OpenGFX - Graphics Base Set

[Erato]

I'm back again and continuing from where I stopped, here's my proposed maglev tracks for OpenGFX. I'll upload the sprites if I get the greenlight otherwise I'll make a newgrf out of it.

openmag1.png

openmag2.png

P.S. It's okay to say "No! Those are horrible!"

I won't say that they're horrible, I just don't see them replacing what we currently have. 6.5/10:

++ I like how it looks like it's placed ON the ground, rather than IN the ground.
+ Emphasis on the edge is a good thing, just don't overdo it.
- Flat parts are flat.
- The rail is too narrow.
- Looks just a tad too cartoony for OpenGFX, try adding some noise.
-- Looks bad when used in a station.

/ I'd prefer to keep what we have.

[luxtram]

I'm back again and continuing from where I stopped, here's my proposed maglev tracks for OpenGFX. I'll upload the sprites if I get the greenlight otherwise I'll make a newgrf out of it.

Actually the current version is more technically correct one in the light of this information http://pdovak.com/projects/#/scmaglev-t ... strations/

Still does not hurt to have an separate newgrf as peoples tastes are different.

What I actually would like to have is something as current maglev but on the elevated platform where the track is recessed in the concrete base.

Something along this

Maglev.png (13.87 KiB) Viewed 10855 times

[Kalen]

I'm not a contributor to the OpenGFX project, however IMHO both the current design and Froix's are pretty appealing and, as a user, I'd love to have the option of picking one or the other, either via parameters (if that is even possible) or NewGRF. So definitely don't discard that design!

(as an aside: I used to play with SMITS for the longest time, that was a very slick design too).

[V453000 :)]

I'm back again and continuing from where I stopped, here's my proposed maglev tracks for OpenGFX. I'll upload the sprites if I get the greenlight otherwise I'll make a newgrf out of it.

Actually the current version is more technically correct one in the light of this information http://pdovak.com/projects/#/scmaglev-t ... strations/

Still does not hurt to have an separate newgrf as peoples tastes are different.

What I actually would like to have is something as current maglev but on the elevated platform where the track is recessed in the concrete base.

Something along this

Maglev.png

Raising tracks above the ground will be a giant problem in diagonal tracks, will be weird on bridges, and will cause massive issues in any place where the track is "not just straight".

Just saying.

[luxtram]

Raising tracks above the ground will be a giant problem in diagonal tracks, will be weird on bridges, and will cause massive issues in any place where the track is "not just straight".

Just saying.

Hmm. You probably have to create custom bridges like has been done for TransRapid (what a wonderful newgrf) as otherwise it indeed would not match very easily.

Well, I am not saying that this idea should replace current maglev. It was just an idea for creative minds.

[Froix]

Thanks for the feedback guys! I made a little adjustment to the horizontal sprites and the contrast and brightness to conform more to the base sets' darker theme.

openmag3.png (242.17 KiB) Viewed 10800 times

I'll put the newgrf up soon as I get some free time.

[Kalen]

That looks great! I guess this design might be a little too "blocky" for some folks compared to the current one, but I still think it's a worthy alternative.

On a related note, whatever happened to that other design you posted a sneak peek of in your Monkey Bar bridge post way back when? Is this one its natural evolution? That was a pretty cool sci-fi-ish sprite too, and it worked rather well with your bridge.

In particular, I thought the smaller segments (?) inside the track worked quite nicely compared to more busy-looking styles. I have no clue just how realistic that one is, but I enjoyed it. That, and the colour; I think the silvery/purpley palette livens things up considerably compared to the dark greys.

[luxtram]

Thanks for the feedback guys! I made a little adjustment to the horizontal sprites and the contrast and brightness to conform more to the base sets' darker theme.

openmag3.png

I'll put the newgrf up soon as I get some free time.

Yep, this one looks much better. Thanks!

[planetmaker]

The biggest problem is that a track whose visual track centre is offset in any direction from (virtually all) level ground tracks (what luxtram shows) requires all newly coded vehicles - or vehicles would float next to the tracks through the air. Thus any elevated track like shown here is out-of-question for a base pack where the alignment for vehicles must be retained.

FooBar's Transrapid NewGRF maglev tracks do that similar to your suggestion here by putting tracks on pylons, though I believe they fudge it such that the visual centre remains on the tiles centres.

Froix new tracks here look quite nice

[luxtram]

The biggest problem is that a track whose visual track centre is offset in any direction from (virtually all) level ground tracks (what luxtram shows) requires all newly coded vehicles - or vehicles would float next to the tracks through the air.

I get this. Thanks for this clarification!

FooBar's Transrapid NewGRF maglev tracks do that similar to your suggestion here by putting tracks on pylons, though I believe they fudge it such that the visual centre remains on the tiles centres.

Yes, this is what it seems to be going on. So only way to implement this with the current code base is to make it appear to be elevated. Ok.

Now would it help to implement this without recoding all the vehicles if the track provided an offset property that the game engine can then take into account to put the vehicles into correct positions?

[Alberth]

How do you cross such a track with a bridge?

EDIT:

Please also consider

- Tunnels
- Level crossings
- Collisions on level corssings
- Signals
-Platforms

[luxtram]

How do you cross such a track with a bridge?

Good point! So add another property, height, that could be checked when setting up an bridge?

Hmm, what else will break?

Crossings with roads. Probably should be not allowed at all. In principle I think that this is actually quite realistic looking option.

Stations and tunnel entrances as they are not properly aligned. This is the hard one.

In principle, if the track is on the next height level, then it would be possible to check if the tunnel entrance and the station are on the correct height. In the case when it is not properly aligned the trains could not enter the station.

I could not imagine something like this being in a base set, so I guess any further discussion would become quite off-topic in this thread.

[Kalen]

If we want an elevated track type, it might be a lot more feasible under the current engine limitations to design bridges with very high maximum lengths and speeds, with a minimalistic and/or urban style, which can be used in lieu of regular track. This would give that rail type the illusion of being elevated rail. For monorail, for instance, you used to have TTO's monorail bridges, which would serve that purpose nicely, I think.

Naturally this does not enable bridges over buildings and other such obstacles, and tracks on slopes would still need to be on the ground, but I think it's a more short-term solution graphically speaking, at least until the engine changes.

Aside from this, and from pillars which give the illusion of height (even though the track is still in the usual centre), the only other attempt I've seen was with trams in the Urban Suspended Monorail though, of course, that too is an illusion.

[luxtram]

If we want an elevated track type, it might be a lot more feasible under the current engine limitations to design bridges with very high maximum lengths and speeds, with a minimalistic and/or urban style, which can be used in lieu of regular track. This would give that rail type the illusion of being elevated rail. For monorail, for instance, you used to have TTO's monorail bridges, which would serve that purpose nicely, I think.

I have done this. There is also Urban Transit System Birdge newgrf that would allow to use bridge as an over the road tram tracks.

It kind of works except that for the turn you either have to come back to the ground or use elevated land.

Elevated.png (122.76 KiB) Viewed 10682 times

What would be perhaps relatively simple to implement (but that again moves away from the topic, I guess, but it is still interesting to evaluate), is possibility of custom elevations for the bridges that can accept tracks and bridge heads but would also allow traffic under them.

Kind of new objects that would allow to put something on top of them. Would something like this be feasible to implement?

Now if I am think about it, this would allow many crazy things like cliffs, and falls...

short-term solution graphically speaking, at least until the engine changes.

I guess that it is in many cases a chicken and egg problem? That is, the feature requires new graphics and it is not done because there is any, and to use graphics, you need a feature, so nothing gets done?

[wallyweb]

There is also Urban Transit System Birdge newgrf that would allow to use bridge as an over the road tram tracks.

It kind of works except that for the turn you either have to come back to the ground or use elevated land.

I have not yet added monorail and maglev to my Urban Transit System Bridge. Those are a work in progress. They will be minimalist so as to elegantly accommodate track types.

Luxtram, a suggestion for the bridge in your screenshot ...
step 1 - build with the road tool, but do not attach a road to the ramps.
step 2 - then use the tram track tool to drag your tram track across the bridge.
Then that black line on the bridge should disappear.

[Kalen]

I guess that it is in many cases a chicken and egg problem? That is, the feature requires new graphics and it is not done because there is any, and to use graphics, you need a feature, so nothing gets done?

In this particular case, I don't think graphics are the problem. We have many talented artists in our community who would produce impeccable graphics, I'm certain. The biggest challenge is really coding such a feature, and making it work with everything else (i.e. not break everything). That task can easily add a cascade of new challenges as conflicts begin arising, and it would probably bring up the issue of the map array once more, as with roadtypes.

So that's why I'm suggesting that we should stick to the graphical illusions and other tricks and workarounds for the time being, that is, the near future.

That said, I agree this is getting a bit off-topic, so I think I'll cut it from my end with this one last response. Feel free to make a suggestion thread, though.

[luxtram]

Luxtram, a suggestion for the bridge in your screenshot ...
step 1 - build with the road tool, but do not attach a road to the ramps.
step 2 - then use the tram track tool to drag your tram track across the bridge.
Then that black line on the bridge should disappear.

I can confirm that following this precisely did the trick.

[Froix]

Froix new tracks here look quite nice

'Sup Planet! How's things?

That looks great! On a related note, whatever happened to that other design you posted a sneak peek of in your Monkey Bar bridge post way back when? Is this one its natural evolution?

Exactly, I just kept making changes and this is the end result. ..and thanks!

[xarick]

These coastal tiles with slopes at SLOPE_NS and at SLOPE_WE are currently disabled on OpenTTD. With the attached patch, they are enabled, but only original_windows displays them correctly. OpenGFX 0.5.2 doesn't display the waterish shore crossing, but the main problem is the misalignment of the NS slope.

Is someone out there able to, at least, align the SLOPE_NS on OpenGFX, that would be appreciated. Or tell me how to do it.

original_windows


OpenGFX 0.5.2

[matthewmwps]

Question: is there anyway to acess these redone sprites? I've looked all around and all I fond were original sprites but I'd rather muck around with the redone sprites.