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Post by ttran on Feb 26, 2006 4:11:10 GMT
What's stopping you from getting MSTS Joe?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2006 9:22:47 GMT
Because the last time I've used it on my computer, it wouldn't uninstall properly, and I had to go into each MTST related folder and delete everything from there - very irritating. Also, the graphics were very jerky.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2006 10:41:41 GMT
That's the main reason I prefer BVE to MSTS, although I may have to reconsider that when the District Line for MSTS is released.
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Post by ttran on Feb 28, 2006 11:11:50 GMT
Well Joe, I've got MSTS and BVE and I must admit I threw in the towel with MSTS a while ago now. Amazingly enough I used to actually develop stuff for MSTS but nah, I prefer BVE. To be honest though, I've actually got into Flight Sim 2002 again recently! SHOCK HORROR  |
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Post by CSLR on Feb 28, 2006 11:46:03 GMT
I've actually got into Flight Sim 2002 again recently! SHOCK HORROR The post of ttran got me thinking what would happen if we swapped the conventional flight deck on Flight Sim for a tube train cabin. Although it could be quite interesting to bring a Piccadilly Line train into land at terminal 5, I wonder what would happen if I threw the reverser switch on a 1938 stock at 30,000 feet? |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2006 21:36:41 GMT
I've actually got into Flight Sim 2002 again recently! SHOCK HORROR The post of ttran got me thinking what would happen if we swapped the conventional flight deck on Flight Sim for a tube train cabin. Although it could be quite interesting to bring a Piccadilly Line train into land at terminal 5, I wonder what would happen if I threw the reverser switch on a 1938 stock at 30,000 feet? Some nasty turbulence probably! ;D |
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DrJimi
Virtual District Line construction engineer and arborist
Posts: 365
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Post by DrJimi on Mar 3, 2006 2:09:59 GMT
Thanks to ADW and Motorman Jim, I got some data about a building I wanted to replicate, as it's a noticable landmark. Hopefully the location is recognisable... GOING SOUTH  GOING NORTH  Bridge 31b (Lower Richmond Rd) is now under construction, on the way to Kew Gdns. Best, Jimi |
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Post by chris on Mar 3, 2006 7:55:13 GMT
Thats the Homebase approaching Richmond, and since i've never been there in my life you've done a damn good job of it!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2006 9:33:28 GMT
The pics from the virtual DR are amazing!! Especially the last two. I am a total novice on simulations, I take it I can buy MSTS from an ordinary PC shop, install it and via the net install the virtual DR and the D Stock? How easy is all this to do?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2006 15:09:10 GMT
I am a total novice on simulations, I take it I can buy MSTS from an ordinary PC shop, install it and via the net install the virtual DR and the D Stock? How easy is all this to do? Alex, It's reasonably straight forward. The important thing to remember when installing add-ons (such as this route (when it becomes available) and the D78 stock - which are both excellent) is to read the readme file that comes with it. It'll tell you what to do and should mean that everything happens smoothly. That said, if it does all go 'pear shaped', theres a fair few of us here who should be able to point you in the right direction. |
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DrJimi
Virtual District Line construction engineer and arborist
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Post by DrJimi on Mar 3, 2006 17:21:00 GMT
Well said Waland. Joe Alex, in general you need to install MSTS, then install the V1.1 update. This gives you the 6 default routes and locos, etc. You will want to keep the default routes, as many 'new route' installation procedures use parts from them, these being auto-copied as required during the new route installation. That saves greatly on route kit sizes. Any new route should include a Readme which should be followed exactly.
With regards to trains, most authors - myself included- will package the kit to be installed as easily as possible. Likely just unzipping or running an install exe. Most trains will also include 'consists' which means you can go right ahead and run the train once installed. Activities should include a list of what locos or other stock is required, and may even list the UKTS file IDs so you can find/download them easily. Some trains may require other trains to be installed first as they share sounds or cab items. Our CO/CP, 38TS and 59Ts do that. The D78 is all original. Again, authors will (or should) list any such pre-requisites.
As Waland notes, there's a bunch of us on here who have accumulated some "scar tissue" can offer help or suggestions if you have problems.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2006 22:01:43 GMT
Think you'll find it was Alex who posted the question Jimi  |
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DrJimi
Virtual District Line construction engineer and arborist
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Post by DrJimi on Mar 4, 2006 0:46:23 GMT
*sigh* I apologize to both of you, and plead old advancing senility. My short-term memory is now so bad, everything I know is at least 2 weeks old ;D
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2006 1:01:59 GMT
;D No problem mate.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2006 7:51:45 GMT
*sigh* I apologize to both of you, and plead old advancing senility. My short-term memory is now so bad, everything I know is at least 2 weeks old ;D That's ok Jimi, no need to worry. The MSTS is something I'll have to look into  |
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DrJimi
Virtual District Line construction engineer and arborist
Posts: 365
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Post by DrJimi on Mar 4, 2006 22:56:04 GMT
Lower Richmond Road - Bridge 31b, facing south. Almost complete, with some more surrounding foliage and building to add.   |
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DrJimi
Virtual District Line construction engineer and arborist
Posts: 365
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Post by DrJimi on Mar 8, 2006 3:47:03 GMT
Area near the bridge is now finished. I added more buildings and foliage, and turned on a bunch of object shadows... HEADING SOUTH     HEADING NORTH   /Jimi |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2006 11:43:16 GMT
That is fantastic, Dr Jimi! I've just been trying to get some still screenshots from the official road learning DVD to compare, but sadly my PC's DVD player doesn't seem to work properly since I upgraded to SP2  However they do look ultra-realistic, and could probably be better for road learning new drivers than the DVDs! |
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DrJimi
Virtual District Line construction engineer and arborist
Posts: 365
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Post by DrJimi on Mar 8, 2006 23:45:03 GMT
Thanks Alan! They should be close - I've been using SB's videos extensively. With my 2 LCD monitor setup I can have the video on one and the MSTS editor on the other and prety much "drive the line" a bit at a time simulating what I see.
BTW, the reason I was dawdling along at 20mph, and not at a more typical 40+ approaching for the 35 PSR, was I've found taking pictures at line speed is hard! I don't now how you folks do it...
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DrJimi
Virtual District Line construction engineer and arborist
Posts: 365
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Post by DrJimi on Mar 13, 2006 3:33:35 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2006 12:10:44 GMT
Fantastic stuff Dr Jimi!! They look incredibly realistic, and when completed the virtual DR I think will be one of the most superior routes going.
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Post by chris on Mar 13, 2006 17:09:19 GMT
I have a slight concern that this line has so much detail it will run too slowly or not at all on my computer. Are these worries justified?
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DrJimi
Virtual District Line construction engineer and arborist
Posts: 365
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Post by DrJimi on Mar 13, 2006 17:23:51 GMT
An excellent question (and also asked on UKTS). The system I'm running on is an Asus A7v333 mobo, 2.8GHz Athlon XP cpu, 1GB memory and an ATI Radeon 9600 Pro video card. I have almost all of the MSTS 'detail
sliders' set to max and other effects like dynamic shadows enabled. On the section pictured, I get no lower than 24fps, rising to 40+ nearing RMD station.
While the area pictured looks (I hope) like a busy residential/commercial area, the actual scenery only extends for maybe 400m each side of the tracks. I created the buildings with 2 "layers" (near/less near), to give the impression of density, with tree lines (far) behind that thus obscure your view of "what isn't there". Given the real-life density of the DL, my construction philosophy has to be to focus on what the train Operator/passenger can see from the train - and to give that user the best experience in terms of scenery and 'land marks'. Anyone using an external camera view from a higher viewpoint would see areas of empty space where the real world isn't modeled. Using that approach keeps frame rates reasonable by limiting polys and objects. All objects are also optimized for poly count and LODs, textures are DXT1 compressed, etc. Should your system not be quite the power of mine, you can always lower the MSTS sliders, but you will then loose some of the effects I've put in. However, it will still look acceptable. Hope this helps.
/Jimi
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2006 22:03:34 GMT
Looks excellent Jimi, howevere I can't quite follow you. I get the idea you're doing Richmond - Turnham Green, but you say next to build Kew gardens I'm totally confuzzled  |
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Post by tom2506 on Mar 13, 2006 22:42:55 GMT
Dr Jimi,
I have recently downloaded your D Stock and CO/CP stock, they are great and I like how the pantograph actually opens and closes the CO/CP's doors.
I can't wait for the route to come out, looks amazing.
Tom
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DrJimi
Virtual District Line construction engineer and arborist
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Post by DrJimi on Mar 13, 2006 23:55:14 GMT
Looks excellent Jimi, howevere I can't quite follow you. I get the idea you're doing Richmond - Turnham Green, but you say next to build Kew gardens I'm totally confuzzled My construction process - which may not be logical - was first to 'sculpt' the landscape (or terrain as we call it), then to lay the trackwork from TG to RMD using various accurate data as a guide for track location and grade, signal placement, etc. Next I decided to work back from RMD building each station and its surrounding scenery. So, build RMD station, create scenery from RMD to KEW, build Kew Gdns station, then it will be scenery from Kew to GUN (Kew rail bridge already in place), then build GUN station. Scenery from there to TG is already done. I still need to finish the scenery from CPK to TG. Once all that's done, continue east from TG towards HAM, ECT, etc. Just the way I chose to do it. I like to break up the job so I'm not working on a particular type of thing for too long, so I get a bit of variety as I go. So, given the above plan, next job is to build Kew Gdns station and its surrounding buildings. This also gives me time to ponder how I'm going to fill the area around Kew rail bridge with sufficient scenery to look realistic, but not break the 'object budget' and cause single-digit frame rates  Clear as mud? Me too. I said it wasn't logical... And in case my avatar text confused you, I may be a virtual arborist, but I wasn't planning on constructing the Royal Horticultural Society locale, merely the requisite station ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2006 16:17:38 GMT
I get you, thanks Jimi ;D
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DrJimi
Virtual District Line construction engineer and arborist
Posts: 365
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Post by DrJimi on Mar 17, 2006 2:32:47 GMT
Absolutely the last screenshot of the RMD-KEW section, so you can see what happens next. You can also see from this 'altitude' how the apparent scenery density was done. From cab eye-level it works. The car spawner is also obviously functional. Heavy traffic ;D  The distinctive signal at the bottom of the shot should uniquely identify the location. It's also functional as a repeater for GB13 (starter). The road sections aimed across the tracks just this side of the buildings mark the location of where Bridge 31 (High Park Rd) goes. The square grid is used as a scale/alignment guide so I can use an overhead shot as a backdrop in TSM to build the station and platforms to scale. It also marks the platform ends at the south end. That's it for now. Next set of shots will show the bridge and Kew Gdns station - hopefully in about a week. Best, Jimi |
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Post by richardh on Mar 21, 2006 17:00:06 GMT
Looks awsome Jimi. I really can't wait for the release, whenever it may be! ;D
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DrJimi
Virtual District Line construction engineer and arborist
Posts: 365
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Post by DrJimi on Mar 23, 2006 23:53:11 GMT
There were a couple of details at RMD I needed to fix before the P-way gang moved too far away and got busy at Kew. Here's the end result. NR PSR signs now the right color and correctly placed, count-up boards (1...6) placed, signal platform telephones added.  Bridge traffic functional, assorted clutter added per recent real-life pictures  So RMD to KEW is now done - unless some eagle-eye I/Op spots a clanger ;D Meanwhile, back at Kew Gdns, the intrepid P-way gang surveys where everything has to go. First job was to build the 2 nearby bridges. Bridge 31 is the High Park Rd road bridge, and is a mix of girders and brick arches. The station footbridge is very distinctive and is (I believe) a listed structure. Both were located based on known distances from the platform ends. The road had to be torn-up and re-laid to match the bridge. "We apologize for the inconvenience".  Next the platforms were constructed and sited. Southbound is 140m, Northbound is 180m, with about a 2000m radius as the station is on a curve. The first attempt at construction using the TSM backdrop picture was close - the test train only had a few scratches from the edge nosing needing to be polished-out  A little tweaking to adjust the platform heights and the platform-to-train clearance and we're all set. The banner repeater location will be finalized once the adjacent building is in place.  Last 2 nights were spent making the textures for all the buildings and surrounding stuff -- lots of brick, slate, corrugated iron, gravel, etc. I've been looking forward to building Kew as it has so much character. The building construction is straight-forward, and starts tonight. But it'll be the textures that bring it to life. I think I'll start with the pub... More news as it happens... /Jimi |
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