[CrisGer]

I am going to test the current version of OR and wanted to ask if we can try any route that works for MSTS? i assume we will need the default routes..but hoped to try out some special custom high quality routes i have collected. thanks for the hard work on this project and i look forward to its birth. :rotfl:

[thegrindre]

The answer is basically, yes. You can try any route your heart desires, although, we are working on a handful that do raise some minor issues.
Have at it, Chris. Give it a go. :crazy:
At this stage of the game, it's best to have MSTS installed because most routes need it as well. Although, there are a small number that will run in OR without MSTS.

:rotfl:

[Lindsayts]

For most routes you will need MSTS installed, it does not really need to be working just complete. Note, there is a small number of routes that do not need MSTS but these are currently rare. The only way to see if a route works in OR is to try it. I have so far found it will handle anything you can give it, including some that give trouble in MSTS, the size of the route appears not to be an issue. If anything gives problems have a carefull look at OR's log file, OR being particularly good at finding problems in the route that often can be fixed. In this respect MSTS is some what unusual as it apparently will work around a lot of the problems in the routes files.
From my experience OR also has no real difficulty with the newer very high object count routes.

[Genma Saotome]

For the record, Open Rails does NOT need any MSTS software. It does need certain MSTS data files -- stuff like the \global\tsection.dat, \global\shapes, \global\textures, \sounds, and \trains are all necessary as well as all shapes and textures used by any given route which are, of course, in \routes.

None of the .exe or .dll files are needed, nor anything in \fonts or \gui.

The requirement to own a copy of MSTS in order to use Open Rails is due to the copyright of Kuju/Microsoft shapes and textures that are widely re-used in routes. Xtraks and Newroads have thousands of items but the basics, stuff like 100m tangents, belong to Microsoft and so it is to MSTS one must go to get them.

Replacing the Microsoft tracks and roads w/ Xtraks replacements would be a straightforward task except for all those turnouts which have animated points. I believe most, if not all cars and locomotives do have replacements available but all of the other shapes and textures that came with MSTS are, IMO, simply too numerous for us to have any realistic expectation that they too could be replaced.

[wacampbell]

Genma Saotome, on 05 June 2012 - 11:27 AM, said:

Replacing the Microsoft tracks and roads w/ Xtraks replacements would be a straightforward task .

Its been done ... The german DB Tracks system ( http://dbtracks.de/ ) seems to have a full set of replacements for the MSTS track shapes. There is even a road package as well ( although I haven't checked it out at all ).

The track is available in concrete or wood ties and it looks great....

[Jovet]

I have to say, DBTracks is exceptional. The roads are pretty basic yet, but the array of track pieces continues to grow. They shapes are modern, though, which means they are much more elaborate than the default/X-tracks shapes and so may impose performance penalties on some routes and computer systems.

[Genma Saotome]

It's nice to see well crafted track models... but it seems that the key issue of using them to get around the dependence on MS/Kuju track shapes is not limited to MS/Kuju track shapes but shifts instead Xtracks. If DBtracks replaces all of those then a route is fully upgraded... but if not... what's the use of upgrading only the MS/Kuju shapes when there are hundreds of remaining Xtracks?

Does DBTracks replace all of Xtracks too?

[Jovet]

Genma Saotome, on 06 June 2012 - 08:18 AM, said:

Does DBTracks replace all of Xtracks too?

Not yet, but that's the goal. Right now I have 1,600 X-Tracks files in my Global\Shapes folder. I have about 1,200-1,400 DBTracks files (per style) and there are currently 5 styles in development. So it's not a complete yet, but understandably that will take time.

[wacampbell]

Genma Saotome, on 06 June 2012 - 08:18 AM, said:

It's nice to see well crafted track models... but it seems that the key issue of using them to get around the dependence on MS/Kuju track shapes is not limited to MS/Kuju track shapes but shifts instead Xtracks. If DBtracks replaces all of those then a route is fully upgraded... but if not... what's the use of upgrading only the MS/Kuju shapes when there are hundreds of remaining Xtracks?

Does DBTracks replace all of Xtracks too?

It is the intent of the DB Tracks folks to provide replacements for the XTRacks shapes.

But it is not absolutely necessary to replace the XTracks - they are already in the public domain. Until we get a full set of XTrack replacements, some folks will need to mix XTracks and DB Tracks. For that there is a texture file available to make the XTracks ( and Dynamic track) look more like DB Tracks. This texture does a good job of hiding the transition.

I've replaced most of the track on my L&PS with DB Tracks. I still have a few sections of XTracks and UKFS and Dynamic track where I applied the DB Tracks texture. The overall effect looks good and eliminates one more MSTS dependancy.

[longiron]

wacampbell, on 06 June 2012 - 10:20 AM, said:

I've replaced most of the track on my L&PS with DB Tracks. I still have a few sections of XTracks and UKFS and Dynamic track where I applied the DB Tracks texture. The overall effect looks good and eliminates one more MSTS dependancy.

Wayne,
Would you be willing to share that version of L&PS for us fans?