[SVRy_Steve]

I know this is some kind of heresy, but I really don't mind the present RE a bit. I've been using it since shortly after MSTS came out and have created several "personal" routes, along with the SVRy (with Tim and a couple other folks). I rarely have trouble with it (knock on wood) and can actually say creating scenes to run through is my favorite part of the sim. I'd guess I've spent more time in the RE than in the actual sim!

That's not to say it couldn't be improved, but the basic way it works seems just fine to me. I'd love to see a finer mesh to the ground grid, the ability to paint on the tiles would be nice as well. A higher resolution, larger editing window would be very welcome!

Just my 2 quarters worth (inflation makes 2 cents useless!)

Steve

[Lindsayts]

 SVRy_Steve, on 16 December 2013 - 09:30 AM, said:

I know this is some kind of heresy, but I really don't mind the present RE a bit. I've been using it since shortly after MSTS came out and have created several "personal" routes, along with the SVRy (with Tim and a couple other folks). I rarely have trouble with it (knock on wood) and can actually say creating scenes to run through is my favorite part of the sim. I'd guess I've spent more time in the RE than in the actual sim!

That's not to say it couldn't be improved, but the basic way it works seems just fine to me. I'd love to see a finer mesh to the ground grid, the ability to paint on the tiles would be nice as well. A higher resolution, larger editing window would be very welcome!

Just my 2 quarters worth (inflation makes 2 cents useless!)

Steve

Its not heresy, the major problem with the current route editor is its unreliability, it has to be used with care to avoid losing work. This has put a LOT of potential creators off. It would help if some of the automated features were better (or existed at all), things such as a decent linear objects tool for fences etc and a more general parralel objects tool, for row crops and anything running next to the railway.

It will NEVER be easy to create a decent route, but an improved editor would help markedly.

Now I do not like putting pressure on anyone and I apolgise to the developers for this pressure but the main reason for creating this thread was to try and indicate the importance of SOME kind of reliable editor sooner rather than latter.

Lindsay

[dcarleton]

While we eagerly await the creation of OR route development tools in a future phase of the project, the OR development team does not need to be distracted with creating an MSTS route editor at this time.

On the other hand - The addition of a feature to OR that can tweak the positional data of objects in MSTS routes should be a priority. Here is just one reason why:

OR does not handle data the same way that MSTS does, and that's a good thing most of the time. One exception has to do with tree regions. The OR development team does not have access to the equation that MSTS uses to place trees within tree regions; so trees will end up in places where they should not be, such as in the middle of the tracks. Of course we can open up the route in the MSTS route editor and move the regions around, but it would be better if we could see the trees as OR would place them. It would be a trade-off. Rather than having the OR team put their time and effort into figuring out how to keep the MSTS trees off of the OR tracks (a fools errand if there ever was one), instead there could be a "Maintenance-of-Way" or "Civil-Engineering" tool set that would allow the end user to make simple adjustments to the scenery objects and arrange them to their liking.

[Simon E]

There Are Some places where a CAD-like approach would be great. For Example a "Station Platform shape Editor"

(An Example of this would be a two track station with an Island type platform, which is Straight up and down at one side, but is quite curved at it's other side. (There is a lot of these around the world) I was thinking of looking directly straight down in Google Earth of the Station in Question, And it just involves a CAD-Vector type affair, where you can get the platform(s) lengths, and curvatures correct, (The buildings on it, and the fences are another matter) You draw the correct shape, curve length and width of the platform, in an "adobe Illustrator-type or CAD" affair, and you can texture it, and put whatever fences, buildings (If it has any) in afterwards. So I think a "Station Platform shape Editor" is a good feature to put into an ORTS Route editor. Some thing that current Simulator lack. I have seen people struggle with this, including myself, it is a real pain in the bottom to get it right.

I have lots more Ideas to place in an editor, stay tuned. This one is just a pet peeve of mine. I don't think It would take much to implement. I would not mind having a go at it, I am getting familiar with ORTS source code. And I want to get involved now. We would need Exporters for Blender and/or gmax to pull off this feature.

I was thinking "how would I create an ORTS Route Editor?" This is one feature, that I would make sure that I include in so said Route editor.

I have lots more ideas. I probably should write them all down. This is only one of the features that I think should be in a ORTS Route Editor.

Simon.

This post has been edited by Simon E: 23 March 2014 - 09:38 AM