail level 10 settings exclusively for this purpose.Hope this helps you do what you want.Bill
Oops! I just did a search for the described posts, and they don't appear to be on the server any longer. Farthest back I can go is March 2002, and those posts were back around September, 2001.I should still have the pix I posted. I'll try to put something together.Bill
Thanks. It should work for what I have in mind. And I have a 2.5 meter road section to force that offset. That way I won't need two different radius curves either.Don't worry about searching for the pics, I understand the method.Martyn T. Griffin griffinmt@mindspring.com
Found it! I guess I need remedial searching.Here they are:http://www.train-sim.com/cgi/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=1545&forum=DCForumID6http://www.train-sim.com/cgi/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=1516&forum=DCForumID6You can do very similar things with roads, plus you have the option of using the "dumb" roads and track sections posted a few months ago. Bill
You could cheat. Make the y sections in TSM. Install them as regular scenery objects. Then lay regular road sections and sink em underground a bit, put in your spawners in and you have a custom looking road section without all that aggravation.