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CTA in Train Simulator


briman94

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When you finish the Blue Line, can you make it run (special run) from O'Hare to 54/Cermak?

I can definitely make a scenario for that. The blue line will be one of the later lines I do because of how much underground it has but I plan on building the Pink line right after the Green line.

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Okay, so I've made some...progress, I'll call it:

...

The textures are not correct and for some reason it doesn't move on its own right now (and thus has to be towed by a 377), but the model itself is rendering in the game!

Woah, I wasn't expecting the game to act like that. But like you said, finally having your model in the game certainly is progress. Hopefully you can figure out what the game is doing to your model. There's a good chance troubleshooting will be a BIG pain in the butt, but it will be worth it to see the fruits of your labor. Kind of like when I messed around in Java and Python for computer science...

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  • 4 weeks later...

It's been a while since I posted an update here, my apologies! I've actually been working on a little related side-project to practice developing custom assets. I eventually plan on making a "futuristic" version of Chicago with a monorail system, so I modeled a very rudimentary custom vehicle and got it in the game, and then scripted the vehicle to drive itself as the trains in cities like Washington, DC already do. Now that I finally got a custom vehicle in-game and rendering correctly, I can fix the CTA 5000 series without screwing it up even more!

Here's a video of the project I mentioned:

At the beginning of the video I switch on the automation system. From that point forward, I did nothing beyond adjusting the camera angle...the train did the rest by itself. It usually stops more accurately than it did but the game was lagging and I had been tweaking some settings that apparently messed it up.

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It's been a while since I posted an update here, my apologies! I've actually been working on a little related side-project to practice developing custom assets. I eventually plan on making a "futuristic" version of Chicago with a monorail system, so I modeled a very rudimentary custom vehicle and got it in the game, and then scripted the vehicle to drive itself as the trains in cities like Washington, DC already do.....

I don't know if you intended this to be the monorail, but by definition, it rides on one rail. Also, it has to have gates at the edge of the platforms, because otherwise someone will fall 20 feet to the ground. Seattle You Tube::

http://youtu.be/rwSUKkzzwtQ

BTW, it sounds like Mr. CTA is working the Disney World Monorail:

http://youtu.be/RwXBHQfgles

Update: It seems as though Crooks only modeled himself on the monorail announcer (DNA Info).

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It's been a while since I posted an update here, my apologies! I've actually been working on a little related side-project to practice developing custom assets. I eventually plan on making a "futuristic" version of Chicago with a monorail system, so I modeled a very rudimentary custom vehicle and got it in the game, and then scripted the vehicle to drive itself as the trains in cities like Washington, DC already do. Now that I finally got a custom vehicle in-game and rendering correctly, I can fix the CTA 5000 series without screwing it up even more!

...

At the beginning of the video I switch on the automation system. From that point forward, I did nothing beyond adjusting the camera angle...the train did the rest by itself. It usually stops more accurately than it did but the game was lagging and I had been tweaking some settings that apparently messed it up.

Impressive! I also noticed the test vehicle vaguely looks like the O'Hare ATS train.

If you're still using the Class 377s to test out your original route, I'd recommend buying and using the London Overground Class 378s instead. Unfortunately, they're about the same length as the 377s, but they have CTA-like sliding doors instead of plug doors, and have a good interior view. Unaltered, the consists are 4-5 cars, so the 4 car train would be like a midday Brown Line train.

I don't know if you intended this to be the monorail, but by definition, it rides on one rail. Also, it has to have gates at the edge of the platforms, because otherwise someone will fall 20 feet to the ground...

True (I've ridden on the first monorail you mentioned), though I think the way briman94 said it meant that he was doing the monorail later. I hope he doesn't have trouble with that, since I've never seen a monorail modeled in this train simulator. In MSTS, someone did manage to alter the tracks so they look like the rubber tired Paris Metro tracks, but that's not monorail either.

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I don't know if you intended this to be the monorail, but by definition, it rides on one rail. Also, it has to have gates at the edge of the platforms, because otherwise someone will fall 20 feet to the ground.

When I make the monorail system, I'll be modelling the actual beam as a track type for Train Simulator, but I'm just testing the vehicle right now so I'm testing it on standard bi-rail track (hence why it has no bogies). In regards to platform doors, I'd like to have them in the final monorail project but I don't know if it's possible to animate a station model only when the train opens its own doors, so I'll need to do more research for that.

Impressive! I also noticed the test vehicle vaguely looks like the O'Hare ATS train.

That's where I got the inspiration from (as well as the Denver International system as well). I ended up deciding on one door set per car (which most likely wouldn't be used in real life due to fire regulations, at least not without emergency exits) because it's easier to model and animate.

If you're still using the Class 377s to test out your original route, I'd recommend buying and using the London Overground Class 378s instead. Unfortunately, they're about the same length as the 377s, but they have CTA-like sliding doors instead of plug doors, and have a good interior view. Unaltered, the consists are 4-5 cars, so the 4 car train would be like a midday Brown Line train.

I actually have the 5000 model rendering in-game for the most part. I have to fix some glitches but thanks to my practice with the monorail-that's-not-currently-a-monorail I know how to fix them now, so I should be able to get the 5000s running soon.
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I just did a timed test run from Kimball to Merch. Mart and I'm running 9 minutes ahead of the real Brown Line schedule. Is there a speed limit map somewhere? I feel I may have been going unrealistically fast in some parts, e.g. 45 between Diversey and Armitage...

EDIT: turns out my vehicle's acceleration was twice that of CTA vehicles. That affects travel time a lot...

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I just did a timed test run from Kimball to Merch. Mart and I'm running 9 minutes ahead of the real Brown Line schedule. Is there a speed limit map somewhere? I feel I may have been going unrealistically fast in some parts, e.g. 45 between Diversey and Armitage...

EDIT: turns out my vehicle's acceleration was twice that of CTA vehicles. That affects travel time a lot...

There are also some slow zones near Diversey, Armitage, Halsted, and Chicago. Dec. map.

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There are also some slow zones near Diversey, Armitage, Halsted, and Chicago. Dec. map.

I just put those in and I was only 5 minutes ahead of schedule (not like that's necessarily a bad thing) but the problem is I don't know the non-slow-zone speed limit for most segments of track :P I need to go out with a notebook and stand in the front car watching for speed signs or something. It'd be nice if the ATC speed indicator was visible to passengers in the 3200s and 5000s but unfortunately it's only visible in the 2600s...
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I just put those in and I was only 5 minutes ahead of schedule (not like that's necessarily a bad thing) but the problem is I don't know the non-slow-zone speed limit for most segments of track :P I need to go out with a notebook and stand in the front car watching for speed signs or something. It'd be nice if the ATC speed indicator was visible to passengers in the 3200s and 5000s but unfortunately it's only visible in the 2600s...

Theoretically, the speed limit is 55, but with all the curves, no way around them. Also, probably no way to get up to speed with the short stops on the north main segment (Belmont through Armitage).

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Theoretically, the speed limit is 55, but with all the curves, no way around them. Also, probably no way to get up to speed with the short stops on the north main segment (Belmont through Armitage).

Heh...I don't think I've seen any line reach 55 except for the Orange and Blue lines. Mayyyyyybe the Green line on a good day.
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I just put those in and I was only 5 minutes ahead of schedule (not like that's necessarily a bad thing) but the problem is I don't know the non-slow-zone speed limit for most segments of track :P I need to go out with a notebook and stand in the front car watching for speed signs or something. It'd be nice if the ATC speed indicator was visible to passengers in the 3200s and 5000s but unfortunately it's only visible in the 2600s...

Would one of those iPhone or Android speedometer apps be helpful in determining speed?

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Would one of those iPhone or Android speedometer apps be helpful in determining speed?

Sometimes, but that requires a few things to hold true...my phone only reports speed once per second and it's a bit inaccurate. Secondly, the driver has to actually be following the speed limit, which I've noticed a lot of them don't :P you also need GPS which isn't available in some places, e.g. in the subways

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've got a surprise for you guys...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr1GKk6TpS8

Obviously the model's not done, and there are a few glitches that are super easy but tedious to fix so I've been lazy about them, but the physics should be spot-on and the sounds are pretty darn close too! Won't be long before I can start working on changeable destination signs.

EDIT: On an unrelated note, I just noticed that the CTA is uploading real-time videos of their Ride-The-Rails series. They're not sped up at all and it sounds like they have a microphone on the outside of the train, so that's pretty cool...I should be able to get some good speed limit and signal data from that!

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I've got a surprise for you guys...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr1GKk6TpS8

Obviously the model's not done, and there are a few glitches that are super easy but tedious to fix so I've been lazy about them, but the physics should be spot-on and the sounds are pretty darn close too! Won't be long before I can start working on changeable destination signs.

EDIT: On an unrelated note, I just noticed that the CTA is uploading real-time videos of their Ride-The-Rails series. They're not sped up at all and it sounds like they have a microphone on the outside of the train, so that's pretty cool...I should be able to get some good speed limit and signal data from that!

Dude this is an amazing job you did wow!!! They trains look great spot on actually, great progress man keep up the great work can't wait to see the finished product.

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