[Csantucci]

Maybe a frame could only reduced and not completely removed, to avoid tree branches above the tracks. A good compromise could be having a planting area defined as follows

       var plantingArea = area - new Vector3(size.X / 2, 0, size.X / 2 ); 

[James Ross]

Well, the planting area should be adjusted to match MSTS... that's what the testing is needed for. :whistling:

[Csantucci]

As I believed to remember, comparison tests MSTS-ORTS have already been done, and reports can be found in these threads:
http://www.trainsim....ng+trees+tracks
http://www.elvastowe...s-on-the-track/
They are related to versions starting from 1483. In that period the forest area had no tree-free frame around it as far as I can see in the code. As reported, it comes out that in such situation OR in principle behaves as MSTS (minus about 1.5m as written here below), and in both simulations tree branches can partially extend over the forest area. Jtang affirms that probably MSTS does not plant trees within a frame of 1.5 meters around the forest limits. This is similar to my proposal of a tree-free frame of half the width of the tree (this would prevent branches to extend outside the forest limits).

But what remains different between OR and MSTS is the allocation of the single trees; so, if a modification like my proposal is committed, Guilford309 that started this tread will be very happy, but I'm quite sure that there will be someone complaining about trees on the track. So, due to the fact that building a simulator that declares to accept MSTS contents generates some extra burdens that not always lead to the most elegant solutions, I remain of the idea that it is necessary to accept a route-related flag that defines if a larger frame is needed or not around forests.

[James Ross]

I've just gotten rid of all the weird hacks in OR for forests, so they should be behaving much more like MSTS regarding area covered, etc., but obviously the exact placement of each tree still won't match.

[James Ross]

Csantucci, on 17 April 2014 - 07:17 AM, said:

Jtang affirms that probably MSTS does not plant trees within a frame of 1.5 meters around the forest limits.

I played with forests in the MSTS editor and could not see any such exclusion around the edge - trees would happily go right up to the edge with their branches hanging over the boundary.

[Guilford309]

Quick Question,
Was this adjusted in the latest ORTS_X? I did note that now the trees are on the tracks after doing the trick awhile ago having the boundary itself go over the tracks to bring the trees as close as possible. Before, the trees were not on the tracks, today a quick run, and trees were on the tracks. Hmm.

[charland]

Hi Shawn,

I think this is back to normal now, when I placed the forests in the Bellows Falls area I placed them in RE just as I always have and that's where they turned out in OR.,, or at least where the forest limits were... they went shoved back away from the right of way.

Paul :-)

[Guilford309]

Thank goodness! Now my treelines along the Crawford Notch area, will no longer look funky because of the pushed back feature we previously had! :shock6:

[eric from trainsim]

When I did some testing on this ages ago, it wasn't clear if the boundary defined where the edge of the tree texture had to end, or if it defined where the center axis of the tree could be placed.

I don't have the codebase installed anymore, so can someone tell me what is it doing now?

[charland]

It's working just about the same as it would be in MSTS again. The centers of the trees will be inside the box, you might get some branches sticking out just as you would in MSTS. For a while OR would move the box away from the tracks, but it's back to you see what you get when you place the forest in RE.

I'm in X2194.

Paul :-)

[James Ross]

What Paul says is right; we're planting trees with their centres right up to the boundary of the forest region, so they may overhang beyond that edge, same as MSTS.

[SVRy_Steve]

:sign_thanks:

Once I can slow down on projects around our new home, I'll get back into the RE and this will make it a really more pleasant experience!

Steve