Fixed US Tracks Released

[zbobg]

I've released my fixed US track files. Should be filename RSUStk01.zip in the Train-Sim.com library. Just now uploaded so it should be available soon.

From the readme:

RSUStk01.zip v1.0
24 Feb 2008
Fixed US track for Kuju RailSim. Requires US Cajon route to have been installed.

Adds missing buffers, missing switch stands, corrects textures and cross-sections. Contains backup of original files.

This is a set of fixed US track files for the Kuju Rail Simulator. It is intended
for use with the Mk1 upgrade and should not break a route that already has used any of the US track objects.

The original track files with the exception of the Mainline track object are missing or contain errors or omissions that results in track that is unsuitable for use in a route. This archive contains a hacked set of track files for track02 (Mainline Yard), track03 (Mainline unused), track04 (yard) and track05 (Yard slack) track objects.

This modification adds the missing buffers, adds the missing manual switch stands, corrects the junction texture color error and corrects the errors in track cross-sections.

Detail of the corrections:
All track cross-sections are now identical correcting visual appearance.
All track now includes the automatic US buffers at the track ends.
All manual junctions now have a switch stand.
Track02 (Main Yard) now has a proper cross-section.
Track02 display name changed to avoid a menu conflict.
Track04 (yard) and track05 (Yard slack) junctions now have improved texture color.

Install this package only if:
1. You have the US Cajon route installed.
2. You have installed the Mk1 upgrade.
3. You have not installed any later upgrade (Mk2).
4. You have not already modified your track files.

Pics below: Before on the left. After on the right. From left to right is track01 (Main), track02 (Main Yard), track03 (Main unused), track04 (Yard) and track05 (Yard unused). Particularly note the 'flat' cross-section of track02 before modification.

[t1metraveller]

Thanks, zbobg. Great work!

Bill

[zbobg]

I have also just uploaded today a replacement Trackrule for the US SanB_Bars_Yard trackrule. It should be RSUStr01.zip available in the Train-Sim.com library soon. It adds the missing switch stands to the yard track set.

I meant this corrected file to be included with the previous corrected track files but I forgot it. It may be just as well that the two modifications are separate, modifying the track rule changes more than just one track characteristic.

From the readme:

RSUStr01.zip v1.0
Fixed US Yard Trackrule for Kuju RailSim. Requires US Cajon route to have been installed.

Adds missing switch stands for US Yard Trackrule.
Contains backup of original files.

This is a fixed US trackrule file for the Kuju Rail Simulator. It is intended
for use with the Mk1 upgrade and should not break a route that already has used any of the US track objects.

The original yard trackrule file is missing the switch stands for manual junctions.
This archive contains a hacked yard trackrule file that enables manual junction switch stands for track04 (yard) and track05 (Yard slack) track objects.

Detail of the corrections:
All manual junctions now have a switch stand.

Install this package only if:
1. You have the US Cajon route installed.
2. You have installed the Mk1 upgrade.
3. You have not installed any later upgrade (Mk2).
4. You have not already modified your track files.

This modification is compatible with the RSUStk01.zip archive which corrects the US track files.

[nikos1]

Thanks, downloading now:)
did you have any luck finding how to adapt the snow textures to the US tracks, thats really been driving me nuts almost to the point of not playing KRS.

[jeffmorris]

zbobg, do your fixed track files fix the problems with the textures on junctions?

[zbobg]

jeffmorris asked: Do your fixed track files fix the problems with the textures on junctions?

Yes. The junction texture color of the yard track is now changed to be more like the rest of the track. All of these modified tracks still inherit the faults of the sim itself and the faults of the Mk1 upgrade which is mostly the flickering junction texture and a moire effect of junctions. That cannot be easily fixed, it is a shader problem and is built into the sim graphic engine. RSDL has acknowledged that the problem exists and apparently has plans to fix it in the next upgrade.

nikos1: I made a conversion of the track04 (Yard) to a snow covered version suitable for winter use. It took about two hours. It didn't look too bad. I haven't decided yet whether to convert any others.

I spent another two hours converting the scrub02 texture (used as the default US terrain texture) to a winter snow version. I spent another two hours creating a new terrain.bin file with combined EU and US textures. This was designed to reside in its own folder to be used by a route instead of the standard terrain in the EU or US folder. I intend to add converted US winter textures as I have time. Did you know that there are no winter textures in the Cajon route or US content? The reason I wanted a separate folder instead of directly modifying the EU or US files is because I think it's a bad thing to modify the stock terrain.bin files. So, once I had a separate terrain.bin file and a winter scrub02 texture I hacked my route blueprint and the routes.xml file and, after a couple of crashes, I got my route to run with a nice snow covered scrub02 terrain.

Ok, so why do I want winter US textures? My route is a desert + mountain route that starts at 7500 feet (2400 meters). They have snow there in the winter so I wanted snow textures. At this time I've pretty much abandoned the project of converting the (non-duplicated) US textures to winter textures - too many textures, too much work. I also pretty much abandoned doing snow textures for the US track as well. Converting the US track to have snow textures doesn't add much usefulness to the sim.

Finally I hacked my route once again to replace the US track with the Bath track and created a new set of trackrules for that track. I've decided to use only the existing EU winter textures with a very few US texture exceptions which I will convert to winter textures.

Here's a pic of the dirty snow on the scrub02 US texture. Not very happy with it especially the color, the sim apparently applies a median function on the textures giving the snow a brownish cast, note the unconverted green-scrub on the middle-right. This is very early in development so not much scenery.

[Railcoyote]

zbobg, I'm going to be honest, here, I'm quite content with the new track textures for Cajon and in fact I definitely am going to keep these textures for the route.. at least the route does look a bit more like the real thing.

Also a side note about Snow in the Cajon pass. the Summit of the Pass for the BNSF Main Rail line sits at about 3,822 feet, (1,165m), some 300 feet (91.44 m), lower than the summit for the I-15 freeway which crest the top of the hill at about 4,190 ft.( 1,277 m). Snow does occur but usually not down to the 3800 foot level (unless the winter storm is severely cold, else it's usually rain.

Also I have seen what the new route looks like for the new 3rd main line for BNSF/UP.(which brings it up to date).. You can view the photos here:

http://www.trainmaster.ch/cajon-01.htm (Page1)
http://www.trainmaster.ch/cajon-02.htm (Page2)
http://www.trainmaster.ch/cajon-03.htm (Page3)
http://www.trainmaster.ch/cajon-04.htm (Page4)

and here's a simple map that shows the new layout.

http://www.trainmaster.ch/X-569.htm

But as for the tracks? I'll keep the new ones until something better comes along.

Rail Coyote--

[JBrownCS]

Railcoyote,
You can find a pdf file showing the new 3rd main on Cajon here: http://rapidshare.com/files/95933825/Cajon_3MT.zip.html

It may help you with your new route.

[zbobg]

I live about 50 miles west of Cajon pass (on the west coast) so I'm familiar with the weather there. It usually snows in the pass once or twice in the winter although it doesn't stay on the ground much more than a day. In the thirty years I've lived here it has snowed on the coast (only) three times although only once has the snow much stuck to the ground more than a couple of hours. I think it has snowed in San Bernardino but that is also very rare. It just gets really really cold in Barstow.

Last year was the driest year in recorded history here in SoCal. I think we got 1.5 inches of rain for the whole year here on the coast. This year has been above average rainfall and it has snowed at least twice down to 3000 feet. The road through the pass has closed twice overnight this year because of the snow although I think there was no more than about one inch of snow on the ground. California drivers don't know how to drive on snow covered roads and it's complicated by the fact that the freeway there has a very steep long grade.

So, yes, it does snow in Cajon Pass. If gas was not so expensive and the traffic wasn't so bad (the 91 freeway) I might sometime go out and get some snow pictures. The desert and the pass are quite beautiful with snow on them.

I think the winter season is mostly over for this year though, yesterday it was bright and sunny and 72F here on the coast.

[nikos1]

zbog, it would be great if you could redo the track and other cajon objects to they would work in winter properly, i tried and all i did was make myself frustrated.
how did you edit the tracks to allow for the winter texture, i searched all the files in RS_tools for a the winter texture script and couldnt find a thing. i was just planning on copying over a texture from one of the UK tracks with a little modification but if you are totally redoing it that is even better.

[zbobg]

OK! OK! I'll do the set of US track winter textures today. I'm not sure they'll be useful for anything though. Without US winter terrain textures US winter track textures look very out of place in a US content route. You need to use the EU terrain and scenery content to get winter scenery textures, and if you do that you might as well use EU track.

[nikos1]

i beg to differ, i have been creating a US route mixing the US track and some objects with the European terrain and scenery. The US has more than deserts ya know ;)
and using the UK track wouldnt look right as they use different types of ties, rail clips, etc.
remember if you make it, someone will use it:)

[zbobg]

US track snow textures and modified files is complete. It still has to be packaged and I need to very carefully check the files so I don't miss one or get one too many. Pic #1 and #2 are track01, 02, 03, 04 and 05 from left to right.

The snow textured tracks look good but it's going to be a permanent change. There's no winter textures in the US content (Cajon), what that means is that if you install these snow tracks and you choose a winter scenario in the Cajon route it's going to look strange - see pics #3 and #4.

I need to think carefully about installation and possible un-installation of these track files so it'll be a day or two before it appears in the library.

I'm kind of behind with these files because I bought a new LCD monitor on Friday, the Samsung 226CW 1680x1050, and I've been trying it out all weekend. Notes: Colors are VERY saturated, almost too much and very nearly the same levels as my Sony Trinitron CRT and with nearly perfect color accuracy - very impressive. The panel is way too bright, I've got it set to 40% - amazing. Whites are very white and the black is really black (not that ugly purple). Not very much banding but if you look hard it's there (I hate 6-bit panels). There is some ghosting but you have to work hard to see it. Text is absolutely excellent. DVD Movies (and ATSC TV from internal tuner) are very very good - the best I've seen on any LCD. And not one stuck or dead pixel - I guess I'll keep it.

[nikos1]

your my hero! :)
Thanks a bunch for doing this, now i can enjoy my route in winter as well as summer without the tracks being the wrong texture. As for winter scenario's, i really think the benefits out weigh the problems as really in KRS you can run Cajon in any season and it will look the same.
do you think you could post how you made these conversions as i would love to know so i could convert some more of the items myself, as im sure your not planning on updating all the 100's of Cajon items.