Route Information

[Technical Numpty]

Hi Gang!!

I'm a BVE newbie, having only just recently discovered this excellent sim. However, the bug has bitten and bitten hard, and I am now looking at the practicalities of creating my own route.

The problem that I have is that I don't know where to go to get detailed maps of the route, together with track information (e.g. curve radius and the like). Beyond blagging with 1:25000 scale OS maps and a copy of Mainline Gradient Profiles, I'm stuck!!

Any ideas or guidance would be very greatly appreciated.

Technical Numpty

[Thefrog3]

hello
seam's you come from MSTR? :)
As far I know there is no map and no graphic builder now,
routes are a text script (*.rw or *.csv) that calls rendered
3D objets and bmp's.
there is some web pages with instructions for make or build a route
http://members.aol.com/bvehelper is one that I remenber know
or perhaps you be "patient",
and wait the release of routebuilder.
Also forget about just copying or modify a route,objets etc...
without permision of the author
route are free but copyrighted and more.
I hope this will help.
I 'm very newby here.So,there could be more ideas for you from
other members.

[retro_kid]

There is no visual interfaced route builder available, but if you can wait until Easter monday then Uwe Post is releasing his routebuilder. More information can be found at: http://www.bve-routes.com/routebuilder.php

..::Retro Kid::..

[Technical Numpty]

Thanks Guys!!

I am aware of the copyright and software issues related to route-building for BVE, and will cross that bridge when I get to it.

What I am trying to do at the minute is to create an authentic and accurate route, with correct distances, gradients and curve radiuses (radii?). So that I can do this, I am trying to track down an accurate scale map or route data that will allow me to accurately simulate the route itself. At present, all I have are Ordnance Survey maps which, while good for distances, do not allow me to accurately measure and recreate the shape and radius of the curves. Objects, scenery and the like can follow later.

What I would like to know is what sources of information other route builders use for this early stage.

Ta!!

Technical Numpty

[retro_kid]

There are many sources, but the main one you havnt got is a "Cab Ride" video. There are cab ride video's for most main routes, and a lot of smaller ones too, shame though that I cannot remember which company's produce them. But these are a great source of help. You also should aquire a "Quail" map of your route (dont quote me on that spelling).

..::Retro Kid::..

[Piccadilly_Line]

Mackoy's guides translated may be a little dodgy but do help a lot once you've got started. IIRC Tim Corbett did a more readable guide, don't know where it's avalible from though. Quail is also reccomended. OS maps help both for curves and scenery. Object building, I reccomend you start by messing round with values in other objects and seeing their effects.

For route building you will need :

1x copy BVE
1x copy Track Viewer
1x copy desired text editor
1x copy Structure Viewer
1x copy Mirror
1x copy Object Converted
1x copy desired graphics editor
1x copy Irfan View (graphics manipulator)
1x copy WinRAR (Winzip but a lot better, for distribution)

Hope i've not missed anything...

You could use Route Builder if you wanted... but handcoding is a lot moore flexible and optimised. Plus it's a lot easier to learn than people (some of which havnt' tried learning it) say.

--
Tom Beevers
http://brj.rr.nu

[Piccadilly_Line]

Oh, http://www.multimap.com will save the cost of an OS map (£5 IIRC)

--
Tom Beevers
http://brj.rr.nu

[Thefrog3]

ok, misunderstood your ask,
you are cherching for geographical maps
of a real route.
perhaps general topographics? maps, but there are expesives
but indicate the altitude,and are very accurate.
Get a map of a train company could be difficult
because security reason, I guess.

[tof63]

>
>For route building you will need :
>
>1x copy BVE
>1x copy Track Viewer
>1x copy desired text editor
>1x copy Structure Viewer
>1x copy Mirror
>1x copy Object Converted
>1x copy desired graphics editor
>1x copy Irfan View (graphics manipulator)
>1x copy WinRAR (Winzip but a lot better, for distribution)
>
>Hope i've not missed anything...
>

Ho YES, Tom, you have missed a very big lot of patience! :D


>Plus it's a lot
>easier to learn than people (some of which havnt' tried
>learning it) say.

This is really true! You only have to don't discourage yourself! ;-)

Luigi Cartello
http://web.tiscali.it/lcartello/

[Routemaster J]

I borrow OS maps from my Uni library, they have the full set covering the ENTIRE UK! Nobody ever borrows them really, (Thank you Imperial College London!) so they are always there when i want them, and of course My Master A-Z Street Atlas for finer detail!

So why not try looking for some in your local library?

[Piccadilly_Line]

Apologies Luigi, it should really be :

>1x copy BVE
>Large Dollop of Patience
>1x copy Track Viewer
>Large Dollop of Patience
>1x copy desired text editor
>Large Dollop of Patience
>1x copy Structure Viewer
>Large Dollop of Patience
>1x copy Mirror
>Large Dollop of Patience
>1x copy Object Converter
>Large Dollop of Patience
>1x copy desired graphics editor
>Large Dollop of Patience
>1x copy Irfan View (graphics manipulator)
>Large Dollop of Patience
>1x copy WinRAR (Winzip but a lot better, for distribution)
>Another Large Dollop of Patience


--
Tom Beevers
http://brj.rr.nu

PS Piccadilly v3 screenys shortly!

[alex_farlie]

>I borrow OS maps from my Uni library, they have the full set
>covering the ENTIRE UK! Nobody ever borrows them really,
>(Thank you Imperial College London!) so they are always
>there when i want them, and of course My Master A-Z Street
>Atlas for finer detail!
>
>So why not try looking for some in your local library?

Another source to conisder looking for if modelling a real-line
is to try and find archive sources relating to that line.

Whilst Modern ELD's may be unobtainble, the plans from 1800(and
whatever) may be in archive sources now. To build a railway
properly in the Victorian Era took a lot of paperwork, and happily
a propotion of this survies to the present day.

Archive collections may also hold non-'offical' sources such
as the railway publications and press cuttings of the time..

In additon to archive sources, there is of course the Internet
which you are obviously aware of..:-)

Alex