[august1929]

Grandview East to West.

Original Route: Andre Ming's excellent A&O Sub available over at V SCale Creations

More or less finished around Grandview, but as ever, there are always bits to change here and there. Been trying to keep the object count down, so having gone over an area initially, then go back over removing anything not really necessary for the scene. Still been trying to follow, as far as is practical, what can be seen on Google Earth (see below).

My previous post cited framerates between 25 to 27. Still getting that in the area to the West of Grandview, and to the East, but drops to 20 to 23 in Grandview itself (depending on where you are looking - higher across the consist and away from the ends - also depends on the camera view). All this with dynamic shadows and video card set as before. Knock out the DS and the frame rartes are comfortably in the high 20s. Anything over 20 is smooth anyway.

With static consists and DS bumping along the bottom 20s. As I said though, this computer is definitely mid range now. 2 Gig processor and an old graphics card that was only ever mid range when I got it.

Going to head East next - Kings River broiler houses have fields around them, and I spotted another broiler farm on the hills on the opposite side of the river, above the track leading to Freeman - this is fun :lol:

Rod





You will see a lot of this building :rolleyes:- in different configurations though

[timmuir]

Holy Cow, Rod, these are all great screen shots! Most look like real photos of real estate, taken from a low-flying Stearman or Piper Cub. Thing is, though, now when I run the A&O it will seem like a whole 'nother railroad. :rolleyes:

[august1929]

Thank you Tim - now it would be cool to take a flight over the route in a Stearman. The modified cam views mean that greater depth of terrain is required if you are to preserve the "deception". I wouldn't want to go back to the old, more anchored views, but it would certainly restrict how far back from the tracks it is necessary to place objects :rolleyes:

My next problem is coming up with a viable solution for larger areas of forest, close to the track, without having ending up with 20fps throughout the whole route...

Rod

[timmuir]

august1929, on May 25 2008, 04:43 AM, said:

Thank you Tim - now it would be cool to take a flight over the route in a Stearman. The modified cam views mean that greater depth of terrain is required if you are to preserve the "deception". I wouldn't want to go back to the old, more anchored views, but it would certainly restrict how far back from the tracks it is necessary to place objects :rolleyes:

My next problem is coming up with a viable solution for larger areas of forest, close to the track, without having ending up with 20fps throughout the whole route...

Rod

So, instead of depth of perception, it's a matter of "depth deception" :lol:
It's a real pain, sometimes, to fill those areas in the background and not be monotonous. The same attention should be paid for those areas as the foreground areas too. 20 fps? I'd settle for that! What I like about your treatment is you've placed just enough objects to make the scene out of the ordinary, yet not over-crowded with detail like I tend to do. But then the A&O is largely a rural route, you've got that going for you! I can't wait to see how you do in the more urban areas.

[Sandy River Tom]

yet not over-crowded with detail like I tend to do.

But Tim, in the more urban area that you are building in Santa Myrnaloya, the "real-world" WAS
over-crowded with details. Look at any 1940s/50s photo of a town or city street and you'll see
storefronts with signs and sales and awnings, and streets with streetlights / fireplugs / NO PARKING
signs/parking meters, telephone poles, street lights, stoplights and cars and trucks and people,
and kids with bicycles, and mailboxes and on and on and on . . . .

I grew-up in a small town in N.E. New Jersey in the 1950s and the main street thru town
WAS a busy place.

This post has been edited by Chile Bill: 25 May 2008 - 03:12 PM
Reason for edit:: Changed font color to better visibility in all skins

[august1929]

Thank you all again for your very positive comments.

My apologies for the delay in replying;

Tim, you don't get much more urban than Grandview on this Sub :lol: - Berryville and Urbanette will be fun, but again with open field systems around, they should be fairly easy to replicate, particularly if I assume a 2008 to 1980's reduction in habitation. Berryville is already heavy on framerates with DS turned on, but I anticipate being able to thin down a lot close to the track (treeblocks etc.). Your scenes are just as busy as they should be Tim - and all the more excellent for that.

Trainsam - the smooth shots are down to ramping up the graphics card settings and running on the maximum screensize within the sim.

Work in progress...

Have moved on to the Kings River area - some shots below, but very much WIP. Some parts finalised, but the whole waiting to be drawn together. A few problems to overcome, such as areas of higher forestation, but this section, all the way to Urbanette & Berryville is firmly agricultural, with the same mix of hedges, small woods and large fields (plus the broiler houses) - pretty easy to model, except that I am trying to keep the Mosaic count down. I am therefore resorting to reusing some of the Mosaic tiles from around Grandview in the middle to far distance (still trying to match them roughly into the field patterns). I will reserve the additional Mosaic for the next but one tiles to the tracks where more are needed. Close to the track i intend to continue being as accurate as possible with field shapes, colours, objects etc. - all within reason and framerates....

First up - what this route is all about - Alcos and smoke :rolleyes: - leaving Grandview and heading east to change some terrain :o



Heading round the long right hand curve at the edge of Grandview, and starting to drop down to Kings River



Some new fields off to the left of the track, and just north of the Kings River broiler farm



Easing into the tight left hand curve that takes the line round the broiler farm and on to the Kings River trestle



A backwards shot of the curve, with the broiler farm and new field system between it and the tracks



A long shot (not very good) showing the general changes at this end, with a lot to do on the East bank of the river. Some more work to carry out on the areas of soil and sand left by the summer river levels



and forward to the East side of the river, across the trestle - more fields and some "generic" Mosaic away from the tracks.



Rod

[Chile Bill]

With great texturing like this who can ask for more.... :rolleyes:

[august1929]

Thanks Bill <_<

For those that know the route, it has taken me about 2 weeks to get from Grandview to just outside Freeman. Work is slow, but mostly pleasurable ;). Thank you very much for ongoing support.



Google Earth view of area, with Freeman bottom right, KR Trestle the big loop at the top and on to Grandview around KR Broiler farm

Another view of Kings River, with trestle in the distance.



From the East end of the trestle, looking East



and from the East end looking South



a couple reversing the above (looking North ;)





The big broiler farm you can see on the GE image



and a general view South West towards the west of Freeman.



Decisions to make the whole time. What to include/exclude/change. Aiming for the feel of the area as total accuracy is beyond the scope of this sim and my skills!

Rod

[timmuir]

Again, Rod, outstanding and inspiring work! And, "Decisions to make the whole time. What to include/exclude/change. Aiming for the feel of the area as total accuracy is beyond the scope of this sim and my skills!" - exactly my philosophy <_<

I'm looking forward to your next installment!

Thanks for sharing!