Multi-track overhead portals

Hyronymus · Post by **Hyronymus** » 09 Jan 2004 19:33

I wondered if it's possible to redraw the single-track overhead portals to multi-track portals when another track is added next to existing electrified track. I personally think it can be done with the same routine that manages the fences on the side of the track. These fences disappear when another track is added to it. Instead of letting it disappear it should replace something this time though.

SHADOW-XIII · Post by **SHADOW-XIII** » 09 Jan 2004 19:37

yeah ! I like ... no .... I love the idea

eis_os · Post by **eis_os** » 09 Jan 2004 20:31

Hmm, you could add the stuff I explained you in #tycoon,
it should make some stuff clearly (the fence routine can't be used for that as I told you)

Oracle · Post by **Oracle** » 09 Jan 2004 20:37

I would definitely really like it; something like this:

(Sorry for linked image but it breaks copyright to attach it here.)
It would look much better, although how much work it might require is another matter.

Hyronymus · Post by **Hyronymus** » 09 Jan 2004 22:07

eis_os wrote:Hmm, you could add the stuff I explained you in #tycoon,
it should make some stuff clearly (the fence routine can't be used for that as I told you)

I just nodded yes to everything you wrote

Suggest you have this situation:
###EEENEME###
with ###= fence, E = electrified track, N = normal track, M= Maglev/Monorail track

The left E-tile checks if there is electrified track on the left and right -> there isn't on the left, there is on the right -> so it starts building a left-sided support post;
The 2nd E checks the same -> there is track on both sides so it builds a horizontal portal beam;
The 3rd E checks both and see there is no electrified track on the right but there is on the left -> right-sided support post;
N does nothing;
4th E checks and finds no electrified track on both sides -> builds normal, single-track portal;
M does nothing;
last E checks and finds no electrified track on both sides -> builds normal, single-track portal;
Easy!

BobXP · Post by **BobXP** » 09 Jan 2004 22:33

*After days of wierd happenings with my cursor and wrapping round at the corners, it now decides to sidle up the left edge of the screen*

I think this is a great idea, as I am getting into elrails now (I used to think they were ugly

) it would be great!

PS. Anyone know how to fix the cursor?

Patchman · Post by **Patchman** » 10 Jan 2004 04:13

I actually worked on this while I did some of the elrails features. I came to the following conclusions:

- these cross-spans would be extremely difficult to do
- they won't actually look good

For the second point, one problem is that TTD's rails are really very far apart, and a cross-span would look too much out of proportion. The distance between tracks should be about half what it is now for it to look good. It's just not worth it.

I've also looked into simply making dual pylons with one pylon supporting two wires, but they have the same problem.

eis_os · Post by **eis_os** » 10 Jan 2004 09:23

Best idea would be that somebody draws them actually (not perfect, but to get an idea),
using two layers, background layer TTD electric rail without supports,
second layer with the supports. (two layers because the second layer can be used as start point for drawing them then)

I would suggest to make only pylons, and then connecting all with wires.

Code: Select all

|-.---.-|
|..  .. |

| pylon
.. track
-.---.- wire

It's the common way in Germany to use wires for the track span, I don't know what the way is in other countries. Oracle's picture shows to big supports for TTD I think...

Zimmlock · Post by **Zimmlock** » 10 Jan 2004 11:26

Its a GREAT idea,

but what to do with an uneven number of tracks, 3,5,7
Here a few examples of Dutch systems

Hyronymus · Post by **Hyronymus** » 10 Jan 2004 11:35

Perhaps this for even tracks:

Code: Select all

_______
| ' ' |
| _ _ |

And for uneven tracks:

Code: Select all

_________
| ' ' | '
| _ _ | _

Or perhaps just dont make any difference?

SHADOW-XIII · Post by **SHADOW-XIII** » 10 Jan 2004 11:37

For uneven tracks:

Code: Select all

_______
| ' ' | '|
| _ _ | _|

eis_os · Post by **eis_os** » 10 Jan 2004 11:38

You don't have that, there are left part, middle part, right part
middle parts have to fit together...

But my standpoint is that the dutch system is to much metall, and wouldn't look good in TTD...

Hyronymus · Post by **Hyronymus** » 10 Jan 2004 11:43

yeah, the once tried concrete portals (monumental these days. But are you saying German portals are less metal? The DB uses rigid metal pylons that are oversized compared to the lean dutch pylons.

eis_os · Post by **eis_os** » 10 Jan 2004 11:54

But horizontal it's only made by writes:

Code: Select all

||\       /||
||---------||
||         ||
||  _   _  ||

Here you can see a model train picture how they are in Germany mostly:
http://www.modellbahn-bau.de/oberleitung.html

eis_os · Post by **eis_os** » 10 Jan 2004 18:25

Here is my overpainted Sample how it could look,
it's not very realistic, but it doesn't look to bad...

Oracle · Post by **Oracle** » 10 Jan 2004 20:17

You're right: it's not too bad, but I'm not sure whether I prefer it to the current implementation ATM. Could you put some vertical or diagonal lines on it to join them up, because it just doesn't look quite right to me. Maybe something like

(off the Loughborough Uni web site, Prof. Frink) or http://westcoastrail.fotopic.net/photo.php?id=2026502 would be better?

[OT]To avoid digging up a very old thread, I decided to post this here. I found the following map which might be of interest to any Brits wondering about where is electrified track in Britain with what system: http://www.trackoff.org/pdf/Electricity%20Dangers.pdf [/OT]

Louie Armstrong · Post by **Louie Armstrong** » 10 Jan 2004 20:22

i am working on new gantry mounted 2way signals, and i was going to make it so it would look like they are spanning double tracks when placed adjacent on two tracks but also not look stupid/silly when placed on single track.

Colonel Sheperd · Post by **Colonel Sheperd** » 10 Jan 2004 21:04

eis_os wrote:Here is my overpainted Sample how it could look,
it's not very realistic, but it doesn't look to bad...

*drools*

we also could have this:

Code: Select all

__________________________________
|   \___     \___            |   /
|      O         O           |__/O
|                            |
|                            |
|    [o  o]   [o   o]        | [o o]

Legend:
O:Electric wire
[o o]:ONE track
\___:panto holder
|:Pole
____:Main panto holder

BobXP · Post by **BobXP** » 10 Jan 2004 23:24

or these:

1-track

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_____
| ' |
|. .|

2-track

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__________
| '    ' |
|. .  . .|

3-track

Code: Select all

_______________
| '    '    ' |
|. .  . .  . .|

4-track

Code: Select all

___________________
| '    ' | '    ' |
|. .  . .|. .  . .|

5-track

Code: Select all

_______________________
| ' | '    '    ' | ' |
|. .|. .  . .  . .|. .|

6-track

Code: Select all

____________________________
| '    ' | '    ' | '    ' |
|. .  . .|. .  . .|. .  . .|

Arathorn · Post by **Arathorn** » 10 Jan 2004 23:50

I've never seen them built that way.

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