Meshtools & Train Sim World

A really good interview, thanks to Ed and Dovetail Games for creating this. Both the Class 45 and Class 33 are excellent locos, which have set a high bar for future locos released for Train Sim World. It's also good to see that Dovetail Games are taking into consideration the views of developers when creating the editing tools.

I also enjoyed watching the recent editor stream focusing on scenario creation, it is really helpful to see what the tools are like before the public release. Will there be further streams showing route creation and reskins for locomotives in the new year?

 

This is exactly why the tools should have been released day one. The first time you let loose a third party developer, who seemingly had no prior experience with Unreal Engine, he produces the best locomotives for the simulator thus far. Having developers who are driven by their passion and interest as opposed to being driven by profit makes a huge difference in the quality of the product.

Something I do notice is that there is no mention of any issues with the TSW tools; So Ed didn't find any problems with the tools or anything that could have been better or features that could be added? I can't think of piece of software I've used that's worked perfectly out of the box, so I'm a little dubious about lack of constructive feedback featured in the article.

Whilst I appreciate the article, you shouldn't be sandwiching it between two adverts, you'd be better off with just the one advert at the end rather than going for the hard sell. The idea should be that someone reads the article, are inspired by the passion and enthusiasm shown by Ed and then ask the question 'where do I get these locomotives?!', to which you answer by providing them with the links to the products at the end of the article. Nobody wants to have to scroll back to the top of the article to find the links to the products. You also haven't provided links to the PC version of the NTP DLC or the Class 33 DLC, only links to the console preorder. The PC versions of NTP and the Class 33 are out now, and it's Christmas, promote those products!!!

 

Enjoyed the read and always welcome more insight into the enginerding going into the simulation .

 

Good read when it comes to those interested in locomotive development, but I'm disappointed that there wasn't anything related to route development (which arguably is the best part about the editor).

Matt's stream (95% scenarios, 5% route building talk)
This article (100% locomotive creation)

Us route builders need some love!!!

 

I’d also like to see a stream/tutorial/article/information on how to route build using the editor as I am not particularly interested in making scenarios. Though it was still nice to see.

I hope once the editor is released we get a manual or guide to help us through it and cover specific tasks, rather than having to go through various YouTube videos to find what I want help with.

 

There will be.

 

That he did, but it's just a shame it wasn't covered much up to this point. But no worries, I'm patient.

 

It should also be noted it would be absolutely useless asking me about the route editing tools as I haven't looked at them yet!

 

Hi all,

I watched the stream the premier of editor and am so excited for it, but one question is there a possible release date or are people able to download and get started and learn as they go instead of waiting for manuals initially. Thanks

 

No release date yet.

 

Although there is no release date for the beta editor you should follow the advice given in an earlier TSW Studio Update as shown below:

and start learning about the UE4 editor upon which the TSW editor is based. There are a number of youtube training videos available both from Unreal Engine and from other people.

 

Hi,

thank you for responding thought I'd ask cause I wasn't sure if there was a release date and I hadn't just missed it. also the mod tab you have mentioned is that in unreal engine that i download and install or on the epic launcher as i don't see it on the epic launcher.

Thanks

 

Probably the former. I'm not on that particular system so I can't say for certain. You need the 16.3 engine installed anyway to use the editor. Don't bother to install the later versions of the engine unless you actually need them or DTG upgrade to a later version.

 

Rather than route building, my interest lies in scenario making, so I would appreciate seeing some information about that, please.

 

Did you see the stream?

 

Devstream: TSW Editor Premiere

 

For what it's worth, I think the Unreal engine editor looks fantastic, intuitive and I can't wait for the TSW world to explode in content, be it great or rubbish, provided by the passionate community.

Thanks DTG, onwards and upwards (and a very big thanks for bringing TSW to us)!


P.S Yeah, the Editor Premier show was a great presentation, nicely paced. Well done Matt!

 

Hi all,

is there any release date yet for the editor, i feel like i and others have been waiting years for it to come out on beta, its killing me this wait, i', so excited for it.

 

Nope.

 

Also, has anyone been looking at UE4 blueprints, how to use...how to import mesh etc into the engine.
The new editor won't take any prisoners I guess, and nor should it.
Just be prepared for a great editor, just not easy to use!

 

Blueprints are what you'll use to modify pretty much anything in the editor. Most common application being scenarios.

UE4 natively supports .FBX file import, so it's extremely simple to import 3D models along with their respective meshes, textures, materials, etc.

The editor will not take any prisoners. People will LOVE and complain that it's difficult to use, but that's par for the course.

 

So I am practising in Blender 2.80 to make a mesh for an asset now. Do I import the textures and materials from Blender, or do that IN the UE4 editor? I guess the less you have to import into UE4 the better?

 

hi so when the editor is released and where told, where would we find it on epic games launcher under what tab and how would we download it? I've tried looking for where it possibly might end up but can't seem to see where it would be added?, or would i have to launch unreal engine and load the editor up via that way?

 

Instructions will be provided when its ready

 

awesome i hope they release it soon beta or full, been waiting so long extremely excited

 

Will it release on consoles or just pc

 

The editor will be limited to PC.

 

Why is there a random advert for NTP release at the start of the article?

 

Not random, NTP was releasing around those times.

 

has anyone heard of any likely dates they will release the editor beta or full, as it's been a good while since the last studio update where they said it was pretty much there and that pretty much all bugs had been sorted out?

 

Only speculation from the community. There is still nothing official, unfortunately.

 

It's been 5 months and we're still waiting.

 

Lol

 

it almost feels like they never want to release it, I'd love to have it as a beta with a few bugs that they will sort and update it regularly then holding it back for the release

 

I can only imagine how the forums would explode if the editor is released bugs and a rolling update process. Just look at the angst going on because the CSX HH diesels received an update and the NEC Diesels haven’t. Let alone the fact the GWE was patched months ago. Sort of a situation for DTG that they will damned if they do and well as damned if they don’t.

Might make for entertaining reading though now that I think about it...

 

i completely understand that the forums would explode however all they have to do is make a statement saying there will most likely be bugs but they are not game breaking so they will rolling update the bugs fixes gradually, however at least that way people have an editor to get started on using and taking TSW to next level, instead of waiting a long time 5 months ongoing and gaps where nothing is heard about the editor leaving them wondering. Plus some people are just too excited to start using it that simply the time they've waited so far is starting to bite away at them.

Even if it's atm just the scenario creation aspect that people can delve fully into it's something.

 

I think the lack of updates and vagueness when asked in a live stream says it all really.

Personally I don’t think the editor will come out until near the end of the year at the earliest.

Also note the editor won’t magically fix bugs and route errors, especially as we can’t edit routes. That’s DTG’s responsibly.

 

The editor is not going to be a panacea of wonderfulness. Most of the crash issues people have with TSx has been from third party software and I spend half my (train sim playing) life trying to find out why scenarios just won't work properly only to find the person who created the scenario refused to update them even though they know certain older stock is no longer available, even reputable sources such as AP!

Yes, the editor will allow people other than DTG to create scenarios and content, but don't make out like it won't cause issues, it will

 

Sorry when i say to the next level wrong words I mean another level as atm all we can do is drive various train in various modes the editor means tsw goes to another path where before you drive etc you actually make test and then for some people release scenarios and routes, but I'm aware the editor won't fix issues that we have atm.

But hopefully, they release the editor real soon and not be near the end of the year, that is just way to long to wait would pretty much feel like eternity

 

All ready we have mods available without the editor being released - and as has been seen, those mods can cause problems - for example in another thread a person was reporting the CSX HH update didn’t appear to fix any of the problems until he removed some horn mods.

Even if DTG stated they would be releasing updates, the toxicity of the forums would rise considerably by the arm-chair protagonist stating that a bug even though noted should have never been allowed to happen in the first place.

I agree with many, I would like to see the editor released even if in a less than polished state. But if it is , will warn everyone in the forums to standby for heavy rolls from the backlash in response to any shortcomings.

Of course I view ANY simulation as a work in progress, look at the improvements in FSX, Prepar3d and X-plane over the years as well as TS2019. Vast improvements in all both by the developers and third party supporters. TSW is pretty much following the same path, especially in light the series of recent patches. I see the addition of 3rd party support (enabled by the Editor) as continuing this progression and pretty much ignore the high signal to noise ratio heard in the forums.

 

I have mods installed and the update worked fine for me.

 

Not saying all mods cause problems either — Just stating that mods CAN cause problems as was evident from that person’s experience.

Plus the number of threads in the TS2019 on problems with loading workshop items, the amount of time I have spent troubleshooting conflicts in Xplane, P3D and FSX, I am not naive enough to think we won’t have similar problems going forward with TSW as more third party and user created content becomes available.

I am all for mods and 3rd party/user created content - It is just sort of the nature of the beast that problems will arise.

 

This is one of the things that are going to cause issues, Train Sim World doesn't use its own engine like TS2019, for example, it uses Unreal engine or a version of that, and everyone's system is different massively or by a small margin.

unfortunately, issues will happen and people will just have to come to terms that when it is released there will be issues that people will have but not others, but as long as the support is there from the various people which I would believe it will be and hope it is. issues gradually will get smoothed out. No game is perfect and works flawlessly all games have little things that cause issue from time to time.

People just need to embrace change and when something goes wrong or doesn't work not batter down the forums shouting for an answer but think is this a user issue where I have done something wrong installing this cause most of the time it is.

 

Any news yet on release full or Open Beta or Alpha or progress as this is getting ridiculous now the time we've been waiting????

 

It's there, Sam, beginning around (vaguely--you'll have to search a bit) minute 27. Verrrrrrrrrrry interesting! I haven't finished watching, but I'm intrigued by the process, which is quite different from scenario making in TS. My greatest hope is that we'll get a very detailed and complete manual, not the abandoned job available in TS.
Thanks for the tour, Matt!

 

Awesome

 

The editor for TSW is a legend. However, at this point, the most correct adjective is: farce.

 

Remember multiplayer? LMAO