New types of rails (curves, s-curves ...)

[ssilk]

This is not longer relevant

This is about new types of rails. Therefore you need to know, that until v0.12 we have/had only two types of rails: straight rail and curved rail. The curved rail enabled players to have quite complex rail layouts, but not everything was possible. This will change with v0.13, where we then will have only straight rail as item and everything else is "bowed" in realtime. See this, how it works: http://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-113

[quote]Removal of curved rail item

The goal of this task was to simplify the rail building, so instead of having straight rail item and curved rail item, it will be just a rail item from now on. Curved rail entity will be built by 4 rail items (by using the planner), so the player doesn't have to craft both rail item types. Rail item can be still used to build straight lines of rails as before (build and move/drag). The advantage of this approach is, that if we wanted specify other rail shapes (like the S for switching close lanes), we could do it without the need to have many different rail items to be understood by the player.[/quote]

This post explains exactly the current state of this issue
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewtop ... 57#p125962
Kovarex also summoned that up to be true.

This are the main topics of this:
- there is no easy way to "shift" just one rail-width. We need some special s-curve for that.
- rails are bound to even tiles only (a rail needs always 2 tiles). We need even more specialiced cures or s-curves for that.
- we need bigger (longer) curves (so that the track looks more realistic and can be )
- The rail-circle looks ugly, cause it is not a circle.
- we need more different directions (not sure about it)
- Driving a 45º curve with 250 kilometers/hour looks ridiculous fast. Train should slow down a bit before such curves. This helps also the issue to be killed by train in narrow areas.

Some pics:

(viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5726)
(viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8091)
(viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10340)
(viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12603)

(viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13829)
(viewtopic.php?f=6&t=22993)


More threads about this subject:

https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewtop ... f=6&t=5726 [Request] New rails
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewtop ... f=6&t=8091 Changing rail recipe
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewtop ... =6&t=10340 Simple fix for the ugly rail circles
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewtop ... =6&t=12603 New rail geometry
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewtop ... =6&t=13829 Improved rail curves
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewtop ... =6&t=19882 More types of rail curves
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=22993 S train track
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=23275 A Thought on the New Rail Placement System
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=31268 Train Exit Side
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=34925 Tighter S-curve rails
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=42213 Signal gantries [about distance between rails]
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=47605 Rail Stop Off-By-One in reverse.



Leaving the fixed 2x2 grid

These are topics, which wrangle with problems, that come from the fact, that the current train network is fixed to even tiles only (2x2 grid of the rails).

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=27342 Can't line up train stops with each other
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=28383 railway placement
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=39955 Snap train to tiles.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=37081 Allow train stops to be placed on 1x1 grid



Related

https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewtop ... 276#p21276 Some suggestions(or may be even requests) [about the speed of trains through the curves]
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewtop ... f=6&t=4971 Hotkey+R to rotate counter-clockwise [The demos looked like you still need to/can rotate the target rail, so this still makes sense]
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewtop ... =67&t=7717 Can the player be killed by train? (Train kills?!)
https://forums.factorio.com/forum/viewtop ... =6&t=14004 Mine straigt rails over curved [Till now it's not clear, how rails will be removed, so it also makes sense to put it into this list]
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=41820 Different pathfinding for rails

viewtopic.php?f=80&t=19953 New types of rails (curves, s-curves ...)

[mrvn]

I would love larger curves so one could build parallel lines with small curves on the inside and large curves on the outside.

The existing curves might also look better without the extra diagonal straight. But that's the old rails.

[Optera]

I would welcome a grid allowing s-curves for gaps < 4.
Having more radii and 90° curves without the diagonal piece would make tracks look a lot better too.
Merging could be either great or a pile of frustration if you wanted a switch there instead of an s-curve.

[Gergely]

Topic: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=39246

[aober93]

More flexible rails would be real nice. But i fear that the current method is very rigid both by rail and trains, which doesnt allow for anymore flexibility than there currently is without changing the concept behind the rails in the base game first. Just alone seeing the bugs that trains introduced on specific rail conditions, you dont want more rails. Well i dont. I'd rather want another game (factorio 2) that does things differently really.

[Oktokolo]

Changing the railroad grid from 2x2 to 1x1 while keeping the width of the railway at 2 and adding more curve radiuses now seems like it would be doable without complicating the gui since curved rail items have been abstracted away and rail is layed by drag'n'confirm.
Looks like the next logical development step regarding the railroad system.
It would certainly help with designing nice looking rail stations, intersections and buffers.

[ssilk]

And bridges.
And ship-loading.
And containerization.
And ...

[pingger]

And bridges.
And ship-loading.
And containerization.
And ...

Haven't seen anybody talking about ships and containers yet, but a good idea (at least the containers)

And Bridges for trains are not necessary since we have landfill (IMHO)

But I definitely support the idea of having more rail options like mentioned above

Greetings

[5thHorseman]

And Bridges for trains are not necessary since we have landfill (IMHO)

But if we have ships, then a landfill train bridge would block a shipping lane.

[dgw]

The real question is, if we have ships, would we be able to build a ship-shipping ship that ships shipping ships?

All joking aside, I seriously went looking for a mod that added at least rail containers when I saw that thing about containerization. Never did find one, sadly.

[darkfrei]

picture

[Oktokolo]

All joking aside, I seriously went looking for a mod that added at least rail containers when I saw that thing about containerization.

I do not care about containers as stack inserters work quite well for loading and unloading regular wagons.

But is it possible to change the workings and laying of rails by modding?

The current state of the rail system is definitely good enough for gameplay purposes and look good too. Therefore i do not expect the devs upgrading it further soon. But i really like the aesthetics of complicated stations and also like to start with multiple lines that are completed to a full transportation network later on.
Therefore i would at least try to learn modding and mod multiple curve radii in myself if such a thing is possible.

[melwil]

And bridges.
And ship-loading.
And containerization.
And ...

And Bridges for trains are not necessary since we have landfill (IMHO)

Bridges have a ton more uses than spanning bodies of water, though. Just being able to make more intelligent intersections and stations for trains would make bridges a very attractive addition to the game, in my opinion.

The main problem with this may just be the lack of a Z-axis, though I really do miss it.

[zytukin]

And bridges.
And ship-loading.
And containerization.
And ...

And Bridges for trains are not necessary since we have landfill (IMHO)

Bridges have a ton more uses than spanning bodies of water, though. Just being able to make more intelligent intersections and stations for trains would make bridges a very attractive addition to the game, in my opinion.

The main problem with this may just be the lack of a Z-axis, though I really do miss it.

No need to over complicate it with a z axis.
Just do them the same way that cliffs and buildings simulate height.

As for the rail laying, just make it spline based with the spline attaching to the map cords where you click and flexing to fit those cords.

[dgw]

Somehow I get the feeling that making rails spline-based would heavily affect performance. If nothing else, it would probably massively increase the number of sprites needed to render rails.

[pleegwat]

A bridge which goes over anything would necessitate at least 2 positions on the Z axis, or anything standing below the bridge would collide with a train passing over it.

[lilstrip]

Really wish they add this because it looks so fumb when trains go high speed through 45* angled curves!

[mexmer]

If there will be z axis then not just land bridges (for crossings) will be possible, but also tunels. I enjoyed that a lot in transport tycoon, i will not work with fake elevation we have now, tho’. Although, since we have ug belts, why not ug rails?

[mrvn]

If there will be z axis then not just land bridges (for crossings) will be possible, but also tunels. I enjoyed that a lot in transport tycoon, i will not work with fake elevation we have now, tho’. Although, since we have ug belts, why not ug rails?

Tunnels are different than bridges. Bridges you are supposed to see and walk under. Tunnels are basically just 2 holes in the ground where the train disappears and reappears. And the hole could lead to another surface so you can walk through the tunnel and the train has somewhere to be while in the tunnel.

So we don't need underground rails, we need rails that change surfaces.

[mexmer]

If there will be z axis then not just land bridges (for crossings) will be possible, but also tunels. I enjoyed that a lot in transport tycoon, i will not work with fake elevation we have now, tho’. Although, since we have ug belts, why not ug rails?

Tunnels are different than bridges. Bridges you are supposed to see and walk under. Tunnels are basically just 2 holes in the ground where the train disappears and reappears. And the hole could lead to another surface so you can walk through the tunnel and the train has somewhere to be while in the tunnel.

So we don't need underground rails, we need rails that change surfaces.

but then you will need ground elevators, so you can access those UG surfaces.