Front Cab Window Problem

[mikeaday]

I am seeing parts of the engine, such as grab rails, when looking out the front window of the cab. It is especially noticeable on covered wagon units. Does anyone know how to remove these unwanted items? Many of them are floating in thin air.

[lindsayts]

I am seeing parts of the engine, such as grab rails, when looking out the front window of the cab. It is especially noticeable on covered wagon units. Does anyone know how to remove these unwanted items? Many of them are floating in thin air.

Both Openrails and standard MSTS render the locomotive that you are driving when you are in the cab (MSTSbin does not do this) so if any of the rendered items are within the view of the cabview these items will be seen. All most all cabviews are done so all the rendered items are blocked by the cabview it self. I have a few cases (quite a few actually) though where the view point in the cabview was NOT in the correct place, this can produce the effect you describe. There's no simple way to detect this.

The item that defines this is........

the "Position" parameter in the cabview file see below

SIMISA@@@@@@@@@@JINX0h0t______

Tr_CabViewFile (
        CabViewType ( 2 )
        CabViewFile ( Bluebird_front-1.6.ace )
        CabViewWindow ( 0 0 640 480 )
        CabViewWindowFile ( "" )
        Position ( -1 2.7 10.8 )
        Direction ( 0 0 0 )
        CabViewFile ( bluebird_left.ace )
        CabViewWindow ( 0 0 640 480 )
        CabViewWindowFile ( "" )
        Position ( -1 2.7 10.3 )
        Direction ( 0 -45 45 )
        CabViewFile ( bluebird_right.ace )
        CabViewWindow ( 0 0 640 480 )
        CabViewWindowFile ( "" )
        Position ( -1 2.7 10.3 )
        Direction ( 0 30 0 )

The number (in this case -1 2.7 10.3) meanings are the first parameter, the distance left of right of the loco's centre line negative is to the left. Second parameter, height above the rails, the third distance from the loco's centre point.

THe only way I have found to check the latter figure is to nose up the loco to a pass car and check to see how far the wall of the pass car is in front of you. i have found a number of machines, including the one the code fragment is from in which the third parameter was way out. Either a good bit of the loco was in view (as in your case, this is quite rare though) or the view point was well in front of the loco.

Note: there are three position statements, these are for the forward left and right views, its very likley all will have to be changed.
A thing one has to watch here is that machines with cabs at both ends are NOT always model symetrically and the reverse cab may not be the same distance from the centre of the machine.

Hope all this drivel helps .

Lindsay

[mikeaday]

Thanks. That fixed the problem.