Tracks flickering and some other problems in Open Rails

[coolhand101]

Most of my routes use UKFS. After a while, the flickering stops, and you are left with the ballast and rails with no sleepers. This effects most of my track pieces.

Not wishing to sound negative but as we all know, this never happen in MSTS.

I never used the demo route with a much earlier version of Open Rails, but cannot see how this was overlooked back then. Has this problem been introduce with later versions of OR ? Really hoping this problem can be fixed in future releases.

Thanks

[advut]

I used OR before v1.0 was released but didn't download the demo model 1. Only recently I got it and noticed the flickering problem. So, I don't know if this issue existed back then. Also, I don't think it's a machine issue because their youtube video shows this problem as well. The PC which was used to make that video certainly is one of theirs.

Also an average user like me can't just replace trees. I am actually looking for a way to downgrade Open Rail's rendering quality to match with MSTS's. Even the lowest quality filtering can't hide texture artifacts. MSTS brightness, rendering, gameplay all were perfect for me. If only MSTS supported widescreen displays and didn't run so poorly on Win8.1 I wouldn't bother with OR

[OTTODAD]

RR also reports masses of other "files not found" and has no *.REF file !

This route does not work in MSTS at all, but ORTS ignoring what RR reports missing runs it, albeit having this flickering tracks problem.

It is using UKFS versions 2002/3 & 4 and me also having versions 2003/4 & 8, it shows that flickering in both versions !

http://www.otto-wipfel.co.uk/video/o...cks-errors.wmv

Re-Mipping its tracks *.ACE files has made no difference !

The speed of train brakes release is still pathetic in some locos and it will be some time before I shall consider running it in preference to my MSTS DB-Tracks and many of the superb TS2015 routes !

To be honest, with UE4 now being used to develop the next generation of the DTG Train Similator, no other train simulator will have a chance of selling much, or being in demand for free !

[Bananarama]

RR also reports masses of other "files not found" and has no *.REF file !

RIT and TIT, are not required for the route to function properly. As for the track, so long as the route doesn't use default, then missing textures are a non-issue. Why Mike never fixed this and other goofy reporting functions is beyond me.

As for flickering, it either has to do with ties using TRANS alpha, or that coplanar surfaces are too close. My guess would be the former, which would require the shapes to use a standard alpha material (shape edit, not texture edit), along with the alpha TEST option.

[OTTODAD]

As for flickering, it either has to do with ties using TRANS alpha, or that coplanar surfaces are too close. My guess would be the former, which would require the shapes to use a standard alpha material (shape edit, not texture edit), along with the alpha TEST option.

TK_Utils not working in WIN-7 I can still use it on my WIN-XP SP2 computer and below is what its Archibald shows me.

Any idea what needs changing to stop this flickering, which would have to be edited in all track files listed in its WORLD tiles, looking for most of them in its own SHAPES folder ?

Trying to buy this route from Making Tracks so that I can have a closer look at in the MSTS Route Editor I can not pay for it !

Has anybody at ORTS tested this Demo before releasing it ?


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[OTTODAD]

Analyzed how many different UKFS track shapes have been used by this route in its World files and their count is 219, using UktraEdit-32 and EXCEL !

Would take some time to edit all their files to stop the flickering !

[OTTODAD]

Having managed to find an option on the Making Tracks web site to use my Credit Card to pay for the SCE route it is now downloading so that I can try to first eliminate the flickering tracks in the Edinburgh station, being able to identify the World Tile used by it in the MSTS Route Editor on my WIN-XP SP2 computer !

Having Archibald show me the Textures settings used by X-Tracks, SR and UKFS tracks I can than experiment with changing the UKFS ones to first try the SR settings and if that does not get rid of the flickering then try the default MSTS ones still used by X-Tracks !

More later !


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[OTTODAD]

After inventing many workarounds trying to edit the main straight tracks in the Edinburgh station, this is what they now look like ! The WMM creating a lousy looking video converting the WIN-7 AVI on the WIN-XP SP2 computer, the WMM not working in WIN-7 !

http://www.otto-wipfel.co.uk/video/orts-sce-tracks.wmv

Tomorrow I am going to show you what the same tracks look like in MSTSBin !

[OTTODAD]

Here now are more videos of further efforts of mine to remove the flickering in UKFS tracks when this route is run in ORTS.

To get better video quality I had to use a WIN-7 Video Converter from AVI to WMV which looks better but makes the WMV files larger.

This one runs in the Edinburgh station in MSTSBin and is looking good enough for me to enjoy sightseeing the entire route using my new activity for it:

http://www.otto-wipfel.co.uk/video/cse-tracks-msts.wmv

Edited straights are looking good using the basic MSTS default Textures settings in this video, but a new problem tuned up in one of them :

http://www.otto-wipfel.co.uk/video/cse-tracks-orts.wmv

Switches do not show any flickering at all, but can't be bothered to test their Textures settings in tracks.


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[OTTODAD]

More sightseeing done in this beautiful route, running in MSTSBin !

Hardly ever driving inside a loco's cab that is the only way to be able to enjoy the scenery, most creators have spent a long time working on !

[NorthernWarrior]

Sorry to bump, just wondering if the UKFS flicker issue in ORTS was ever fixed?

If not, no point in using it for a route which will look better running in ORTS, even if it doesn't quite look like UK track.

[baldwin]

JKY reworked the UKFS shapes to stop the flickering, but I can't locate a download for the file now.

[slipperman]

Hi Vern & Baldwin,
The file is called ukfs_raised.zip and is available from that gentleman's website. I'm not certain, but when I was first made aware of this file, not all of the UKFS shapes were modified, only those used in the Open Rails Demo/Scottish Capital Express/ route.

Cheers,
Ged

[NorthernWarrior]

And of course that brings in its own "political" issues...

Having delved into the file library at UKTS, there is a "UKFS-a-like" replacement texture for the standard and X-Track shapes, failing that there is always Scottrax which still looks fairly reasonable.

[baldwin]

He did make some extra shapes as well. The file applied to all of the UKFS routes I run has totally eliminated the flicker. Perhaps Tim can be persuaded to make the required changes and issue an official patch.