TrainSimulations is a provider of content for the Open Rails train simulator platform.
"Our goal, moving forward, is to begin transitioning to the Open Rails platform, exclusively."
" We do have some routes in development, which are geared more towards Open Rails’ capabilities, and when they are completed, they will be dedicated Open Rails releases."
Short sighted.I have OR but do not like it,mainly because of the restricted views it offers and there are still bugs in it.Until things like that are sorted I shall remain with MSTS/BIN which performs very well for me.
Short sighted.I have OR but do not like it,mainly because of the restricted views it offers and there are still bugs in it.Until things like that are sorted I shall remain with MSTS/BIN which performs very well for me.
I'm curious as to what you mean by "restricted views." OR offers pretty much the same views as MSTS along with the 8 view which can take you all over the route. There's no 1200x1600 max screen restriction either...no margins. I have full 1920x1200 view. My Radeon Video card gives me about 30 to 60 FPS of vibrant detail no matter how complex the route.
As a sidebar, with OR there's no more saving the game every 5 or 10 minutes, the program rarely, if ever, crashes.
Sure there's flaws, but OR is in it's infancy. It will grow, but even now..OR is MSTS on Steroids!
SLI will have to supply bug free UE4 routes and rolling stock coded specifically for them to run in ORTS, which itself must already have been converted to using UE4 and not use anything MSTS ORTS still needs to run. What that is has been covered many times already and includes MSTS GLOBAL X-Tracks and roads, etc !
It will also need a UE4 Route and Activities editor to use for its UE4 ORTS creations !
"We do have some routes in development, which are geared more towards Open Rails’ capabilities, and when they are completed, they will be dedicated Open Rails releases."
They also stated that any Open Rails trainsets will be required to be installed into an Open Rails Designed Route.
"To create content for Open Rails in a dedicated TrainSimulations.net content folder, we would require, at the very least, a route in that folder to run trains."
That leaves me wondering if they will still continue to release a variety of railroad content. I don't see them releasing a CSX TrainSet, if it will have to be installed into a Union Pacific Open Rails Designed Route. I am not sure if there are any Open Rails Designed Routes at this time, or how many there are, but as we know route building takes a very long time. I hope they are working very hard on creating routes for EVERY railroad out there, because I won't be a regular customer if the ONLY railroads they will be offering is BNSF and Union Pacific. And what about Non Class I railroad and Shortline content? I guess we should expect those to be out of the question? There are not to many routes being built for those... And if their variety of railroad content decreases, will ALL content production decrease. Afterall, How much Union Pacific content can you release before you start to run out of ideas... or lose interest in creating it? In the end, are we looking at just a couple of new items designed for Open Rails each year then?
PLUS, in order to use "This Years" Union Pacific TrainSet that you bought... You also have to buy "Last Years" Union Pacific route, which you don't want, so that it can be installed?
Designing content to be installed into a Open Rails Route doesn't sound like a good idea, or very promising to me.
Last edited by MCDemuth; 06-25-2016, 11:18.
Reason: Buying Multiple Items To Use One
There are no routes specifically for OR, the MSTS RE is incapable of doing that. There is no OR specific RE at this moment in time. As for installation requirements, nobody tells me where anything sim related gets installed, I make that decision.
Beer is not a matter of life or death, it is much more serious than that.
There are no routes specifically for OR, the MSTS RE is incapable of doing that. There is no OR specific RE at this moment in time. As for installation requirements, nobody tells me where anything sim related gets installed, I make that decision.
TrainSimulations noted this, as their reason why their content will need to be installed into an ORTS Route:
"From a vendor standpoint, MS Train Simulator was an easy platform on which to provide expansion packs, since, by default, it had a registry entry for installation paths. Open Rails has much more flexibility in that regard, because you can link multiple content folders. Unfortunately, not all our customers are familiar with this process, so from our standpoint, we have to be able to generate installation routines which will work."
So, TrainSimulations seems to be implying that you can't install TrainSets into ORTS. If you can't install TrainSets, then it's safe to assume, you can't install Routes in ORTS also? So how do they plan to install their Routes into ORTS, so TrainSets can be installed into their Routes?
While it is true, you don't need the MSTS Program, to use ORTS... As OTTO pointed out... Many people are still using X-Tracks and New Roads to build their routes and they were designed to be installed into MSTS...
How many newbies will go straight to ORTS, and then have numerous problems trying to figure out how install all this "stuff" into ORTS, in an MSTS Free World?
I keep seeing people say that in order to Install and use ORTS, USERS need to create the MSTS Folders. And I keep asking why the ORTS installation program does not create the MSTS Folders itself, and I don't get an answer. If ORTS can "link multiple content folders", then why aren't empty ORTS Route & TrainSet folders being created so that future ORTS Only Content can be installed into those?
You can't install TrainSets directly into ORTS?
You can't create an ORTS Only Route?
People still using X-Tracks and New Roads to build their routes and they still install into MSTS?
I guess it is still to early to start talking about an MSTS Free World, and TrainSimulations to start talking about ORTS Only Content isn't it?
Last edited by MCDemuth; 06-25-2016, 12:45.
Reason: Can't Install Routes Into ORTS?
TrainSimulations noted this, as their reason why their content will need to be installed into an ORTS Route:
"From a vendor standpoint, MS Train Simulator was an easy platform on which to provide expansion packs, since, by default, it had a registry entry for installation paths. Open Rails has much more flexibility in that regard, because you can link multiple content folders. Unfortunately, not all our customers are familiar with this process, so from our standpoint, we have to be able to generate installation routines which will work."
So, TrainSimulations seems to be implying that you can't install TrainSets into ORTS. If you can't install TrainSets, then it's safe to assume, you can't install Routes in ORTS also? So how do they plan to install their Routes into ORTS, so TrainSets can be installed into their Routes?
While it is true, you don't need the MSTS Program, to use ORTS... As OTTO pointed out... Many people are still using X-Tracks and New Roads to build their routes and they were designed to be installed into MSTS...
How many newbies will go straight to ORTS, and then have numerous problems trying to figure out how install all this "stuff" into ORTS, in an MSTS Free World?
I keep seeing people say that in order to Install and use ORTS, USERS need to create the MSTS Folders. And I keep asking why the ORTS installation program does not create the MSTS Folders itself, and I don't get an answer. If ORTS can "link multiple content folders", then why aren't empty ORTS Route & TrainSet folders being created so that future ORTS Only Content can be installed into those?
You can't install TrainSets directly into ORTS?
You can't create an ORTS Only Route?
People still using X-Tracks and New Roads to build their routes and they still install into MSTS?
I guess it is still to early to start talking about an MSTS Free World, and TrainSimulations to start talking about ORTS Only Content isn't it?
Looking at the Trainsimulations statement, two things spring to mind. One, Open Rails has a builtin method for linking manually to train simulator "miniroutes" Two, any MSTS user who has used miniroutes will be well capable of deciding where anything needs to be placed.
Xtracks, Ytracks, Ztracks, Mtracks, New Roads etc are all used by route builders and should already be a part of any route users toolkit. Therefore transitioning to OR should be fairly straightforward, just link the MSTS installs to ORTS.
AS far as users who have never had MSTS are concerned, there is plenty of help and guidance available and the manual has guidance on the basic folder structure needed.
Under current ORTS operating methods, nothing should be installed into the ORTS folder structure because when ORTS updates, all folders and content are deleted and new ones installed.
It is possible to create a route that will only run in OR by using the MSTS RE workarounds to stuff the tiles with objects, and with the new editor in progress from Goku even the workarounds are not needed.
Beer is not a matter of life or death, it is much more serious than that.
I think OR is closer to being MSTS free than many people realize.
As for Xtracks, Scarlerail, etc, I keep empty "template" versions on my OR hard drive.
The y_ prefix is for the templates. Inside each is a GLOBAL folder that contains the specific track or road system. NO X is no Xtracks, native MSTS Global folder. X LITE is minimal Xtracks (no dual gauge or streetcar nonsense), NRD is Newroads, SRD is ScaleRoads, and SR is Scalerail.
The z_ prefix is scratch space for a copy of whatever route that I may happen to be busy creating publishable activities for. In that case, the Trainset is populated not with my customized version, but the original, as-published naming conventions as they were distributed by payware vendors.
Open Rails Testing is the OR executables folder.
1MSTS is the old MSTS installation folder
Inside each railroads's folder, there are just the 4 folders. GLOBAL (containing whatever track and road systems the routes in the routes folder may require, ROUTES for the actual Routes, SOUND for any route specific sounds, and TRAINS that contains the consists that are shareable among all CN routes and my heavily-customized trainset folders.
I keep a copy of TRAIN.EXE in every one of them just only so my old copy of freeware Conbuilder can be re-pointed to whatever copy of the Trainset folder I want to create consists from. Conbuilder needs to see that .exe so I can fake it into thinking it is the default MSTS location. If I had a newer version of Conbuilder, that legacy file wouldn't be necessary.
Inside each Route folder, are the routes. I bundle all the CN routes in one folder, so they can share consists and trainset folders, which saves disk space by holding down on the number of customized trainset copies (those are 6 GB each). Think of it as a condensed version of mini-routes, where a couple CN routes can all share the same Canadian-ish consists and use only one copy of Trainset. Old payware Dundas with Ted Kocyla scenery improvement pack applied shares space with freeware Jovet-signalled Blackfoot and newer payware Bala 2.5, no problems.
Each RR-named folder contains a copy of my combined customized Trainset folder. So when new payware content comes out, that new content has to be 'inserted' into my naming system and distributed to each copy of combined Trainset. All AI and Trail ENG files are totally gone, removed from any pre-fab consists, and deleted from the hard drive as not necessary. As of today, only 606 engines and 2032 wagons in my 6 GB customized Trainset folder. No junk in my trunk.
Here, I've changed Conbuilder to point to my z_CP working copy, where the Trainset folder contains only the as-delivered rolling stock names, so activities can be built and packaged for distribution that use the "official" file names originally used. At the bottom right, you see an icon for CP Editors. That is a copy of the MSTS editors icon redirected to the scratch space. I click on that, and go into the MSTS activity editor for the CP Mactier route and the SLI default stock. That icon changes as the scratch space changes.
Here is my z_CP scratch folder that I'm using to tinker with the Mactier Oil train activity. In order to get the MSTS editors to work with it, I needed to add the GUI and FONTS folders to the 4 basic OR ones, and add the remaining MSTS .exe and .dlls files from the MSTS root directory. It's only a temporary thing, because after the activity is bundled and shipped, this folder gets trashed.
And here is Helpful Tip #1,694, use the highlighted BK-REM.exe that came with the latest version of the SAL Florida route available from the Skyline Computing website to De-MSTS your OR only routes. Running that executable deletes all the backup files and terrain buffers that MSTS needed but OR does not. I placed that executable in 30 MSTS route folders, and running it for each route saved a combined 14 GB of disk space. Less MSTS clutter you aren't taking forward.
I only need the MSTS files to make the editors work off my OR files and because I don't want to buy a newer Conbuilder. If it wasn't for those, I wouldn't need MSTS anything. So yes, newbies can run free of MSTS than more of us will realize.
SLI\TS = all smoke and mirrors. Remember this is a company that sold us half a route with an "update" shortly. How many years did we wait for an "update" we had to buy? Far as I'm concerned he is talking vaporware.
Geepster,
I haven't ran anything MSTS. It's all been ORTS, including the latest ORTS Consist Editor, and Route Editor, that is currently in beta stages, provided on the forums here. Just waiting for that Activity editor, so I can build an activity in order to make actual pick up and drop offs along the way..
Anyways.. Whatever SLI/TS is coming up with, I'm looking forward to. Even if it isn't something of interest. The fact that ORTS is the focus, is what I like.
Excellent summary of how you are doing it, Geepster775.
Here I have tested it using the MSTS PRR Mini and as you have said, ORTS only needs these 4 MSTS folders:
However, while the MSTS Editors have to be used until ORTS has its own full working ones, a full version of it has to have been installed from its CDs !
SLI\TS = all smoke and mirrors. Remember this is a company that sold us half a route with an "update" shortly. How many years did we wait for an "update" we had to buy? Far as I'm concerned he is talking vaporware.
Rich
Agreed! Reminds me of the UP set(s) we were SUPPOSE to get for the Sherman Hill route. Now if they do come out in OR, there worthless to me!
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