RSC Locomotive Head lights in game

[BNSF650]

Who all thinks RSC Still needs to fix the headlights issue. They are still not bright enough. Also in the day time they still dont even look like they are on. MSTS and trainz both look better then RSC Headlights. I sure hope they fix this issue.

[arizonachris]

Don't need RSC, we have the Doc at Trains and Drivers! Guess they should hire him, eh?

[NS9030]

Who all thinks RSC Still needs to fix the headlights issue. They are still not bright enough. Also in the day time they still dont even look like they are on. MSTS and trainz both look better then RSC Headlights. I sure hope they fix this issue.

To be honest I think this too. If only headlights would be like SMM's signals so that theyre clearly visible from a long distance.

[BNSF650]

Yea i agree..

[Chacal]

I sure hope they fix this issue.

Then you should e-mail RSC support. That's the only way to let them know you want that fixed.

[SMMDigital]

To be honest I think this too. If only headlights would be like SMM's signals so that theyre clearly visible from a long distance.

Those are a mechanical, involving multiple lenses and sizes that "LOD-reduce" as you get closer to the signal. It would also be a nightmare to install on a locomotive that has flashing ditch lights.

What we need is a brighter Shader. Tex (Full-Bright) doesn't work very well on loco headlights when TSX is on. AddATex does work, but it's not bright enough. TrainEmmissiveGlow is nice, but starts to fade out at around 20m. Yes, a brighter shader.

[Trainguy76]

Some of your issues can be fixed by a little tinkering in the files. Sometimes what looks right to one person might not look right to another.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

To be honest I think this too. If only headlights would be like SMM's signals so that theyre clearly visible from a long distance.

Those are a mechanical, involving multiple lenses and sizes that "LOD-reduce" as you get closer to the signal. It would also be a nightmare to install on a locomotive that has flashing ditch lights.

What we need is a brighter Shader. Tex (Full-Bright) doesn't work very well on loco headlights when TSX is on. AddATex does work, but it's not bright enough. TrainEmmissiveGlow is nice, but starts to fade out at around 20m. Yes, a brighter shader.

I suppose you cannot put multiple co-axial emitters in the headlight position? Combining a scintillating piercing narrow long distance oblong vertically projecting beam with a softer wider shorter range circular beam and a soft diffuse glow emitter for close up and illuminating of the hood top and platform? Then perhaps the ditch lights could have a wider and shorter horizontally projecting beam, illuminating the track ahead, the roadbed surface and nearby ditches, terrain, foilage and buildings?

Doc's new headlights still lack that scintillating/twinkling long distance effect when seen approaching from afar. Perhaps this effect is entirely impossible with the current emitters, I don't know.

[Machinist]

Doc's new headlights still lack that scintillating/twinkling long distance effect when seen approaching from afar. Perhaps this effect is entirely impossible with the current emitters, I don't know.

It's not my fault, that's a matter of basic model built-in feature, using combined textured objects (with alpha channel) to simulate 3D effects, only engine's model creators (or 3D Design Tools users, definitively not my case) can do that. I'm just tweaking projecting headlights (that's all I can do working with children objects) though I got to run around a bit in both 10-Engine packs, enhancing the beam's surrouding area when you look to it from (a bit) afar.

That's default RSC headlight seen from the farther limit of External view (hotkey 2)

RailWorksProc2 2012-07-14 01-14-06-97.jpg (50.48 KiB) Viewed 406 times

That's my run around, you can see the headlights from farther, but there is a limit when working with children objects

RailWorksProc2 2012-07-14 01-15-47-80.jpg (59.26 KiB) Viewed 406 times

Default

RailWorksProc2 2012-07-14 01-13-25-69.jpg (56.97 KiB) Viewed 406 times

Enhanced

RailWorksProc2 2012-07-14 01-09-13-84.jpg (58.56 KiB) Viewed 406 times

SCLALINE has posted a while ago his awesome findings about lights in signal that could be used in headlights also (projecting multiple and different rays' size as LoD varies, as in MSTS engines since a long time ago, nothing news at all) but that's up to engine's creators (only those who own the basic model file). So far, unfortunately, no engine creators had interest in moving on realism in this (say) small detail. More about:
Headlight Idea for locos
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5088

MSTS headlight effect, must be not hard to do, huh? It's a matter of interest, IMHO.

cn_bf_003[1].jpg (68.27 KiB) Viewed 403 times

[BNSF650]

Sure wish we could get them to look like we had them MSTS. That would be nice

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

I am not blaming you in any way, Doc. You have already done so much more for us than RSC in fixing many of the defects and shortcomings of the game.

I believe SMM has some sort of success with his updated signals in achieving that piercing long distance beam.
If the twinkling effect can not be achieved by combining and manipulating light emitters as child objects there is nothing you or I can do about it.
Since UK engines have no projecting headlights with any power at all, I think what we US players want must be really low on the list of priorities.

So MSTS( 2002 or even more ancient) is still better than TS2012 is a few minor areas such as lights and physics ? Come on, RSC, give us the "New Technologies" we want !

[Ozma]

[-truncated-]
So MSTS( 2002 or even more ancient) is still better than TS2012 is a few minor areas such as lights and physics ? Come on, RSC, give us the "New Technologies" we want !

Or, indeed, a holodeck, for full immersion, realism, and the joy of getting trapped in it whenever someone cuts the cheese.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Or, indeed, a holodeck, for full immersion, realism, and the joy of getting trapped in it whenever someone cuts the cheese.

Nothing that ambitious, Ozma, just simple fixes for problems pointed out years ago. Small fixes that actually add to the immersion factor, that make you feel you are driving a train instead of playing a game.

[Machinist]

As I said it's not my thing design objects, I even have not any 3D Tool (like 3D-Craft, PaintShopt and such), and have no interest (so far) in the learning curve of this kind of work. But the technology is already present in the game, RSC (and other creators) just haven't gone beyond to explore the thing.

If you have RSC B7 with default lights, you'll notice a kind of (still incipient and timid) circular 2D halo giving the feeling of brighther light. This halo should be even brighter and wider, and AFAIK they can be set for different LoD's, I just don't know how farther this works (Jerry said 20ms only, but I guess is much more, at least in the B7 you can see the soft halo even from far). That's what the old MSTS technology uses, and looks like is the same of the snow weathered effect (in Winter season) that has been added in some engines, ie a texture object (with alpha in the case of lights) overriding another object (the beam when turned off).

You can also notice this in SD75 (pics below), barely satisfactory when seen from an angled profile view, but not from a frontal view. Combining two objects (for profile and frontal views) with alpha and you'll get the 3D effect, like in the most of trees of game (two or more plain 2D objects giving the illusion of a 3D object, when combined).

You can barely notice a mist (halo) and some rays, eh? should be brighter and wider

RailWorksProc2 2012-07-21 16-22-54-45.jpg (19.28 KiB) Viewed 385 times

RailWorksProc2 2012-07-21 16-23-06-92.jpg (19.8 KiB) Viewed 385 times

RailWorksProc2 2012-07-21 16-23-13-89.jpg (19.64 KiB) Viewed 385 times

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Even though English is neither your nor my native language I think I understand, Doc. Thanks for the pictures as well, they confirm we are talking about the same here.

Somebody has added ditchlights that flash and rotating roof beacons that sweep round to an older RW2 engine, I believe a custom modified UP GP15. The also planned to build a special winter version of the SP GP38-2 with ice breaking hardware. I believe they took a break and put their projects on hold.

We should ask them for help and creating a stick on headlight lamp that does all we want, twinkle and shine.