Setting up an item of rolling stock in game

[Miniature_works]

Good evening all,

Im relatively new to these forums. I've been using TS for about 6/7 years now, and decided over the last year or so to start creating some content for myself. I took to blender and started to creates clutter items, engine sheds and some lofts.

I've recently dived into experimenting with Miniature railways in TS (Hence my user ). I have owned several 7.25 inch gauge locomotives in the past and decided this might be a fun guage to model. I took to the TS Dev documentation and created a
7.25" gauge Track loft with a cap file and middle geometry to go with. And after some hours adapting the textures, I'm really happy with it.

I then decided let's make a test carriage to see if I can do it. I made a very simple set of bogies and a basic carriage body. I textured the carriage very basically and exported the carriage to IGS format using a basic diffuse shader. I then made a small Bar coupling and also exported that. After converting all textures to Ace format I made the carriage into a scenery item using the blueprint editor. It loaded in game as expected and as it looked in blender albeit in a very basic textured format.

So my next stage was, let's setup some rail vehicle blueprints. I created to bogie blueprints one for each bogie and then created a wagon blueprint. I linked the geometry up, and determined my pivot points. Using christrains's collision calculator I then got the values to throw into the rail vehicle blueprint. After setting the coupling blueprint, I then exported into game. I loaded up the game and the vehicle was able to be spawned onto the rails. Then using the little Corris yellow shunter, I tried connecting the loco up in the scenario editor. The test carriage repelled coupling and wouldnt allow the engine to be added to form a train. However when coupling another copy of the test carriage, they happily joined. So I decided to test the loco I'd place it on the track a short distance from the carriage. Into driver I then tried easing up towards the test carriage. When getting 7-10 meters away from the carriage, it flys into the air and throws the consist tilt error

I've spent many hours checking my values and setup, and read several dev documents. Unfortunately I cannot see where I've gone wrong. I'm hoping an experienced rollingstock author will be able to offer me some pointers to possible issues that are causing the problem. Any advice or pointers will be much appreciated.

Miniature works.

[eyore]

This is a difficult one to answer but, even though you have already checked, go back over your bogie and wagon blueprints and check you have not missed a negative value. I find this to be the commonest error and surprisingly easy to miss, particularly as TS doesn't always recognise the "-" sign on the number pad.

Secondly, you say you have linked your model, have you linked your bogies to the main wagon body in your model? I avoid this, keeping the bogies as separate nodes.

Reduce the variables by using an existing coupling, just to see if that is where the error lies. Also in UKTS library is "Coupler adjustment utility" which can be helpful if you're in any doubt about your settings.

You are already using Christrains formulae which is very good, and I wouldn't be without.

Best of luck.

[SteveP_trains]

Even though you're using ChrisTrains formulae, are you using the legacy version (there are two links on the site)?

Since you are using Narrow Gauge rolling stock, I'd suggest you use the legacy version as I found that the "current" version causes problems with NG stock (- I always use this for my Ffestiniog stock.)

Main thing is that the "bounding box" must NOT go anywhere near the ground (zero coordinate) or what you describe will happen, I've found.

Regards

Steve (SPRailways)

[Miniature_works]

Phil, Steve,

Thank you both for your tips and advice.

I went back onto christrains site, and went onto the legacy calculator. I filled in the values taking measurements from my model, and took the data across into my blueprint. For a little check I then modelled the collision box in my blender file to check its position and size. The box nicely fore filled the main body of the wagon and did not dip below the bogies (good clearance from 0 on the vertical axis). So I exported the blueprint with this collision data.

I loaded up a test track and placed it onto the track, and loaded the smallest engine I have, that been Rmaxteds lister locomotives. I placed it a little way from the wagons and eased up towards them. About 5 meters away, the same thing happened, everything flew off the track. I did observe when panning around the world after the derailment, that the bogies were pivoting correctly and the wheels turning round true.

Looking at the wagon in game, it is rather small, so I'm thinking, next I will model something a tad bigger and go up to 15inch gauge and try again with exporting and setting up in game. That in keeps the miniature theme Im after. I did think was 7.25 inch gauge too small for the game to understand, so a 15 inch gauge test might help prove this.

15inch track ready for something to test. That worked first time, so theres a small amount of luck on my side

My venture to succeeding continues!

MW,

[SteveP_trains]

7.5" may well be bit small for TS!!

15" sounds a bit better and I have some 15" trackwork that you are welcome to if you want. I made for some else who was thinking of modelling the RHDR but don't think he ever pursued it.

[Miniature_works]

I did think that myself after creating the track and test carriage. Even when zoomed in within the game, the 7.25" assets didn't look to have much definition because of just how small they are.

If you were willing to share the 15" trackwork, that would be fantastic! My aim in the future would be to create the Ravenglass and Eskdale railway. Suits a very nice midway point between narrow gauge and miniature which is ultimately my main passion and inspiration in the railway world. Of course this aim is very big, especially with the level of work required. My first aim is to get some 15inch Rolling stock in game and create a small test railway to get some practice and get to grips with setting up more complicated assets etc. Hopefully if I can progress my creations, it'll be something nice and unique for the sim!

MW,

[SteveP_trains]

I'll package the track for you.
The locos for the line will be a challenge - essentially full size shrunk to 15" gauge

Send me an email at support@sprailways.co.uk and then I'll give you a link to download.

Steve

[JamesLit]

It would be feasible to create a new set of cameras with more appropriate parameters to use on a 7.25" route - but as you have found, the collisions are not something that you can work around so easily!

I definitely recommend the idea of both doubling up to 15" and considering making new cameras (very easy blueprints to do, very few parameters, you can base them on existing ones and just tweak the numbers to suit your needs for your 15" stuff).

It's not a new idea either - I remember very vividly some amazing narrow gauge stuff for MSTS made in 2x scale to fit within the constraints of the game, cameras etc. You really couldn't tell - and there wasn't the luxury of scaleable scenery, so everything from people to trees had to be made in 2x scale to fit. Steve might recall a thing or two about those days...

Good luck MW, please keep us posted. I've owned and driven many 7.25" locos, and some 15", would love to see your progress.

[SteveP_trains]

- I certainly do remember those days of 2x scaling. Kevin Martin was the first to introduce those tricks to me and while he did the Talyllyn locos, I went ahead to build the route. Landscaping for 2x scale was a challenge, if I remember.

Still it worked and was the only way we could in those early days. Then along came Railworks and the ability to create your own assets to correct scale.
I think I redid the TR route four times in that time. Two MSTS and two with Railworks/TS
It's still selling well as a download now and the proceeds have bolstered the TR this year (as well as the FR route that is available on my website)!!