Train Template V2
For Unreal Engine 5.1
Preview
Major Update for the train template project for Unreal engine 5.1
This is a preview list of modifies to the project that will be available to download before the end of 2022. The list is subject to changes and a new documentation with all the informations needed to use the project and a changelog will be produced as soon we can submit the update to Epic Games
This is a preview list of modifies to the project that will be available to download before the end of 2022. The list is subject to changes and a new documentation with all the informations needed to use the project and a changelog will be produced as soon we can submit the update to Epic Games
- 6 different railway themes: Modern, old 19th century, western, snow and modern abandoned. Each part of the railway can be quickly changed using a simple data table with all the static meshes for a theme. So you can change the static meshes or add a new theme with new meshes
- All the static meshes are now completely new, made with maya by us with 2048x2048 textures made with substance painter and a good poly-count (the less as possible without losing realism and details) Max poly count will be around 40k poly but just for certain parts
- Static meshes will be modular and will use a 500 units length (that can be changed if needed) to provide a standard size for each mesh that you can use if you plan to change or add meshes
- Substance materials with 3 textures (diffuse + normal + occlusion roughness metallic map) for all the static meshes
- New railway creation system using sections (where you can specify the curvature, the length and the slope of each section of the railway using an array of structures), using an array of locations or using the spline as in version 1. This allows the possibility to have pre-created tracks to quickly re-use them. A data table is used to store pre-made tracks. You can now safely store a railway shape and assign it to any railway in the level
- The railway will use Hierarchical instanced static meshes or spline meshes according to the curvature of the track, in this way it's possible to use deformable meshes only if needed otherwise the much more efficent Hierarchical Instances are used
- Realistic switch mechanism, with all the parts of a real switch point (switch stand, push bar) with different graphics according to the railway theme
- The track meshes won't be stretched anymore using a system to equally subdivide the meshes along the spline with no-stretchinG at all and also considering the different length of the spline that comes with curves and parallel splines. This is one of the points we spent more time to develop to grant the best result when placing meshes in different situations, like curves or slopes
- Bogies can now have 1, 2 or 3 axis each one with wheels with modern disc brakes or old drum brake, also suspensions are different according to the type of bogie you want to assign to a carriage
- Carriage length can now be adjusted using a modular system that is multiple of 300 units, so you can create a short carriage or a long one and have them working together in the same train (this Update was requested for short coal carriages attached to the engine). The length of the carriage is important because, in a narrow curve, the center of the carriage will move out of the track and bogies will remain on the track. With the new system you can quickly reduce the length of an existing carriage if your track is going to have narrow curves or extend carriages and engines for straight tracks. All using a simply integer variable.
- it's now possible to spawn the static meshes of a railway during game so you can draw the railway when the character is nearby and despawn all the meshes when far from the railway. Trains will work the same just using splines and without any rail mesh so it's possible to have a very large map with many trains moving without the need to draw all the railways in the construction script. This will help you to save a lot of performances and loading times
- Trains can be spawned at runtime or on construction script, we have modified the train spawner to both use different carriage length and deploy them on the track in the correct position and to also be able to spawn trains on demand during game time or on begin play after a delay
- Stations, bridges, tunnels and switch points will no longer use spline points (start spline point and end spline point) like before but distances along the spline. This is very important because you can now create a bridge at the exact point you want it to start and end and you don't have to match spline points like before. Also switch points can be longer or shorter without changing spline points distances
- Spline points can now be placed according to the curvature and the shape of the track to help creating smooth curves. (with the previous system changing the spline points distance was affecting the layout of the track)
- Bridges can have more or less automatic pillars using a simple variable so you can have a modern bridge with more distant pillars or an old bridge with close pillars using an integer variable
- Tunnels can now be single for all the tracks or individual for one track according to your preference
- Stations can now have a cover ceiling that is placed by the blueprint using a simple boolean
- Stations will also have a footbridge that is used to help the character moving from one track to the next and that is modular so can work with any amount of parallel track
- Completely new semaphores with the possibility to use a modern or old semaphore, each semaphore could be controlled using the interface
- All the powerlines are now using poles that are placed according to the curvature of the track and according to switch points, stations, bridges etc. Also switch points are now using a correct powerline cable that covers the switch track