Railworks America

Been thinking of this for a while now. Would it be possible at all to clone the mechanics behind the mile markers and how they are generated (type in the mile # in the editor when placing the marker and it then appears on the sign) and take that and generate a station name sign like the ones in the pictures below? I am thinking of a sign that can be placed either on a post beside the line or placed directly onto a generic station object. All you would have to do is type in the station name like we do the mile number and it is then displayed on the sign object.

Is this possible?

Trevor

I've been wondering this too, cause if my memory servse me right, I think you could name your own signs in trainz, don't understand why we can't have signs in Railworks that we can name?

For a second I thought that was an in-game shot......

One problem I see with this process (assuming it is possible at all) is that not all station names will fit onto the sign, unless it can be automatically enlarged. I think too much automation in route building will have implications where there is less precision with placing objects, therefore possibly rendering them a tad less appealling.

With rollingstock, if you have a number generator (I think such a thing existed with Trainz), then you're enabling a generic standardised appearance for each unit that is modelled. Unless some sort of feature is built in which allows to manipulate the font, and weathering behind each character.

In the period a route is modelled, some station signs may still be located at small wayside stations that are out of use. Would you accept a pristine, freshly painted nameboard amongst an overgrown platform covered in silt, devoid of passengers, that hasn't been used for 5 years? The same question could apply to any platform generator, given such a thing can be done as a loft. The only difference here is that the feature to enable this is widely used to add anything you want to.

Even though this process sounds great in theory, it may not be all rosy if these automated techniques are used in a manner which sacrifices precise detail where appropriate.

I think you might be able to do something using Call("SetText") in an attached script and a named texture set, but I don't know how you're going to tell the sign what text to show in the first place; there might be a scenery blueprint type I'm not aware of with a data entry box in it's flyout though.

Trevor, I've thought about this, too, and think it should be fairly easy to add the characters to assets using the "milepost design" as you describe, but I think a complete alphabet set is needed, correct? As for the sign size, this could be offered as four separate assets on three different sizes of solid texture and a transparent one? Add a blank piece of that solid texture and larger signs could be assembled using the transparent letterboard.
This is NOT my area of expertise but that's kinda what Pete told me when I queried him about it (he made the COA mileposts).

Tori, I think you are onto something. Multiple sized signs with an easy way for us to put on the name would be perfect.

Anyone else have any ideas? What I think would go along way for a route designer is 4-5 generic depots (brick and wood versions) plus these signs.

Trevor

TDHenderson wrote:Tori, I think you are onto something. Multiple sized signs with an easy way for us to put on the name would be perfect.

Anyone else have any ideas? What I think would go along way for a route designer is 4-5 generic depots (brick and wood versions) plus these signs.

Trevor

Yes!! Specifically depots more akin to what is common in the US. I for one am having a hard time making the included in-game stations "look right" - to resemble something more like:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Berwy ... tation.jpg

-barnez

Here is a depot/office/locomotive shop for a shortline just down the road, If you look close at the station sign you can see the ROCK herald just before the town name.



there is a better shot of it here http://www.hibblenradio.com/RI-Perry2.jpg

Here are a few repaintable ones just released over at UKTrainsim. I do believe theses will work for me.

http://www.uktrainsim.com/filelib-info. ... leid=27325

Trevor