US Set Development Thread

[Hitperson]

Unless someone had forced them to buy the same cars but that i doubt.
MORE CARS. sorry i am just amaized by this *changes drool barrel* station. Damn.

[Patchman]

While investigating this bug report, I found a mistake in the US Set, version 0.85 (20 Apr 2005) as available for download from the US Set site.

The AI code hangs, because at least one of the chains for callback 18 is using 40+x variables, which is not valid for callback 18.

The sprites that trigger the bug are the chain of 5375 5374 5373 5301 5289, and 5289 locks up because it uses var 42.

It's not obvious to me which sprite it is that's wrong and what would be right, but then I don't have a commented version of the NFO either. In alpha 54, this kind of mistake will cause an actual crash, so that it'll be easier to spot next time

[wallyweb]

Dunno. Haven't really seen any architecturally significant bus stations in my time.

You need to get out more often ... take the Greyhound to NYC ... sorry, no bar car You might end up here:

It might be codable using Oskar's bus stop

[DaleStan]

While investigating this bug report, I found a mistake in the US Set, version 0.85 (20 Apr 2005) as available for download from the US Set site.

The AI code hangs, because at least one of the chains for callback 18 is using 40+x variables, which is not valid for callback 18.

A version that I believe has fixed this bug is available in the release thread.

[Villem]

http://home.att.net/~Berliner-Ultrasoni ... l#ge1-mrr1 got A LOT of stories & pictures on boxcabs, one in particicular striked me as the perfect feeder service loco for coal/iron, its the loco the page called BOXGON.

[DanMacK]

Well, once we get the interurbans in, the Steeplecab will fill that niche

[Oracle]

I have a feeling that this is going to be a long post...

Sorry to everyone for the lack of replies - I'm currently in the middle of a large number of exams and they have taken over my life for the past few weeks, with another week-and-a-bit left to go. I haven't had time to log in or to work on TT stuff in this time, so I'm really far behind. (No exams until Monday, though, which is why I'm posting now.) However, after the 1st of July, I should have quite a lot of time so some progress, particularly on the Industrial Stations, should then be made.

Speaking of files, what's the news on the US town names, and the US roads?

Nothing of yet, I've been busy as I explained above. They're not high on my to-do list.

Hey! Anyone wanna code a trestle? I have to tell you fellas, drawing this was nowhere near fun. In fact, it was a b**ch. I really like the higher bridge feature, but it plays hell with trying to draw bridges that look right.

That looks really good, Oz! Unfortunately I currently don't have the time to code it and I don't really have much experience with bridges anyway but maybe sometime in the future... - a US Set really does need a trestle of some description.

- OK, we make the F59 a terminal loco that doesn't ever die - please note, Oracle. Makes good sense to me.

- Keep the E60C an extra decade

Done.

Here's a progress update on the C&NW Single-Level Cars

Ok, here's the completed C&NW single-level set (including regular coach, observation, and baggage cars).

Nice!

GCT no longer back-burnered. Now up to a nice rolling boil. Suggestions?

Cut it up and send it to me! No, really, that looks excellent and we'll have to get it coded soonish. Just remember to cut it up along similar lines to how I did the first direction when I coded that - if you do then it really won't take me very long to get it working.

That's why I plan on updating the exterior platforms that I already drew a few months ago. I'm going to connect the roofs of the covered platforms, and add some variability to them to make it look like a well-used urban station.

That sounds (and looks) good. I envisage it working so that you can build the base exterior platforms where you want to and then you stick the GCT itself over the top where you want it to be.

But, since I couldn't figure out how to add the taxi ramps without redrawing the whole station (:shock:), what would you think about a taxi stand instead? A little more practical, and it definately fits in with the idea of an urban station.

Not bad at all. Of course, I would suggest that it be an extra "module" that you could choose whether to add or not (because you wouldn't want it everywhere) and it should definitely use the US roads that were drawn - the sprites can be found at http://www.tt-forums.net/viewtopic.php?p=263397#263397.

Alright, Metra has been updated. Roofs are now cherry-red instead of radioactive orange.

If you don't like it now, you should:
[...]

Don't worry Thrakki, that will definitely be going into the set.

Here's a small rural station I've been working on for awhile now (like 6 months), finally got the ambition to split it. Oracle, this OK?

That looks great, Dan, but it could really do with being split down the middle (as in along the roofline) if it's supposed to go inbetween platforms. Of course, if you changed the platform size you could fit it on its own square so that there's a bit more space. Of course the decision is down to you. Would that go with Cornelius' brick platforms then?

krtaylor: terminal "stub" platforms definitely work well in simple setups at least - I've tested it with my hacked version of pgs-barew.grf. That's what I'd like to see in some of our new stations.

[discussion]
Hmmm must been year cheat doing that then.

Yes, it will have been - if you read the year cheat documentation then it changes all build dates to the new year for various reasons. Only a few trains do change on the fly.

So, ladies and gentlemen, live from the motor city, it's the MC5! Er, I mean the MCS...

Took a few suggestions to heart and implemented them.
[...]
Waddya guys think?

Absolutely brilliant! As Raichase says, the underground bit does look a bit weird at first, but I really love the entire station. Obviously you need to make the platforms longer and probably think about what you'd put on a 10-square platform (repeating the same isn't always the best but you could just put benches and no canopy). As we're having terminal platforms, we also need some sprites for those and some way for them to terminate, possibly with buffers but then you'd have to sacrifice a square either side, which reduces the space available a bit much, I think.
The back view looks great too but we could do with some concrete (or a car park, as mentioned) to cover over the grass because I don't think you'd get grass right next to a station like that. Or would you in the US?
By the way, if you draw cars and different loading states, that's one exception to my rule of having all different elements separate. Make each different loading state of cars parked a different sprite, with however many cars and the ground all as one - it will make my coding much easier!

While investigating this bug report, I found a mistake in the US Set, version 0.85 (20 Apr 2005) as available for download from the US Set site.

A version that I believe has fixed this bug is available in the release thread.

Thanks for spotting this, Josef, and then fixing it, DaleStan. As you probably noticed, it was a simple mistake and it wasn't supposed to refer to sprites anywhere near 5301/5289 - I obviously forgot to change one of the cargo-IDs while coding it. As there's now no need for me to release a version, I think I'll return to my glacial release cycle .

... and that was a long post!

[krtaylor]

Glad to see you back, Oracle! Hopefully we'll see a gush of work from you after another week-and-a-bit...

A few minor comments.

1. As you surmised, you wouldn't find a large expanse of grass next to a US station, except of course if it was abandoned or derelict, weeds might take over the car-park or some tracks. But otherwise, the most you'd get would be a grass median strip between car-park lanes. There are a few exceptions, but in the TTD world it wouldn't make much sense.

2. For major stations, there's nothing wrong with repeating the platform covers identically for a long stretch. BUT at the far end of the platform, away from the station building, it's customary for the platforms to continue on a while without covers. The length of platform covers don't always match, but often they do, so it could be either way, but the platform covers are always clustered near the terminal building. You'd almost never find a cover just off by itself in the corner (and if you did, it would probably be for something else, like a refueling point.)

3. In terminal stations where the end of tracks are visible, I very much like the idea of having visible buffers. Depending on how you do it, you may not need to consume an entire square - if the station building is off the end, you could just make the building a couple of pixels narrower, to make just enough room for the buffer and fake-tracks and fake-platform off the end of the real-track and real-platform.

4. DaleStan's fix will be on the official site in the near future. Is it a new incremented version?

[Thrakki]

C&NW Cabooses (cabeese?)...

[krtaylor]

Ooh, pretty! They weren't on the list, but I think we can find room for them all the same.

[Oz]

Hey, everybody! It's Oracle! Trust me, dude, I know ALL about exams after eight-odd years in higher education. Good luck on them!

Glad you like the stations. It seems that I've got a few more that I'll be doing in the future as well. I do like the modular idea for the GCT. In fact, I can whip together a few more platform sprites just to keep things more random. The terminal ends will be very cool for the Michigan Central. I mean, the GCT is one BIG terminal, so they're really not needed there. But, with the MCS, local passenger trains could be directed to a terminating track, and hopefully, in the future, streetcars and trollys could be incorporated as per Dan's and Wellyweb's idea.

As for the trestles, that's something that I plan on working on here and there. I'd like to have a whole mess of them, ya know, concrete ones, more steel ones with the names of the rail line painted on them, maybe even a graffiti covered urban one. Who knows?

So you guys don't like all of the pretty grass surrounding the MCS, huh? How 'bout a parking lot circa 1928, instead? Now that I have the US roadset, I'm going to have to change the lot texture. That's cool, though. The original TT roads are meh.

I'm off to the Cape for the weekend. Cheers!

[krtaylor]

That looks great, and really classy!

[DanMacK]

Oz, man, you are a master with a palette. Beautiful man!

[George]

So you guys don't like all of the pretty grass surrounding the MCS, huh? How 'bout a parking lot circa 1928, instead? Now that I have the US roadset, I'm going to have to change the lot texture. That's cool, though. The original TT roads are meh.

Well, I think that the free space between the parking and the station looks not good. It would be better to make the parking bigger or plant some trees there

[Raichase]

As George said, perhaps some concrete on the lower level? The carpark looks awesome mate, that station is just... wow.

[George]

And, BTW, may be to make the green roof in company colours?

[SHADOW-XIII]

.... if only you could build a bus station at that parking ...

[B52]

Hi everyone. I saw some of the progress on the set, and I want to say nace work guys. Good stations and cabooses, and etc. I thought this might be fun to add to the set. It is overhead bulls-eye signals. To get them into the game, you could place one end one track, and then scroll to the other track. It could be coded as a checkpoint and signal. The way the signal would work is, when a train passes, it will be red, then when it clears, it will be yellow, when that next signal gets a yellow, the first signal will be a blinking yellow, then when the other signal gets a blinking yellow, the first signal will be green. Change of speed does not matter. It could go good in the realisim guide.

[Oracle]

The cabooses look good, Thrakki!

B52, if that was possible then we'd all be using it - it would be one of the hardest things to do in TTDPatch, I believe. It's just beyond the realms of possibility.

Oz, I've quickly hacked your last image to show what I was thinking about doing, although maybe the left-hand side of the terminus platform should be removed. Is that what you had in mind? Obviously you'd need to draw it so it fits together properly...
The car park looks great, by the way.

[krtaylor]

B52, there's no way we can do overhead bull's-eye signals. BUT, the by-the-side bull's-eye signals that we currently have aren't the greatest, and also, all our signals don't have new PBS variants. Would you be interested in improving the current bull's-eyes, and adding PBS variants to all the stations and semaphores?