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Fancy building a route?

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bloogrape

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21 Nov 2005
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I would love somebody to create the Reading to plymouth with either the oxford route or newbury.

just a long shot but i cant create anything for BVE4 as i am finding any information on building them a pain in the rear end!
 
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eezypeazy

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If you wait for somebody else to build your favourite route, then I'm afraid you're in for a very, very long wait.

Firstly, by my reckoning, there are probably no more than a couple of dozen active route developers in the whole world. Here in the UK, you can probably count them all easily using just your fingers.

Secondly, Reading to Plymouth must be getting on for a couple of hundred miles(?). In comparison, Tyne Valley from Carlisle to Sunderland is about 75 miles. By this summer, I will have spent a significant amount of my free time in the last 20 months in researching it and building it for BVE 2 and 4 - and, even then, the BVE 4 version still won't include the train signal warning system. So, scale this up for Reading to Plymouth, and you've got a project that would take a pretty dedicated individual the best part of three years to complete, if my own production rate is anything to go by. (Yes, if you had a team of people working on it, with, say, someone laying the track, and lots of others building scenery objects, you could possibly do it faster - a year perhaps - but remember, it's all in your spare time!).

A scout around on the internet will quickly reveal that the UK BVE community is probably already one of the most productive in the world.

If we want to see more and better non-fictional routes being built, we've got to encourage more people to start developing. I have offered numerous times, on this forum and elsewhere, to do my best to assist anyone who wants to start (based on my experience of RouteBuilder - yes, handcoding is also possible, let's not restart that debate again!).

So, if anyone has any practical ideas for encouraging more route developers, let's hear them here, then let's do something about it....

Regards to all

eezypeazy
 

Tom B

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Bloogrape - it seems you're able to code HTML. If you can code HTML, you can code BVE routes. If you can program in a high level language, you most certainly will be able to!
 

66526

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I really would wanty to build some of the freight routes around the Selby coal field (Gascoigne wood to Drax and Ferrybridge etc) and also a 59 and 56 for BVE4, but I have no idea how to code etc. I would also love to make Doncaster to York and Selby for BVE4 but ditto for that unfortunately. :(
 

bloogrape

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Location
Berkshire
noted about the time to create your project.

idealy i just want Reading too Newbury which i could try creating.

being honest i dont know where to start for building this, the route knowedlge i have is detailed plus i live on the route and travel it everyday to work.
any tips for how to get started? msn? [email protected] add me if you can help out.

(i program in C++ so i guess its easy?)
 

bloogrape

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Dennis said:
Might I suggest Reading West or even Newbury - Bedwyn first, I would not fancy making the complex trackwork and FGWL depot at Reading as part of a first attempt at BVE route making!

I would also wait and see what this brings...http://www.railsimulator.com/press_release_fgw.htm
wow! when is this sim out?

i have taken your point into account with reading depot but i was going to be lazy and only do platform 1/2/3 lol and the rest id leave out. i dont think a route starting from reading west would be nice... maybe a small cheat right out of depot into reading west.. that way could be easyer.
 

66526

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Could have a load of stock lined up blocking the view into the depot so you dont have to model the trackwork?... ;)
 

NORTH STAR

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Morning.

Just a quick note to let you know that I am currently creating the Berks & Hants for BVE4.

Most of yesterday was spent creating Newbury Racecourse and the project is in it's very early stages right now. I started with Reading-Basingstoke but decided to do Reading-Newbury as well so both routes are under development at the same time. I also have sufficient information to do Paddington-Didcot/Oxford but lets see how the B&H goes first eh?

Matt
 

bloogrape

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NORTH STAR said:
Morning.

Just a quick note to let you know that I am currently creating the Berks & Hants for BVE4.

Most of yesterday was spent creating Newbury Racecourse and the project is in it's very early stages right now. I started with Reading-Basingstoke but decided to do Reading-Newbury as well so both routes are under development at the same time. I also have sufficient information to do Paddington-Didcot/Oxford but lets see how the B&H goes first eh?

Matt
if you require any layouts ect or detials on the route i travel it everyday so i can give you important detials if needed, i nearly allways stay at newbury station for about 40min each day so if you need info on that station let me know, also have a friend who drives that route and might be able to get you the route learning maps for it, also if you require hosting space for your project dont hesitate to contact me matt
 

NORTH STAR

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Berks
bloogrape said:
if you require any layouts ect or detials on the route i travel it everyday so i can give you important detials if needed, i nearly allways stay at newbury station for about 40min each day so if you need info on that station let me know, also have a friend who drives that route and might be able to get you the route learning maps for it, also if you require hosting space for your project dont hesitate to contact me matt

Hello bloogrape,

I reckon I have everything from a technical point of view... at the moment I rely on my own research trips and Google Earth for the reality behind the diagrams. Hosting Space would be very handy. I have a site of my own but it wouldn't be suitable for a large number of downloads. It'll be a while until that becomes an issue. I'll try to provide updates when they are worth doing...
 

bloogrape

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Location
Berkshire
NORTH STAR said:
Hello bloogrape,

I reckon I have everything from a technical point of view... at the moment I rely on my own research trips and Google Earth for the reality behind the diagrams. Hosting Space would be very handy. I have a site of my own but it wouldn't be suitable for a large number of downloads. It'll be a while until that becomes an issue. I'll try to provide updates when they are worth doing...
sure thing, il provide you with space and bandwidth for no cost as its a route i want and its the only way i can support and contribute towards it. good luck with it, if needed even tho you dont want them i can take many pictures of newbury and racecourse ect.. dont forget aldermaston is where i live and could take endless amounts of shots to help.
 

NORTH STAR

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With regard to the photos, it's quite the opposite. I do need shots taken at the Racecourse looking towards Reading and Newbury. A shot of the entire footbridge would be handy too. The next big task is the approach to Newbury and setting the route to cross from DM to UM and then again into the bay. As there will be a run for the HST a second route into platform 3.
 

Tom C

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4 Jul 2005
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I think a lot of people get the gitters when they see the quality of the routes that are released these days and think that they could never reach that stage......

Of course what they fail to realise is the amount of time and work that is done on these routes to actually get them to this stage and it isn't a few nights coding and then hey presto.

Also, there are no useful guides left to actually get people started. A lot of people are not literate with computer language or coding and people have said "just play around"........lots have tried this and just can't get the hang of it.

If anyone has downloaded routebuilder (which has ceased production because of lack of interest) they will know that there is an extensive manual with step by step instructions on how to do each thing like tunnels, objects etc etc. Something like that for handcoding would be very, very useful and it would give newbies (and oldies who just can't get to grips) a "manual" to work from and i think it would get many more people into the business of handcoding with more confidence

Any thoughts..........
 

eezypeazy

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I agree with you, Tom C... route building, however you do it, does take up lots of time.

Can I correct you slightly, though... further development of RouteBuilder has ceased - the tool is still available to download and use, and will turn out routes that can be driven in both BVE 2 and BVE 4 (although it doesn't support the AWS system directly). However, if a newbie was to use RouteBuilder, and add to it the growing number of freely available UK railway objects available from various sites, good results can be achieved.

Regards

eezypeazy
 

evil_hippo

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I would like someone to make my Settle-Carlisle line for BVE. But let's face it. It's never going to happen.
 
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I am writing a step by step tutorial on how to build a simple route for BVE that will explain everything from building basic object to implementing AWS. I have started it back a while ago and I am hoping to finish it somedays later.

After a newbie has followed my tutorial and gets the idea about route building- he can take on more complex routes and therefore we have loads more routes to enjoy in the future :)
Edited (by doublepost prevention system):
evil_hippo said:
I would like someone to make my Settle-Carlisle line for BVE. But let's face it. It's never going to happen.

Actually, I had given that a brief thought not long ago! The long drag is famous for its beautiful scenery and stations with distinctive character. Theres a Video125 DEV video available and a MSTS version to base on. I think I will make it and if I do actually make it- it will be some time in the distant future and it will only be part of the route as the whole thing is far too long- unfortunately :(.
 

eezypeazy

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Route building can't be all that difficult if I can do it... for example, this

Carlisle1.jpg


is a screenshot of some of the tracklaying I've done tonight ... it's about a kilometre, and will represent the southbound exit from Carlisle... yes, lots more to do, but this much was only two hours work...

eezypeazy
 

66526

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If I knew how to code then I could try a fictional route that is high speed (mostly 125) on the fast lines and then with differential speeds on the slow with stations. But I can't code! lol. I would then try some non fictional ones.
 

The Snap

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eezypeazy said:
Route building can't be all that difficult if I can do it... for example, this

Carlisle1.jpg


is a screenshot of some of the tracklaying I've done tonight ... it's about a kilometre, and will represent the southbound exit from Carlisle... yes, lots more to do, but this much was only two hours work...

eezypeazy

Just found your Fotopic site with screenshots eezypeazy - some excellent work there! :D
 
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