Railworks America

A few comparison shots from my Tehachapi Pass project showing the difference a few tweaks can make (click image to enlarge)...

Standard Terrain & Normal Fog Settings:

Mojave Looking North:


Mojave Looking South:


Bakersfield Looking South:



Standard Terrain & Extended Fog Settings:

Mojave Looking North:


Mojave Looking South:


Bakersfield Looking South:



Distant Terrain & Extended Fog Settings:

Mojave Looking North:


Mojave Looking South:


Bakersfield Looking South:


There are a few issues - the major one being flickering where the nearest mountains are at the edge of RW's max draw distance. Nevertheless, and although draw distance is limited by in-game code (20K?), adding distant terrain, coupled with extending the fog settings in the TimeOfDay files can make a huge improvement to routes, especially those located in or near mountainous areas.

Christ mate, that looks great!

How does one setup distant terrain again?

PapaXpress wrote:How does one setup distant terrain again?

Distant terrain is basically a comparative image between what you already have for standard terrain and the HGT files in the SRTM folder if you need DM of an area where standard terrain doesn't exist, then DM won't be generated for that section.

All that's required is that the HGT files are where they're supposed to be (DEM\SRTM folder), that the lat/lon in your RouteProperties is at least 5-decimal places, enter the editor at the route origin (create a temp free roam scenario if necessary), and then you can generate DM (button in the left paint menu). The size of the route (total number of terrain tiles) will determine how long the process takes, but usually wraps up in a few minutes (after much burps, flashing, and general hoopla). Once complete, use F2 to save.

If you notice holes or broken areas, you'll need to fly out to those sections and generate standard terrain, return to the route origin, and then repeat the above process of generating DM tiles.

Can this be done for existing routes also?

I am not sure if I want to go through with this whole process again. I got the email back from USGS and there are over 100 links/files to download.

PapaXpress wrote:I am not sure if I want to go through with this whole process again. I got the email back from USGS and there are over 100 links/files to download.

Not sure why you would have so many links. I recently downloaded a whole swath of 1/3 arc second IMG of Oregon and California, and I believe I had no more than 2 dozen links combined, and a few areas that contained 1/9 arc second was equally large. Granted, each download is around 350Mb, so a handful of links will take a while to download.

FWIW, I keep HGT files for all of US and Canada in my SRTM folder just for DM. They're relatively small (2.75Mb each), especially if you use the ones from here. I'll likely move them to a thumb drive at some point.

Thanks for the info on this feature. I tried it on the Cimarron & Pacific, and ended with a dramatic difference in the look of the route, but unfortunately have many 'splotches.' as can be seen in this screenshot. Does this indicate that my HGT files are are faulty?

Hack wrote:

If you notice holes or broken areas, you'll need to fly out to those sections and generate standard terrain, return to the route origin, and then repeat the above process of generating DM tiles.

Please advise on how to 'generate standard terrain.'

gwgardner wrote:Please advise on how to 'generate standard terrain.'

Import from within the world editor.

gwgardner wrote:Thanks for the info on this feature. I tried it on the Cimarron & Pacific, and ended with a dramatic difference in the look of the route, but unfortunately have many 'splotches.' as can be seen in this screenshot. Does this indicate that my HGT files are are faulty?

My guess would be some faulty terrain textures laid down on standard terrain (DM is basically a 4 x 4 tile snapshot of a larger area). I would try renaming your route's MixMap folder, start the sim and enter your route from its origin, and before moving around, generate DM again and see if that solves things. If so, then rename your MixMap folder back to its original state.

_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha wrote:Can this be done for existing routes also?

Nobody? Is it even useful for routes that aren't in the desert, Wyoming or high altitude realm, with those wide vistas, scorching sun and dry air?

For my favourite Appalachian route, I'd rather have some real West Virginia weather, like this:

I.e. layered clouds at lower altitudes, ground fog, etc. Probably difficult if not impossible to recreate in the game but perhaps with DX effects?
http://www.railpictures.net/album/323/

Hack wrote:

gwgardner wrote:Thanks for the info on this feature. I tried it on the Cimarron & Pacific, and ended with a dramatic difference in the look of the route, but unfortunately have many 'splotches.' as can be seen in this screenshot. Does this indicate that my HGT files are are faulty?

My guess would be some faulty terrain textures laid down on standard terrain (DM is basically a 4 x 4 tile snapshot of a larger area). I would try renaming your route's MixMap folder, start the sim and enter your route from its origin, and before moving around, generate DM again and see if that solves things. If so, then rename your MixMap folder back to its original state.

Didn't work. So I just deleted the terrain folder (created by the new feature) in the DEM/SRTM folder. Seems like everything is back to the way it was. Bummer that it didn't work for me.

_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha wrote:

_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha wrote:Can this be done for existing routes also?

Nobody? Is it even useful for routes that aren't in the desert, Wyoming or high altitude realm, with those wide vistas, scorching sun and dry air?

Yes, any route in the US at least, and I've seen some screens from Bremen with DM in the Alps.

Hack wrote:

_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha wrote:Can this be done for existing routes also?

Nobody? Is it even useful for routes that aren't in the desert, Wyoming or high altitude realm, with those wide vistas, scorching sun and dry air?

Yes, any route in the US at least, and I've seen some screens from Bremen with DM in the Alps.

Damned brackets.

You mean the route builder messed up?

DEM is a USGS affair, so best suited for US routes I suppose. They've scanned the whole globe, and have released high resolution non-US data to the CIA only?
AFAIK there is no open to the public European counterpart.

Am i right it is best suited for route builders starting a new route, DEM for the terrain shaping and Google Earth for the texturing and asset placement?
If some sort of automatic DEM integration and Google Earth tiling was possible, people could whip up a bare tabletop route in no time.
But as you've explained, there are lots of hoops, hurdles, barriers to take, ruts and ravines to avoid, etc. etc.

With viewing distance and the game's "event horizon" in resource management having to be balanced against asset density and LOD's and viewport culling, it is a highly technical subject.
Marc, you are aware of the same discussion going on in Open Rails, with about the same problems? Your WP looks quite good with a greater clear view distatance, but hazy mountains also have a certain charm in suggesting that far beyonder.

I think in your Mojave WIP it does make a spectacular difference with those distant mountains, but as with all eyecandy that tastes sweet, you want more of it everytime.