Three halls, around two hectares, and plenty of details - For the Vienna Expansion, we recreated the Remise Gürtel based on its real-life counterpart in Vienna. But how do you actually bring such a large depot into the game? Today, we’re taking you behind the scenes to show you a little more about how we approached it.

The real depot in Vienna naturally served as our main reference for the Remise. The area we recreated covers around two hectares and consists of three halls, as well as the Wiener Linien administration building located in front of the depot.

For the recreation, we used our own photos taken on site, as well as Google Street View and Google Earth. We also received support from staff on site. During the beta phase, they sent us additional photos of specific details whenever they noticed something during testing that did not quite match the real location.

The process starts with a blockout based on data provided by the City of Vienna. We then compare dimensions and proportions using various references. Google Earth, for example, gives us an initial idea of measurements, but it is not accurate enough to simply transfer those values directly to the final model.

That is why we first create sketches to understand how the building is constructed and how the proportions of its individual sections relate to one another.

Using this information, we create our own 3D blockout. Based on that, individual modules are created for elements that repeat throughout the depot. These modules are then used to assemble the different parts of the buildings.

Recreating Hall 2 and its historic brick facade was particularly demanding.

To ensure that the bricks not only looked right but also matched the real building as closely as possible in terms of size, alignment, and spacing, a more elaborate UV and texturing process was required. The dimensions of the 3D model were also adjusted to reflect the historic brick construction. The building dates back to 1901.

If you take a closer look at the facade, you will also notice that the bricks do not all have the same shade of red. The real building features different tones, inclusions, and firing discolorations. We incorporated these variations into the texture as well.

With an area this large, we also have to decide which parts make sense to recreate for the game.

One example is the real depot’s washing facilities. We did not fully recreate these areas or their technical equipment. The main reason is not performance, but the amount of work involved: the many individual devices and technical installations alone would require several additional weeks of 3D modelling. Making the entire system functional would require significantly more work on top of that.

In total, recreating the Remise took approximately five to six weeks.

From the first references and sketches to the 3D models, interiors, and smaller details, it has become a substantial part of our virtual Vienna.

With the Vienna Expansion, you’ll soon be able to explore the Remise Gürtel yourself in City Transport Simulator 2026. 🚋🇦🇹

Wishlist it now already to not miss anything:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4399970/CTS_2026__Vienna_Expansion/?l=german

Vienna is defined by its streets, its buildings, and all the little details in between – and that’s exactly what we want to capture in the Vienna Expansion.

To achieve this, we documented almost 1,400 buildings along the routes and divided them into different detail categories. On top of that, there are countless smaller objects and characteristic details that help make the environment truly feel like Vienna.

Today, we’re taking you behind the scenes to show you how the real Vienna is transformed into its virtual counterpart, step by step.

It all starts with our internal research tool. Among other sources, we import data from OpenStreetMap, which allows us to see road layouts, property boundaries, and building footprints along the routes.

Each building is then numbered and assigned to one of five categories. These categories determine how accurately a building is recreated and how much production time is allocated to it.

Buildings located directly at stops and particularly distinctive landmarks receive more attention. Buildings in side streets or further in the background, on the other hand, can be simplified or based on existing building assets.

This allows us to put the most detail into the areas you’ll see up close during your journeys, while still recreating as much of the real city as possible.

For the actual recreation process, we use a variety of references.

In addition to the basic OpenStreetMap data, we primarily use Google Street View and Google Earth. These allow us to study façades, windows, balconies, roof shapes, and many other details. The available 3D data also helps us estimate the proportions of the buildings.

A good example is buildings W2-117 and W2-118, located opposite the Spitalgasse stop.

From the real-world reference, the first step is creating the 3D model:

Then, the geometry and details are refined further:

Until the finished building finally makes its way into the engine:

Historical facades in particular often require significantly more detailed work than you might expect at first glance.

Of course, with almost 1,400 buildings, we don’t model every single window, door, and balcony completely from scratch every time.

Throughout development, we’ve therefore built up an ever-growing library of reusable architectural elements – including windows, doors, cornices, columns, dormers, bay windows, balconies, and railings.

If a specific element is missing, it is created for the respective building and then added to the library. This means it can also be reused elsewhere later on.

As a result, each building is a combination of individually modeled sections and reusable assets.

For a typical Category 3 building, we allocated an average of around eight hours of work – from the start of modeling to the finished building inside the engine.

Buildings alone aren’t enough to make a city instantly recognizable.

That’s why set dressing also plays an important role. This is where all the smaller objects and details that characterize Vienna’s cityscape come into play.

This includes, for example, familiar Austrian stores such as BILLA:

Typical signage found on Vienna’s municipal housing buildings:

Or simply everyday objects you’ll find throughout the city:

You might not consciously notice every single one of these details while driving. But it’s precisely the combination of all these little things that ultimately turns a collection of streets and buildings into Vienna.

From the first OpenStreetMap data to the 3D model and finally the finished building in the engine, the Vienna Expansion is being created building by building and detail by detail.

We can’t wait to let you take the wheel and explore Vienna for yourself!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4399970/CTS_2026__Vienna_Expansion/?l=german