Getting started

[PapaXpress]

So I am trying my hand at making the Capital Corridor here in the Bay Area (Amtrack Commuter), but for the life of me I cannot get any of the tiles from ReDem or RWDecal to show. Currently both are in demo mode so I should see the souther half of the tiles, but all I see is green fields. I have been following a few of the posts here, and I believe I have followed them completely.

Here is ruffly what I have done.

1) Using RWDecal I mapped the route in Google Earth and started the decal creation process
2) Used KML file from step 1 to create a cvs file using RWTools
3) Used the CVS file in ReDem
3a) Used the coordinates from ReDem to create a new route in RW (made sure it was saved)
3b) Downloaded the BIL files (there were two created, and I mentioned this so you all know that I did it)
4) Copied the tiles created from step 3 to the route folder (created in 3a)
railworks\Content\Routes\e3a79360-f714-47f2-a55f-bfbd4eafba6b\Terrain\*.bin
4a) Cleared the cache, opened my route (edit mode).... just green fields
5) Copied the two folders RWDecal made (Environment and RouteMarkers) to my route
railworks\Content\Routes\e3a79360-f714-47f2-a55f-bfbd4eafba6b
5a) Cleared the cache, opened my route (edit mode).... just green fields

What am I missing?

I am planning on purchasing both tools, but I really wanted to play around with them first.

Thanks

[Trainguy76]

You created your route in the right spot, right?

[PapaXpress]

I believe I did. I use the same coordinates across RW, ReDem, and RWDecal.

Does it matter if I start in the lower left or upper right?

Update: so I am following this guide:
http://www.eutrainsim.com/index2.php?fo ... tebuilding

And I was able to see my template in the Route editor (which I was unaware of before). Unfortunately a new route based on this template is still just green fields.

[kin3]

On the decals you have to be in edit mode and go to misc icon and the decals will start with 'g' something. Then go the bottom and click the marker button and if they don't show up hit F6. This will give you the reference you need to place them.

[PapaXpress]

Well... it looks like all my decals were deleted. Still no luck with ReDem.

Its obvious I am missing some steps, just need to figure out which ones.

Update: I am getting closer. I have the decals now. Now I need to figure out how to get ReDem working.

There were more manual steps to creating the initial route that I was lead to believe through other tutorials. This is what caused my log jamb.

Update 2: ... oh THAT terrain folder... *sigh* ok, so now RW is not crashing on me... but the land has turned black. I guess I will try this again when I receive my license in the mail.

Update 3: I now have a license, redid all the bin files... and world is still black. I think it would be easier to make a brick wall...

[micaelcorleone]

Did you load your route template a first time before you've inserted the Tiles?
If not this might be a reason.

From your description I see that you might have an subfolder in the Terrain folder?
This is wrong all tiles should be directly in the Terrain folder.

Clear the blueprint cache again.

If nothing helps you'll need to do the process again.

[PapaXpress]

Did you load your route template a first time before you've inserted the Tiles?
If not this might be a reason.

The first time around I was not aware of the template. That is in place now and I can get the decals to work with routes created from it.

From your description I see that you might have an subfolder in the Terrain folder?
This is wrong all tiles should be directly in the Terrain folder.

I had the folder in the correct place the first time around, but didn't know it since it was crashing on other parts, so I moved it around. I now have a single terrain folder under my route folder. Unfortunately the world is still black. I am wondering if there could be something wrong with the BIN files.

Clear the blueprint cache again.

heh... yea. I heard this so often its the first thing I do after launching RW.

If nothing helps you'll need to do the process again.

I think part of the problem is that I had to find the steps from three different (more really but three good) places. I am still too new to this to understand why things go where they go, so I really needed it spelled out, and despite all my effort I suspect I am still missing something.

I have another question. When I downloaded the bin files I had to get them in two parts. When I use Redem on them they both produce the same file names (ex: -000050-000154.bin). How are you suppose to merge these files when they are overwriting each other?

Update: OK redownloaded and I see some elevations now... they just don't seem right. Anyway at least I am getting somewhere now.

[PapaXpress]

Want say 'Thanks' to those that chimed in with some help. Everything is looking good now and its amazing how fast you can lay track down when you have decals to follow. I still have a ton to learn, but having fun now.

I have a few questions about track laying:
- I have a number of underpasses running under my track, what is the best way to add the road, and or structure and elevate the track?
- There are times I need to change from single track to multi track for long stretches. When I increase the number of lines I am laying side-by-side it wants to align from the left, which is OK sometimes, but is there a way to align from the right?
- What is the best way to add a diverging route? I know I can always redem (know that I know how), but is it simple to add more decals?

Thanks again.

[RedWhistle]

Hi PapaXpress, I'm excited to hear that you have that working. Indeed, laying track with RWDecal is great. It was hard for me without it because I didn't know where I should have different sidings... even using markers I've had to make lots of corrections in my track to better match the decals afterwards.

I'm in the same boat, with a ton to learn but having fun. Route design is indeed fun.

I'm not sure the "best" way to make an overpass/underpass. The snap-to-track/road (little horseshoe magnet icon) is very useful, and then using the "set height" and smoothing tools. When aligning objects, I've learned the keys f/g are useful for fine rotation, v/b for fine height adjustment and c/n for fine horizontal adjustment; thank you forum for that (among much else!)

With the track offsets for multi-tracks, move the arrows up to the end of an existing piece of track where you want to start so it snaps to the end. Then, click and hold the primary mouse button, move left/right and the other arrows will move to the left/right of their original alignment, then release the button and lay the track. There has to be an original track that you're starting from, otherwise holding the primary mouse button and moving left/right rotates the direction of the start of track.

Yes... you can add more decals and they will show up in the list like your earlier ones, just use a different name for them unless you're overwriting your earlier decals.

Red

[micaelcorleone]

But be careful with the Decals.
Don't leave unused decals in the route. If there are too many decals at once there can be severe performance problems.

And please do yourself the favour and make a backup of you route folder very day.

[PapaXpress]

Hey Red, thanks for the tips. I am still practicing with the underpasses, and am getting better with them. As for the left alignment issue, it not a matter of orienting the pointer, its that if I could right align the track it would "snap" to it, so its a bit of hit and "weld" as I lay it down.

micaelcorleone, I am already having loading issues, so I completely understand.

hopefully next month (or the month after) I can get some WIP shots up here.

And yes, I am doing backups!

[RedWhistle]

Hey PapaXPress. No problemo. Good times on the underpasses. I spent some time overcoming my "fear of welds" because I'd get track messed up. Sometimes getting the weld points takes some effort... moving up and down the line, chopping sections out... but mostly when doing repairs. Doing a proto-fictional approach some of my lines are a little different than what is there in reality, and in other cases very different - like some of the passenger stations and passing sidings that never really existed.
If you're using decals to guide track from the get-go, you'll probably have little repairing to do. I eyeballed using route markers and I'm coming back through with decals. I don't think I'll do it that way again... live and learn.

Red

[PapaXpress]

I am having fun, I am not having fun....

3 hours of laying, fixing track... and "Something bad happens"

Anyway, some of my terrain work remained after I started it back up, but all my track work for that session was gone.

Tip for changing from few parallel track to more. Say you are laying two tracks, and now you want to lay three. Since you cannot snap to the right (only left), start laying the 3 lines in the opposite direction for a (very) short distance and stop. Now you can snap running in the opposite direct will all three tracks. Just remember to remove the extra bit you started off with when you ran in the opposite direction.

[Trainguy76]

Hiya, it is good to save often. And if you get a SBHH when using the #9 map in RW, what you can do is find where it causes a crash, and navigate to that location and spot the track with an abnormal amount of buffers.

[PapaXpress]

Is there a shortcut key to save (like Ctrl + S)?