Railworks Signal Construction Question

[SMMDigital]

I'm thinking of constructing a few older Southern Railway-type signals. I was wondering how RW shows signal aspects. Are the "lenses" simply rendered according to the script when they are supposed to be on, or are there some animated mechanic to make the signal aspects show?

[Trainguy76]

Hi, take a look at this Wiki page.

http://www.railsimdownloads.com/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=Section+3+Signalling+Guide

It has a link to download the source files of the signals supplied in RailWorks. I think it will prove useful.

[SMMDigital]

Thanks Tg, i'd forgotten about the Wiki (and apparently so has RSC).

After reviewing the source files, i have a total understanding - of why noone has attempted to build better signals for RW. Building the signal is the cakewalk. Getting it to work may be beyond my capacity. I may have to seek help from Master Pike and see what he has to say about it.

[SCLALINE]

i am going to follow this as i plan to build some searchlights and US&S 3 color lights (the older large hood style)

[SMMDigital]

I'll keep this thread updated as I go. It would be nice if we could get a pool of signal assets from several eras and locations. RSC has given us scripts and vague guidelines, it's up to the end users to supply the different varieties of signal shapes.

I've read through the signaling .lua and blueprints today, and i've learned quite a bit. However, two things still concern me. One is the naming of the lenses (nodes). From what i've gathered, the signal "on" lenses are placed in the on position when the IGS files are created. The scripts determine if a particular node is rendered or not based on track conditions. Now some vague references to Red, Lunar, Yellow, and Green are made in the signal script, but the Wiki (or any other documentation) is not explicit about this. For all I know the lense names could be George, Ringo, John, and Paul.

Second, it seems that every signal consists of two shape files - the post, and the head. The post is referenced in the signal blueprint as the primary IGS, and the head is a child reference. So, question to be answered is how to build two assets in such a way so that when they are rendered in the game they look like a single signal?

Lots of error and trial, coming I feel!

[SMMDigital]

Alright, here is the first section of the signal - the post. Since it has no moving parts or animations, it is put into the Asset Editor as a regular no-frills Scenery Blueprint. It will later be referenced by the Signal Blueprint.

The post is unpainted as I have not gotten out to the prototype with the camera yet. I'm working off of old reference photos.

smm_sousigpost.jpg

[Trainguy76]

Well, this is an import of a US 2 head signal.

Perhaps in 3dCanvas, due to it's export limits, its

-head
--color
--color
--color
-head
--color
--color
--color
post

I'd be interested in how you set this up, I'm looking to do something for my current route.
Edit: In fact, I'll give it a go too.

[g_nash]

i am going to follow this as i plan to build some searchlights ......

Look at the GARL or WCML routes for interesting scripts

[g_nash]

For all I know the lense names could be George, Ringo, John, and Paul.

no hierarchy needed

[Trainguy76]

no hierarchy needed

In 3DCanvas, you must have a main model to export from, which also means you need a hierarchy to export.

[SMMDigital]

Thanks for all the info and photos.

As far as the heirarchy goes, I don't think that will play a factor in the model. In the Level Crossings, it doesn't matter where the lense nodes are, or whether they are inside a heirarchy or not. The only critical point is that the node MUST be named that same as what it is called in the script. On the level crossings, i've got some nodes inside the heirarchy, some outside of it, some grouped together, some in their own separate groups - the name is what counts.

Someone mentioned searchlight signals - It might be a good idea to check with Hack over at 3DTrains, as i've seen the rumor that he is building Searchlights. It would be a shame to work really hard on an asset and then have a duplicate debut before yours is finished.

My work for this morning (yes, I know the lights are in the wrong position, this is just for accent in the photo):

smm_sousigh1.jpg

smm_sousigh2.jpg

[Trainguy76]

Someone mentioned searchlight signals - It might be a good idea to check with Hack over at 3DTrains, as i've seen the rumor that he is building Searchlights. It would be a shame to work really hard on an asset and then have a duplicate debut before yours is finished.

He's dropped hints that he was doing them, but there's no word on progress.

[micaelcorleone]

He's dropped hints that he was doing them, but there's no word on progress.

Yeah, that's the point. There are no updates about any progress on any projects over at 3DTrains. And I think this is the wrong policy because there should be updates to include the community in the development.
There are some announcements from Hack about Searchlights, a route and about some Bombardier Commutercars (only here at railworksamerica). And no updates in the last months.
I really hope they are still in development, it would be very annoying if they had stopped them.

But now to the topic.
Looks good. What types of signal are they Jerry and on which routes can they be found?

EDIT: There are updates about the signals, but very few. Marc:"Nothing yet - I've been side-tracked with other items. I'll post new screens when ready, however."
http://www.3dtrains.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16632&hl=searchlight&st=0

[SMMDigital]

I don't exactly know what type of signals or who made them, but they are basically a variation on the standard 1, 2, or 3 head signal. The thing that makes them stand out are the man-handles, which makes them look like a metal cactus. They've been on the Southern RR (Atlanta-North specifically) since before Norfolk Southern came along. As far as what other RR's use them, i've seen them in BNSF crash videos from the midwest, and Jovet has actually test modeled them at one time, so I can assume that they weren't just SRR specific.

There are still lots of these type signals on the NS-AND, but they are slowly being phased out in favor of the type we already have in RW - the US Mods. It's a shame too; I hate the "Snow Hoods" on them and they have the "personality" of a Terminator.

Of course, if I can get them to work, they will reside on my NS-Atlanta North route, but will also be released to the public via RWA. Keep your fingers crossed. I will be photographing the prototype this evening, and tomorrow morning I hope to have a blueprinted and working test signal.

EDIT - Not blasting Marc, he's got some wonderful stuff for RW, but a year and four months is a bit long for developing a signal that the scripts are already written for. I take back what I said earlier about the Searchlights and making them yourself. Just because someone else says they are going to do it, don't believe it till you see it.

[Trainguy76]

One thing I've discovered with the signals, their blueprints start at the posts, and reference 3 or 4 others before the end of the chain.