Update from the ORTS team

[mnjrr]

Hello,

On behalf of the Open Rails team, I would like to provide a brief update about positive developments with the program. To help best explain one of these developments, please find enclosed a link to a video compliments of Rick Grout showcasing his wonderful work with sky textures in Open Rails: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omjEf_s6rVg. In addition, work progresses by the other members of the team with testing physic formulas for realistic braking operations of locomotives and rollingstock, devising a rudimentary AI system for activities in the simulator for now, and writing a software guide. On occasion, I will post updates similar in format like this one to keep the train simulator community informed.

Sincerely,

Walter
ORTS team member

[PerryPlatypus]

Wow, pretty cool with the sun and moon, but I was even more interested in the cloud conditions actually changing the lighting. Keep up the good work guys!

[CSXT Q-317]

Looks like they are doing some great things with the sky. I especially liked how the sun moved, and the moon had phases. That was very cool!

[buttercup]

Take a close look at the stars.

[BNSFfan]

Way cool! If any modeling needs to be done, just let me know guys! I'm enjoying what I'm seeing here!

[Vince]

Oh Yes

Excellent!
Thank you for the update.

[Train-a-Mania]

OOOOOH! AAAAAAH!

Seriously, that is amazing stuff in that video. Great job so far!

[gremlin1812]

G'Day, they are really making some amazing advances there.
Regards
Barrie

[BNSF4723]

Very nice. Thanks for the update.

[kmanc21]

Very very nice. Thanks for the update.

[High Iron]

Very nice. Could you imagine the fun an astronomy nut could have with that, if he/she felt to program it for actual celestial position and phases based on the system time and date. Very cool indeed.

Cheers,
Thad

[Turbo Bill]

It was mentioned but the math was mindbending. Those stars do have some constelations in them IIRC.

[BNSFfan]

Now all we need is a global Meterology database for area's that offer it so you can run in realtime weather conditions! But that is far away..

[ricksan]

Keep in mind that we're building a railroad simulator.

The use of mathematics to plot the position of the moon and sun does nothing more than relieve route builders from having to specify that information themselves.

The star field is in fact accurate for the northern and southern hemispheres, but that's only because it uses accurate texture maps. The position of the star map, as applied to the night-sky dome, is arbitrary.