[jarpow]

It's great that OR continues to support legacy MSTS content, as it means it all gets preserved for the future.

[eric from trainsim]

Nobody is working on TSRE that I'm aware of.

Its going to take someone who understands QT components to get a new build with the existing source code, and ideally someone who can port it over to C or C# without QT to be sustainable.

I'm in general agreement that 1.4 is good enough, 1.5.1 is interesting, but really do think its time to stop tinkering and tweaking, and start investing some time in the route editor. Thats what will keep ORTS sustainable for the long term, and also keep up with whatever changes come in 2.0....

[Genma Saotome]

Jonatan, on 23 July 2023 - 11:11 AM, said:

BTW, who works on TSRE nowadays? Is Goku still with us? I hope it keeps up with the development of OR and its advancing features.

AFAIK, nobody. Goku last visited this site in Oct of last year.

[eric from trainsim]

He hasn't been on TS in over a year. He had popped into his own forum a few months back but even that is unpredictable.

[FS.E652 091]

On the issue of TSRE5, I hope that sooner or later someone will take over the situation of the editor.
Currently the TSRE5 is an incomplete program as I see it, and it is above all full of bugs, both in the creation of activities and in the construction of scenarios, above all in the laying of the signalling.. I have built sections with the TSRE5 and you don't know how many backups I have made due to the anxiety that the database files get corrupted.. besides the fact that, errors appear that I have never seen before (Superelevation disappearing, various bugs, etc.. )

Therefore, a program like Open Rails that can already work separately from the old MSTS needs a scenario editor that is stable enough and supported.

On the rest, I also think that maintaining compatibility with the current files is a must... for years I have collaborated in the construction of rolling stock, and I myself have ventured into the construction of some scenarios, and I certainly wouldn't like to have to redo everything from scratch for a new format... I would rather make the program compatible and innovative in terms of conduct and technique, then highlighting what is the graphics, the simulator will take potential advantage.

[jarpow]

Yeah. TSRE5, while a good program, has got the potential to be so much better than it currently is. I can only hope that the dev continues to work on it, or someone else (or a group of people) pick it back up.

[Jonatan]

Quote

Nobody is working on TSRE that I'm aware of.

That's a shame... Without an editor suite that can be updated and keep step alongside the sim and its functions, Open Rails is a dead end.

Simple as that.

[Eldorado.Railroad]

What I wrote at Trainsim.com:

Quote

On this side of the screen, what I see in the OP is do I continue compatibility with MSTS or not? The answer to that question is really up to you. What I will say is that any effort to upgrade your modelling skills, texturing skills, etc to 202x "standards" is greatly appreciated, at least speaking for myself and what I would download. As mentioned elsewhere, ORTS only exists because MSTS had legible file structures. ORTS only exists because original MSTS content was "made" to work in ORTS. Have other sims eclipsed MSTS in terms of visual quality, I would say yes. Have other sims been as "open" as MSTS/ORTS, the answer is a firm "NO". Do other sims allow for almost infinite modification, the answer is a firm "NO".

So when you invest your time and money, in the newer sims, you are also committing yourself to "built in" end of life. Barring creative thinking, and overcoming DRM gymnastics, all those sims are destined for the trash can, when the rights holders give up on their business model. I cannot think of any reason why I would want to do that with my time and money, especially since the costs over time are not trivial at all. So as I have mentioned so very often, be very glad that for better or for worse, MSTS had a legible file structure, that we could reverse engineer, and that thus far, copyright jurisprudence has not descended on this open source hobby of ours to kill what little joy (at times) it seems to impart. Do I hope that ORTS will move forward with OPEN standards and updated OPEN/LEGIBLE standards, I cannot think of a reason to say "I hope not".

Steve

[ErickC]

My response is "it depends."

Generally, I find that physics parameters are fairly stable except when major changes are made (for example, the "basic" diesel model used to be based on a "conventional" diesel locomotive, but the current model is based on the high-adhesion SD70ACe with ground radar and microprocessor controls, so the low speed performance is significantly different).

As I see it, one of the main problems is that often there are inconsistencies in what code developers are using, which causes a seesaw effect with certain issues. For example, you can never guarantee how alpha channels are going to render because every other build seems to cycle back and forth between code that renders smoke behind signals and code that doesn't. Similarly, there is a bug with trucks jittering to extreme angles when passing over switches that comes and goes depending on who compiled the current version of OR. The 3D cab alpha render bug has gotten steadily worse over time as the distance from the camera where 8-bit alpha parts will render correctly has decreased to 1.5m. The latest versions of OR have issues where parts disappear when the battery switch is off. Do I eliminate most of the controls in the cab and issue a patch? Will it get fixed in the next build? Will the build after that be compiled by someone else and have the bug again? Do I recompile my older models so the pivots of the window parts are within 1.5m of the eyepoint in the CVF or do I trust that this will eventually go back to the way it was in 1.3?

[pwillard]

Jonatan, on 23 July 2023 - 11:11 AM, said:

BTW, who works on TSRE nowadays? Is Goku still with us? I hope it keeps up with the development of OR and its advancing features.

Someone needs to be willing to take it over as GOKU seems to have faded away. If he's around, he's good at hiding.


It's a daunting task as GOKU did not believe in commenting on his code and expected anyone following in his footsteps to be good enough to "figure it out" which has so far not created many (or any?) takers.