Notice to all visitors and members of the Train-Sim.Com message forums: If you plan on using a signature banner in your posts, we would like to remind you that there is a maximum size for banners. That maximum is 450 pixels wide by 120 pixels high, and not to exceed 25k. Your compliance is appreciated. FORUM RULES Problems? There are two common reasons for problems with logging in and posting messages. The first is that you are running a firewall that prevents your messages from being sent to the server. The other is that you have cookies disabled; the DCForum software requires cookies to work properly.
One of the obvious problems with doing an eastern mountain route is all the trees you need to make it look anything like the real thing. I'd like to know how many hours it took those mapleleaf guys to place trees on sand patch. I'll bet they wore out 3 of 4 mice. One other note... NEED MORE COAL MINES! About 6 different ones would be nice. And I need them all by last Tuesday. So you guys go and do some of that building things stuff. Don't make me have to come over there. I love the editors.... I placed this cut of coal cars on the left hand track and it decided to replace then with loaded BN lumber cars.....
GOOD topic, "redgar"!Speaking of trees... this total route building neophyte would like to ask a few questions of those route builders that are 'sperienced:Is there a way to make "clumps" of trees in odd numbered groupings that can be used for placement as ONE item? Would this help the FPS? If this is possible, would I need to use a program like 3D Canvas to accomplish the "clump" making? Could existing tree shape objects in MSTS be "merged" or "clumped" via the 3D program?Also, couldn't one use tree-line "clumps" (or individual trees/items) alongside the track (or whatever) to block the view of the immediate "barren" scenery, and leave the "forest" texturing on the surrounding mountainsides (behind the foreground trees) to carry off the idea that they are heavily forested? I come from a long history of model railroading, and I'm wondering if the common model railroad principle of "view blocks" can be used as a timesaving and FPS-saving tool in MSTS route building.I will eventually have a copy of the Ft. Smith Sub route in my hands with completed trackage, and I will want to "fill it the blanks" to give the impression of a fairly complete sceniced route... but don't know if these ideas are worthwhile or even possible?Thanks to any experienced route builders that can offer some input on this.Andre "Coonskin" Ming
Well, let me try to answer the question about trees, and add a request of my own.First of all, is the Cumberland Valley maker a member of the L&NHS - if so, I look forward to meeting you in Kingsport, TN this coming Fri./Sat. at the annual meeting.Trees - Yes it takes a zillion of them to do an Appalachian route. However, you have at least 6 kinds of "forests" using American type trees, and the British ones are reasonable as well, so here is how I did them on the BR sub. First, I did not attempt to plant the whole route - can't afford that many mice, and besides these 63 year old wrists might not like it either, so I concentrated on certain areas. You can't get away with no trees between Chestoa Rd. Crossing, and Poplar Siding for example. I used the Fir trees and the deciduous trees a lot, and I mixed them. For example, I would lay a large block of trees at a density of 3000-5000, and then I would lay another large block at an angle to that one with 1500-2000 for example. Pine trees would be better, but then the fir trees look more like oversize Christmas trees anyway, and there are lots of those in "them thar hills". I don't recall any densities greater than 5,000, but then "senility" might be a factor too. An important point, is where a track follows a river, like the CV does between Pineville and Barboursville, KY, it is necessary to put trees between the track and the river if there is enough flat or shallow slope land to make it look right. Many of the river bottoms along the CV are cultivated, so you need to use some of the cultivated looking textures - those are easier than lots of trees etc. I hope this gives you some ideas.Ah Yes, Coal Mines. FIve or 6 kinds and sizes would be nice for me too. There is one 3-bay mine tipple in the Library but it is like one of the old ones, typically made of wood. I may do an open type loader myself like is found at (or was found) at Kilgore Creek on the Nora Branch of Clinchfield. There is a good picture of this and several other mines in Steve King's book, "CLinchfield Country". I have trouble creating textures, but the structures are relatively easy.CV maker, if you wish, you can contact me directly at jhsulliv@attbi.com J. H. Sullivan, P.E. (retired)
I'm not in the L%NHS, although I may have enough old magazines to qualify. I too wish we had a "forest" object with mixed trees, but you can accomplish the same thing by overlapping the individual forests, like you can see in my second screenshot. Now, I've only run one train through that area so far, and the frame rates I got were about the same or a little higher then what I get on sandpatch for instance. I'm gunna stuff as many trees in there as it can stand I think, because the whole thing is only about 20-30 miles in length, with all the mine spurs fairly close by so scenery can work for 2 tracks at the same time. Besides, you can always turn the detail down, but not up from whats planted in there. In the first and third shots you can see I'm doing just what coonskin suggested, using lines of trees to block the boundary between the grass texture ( the default terrain.ace ) and what I'm using for the forested hills "backdrop". You can see it better in the third one up behind the mine. It looks convincing from a distance. Incidently, you can also see a square i missed behind and to the right. I made my own textures from photos in a book I scanned in, blurred and messed around with.That one coal mine you mentioned is in that last one too. For some reason, the maker had the track spacing on the 3 bays quite a bit wider then a triple track section. Took a while of fiddling to "jog" the tracks apart. Looks like some bad track or maybe thats just heat kinks. :-pRivers are gunna be a problem too, as you'd expect every inch of track up in these hollers follows at least a creek of some kind. Anyone who could do some convincing brown water textures could go ahead, mine are pretty sad (second shot).Steve King's book Mr. Sullivan mentioned is truly great. I got a signed copy when I saw his slide show at an NMRA meeting 12 -13 years ago when I lived in Dayton, OH. Man, there were some seriously well known modelers there every month and I just didn't know any better.
I love the editors.... I placed this cut of coal cars on the left hand track and it decided to replace then with loaded BN lumber cars.....