I would like to see a Auto LiDAR scanning for older routes and auto Track laying and buildings on all routes in the Game this would be a big job but I rather see this in Gen 9 than Gen 8 and when it come's to the time for TSW5 I would like see that on UE5 and leave out Gen 8 only on Gen 9
Auto-track laying would be interesting, I'd like that idea even in TSC! It would be nice to use JOSM, download the railway and road data export to GPS (gpx) format and import it directly into TSW/TSC, without the need of creating a blueprint. The choose a track or road template and let it automatically generate the track and roads separately. Pretty much, you can do this in Trainz, using TransDEM
I’m pretty sure they tried with auto track layering on Sherman Hill and it didn’t turn out as good as they were looking for. not sure what it would take LiDAR to be implemented on older routes, though I imagine a lot. Would be great especially as a scenery boost to the ones that need it the most, but can’t see it happening unless it was a very simple task. as great as UE5 would make the graphics, I don’t think it’s worth it, as it’s also likely to bring a “joy” of horrid changes/bugs.
Adding lidar data would require a complete rebuild since it changes how the scenery elements are placed. You can't just add lidar on top. You build with it from the start. The availability of the lidar data and the quality can also impact whether it would be possible. I think if we ever saw ue5, it would have to be a fresh new start due to the huge back catalog that is only growing. If dtg decided to port everything, you are looking at several years of work since everything would need to be rebuilt
They can't leave out Gen 8. Doing so would alienate all those who aren't able to do Gen 9. Also, UE5 requires the game to be rewritten from scratch, so everyone would lose everything they have bought for the game.
Something like this will never going to happen because the way routes are created and the way things work beside of the processes DTG can do. Lidar is the base on which you create routes. You can't reload it in and it also isn't meant to be able to do so. By the way, this wouldn't really make difference to the scenery as usually assets cover the landscape either way. Also auto-track layering. I thought about this too, but never will come because it would require A. The Google Maps quality to be a lot lot better + B. creating an algorithm on detecting tracks (which partwise are hard or even not be able to discover when you lay tracks manually).
