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auto numbering? an idea Rate Topic: -----

#1 User is offline   stlsf4003 

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Posted 06 November 2019 - 07:10 PM

So as y'all know, the two big name's in train siming right now (Trainz 2019, Trainsim 20xx) have had one form or another of auto numbering system over the years now.

I was thinking if it would be possible to pull something like that off with OR?

For one thing, you would no longer need to make more then one locomotive or rolling stock model to add multiple road number's to the pack, thus saving on space in the file and hard drive.

Basically, you can represent an entire locomotive class with a single model.

Just food for thought.

#2 User is offline   ebnertra000 

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Posted 07 November 2019 - 04:02 AM

Wouldn't every unit of a given class be weathered exactly the same if they were based on the same model?

#3 User is offline   scottb613 

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Posted 07 November 2019 - 04:33 AM

View Poststlsf4003, on 06 November 2019 - 07:10 PM, said:

So as y'all know, the two big name's in train siming right now (Trainz 2019, Trainsim 20xx) have had one form or another of auto numbering system over the years now.

I was thinking if it would be possible to pull something like that off with OR?

For one thing, you would no longer need to make more then one locomotive or rolling stock model to add multiple road number's to the pack, thus saving on space in the file and hard drive.

Basically, you can represent an entire locomotive class with a single model.

Just food for thought.


Hi Folks,

While skeptical of auto numbering - as every car will be a clone and the number panel will need to blend with the paint - I am so with you on eliminating multiple models...

It's absolutely nuts that we need to create and edit a shape every time we need a new texture for a model...

Take a page from Flight Sim - each group of textures for an aircraft paint is located in its own sub-directory (Texture.1, Texture.2, Texture.3) and the config file (wag/eng) simply defines each paint calling the corresponding texture directory... We also have a fallback capability - where - if the texture isn't found in the specified directory - it will fallback to a common directory - so your individualized texture directories only contain those textures unique to that aircraft... Way better...

Regards,
Scott

#4 User is offline   wacampbell 

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Posted 07 November 2019 - 06:17 AM

View Postscottb613, on 07 November 2019 - 04:33 AM, said:

Take a page from Flight Sim - each group of textures for an aircraft paint is located in its own sub-directory (Texture.1, Texture.2, Texture.3) and the config file (wag/eng) simply defines each paint calling the corresponding texture directory... We also have a fallback capability - where - if the texture isn't found in the specified directory - it will fallback to a common directory - so your individualized texture directories only contain those textures unique to that aircraft... Way better...


What a simple solution - so many advantages. Sharing the shape file across repaints is good use of GPU resources. It makes distributing repaints easy - just provide the reskin folder and an eng/wag file. It would be nice to extend it to scenery as well somehow - for example a house could be skinned in multiple colors but share a single shape file.

As for car numbering, I also agree its worth doing something. Railworks has a method that works well, but can be improved. I'll have to think more on that.

#5 User is offline   conductorchris 

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Posted 07 November 2019 - 10:18 AM

I don't know anything about these things, but it seems like these changes in directory structure should be simple programming, no?
We could shift assignment of texture to the .sd file or .wag/.eng file and default back to the .s file if nothing is listed in the .sd/.wag/.eng file.

This sort of change might go along with allowing multiple TRAINSET folders or even more radical configurations.

Christopher

#6 User is offline   stlsf4003 

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Posted 07 November 2019 - 01:05 PM

View Postebnertra000, on 07 November 2019 - 04:02 AM, said:

Wouldn't every unit of a given class be weathered exactly the same if they were based on the same model?


I'ed think the only to get around that issue would be to do as a few Trainz modeler's are doing and included a system that would allow the end user to select form a pre-installed list of weathering options.

Though the elephant in the room will be trying to get this to work with a consist editor like TSRE5. Due to the fact that Railworks and Trainz never had any use for something that clunky and just use's a much simpler in game system of placing the engine/rolling stock on the route while in game and just pressing play.

#7 User is offline   bobwdude 

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Posted 19 November 2019 - 02:30 PM

It's been a while since I've posted on here - I was away from my PC for a few months while living abroad (thankfully getting to ride plenty of trains!).

I've had several thoughts about various autonumbering/auto livery application for OpenRails after watching what TS20XX and TSW have done. I think this is in the same vein as what Scott was saying in post #3:

Each locomotive/car could have a "default" paint scheme which would use would then have an autonumber applied. However, an if an alternate paint scheme that is defined for the selected autonumber, OpenRails would then apply that paint scheme and any related child objects to the model. This would then allow for both standard "fleet" units that could utilize the "default" scheme as well as unique paint schemes for specific road numbers. Also, by having OpenRails select the number (and consequently, the livery), it would give more variety and offers the opportunity for a unique or special paint schemes to appear by chance in the sim. When I create/modify activities and add in heritage paint schemes on trains, I find that "knowing" that a certain locomotive is coming greatly diminishes the excitement and enjoyment of actually seeing it. Overall, I think that having some feature like this would greatly simplify the amount of unique models individuals need in their libraries to have varied sets of equipment, while maintaining the "unique" liveries that many members of the community work hard to make.

To give an example: Amtrak has a large fleet of ACS-64s. For the most part, they all look and weather the same, so a "default" paint scheme would not look out of place. Currently, there are exceptionally unique paint schemes - unit 642 wears a Veteran's livery and 606 wears a promotional Coca Cola livery. Let's say I have a consist with an ACS-64. When loading into the sim, the ACS is autonumbered. If the sim happens to select 642 or 606 as the unit's number, it will then apply its number specific livery. Otherwise, it will simply apply the "default".

#8 User is online   Genma Saotome 

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Posted 24 November 2019 - 10:51 AM

View Postscottb613, on 07 November 2019 - 04:33 AM, said:

Hi Folks,

It's absolutely nuts that we need to create and edit a shape every time we need a new texture for a model...

Scott


You don't need to do that. For some years now I've been uncompressing .s files of cars and locomotives and editing teh names of some of the .ace files, specifically the ones that identify the car or locomotive AND have some generic name. The new .ace file name is based on this identifier (e.g., Carbody.ace gets renamed to ATSF_123456.ace). The original .ace file is also renamed. If I need to the .eng or .wag file is also renamed.

Having done this to all of the .s files in all of their folders their files are moved to a single new folder (typically called named for either the class or number series of whatever it contains (e.g., XM_CNW_USRA_SS -- XM is the old AAR code for merchandise boxcar). At this point if I want to add additional instances of the model I copy/rename one of the .s files and the unique textures for it, edit the .s file .ace names again as needed for the new instance, and create new artwork to replace the unique textures. Done. No model editing is needed and 99% of the work is making the new art.

It's also handy that everything is in one place in those instances when I want to copy the lot over to a different mini-route environment. Fewer folders in \trainset as well.

#9 User is offline   darwins 

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Posted 26 November 2019 - 10:12 AM

Without weathering the kind of numbers I might use look something like this
https://i.imgur.com/KGQYuQr.jpg
can such fonts be used by auto number systems?
Also when I think about different models for different locos, there were often variations within a class - different safety valves, replacement chimney, one with train brakes and one without and so on.So when making different models I often look for variations within a class and not just different numbers.I suspect we are still some way off interchangeable parts, although the ability to have multiple freight anims in OR is brilliant and could be used to add different "extras"... in fact could be used for things like chimney, dome, safety valves without changing the boiler and wheels.

#10 User is offline   ErickC 

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Posted 29 November 2019 - 06:39 PM

You don't have to make copies of the shape file. Just call it from a remote location and OR will load textures from whatever folder the wag or eng file is in. That said, a system like MSFS would be nice. I end up making several instances of models just so that each folder can have multiple paints in it (usually 8 or 12).

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