Trying to LOFT a track

[sumitsingh]

I am trying to make a loft track system to be used in TS17, but every time I'am not able to get textures in TS Route Editor.
I had referred the developers docs also but I am unable to eliminate my error.

[davedingler]

Hello Sumit.....,,

Are you trying to lay track for a new route?

There are tutorials for laying track on this site. Also, look through the posts in the Route Design forum for hints on laying out a route.

Have you loaded the assets in to your project?

Dave
I found this link in the Route Design forum. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/f ... 943#165677

[GenericZack]

If your textures are not showing up in the ts editor. it might be a few things.

1. the .ace was not converted with rwacetool. if it was saved as a .ace in a program like photoshop or dxtbmp, it wont work. so take the .ace textures and run them thru rwacetool.
2. the mesh was not unwrapped properly.

This is all I can think of right now. if neither of these are the case. then I don't know what the issue is.

[sumitsingh]

Are you trying to lay track for a new route?
There are tutorials for laying track on this site. Also, look through the posts in the Route Design forum for hints on laying out a route.

Thanks, See the image.

[sumitsingh]

1. the .ace was not converted with rwacetool. if it was saved as a .ace in a program like photoshop or dxtbmp, it wont work. so take the .ace textures and run them thru rwacetool.
2. the mesh was not unwrapped properly.

I used tagra image, converted it into dds texture by dxtbmp and converted to tgpcdx.

[wacampbell]

See the image.

A loft must have the same cross-section along its entire length.

If I am reading your image right, I see bumps for the ties and tie plates which are not suitable for conversion to a loft. Please review Tech Docs 4.05 and 4.06. Start out with a simple loft - a single plane - to ensure you have the process down right. Then work up to a track. On most track, such as Scale Rails, the ties are alpha'd onto a plane that floats above the ballast. Shadows are drawn on the ballast to make it look '3D'

[sumitsingh]

Actually i removed those sleepers before exporting. is it necessary to join the rails and ballast lofts together?
In my case there is a little gap between rails lower surface and ballast section.
and i am thinking to apply those 3d sleepers as track middle geometry. is it possible to do it?
i followed the guide properly and i managed to export the section into the game but after applying the track system in route it doesn't shows texture but the track section is still present in the route.

[wacampbell]

> is it necessary to join the rails and ballast lofts together?
No

> In my case there is a little gap between rails lower surface and ballast section.
No problem

> and i am thinking to apply those 3d sleepers as track middle geometry. is it possible to do it?
Yes ... but ...
- may effect frame rates to have so much geometry
- build efficiently, and use LODs to reduce impact
- 3D ties will exhibit extreme moire

> it doesn't shows texture but the track section is still present in the route.

I am not sure what you mean by present. Do you mean it displays, but with the 'missing texture' image applied. Or is it that all you see is the track network guide lines?

It seems to me you are trying to do too much at once. Take baby steps. Complete Tech Doc 9.03 - when you have it working , then move on.

[SAR704]

Track lofts are far from the most difficult TS items to create. There's a tutorial here that details it. http://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic. ... 2&t=102124

It is good to have your own custom track, because then you have a choice of gauges, the colour, everything basically, even if it's only a basic loft with sleepers and dog spikes drawn on the ballast loft. There is always the option to refine it once one gets a better understanding of how TS lofts/scenery items work.

On most track, such as Scale Rails, the ties are alpha'd onto a plane that floats above the ballast. Shadows are drawn on the ballast to make it look '3D'

Is there any further information on this method of adding sleepers? Sounds like a compromise between having flat painted sleepers, and flickering ones. I just had a look at the ScaleRail sleepers, and they look to be designed like this.

But what exactly does one need to do to get them to appear realistically in the game? Are there any shaders or anything like this involved?

[sumitsingh]

After some changes, Track is working but textures are still not accepted by RW.
Other static thing are appearing in game with correct textures.

[sumitsingh]

Did you convert your textures to ACE files?

See my post again please.

[Bananarama]

Your track isn't showing because you have closed ends on the ties, and difficult to see from the pic, but possibly closed ends on the rails too. A loft needs to be a continuous ribbon.

[sumitsingh]

Your track isn't showing because you have closed ends on the ties, and difficult to see from the pic, but possibly closed ends on the rails too. A loft needs to be a continuous ribbon.

I had studied the RCAP Track Max file, all errors have been eliminated.
But how do I loft the OHE wires?

[Bananarama]

But how do I loft the OHE wires?[/i]

Make them triangular.

[sumitsingh]

Make them triangular

I need some idea on AutoCatenry.
I mean in this one, HOW exactly the loft will look?