I carefully considered the comments here on focus of Niagara not being of much interest and I tend to agree. Especially when I remember FYM less active regions being boring to run. I was originally going to focus on just 1 or 2 subdivisions for CN but now I believe it's all on the table. What I didn't think about is there is a good chance I've already done most of the image work 
Originally the plan was to do a FYM style photo realistic map at I believe 60M AGL and it would be uniform everywhere. The issue with this is I couldn't fly in all locations due to airport restrictions, no fly zones around the City Of Niagara Falls etc. This is especially true as I started to flirt with the 120M height (which is good for capturing more of a yard on a 1080HD screen).
The other thing I was stumped on was joining all these huge images and having a scrolling background. That I can tell you is no longer the plan. I'm still starting in Niagara and today took detailed images of Port Robinson and Fort Erie at both 120M as well as other heights.
The simulator is now going to be in the form of a 3D object on 2D surface in Unity which can be done. The benefits of this approach is less time worrying about scenery. Photo realistic imagery shot from my drone. The trains themselves will be full 3D objects. The images will be placed on real world coordinate planes. The camera locations for each scene will be represented by a still camera related to the location of the chosen background screenshots. Scenes will be both strategic and scenic depending on the location. The will also be taken at different angles.
90 degrees at 120M looing straight down at a yard to get maximum screen coverage.
Other varying heights and angles for non yard sections, flight restriction zones, approaches to signals, and railway crossings, etc.
Signal and crossing assets with lights will be added in actual positions where they appear in 3D.
24 Hour lighting will vary the brightness of the scene below (because of the lack of 3d objects there will be NO dynamic shadows).
Night time lighting will illuminate the planes prototypically along with signals and lights on the engines in 3D.
I'm going to test out some of these new concepts tomorrow with my son as it's supposed to rain here. Hopefully if it works out I'll have something to finally share later this week. The scope will not be limited to Niagara and once set up will easily be adaptable to included custom routes from anywhere around the world. I will personally be covering Southern and Central Ontario. Day trips have taken me as far west as London, ON east on the Dundas to include Hamilton, Halton Sub to Toronto, Mac Yard, York Sub, Bala Sub, Kingston Sub to Belleville. I will also be working on CP lines from Niagara through to Windsor west as well as Toronto and both CN and CP north from Toronto to Sudbury. My vacation destination is planned to be Sudbury this year where extensive drone footage is planned. I doubt I'll get the entire CP Parry Sound, and Mactier Subs, or CN Bala Sub to Sudbury done.
But here is the real good thing about all of this. The lines will be 1:1 complete networks that has not been done even in FYM. The entire Southern Ontario mainline structure from Winsor to Kingston including Toronto and Niagara will be down. As well as all tracks north to Sudbury. So regardless if I have images of every bit and piece of the system, the trains will be monitored as they travel through the networks, with or without AI, and images can be called up to as needed.
Physics as much as I would love to be perfect will likely be simplified. This is NOT a train simulator, it is a railroad transportation simulator. It's about the logistics network and enough cool scenes, yards, industries, and fun sections of mainlines.
Emmett wasn't sure about it at first but he loves the idea now and so do I. I don't see why this won't work even if the engines and cars are made of cubes until I can get Emmett to get me some models done (or he doesn't get his allowance haha - just kidding).
Thanks
Sean
Originally the plan was to do a FYM style photo realistic map at I believe 60M AGL and it would be uniform everywhere. The issue with this is I couldn't fly in all locations due to airport restrictions, no fly zones around the City Of Niagara Falls etc. This is especially true as I started to flirt with the 120M height (which is good for capturing more of a yard on a 1080HD screen).
The other thing I was stumped on was joining all these huge images and having a scrolling background. That I can tell you is no longer the plan. I'm still starting in Niagara and today took detailed images of Port Robinson and Fort Erie at both 120M as well as other heights.
The simulator is now going to be in the form of a 3D object on 2D surface in Unity which can be done. The benefits of this approach is less time worrying about scenery. Photo realistic imagery shot from my drone. The trains themselves will be full 3D objects. The images will be placed on real world coordinate planes. The camera locations for each scene will be represented by a still camera related to the location of the chosen background screenshots. Scenes will be both strategic and scenic depending on the location. The will also be taken at different angles.
90 degrees at 120M looing straight down at a yard to get maximum screen coverage.
Other varying heights and angles for non yard sections, flight restriction zones, approaches to signals, and railway crossings, etc.
Signal and crossing assets with lights will be added in actual positions where they appear in 3D.
24 Hour lighting will vary the brightness of the scene below (because of the lack of 3d objects there will be NO dynamic shadows).
Night time lighting will illuminate the planes prototypically along with signals and lights on the engines in 3D.
I'm going to test out some of these new concepts tomorrow with my son as it's supposed to rain here. Hopefully if it works out I'll have something to finally share later this week. The scope will not be limited to Niagara and once set up will easily be adaptable to included custom routes from anywhere around the world. I will personally be covering Southern and Central Ontario. Day trips have taken me as far west as London, ON east on the Dundas to include Hamilton, Halton Sub to Toronto, Mac Yard, York Sub, Bala Sub, Kingston Sub to Belleville. I will also be working on CP lines from Niagara through to Windsor west as well as Toronto and both CN and CP north from Toronto to Sudbury. My vacation destination is planned to be Sudbury this year where extensive drone footage is planned. I doubt I'll get the entire CP Parry Sound, and Mactier Subs, or CN Bala Sub to Sudbury done.
But here is the real good thing about all of this. The lines will be 1:1 complete networks that has not been done even in FYM. The entire Southern Ontario mainline structure from Winsor to Kingston including Toronto and Niagara will be down. As well as all tracks north to Sudbury. So regardless if I have images of every bit and piece of the system, the trains will be monitored as they travel through the networks, with or without AI, and images can be called up to as needed.
Physics as much as I would love to be perfect will likely be simplified. This is NOT a train simulator, it is a railroad transportation simulator. It's about the logistics network and enough cool scenes, yards, industries, and fun sections of mainlines.
Emmett wasn't sure about it at first but he loves the idea now and so do I. I don't see why this won't work even if the engines and cars are made of cubes until I can get Emmett to get me some models done (or he doesn't get his allowance haha - just kidding).
Thanks
Sean
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