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CTA in Train Simulator


briman94

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

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!

Again, very nice!

Although the camera is placed outside of the train in the videos, it is sometimes possible to hear the speed limit beeper go off in the cab if you listen closely. The only problem is that you can't see what the speed limit is being lowered to...

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Again, very nice!

Although the camera is placed outside of the train in the videos, it is sometimes possible to hear the speed limit beeper go off in the cab if you listen closely. The only problem is that you can't see what the speed limit is being lowered to...

Yeah, I noticed that too. Too bad they didn't make it a real driver's view with the controls and everything :P

I also noticed that you can hear the dynamic brakes on the 3200s in the Orange Line videos...they sound a bit like the 5000s when braking. I've never noticed it from inside the cars but I noticed it in the video.

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Was gonna surprise you guys with a screenshot of a 5000-series Purple line to Central, but I realized that the front chamfer on the vehicles is too narrow for the destination sign to fit, and I have to basically reconstruct half the model from scratch again...oh well. Hopefully it won't take too long and I can clean up the model a bit while I'm at it!

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Was gonna surprise you guys with a screenshot of a 5000-series Purple line to Central, but I realized that the front chamfer on the vehicles is too narrow for the destination sign to fit, and I have to basically reconstruct half the model from scratch again...oh well. Hopefully it won't take too long and I can clean up the model a bit while I'm at it!

Can't you adjust the font on the sign? Or would it make it too small?

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Can't you adjust the font on the sign? Or would it make it too small?

I could, but it'd look disproportionate to the side signs. As far as I can tell they're the same size and pixel resolution. The door on the front was also a bit too skinny and looked odd...hopefully making the chamfer wider will allow for a more proportionate doorway as well.

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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!

Excuse me while I pick up my dropped tongue. Amazing!

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I'm working on some more stuff, specifically making the 5000s a little more accurate. Are there any CTA drivers on the forum trained in 5000s who could #1 tell me if the physics are accurate (they'd need Train Simulator) and #2 potentially record audio from the cab (if that's even allowed)? I know it sounds a bit far-stretched, so it's fine if neither of these can be completed, but it'd help with making the experience more accurate.

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You've added the CTA's default AWS (or ATC), in which that's f'ing awesome!!!!

Indeed! I only have the audible speed warning now...the visual speed display and aspect display aren't implemented. I can't do the signal aspect stuff until I make my own signal posts and heads, which shouldn't be too terribly hard, but then again I said that about getting the 5000s to show up in-game and look how long that took... :rolleyes: I guess I'll just wait and find out :P

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Indeed! I only have the audible speed warning now...the visual speed display and aspect display aren't implemented. I can't do the signal aspect stuff until I make my own signal posts and heads, which shouldn't be too terribly hard, but then again I said that about getting the 5000s to show up in-game and look how long that took... :rolleyes: I guess I'll just wait and find out :P

Man, you better get your money's worth with your extraordinary project!!! :) :lol:
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Y'all are gonna call me crazy, but I think I'm going to re-lay all the track from scratch. I've been using assets from Brighton Main Line and New York - New Haven for nearly the entire route, but I want to switch to all custom assets now that I know how to make them...converting it would be a million times harder than re-laying it from scratch. I'll probably just stick with the Orange and South Red lines since they're the newest and easiest to see on Google Maps :P

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Y'all are gonna call me crazy, but I think I'm going to re-lay all the track from scratch. I've been using assets from Brighton Main Line and New York - New Haven for nearly the entire route, but I want to switch to all custom assets now that I know how to make them...converting it would be a million times harder than re-laying it from scratch. I'll probably just stick with the Orange and South Red lines since they're the newest and easiest to see on Google Maps :P

I think that would be a wise decision to do so!

Hah, maybe RailWorks will pay me to finish it... as if... :P

I mean hell, it's worth a shot!!!

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Y'all are gonna call me crazy, but I think I'm going to re-lay all the track from scratch. I've been using assets from Brighton Main Line and New York - New Haven for nearly the entire route, but I want to switch to all custom assets now that I know how to make them...converting it would be a million times harder than re-laying it from scratch. I'll probably just stick with the Orange and South Red lines since they're the newest and easiest to see on Google Maps :P

Makes sense. Good luck! What custom objects are you thinking of?

Hah, maybe RailWorks will pay me to finish it... as if... :P

They really should though.

Indeed! I only have the audible speed warning now...the visual speed display and aspect display aren't implemented. I can't do the signal aspect stuff until I make my own signal posts and heads, which shouldn't be too terribly hard, but then again I said that about getting the 5000s to show up in-game and look how long that took... :rolleyes: I guess I'll just wait and find out :P

Do you know how to do invisible signals like in the New York-New Haven route? That would help a lot.

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Makes sense. Good luck! What custom objects are you thinking of?

Basically everything...track, platforms, tunnels, signs, signals...it's going to be a nightmare but hopefully I can make stuff so that it can be reused fairly easily throughout the route.

Do you know how to do invisible signals like in the New York-New Haven route? That would help a lot.

I'd imagine they're just signals without a model attached, or with an "editor only" model. I'm not sure where the CTA has "invisible signals" though...the ATC gets its speed info straight from the track the entire time the train is active.
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Basically everything...track, platforms, tunnels, signs, signals...it's going to be a nightmare but hopefully I can make stuff so that it can be reused fairly easily throughout the route.

I'd imagine they're just signals without a model attached, or with an "editor only" model. I'm not sure where the CTA has "invisible signals" though...the ATC gets its speed info straight from the track the entire time the train is active.

Well hey, if that guy did it for Microsoft Train Simulator...

The hard part with the CTA signals is that the ATC speed appears to be dictated by trains in front of you (and the track conditions obviously), so there really isn't a permanent point where the speed drops. Maybe the easiest thing to do would be to put the physical switch signals up first and then go from there.

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Well hey, if that guy did it for Microsoft Train Simulator...

The hard part with the CTA signals is that the ATC speed appears to be dictated by trains in front of you (and the track conditions obviously), so there really isn't a permanent point where the speed drops. Maybe the easiest thing to do would be to put the physical switch signals up first and then go from there.

I don't think the CTA uses a moving-block system; I think it's all just fixed-block. I can get the distance to the next restrictive signal as well as the speed at any point in front of me in the train script, so I should be able to mimic the real system fairly accurately without the need for invisible signals per-se.
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I don't think the CTA uses a moving-block system; I think it's all just fixed-block. I can get the distance to the next restrictive signal as well as the speed at any point in front of me in the train script, so I should be able to mimic the real system fairly accurately without the need for invisible signals per-se.

Oh OK, that's good. Wow, you really know what tools and information are at your disposal! :D

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...Basically I'm saying is there a way to make the route have multiple trains running on the North and Southbound tracks?

It appears that multiple trains can run as AI. You're far from alone when doing scenarios, or even free driving. I recently did one of the scenarios for the New York-New Haven route, and there were a bunch of Metro North trains running the route, and a handful of Amtrak trains, and all of the four tracks were used. I even raced a Metro North M8 for a little bit on my way to Stamford!
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Since the last update I've been learning about custom track models and made the model for CTA's elevated tracks, as well as the end buffer! The textures are modified from stock textures I found online because, well, I'm not exactly authorized to go stand in the middle of the track and take pictures...

gbhpa.png

The track crashes the game when I make a junction with it, but I can make junctions out of New York track until I get a reply back from the game developer's support team.

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Since the last update I've been learning about custom track models and made the model for CTA's elevated tracks, as well as the end buffer! The textures are modified from stock textures I found online because, well, I'm not exactly authorized to go stand in the middle of the track and take pictures...gbhpa.pngThe track crashes the game when I make a junction with it, but I can make junctions out of New York track until I get a reply back from the game developer's support team.

Are you planning on working with the third rails???
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Are you planning on working with the third rails???

Yep. Basically, the third rail is a separate object in the game. There's a tool called "Offset" that lets you offset an object from another, so once I finish a major section of track, I'll go and "offset" the third rail from the main track.
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