Today been redoing the footbridges with stairs at front .. will look at making them longer over tracks as you suggested.

I took the lights off the walk ways just left them on the stairs due to aligning problems at stair ways when Waypoints and Stations Footbridges are used together.

Cheers pal

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Thinking about redoing the footbridges .. many stations in real the footbridge it at end of the platforms so that the supports are off the platform.

Similar to these pics.


This way one bridge type can go on the end any of the 5 platform types.

This will free up lots of IDs and make room for a few different versions. The ones I did are metal old style and see if can do something similar to these pics.

Will work on these ideas for a while and see what I can come up with.

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The only problem with that my friend is how trains behave in the OpenTTD world...
They will still see that tile as a station (even though there is no platform) and thus can stop there...

That wouldn't be that big a problem as if players have train stopping middle of platforms and if like me with loco hauled trains, the loco will stop just off the platform.

But, having problem with that idea anyway. To allow the stairs to line up with end of a platform, they had to be moved forward several pixels. Waypoints can not be moved forward as they already take up all 32 pixels of a tile.

So that idea looks like not going to be successful. I shall continue on previous idea and finish extending the walkways like you mentioned before.

What footbridges I done so far has taken up 68 IDs. I got 79 left.

Cheers pal

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Yeah, thats true.

Well, I think its a good thing that you are going to keep the footbridges that are on the various platforms in the game, they are a very nice addition and players will like that they can use that option too. Yes they take up a lot of IDs, but that is just because you have 5 different styles of platforms, having those 5 styles is what makes the set really Australian, rather than just a regular "fantasy" stationset.


I dont really see the issue....
The difference between the current normal platform ones and the current waypoint ones is that the waypoint ones need to reach the ground and thus the lower stairs are longer, using more space on the tile.
With this "new" design the footbridges dont reach groundlevel, right? And they dont have platformgraphics under them, right? Making them undependant of a platformstyle.
As I see it, they start at 4 pixels hight (with some support poles, 3 pixels high, under the first couple of steps), so that they link up with a platform. Meaning that you can simply code those as waypoints too as they are stand-alone, right?
So, I would just simply add this new design as an extra option, also for waypoints...
Or do you have a different kind of design in mind?

Good thing trying those ideas is we learn other things as we go.

I will stick with the footbridges on the platforms .. but might just add a few that will go at end of platforms.

Send you a copy of game file and where I up to. I changing the hand railings to the footbridges so that the railings look same as those along walk way as if have wire mesh.

You will notice the difference .. All the footbridges that have platforms have the new railings. Waypoints and those with out platforms most of them still have old style railing.

I noticed when I test these I forgot the lamps along walkway with forward facing stairs. And fence graphics a bit out with the Island platforms. Hope fix all those after I get some beauty sleep.

How easy is it to code a 2x2 platform tile .. one that will allow me to put a building at the top of the stairs? The building backs to a road bridge, but not need worry to much about that as bridge be behind the building so no one will notice if it connects properly .. I hope. I not do this yet, but hope to make some to put in the Fantasy Platform set.

Cheers pal

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Yeah, they are also too short and I can see some blue pixels that shouldnt be there

By the way, isnt it more logical to put those single-sided ones into the single-sided platforms section, rather than in the island-platform section?

Not difficult at all, I already use those in the Dutch set, so fairly easy to convert that into templates (code & graphics) that you can use.

I should be in bed using my buzzsaw.

Wonder how those blue dots got there



Yep .. also be more logical if I had put in the back platform walkways too. Maybe the gap wouldn't be there if I done that

I'll take you up on the 2x2 code soon. But before I try using I'll finish off these footbridges and some buffer stops and dock platforms.

There are no country stations with a Main Line terminal platform. Some stations that are on main lines that also serve a branch line have what we call Dock Platforms where the pass train that is serving the branch line starts from. And some stations have this dock for placing of wagons to load/unload parcels and Mails.

After I do those .. hope to get stuck back into the Fantasy set as that going to be a lot of fun.

Had a look at screenshots of the month .. some nice entries in it. Love to enter them myself eventually.

Now let me go to bed. Ni Ni.

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A little work-in-progress from my side

Still have to do the versions for the other direction of the tracks....

They are looking really good.

Looking forward to get back to the Fantasy's soon as got some ideas want to try. Hope in a few more days will have footbridges and buffer stops done.

Cheers pal

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Had a go making Buffer Stops and misread the images you sent me .. think can have 4 images per sprite set .. but after I tried them in game realised I made a mistake I should have looked several times before I started it.

Still fixing a few footbridges that not lining up properly .. they worked perfect before I changes the fences. My graphics program crashed a few times today so I wondering during on of those crashes maybe some images move a pixel or 2 as I was working on them when crash happened.

Tomorrow hope to finish of those repairs and then I plan to close both Parts of Station Sets and release on bananas later in week if all goes well.

Heres the files and sources if like to have a look and will see what I did wrong with the buffer stops

The alignment issues are with some of the Island Platforms with stairs facing away, and some of Single Sided footbridges that don't have platforms.

All Footbridges now have the new fencing.

Cheers pal .. I going to bed as been a long day.

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I made some buffer stops for the Gravel Platforms and both Asphalt Platforms.

Will not be doing any for the half gravel and half asphalt platforms as what I did for other sets will be sufficient and look just as good.

Will be making some buffers for the Goods Platforms and the City Tile Platforms tomorrow.


I think I got all the graphic glitches fixed with the footbridges. Only ones that I will look at later is single sided footbridges as the fences are just a fraction out with some.

When finished the buffer stops should have 47 IDs spare still.

Here's the source to where I up to at moment with Part 2.


Cheers pal

Edit:

The Buffer Stop I have at the station .. after looking at the pic .. wonder how it will look if I move the Buffer forward 10 pixels and put a small platform behind it with a ramp.

Like these ones.

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Finished the Buffer Stops.

Now trying to decide if I should have the platform and ramp at the end of all the Buffer Stops

The buffer stop with gravel platforms does not have the end platform and ramp where the bitumen one does.

I renamed all references to Asphalt to Bitumen as that what it is called in Australia.

If no more problems found or changes to be made hope to release it end of the week and than get stuck into the other 2 projects.

Heres the files. It has updated files to both Part 1 and Part 2

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I would say, do both
Those with ramps look very nice close to stations, but would look out of place for shunting areas for example.

Regarding the ramps, they need shading, especially the bitumen one in the above screenshot.
That will make it better to see that it is actually going down.
As you are coding with 32bpp colors, it is really easy to do that (as you dont have to stick with OpenTTD palette and thus can make more subtle changes to the colors), just select that area of the ramp and use colorcorrection to make it a bit lighter or darker than the flat surface. it will make the ramps look much better in the OpenTTD environment.

Thanks for those tips.

I having a go at doing a 3x1 Station.

This is Cobar Station located west of Dubbo. It way out west where the crows fly backwards keep the dust out of their eyes during dust storms.

Image on left is street view and right is railway platform view. Still need to do the other directions.

Been thinking .. no wonder I get headaches .. The stations I did of Paterson and others .. maybe I should make them 2x1 and 3x1 sets too instead of separate buildings .. this will free up some IDs as well.

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Looks really good!
However, it may be too low, lacking enough foundation hight for when you place platforms (or the platforms with awnings) next to it....

Yep. Had that problem. Cobar station street view is all level grounds no real slope or stairs and didn't dawn on my about platform height till I tried it.

Hope fix today and make a few more buffer stops with and without the ramps.

Cheers

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Here's Cobar.

I used some of your Golf Lawns but every photo I can find of Cobar has no grass .. just dirt.

The photo I used Google Earth to take that pic so you can see there no ramps and stairs .. just flat.

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Done some more buffers .. the Gravel and first set of Bitumen have the small platform at end, but not ramps. Running out of IDs and want to make just a few more stations. If room left over will do ramps for those later.

Also did a few more buffer stops for the city platforms without end platforms and also done a Crushed Ballast Buffer Stop.

These were common in shunting yards and end of line at terminus stations .. guess you can say these were the first shock absorber buffer stops invented.

I made the crushed ballast with some weeds growing in it.

Only the game file attached.

Working on Parkes railway station this afternoon (after my nap),

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I have a couple of suggestions after looking at the most recent version of Part-2 you posted above:


I really like that design, its something new for OpenTTD!
However I would suggest changing the color of the walls as they look too similar to the colors of the ballast.
Changing them to dark brownish wood or even reddish brick could make it look a bit nicer I think...


I think that the ones that look the best are the ones that only have mowed grass on the slopes and a different surface for the flat area.
I would therefor suggest to change the ones with mowed grass on slope and mowed grass on groundlevel in such a way that the flat groundlevel has the base grass tile look from the climate a player is playing in. (by just deleting the flat groundlevel part from the graphic as the code will put that climate-tile there) I think those would look a lot better then and it will kind of fix the "problem" you have with Station Cobar as at least the groundlevel will look the same as the rest of the environment (even though it isnt dirt).

Also I am missing corner pieces for those slope-tiles:

By adding those pieces a player can really "finish off" the sloped area and I think that looks a bit more natural then having it ending with a foundation-side....


Some tiny remarks/suggestions, regarding the slope going up to the platform and buildings that are in/on that slope:

- First, try to keep those slopes "uniform", using the non-track mowed grass slopes to platform as the base of your design. That way placing those non-track mowed grass slopes next to them will look better as they connect perfectly. As you can see in the above picture, the foundation at the side is kinda ok I think for Grenfell station, but not for Cobar (that slope is a lot smaller in at least 3 of the 4 graphics)

- Secondly, You should show that there is a slope going up also on the side of the buildings. You have done that correctly for Grenfell, but not for Cobar. In Cobar the straight lines that start at groundlevel are still visible at the platform side, that is not correct, they should get obstructed from sight a bit by the slope. I know it is not exactly like that in reallife, but it will keep your stations uniformly looking and connecting correctly with other pieces. Changing that would be ok for the longer building I think, but maybe you need to change the location of the door for the smaller building then though

Also I think that changing the sloped tiles like I mentioned before (giving groundlevel the climate-depending grass) will make Grenfell and Cobar connect better to the regular OpenTTD surroundings.

Finally (but that is maybe a matter of personal taste ), I dont think that the OpenGFX trees are pretty enough for this great looking station.... I think there are more better looking trees to be found in other GPL-licensed sets...