Rendering differences MSTS & ORTS

[landnrailroader]

Colleagues,

I have seen various comments about how various objects render/display differently
in MSTS or ORTS.

I have seen these situations, and unless it is corrected, route developers will need to
let their "beta" testers know about it.

1. Forest Objects: Not only should the change be made to appropriate files to prevent
objects coming too close to the track, it should also be noted that objects like trees
may not touch the terrain. We see this in MSTS, but it is very pronounced in ORTS.
For example there is a spot near mile 98 (NP) on the MCOA2 route where MSTS
shows a tree not touching terrain, but it is still several feet BELOW track level. In
ORTS the same tree is floating above the track.

2. In the same general area, some lineside bushes properly touch terrain in MSTS but
float 1/2 meter or so above it in ORTS.

3. Lastly, I note that there is a significant gap between the track and the terrain in
ORTS, but not in MSTS.

I don't thing these things detract from the pleasure of using ORTS but is something that
really picky types will comment on, especially when checking a route.

J. H. Sullivan
(landnrailroad)

[longiron]

My personal route building experience leads my to believe that the relatively poorer rendering by MSTS historically obscured issues like you cite in #2 and #3. The better rendering engine in ORTS makes those things easily seen.

I now use TSRE5 with 100% dynamic shadows to pick up even more gap and alignment issues than ORTS. It's amazing what shadows show.

[landnrailroader]

Chris,

This may be so. I am still (slowly) learning TSRE, especially the seemingly (to me)
complex issue of laying track or roads.

The particular route (MCOA2) track was laid with RE some 8 years ago and then I
"got round tuit) and finished the route. I'm in the same situation with the Virginian
that I am currently finishing, it being started by Simon Van de Laak. There is one
dynamic track piece that produces the "adjacent pieces not loaded error---" and
I have found that the "hack" function is helpful for that, though I will still use RE
to reset the vectors.

Jerry
(landnrailroader)

"A true southern railfan has two favorite railroads, either the L&N or the Southern & one other."