Beiträge von yellowcake

Finalising the mod description and taking some more screenshots.
Soon NOW available for TpF3!

As a start the mod will only release with the standard main signals. Distant, dwarf and gantry signals will follow in updates.
Some parts have been reworked to lower tri count and added LOD levels for all parts of the signals.

Hi,

I might have to disappoint you in that. The Dutch signals are now being finalized. My interrest goes more in the direction of adding more additions to them (like specialized cargo aspects and repeater signals) then fully building up signals of a different country. The signals I'm making right now are those in service since around 1967. With some small alternations the pack could be expanded to the 1955 version.

And maybe, just maybe, I'll be looking in the 1946 light signalling system of The Netherlands.

So as you may see. I've got a lot to discover and investigate on just the different Dutch systems

Zitat von QitongPro

Hi Yellowcake,

I really love your mod and truly appreciate the work you’ve put into it, especially the semaphore signals. They look very similar to the semaphore signals used in my country (Indonesia), possibly because our railway system was historically operated by a Dutch company.

I wanted to ask if it would be possible to make the semaphore signal function as a waypoint as well. Sometimes I don’t want trains to stop at stations and overtake lower-priority trains by using fake signals as waypoints, so having the semaphore double as a waypoint would be very helpful.

Thanks again for your great work, and I hope you’ll consider this suggestion

Thank you for the compliment! Was not aware these are really similar. They have a lot in common whit the Staats Spoorwegen semaphores and some of the signals introduced in 1932. I can take a look at adding some of the standard signals as waypoints. These won't be the full set though and will be of a lower priority for now.

It will be in implemantation without Better Signals sadly. The most elegant solution is creating "real" signals that will replace one of these masts. The choice of what signal must be functional on the bracket will be the users choice.

These are all the different options of signal.

So I'll need to make 26 different signal types (times 3 positions, but thats just an offset).

This way the signal is functional, yet only one aspect and one aspect type will be functional

The way the animations are called by BetterSignals, as explained to me by Nightfury, the animations are called at random when needed. So a semaphore could enter a green state loop instead of just one call

Well, all the static options are done. Not totally happy about the combined signals with the diverging pre signal. I can't find good pictures online how the push rods are mounted, so for the time being they are made to have non. This is it for now. Next up is creating a functional version of each of these options, to make the signal at least functional on one of the aspects. Untill next time!

Oeh, that looks like a Plan E carriage!

Let's do an other quick update.

The signal brackets are completely moddeled. The signals will be freely placeble. Due to limitations with the game, and sadly with Better Signals, I won't be able to make these fully functional as intended. Their prototypical use is to indicate what direction the train is going entering the station (or yard or even a branch of the main line). The different heights indicate no speed restriction needed for going "straight forward", the lower version means a lower speed is needed because a switch wil be taken on the diverging route.

The smaller bracket has 2 different heights (low and middle) The one on the right will be diverging and on the left "straight on"

The larger bracket also has 2 different heigts, yet these are the middle and high one. This situation is used if all the signals are combined with a pre signal.

Visualisation of these situations will follow in the next update when I've finished al variations

Hi all, just a little sign of life.

My available time is still almost 0 and will continue for at least the next 2 weeks. Yet, I've managed to start undertaking a "little" upgrade on the semaphores on the side in the few hours I had. It's just a little start, but I got inspired by the GWR Signals by Isambard on Steam.

Let the screenshot just speak for itself. I'm switching between the semaphores and light signals to keep myself sane.

Really awesome to see that these models are getting this amount of detail!

Love this!

Nice to hear! I think the Dutch system might be one of the most easy to understand haha

The signals already have proper LODs. I believe after 15 meters it just changes to a cilinder with 12 sides. The high detail is only visible really close up, for high realistic screenshots. The same with the lens holder for the incandescent dwarf signal. the ribs in between those holders also dissapear and is just one big octagon without beveled edges

Hi all, did a little more modelling on the most common dwarf signal. It's now for 95% done. Then I'll need to start on the different versions.

Once again, it's all in the details. The classic incandascent lit signals used 3 different lenses to create the light bundle. The modern LED versions only one. This translates to a physical difference in the models. Let's take a look below.

Incandescent

LED

Thats it for now 😁

Hi all, time for a small update

Had a little time today to tinker this afternoon for the next addition to the pack

A complete rework on the "dwarf" signals

Hi all, this will for now be the last update for a while. The gantry signals are finally completed. The script is still being worked on, just to be sure there are no bugs.

The next update will be the pre signals. These are "only" a different backplate and a different script logic, so shouldn't take as long to do and might also be done this year.

After that, the pack will be release to all of you. In 2026 I'll start modelling the dwarf signals to complete the light signals pack.

I am having some other ideas that might be a fun addition to this pack, and even as an extra pack! But that's for later.

Here are 2 screenshots of the gantry signals in action with a beautiful 2200 by GowronGaming

Well, at least it size increases with the amount of cable ducts that are coming out of it

Hi again,

I'm pondering if the possibility of renaming on the gantry is worth it after adding it. The font will be so small that it will be basically unreadable. On the picture below you'll see the quality of text, still being too large for what is should be.

decreasing the font size even more makes it undefineable

Or does someone know to get the text small enough without looking like this (label model is 6cm high). The only way I managed to get it readable was setting the fitting to SCALE, but then it doesn't obey the vertical height of the label anymore.

What is your opinion on this matter?

One week of works further and can show an almost finished model of the gantry in-game.

The only thing that still needs some modelling and adding is the plaque that indicates for which signal numbers the box on the side is for. Just for the sake of realism, these also will be customizable.

the box above houses the components for signals 1054 and 1056

The corresponding signal 1056

Who would have thought, ChatGPT to the rescue

It gave me as a possible solution to check Clear Custom Split Normals Data in Object Properties. Never had to use this option and don't know why but it fixed the flat looking texture.

And in-game

Just sharing if someone else might encounter this in the future.

Greetings