Rolling Line

[seagoon]

No idea if others here at TrainSim.com follow Rolling Line.....

Whilst I cannot claim to "follow" Rolling Line, I very recently became curious about it after seeing a video in my list of YT recommendations. (Where they come up with some of the stuff, God only knows!)
Watching the video led to me doing a bit of research, which culminated yesterday in the purchase and installation of the program.

There was only one reason I did so and that's the ability to create a layout very easily.
After some gnashing of teeth, hair-tearing, coarse language and several restarts (all due to a very non-intuitive UI and a distinct lack of instructions) I finally managed to get stuck into creating a Rolling Line version of my BVE effort more than 20 years ago - Heavy Coal.

I started last night (Saturday) at about 8:00 PM and the damned game held my attention until after midnight. That has not happened since I last created a route in Trainz!
Today I have spent more time working on the project and had to force myself to stop.

Now, I realise and appreciate that this is NOT a simulation. It is a game, which sports non-textured polygon graphics, and is designed for the creation of virtual model train layouts - just like Trainz did way back in 2000.
But it is fun to work with and an absolute delight to watch a Big Boy steam loco puffing clouds of polygon steam and smoke as it hauls a fifty-car consist of coal from the loader near Lithgow and up the Main Western Line as it heads towards Sydney.

Track laying continues, as does terra-forming and painting, and I have my coal trains moving along at realistically slow speeds as they climb towards the highest point (Mount Victoria).

Maybe I'll also do Potash....that was, if I remember, the last one I created and published for Trainz.

Good fun and oh, so relaxing!

[haverfordwest]

Just out of interest Bruce.

How big (long) a layout can be created in this fun sized piece of craziness ?

Mike.

[SMRY]

Just out of interest Bruce.

How big (long) a layout can be created in this fun sized piece of craziness ?

Mike.

Mike,

as large as your imagination will take ya!.
Warning though, the larger you go, may cause normal slowdowns like other games / sims if pc not up to the task.
You can create rooms as large as you wish, tunnels can go thru walls, you can also add rooms at anytime for further expansion.

Myself, had begun to create a very large room & filled with many tables, believe was in the neighborhood of 40+. I've pretty much slowed on that portion of the project, as, the eng/rollingstock creation bug, took a foothold within Blender, which is more to my liking.

The entire game is very relaxing, best of all, allows the creative juices to flow non-stop, no matter skill level. Franks (Dev) is very helpful with genuine RL related questions, takes great pride in his work, updates / tweaks usually in the range of every 2-2.5-weeks.

Mike, all that's really needed is, both, an creative / open mind. Esp. graphics dept.
If nothing else, RL a great way to test ideas, &, apply to other RR games / sims.

[NorthernWarrior]

I take it there is no capability to import real world DEM/map data at this stage? How about overlaying track plans or diagrams, though?

[SMRY]

I take it there is no capability to import real world DEM/map data at this stage? How about overlaying track plans or diagrams, though?

Vern visit Steam & RL Discussion area.
Seems I recall someone explaining having the ability to create map overlays from google not too long ago, then paste on the tables, followed by, track / structures & foliage over the top of that image.
Reminding me of Sean / RTSX preforming that very task in Trainz at this time, with his Canadian project as well.

I believe Vern, while at discussion area, in the screenshot section that person also included shots, so we could see indeed able to preform that very task.

[seagoon]

Just out of interest Bruce........

SMRY beat me to the punch, Mike, but from what I'm experiencing I think he's hit the nail on the head.
My initial impression is that the creative side of RL is very much what Greg Lane initially envisaged with Trainz (until someone I know pushed the boundaries with Robe River).

Vern:
There is at least one what is termed Quicktexture three-dimensional map called Kaikoura (NZ) and I have the distinct impression that it has been made from DEM or equivalent.
How this is made possible I have no idea.

The instructions for the game are very sparse and I mentioned same in a comment I made on the Rolling Line Steam page.
Franks (dev) responded immediately acknowledging same and invited me to help by writing a User guide, to which I said I'd be happy to do so.
In order to help I need to discover all the protocols available for the creation of a layout, and this is trial and error right now.
But it is an enjoyable experience, albeit frustrating at times until I find a method of (just one example) altering the gradient of track.
That took several Google searches!

[NorthernWarrior]

I think I will watch from the sidelines at the moment. It looks good but the graphics are a bit on the primitive side.

[SMRY]

I take it there is no capability to import real world DEM/map data at this stage? How about overlaying track plans or diagrams, though?

Vern, This may indeed be of interest: https://steamcommunity.com/app/754150/images/

[haverfordwest]

Thank you Scott and Bruce for replying.

The graphics do look a bit basic, but i guess that is part of the developers deliberate intention.

Not a simulator, but a fun model rail creation game. Better think about this before jumping in.

I bought Red Dead Redemption 2 last month for nearly £50 and it is not even on the pc anymore.

Thanks boys.

Mike.

[SMRY]

Thank you Scott and Bruce for replying.

The graphics do look a bit basic, but i guess that is part of the developers deliberate intention.

Not a simulator, but a fun model rail creation game. Better think about this before jumping in.

I bought Red Dead Redemption 2 last month for nearly £50 and it is not even on the pc anymore.

Thanks boys.

Mike.

Ah "Red Dead Redemption" for the pc version.
I recall when it first came along, believe was to be western theme wanted so bad, somehow lost track, never got around to it.
You just had to put that title back out there. Be more funds down the drain, my poor O'l wallet runnith dry.
Gotta leave some cash for my planting, &, eventual pushing up of daisies at burial time.