I would really like it if I could overlay an external image in the editor.

[link12313]

It would make replicating real routes or making fake ones based on real places much easier.

[Lapioware]

Yes, this is true and a good idea. I'll try to add something like this in one of the future updates

[Bonbonschmatzer]

I did that with my highland railway route. I used a program called PureRef. You can download it here: https://www.pureref.com (You can set the pay amount to 0) and download it for free.

Than I went to https://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php and choose the section of track I want to model. Zoom in until the legend in the lower right says 500m or 1km.

Then you need to open the route editor in DRS and draw a line of track at 90 degrees with a length of 500 to 1km (depends on how a zoom level you did your screenshot)

Now, Alt+Tab back to your browser:
Press Print Screen on Keyboard to make a screenshot of the map and press CTRL+V in PureRef to get the Screenshot into PureRef. Then go into the options of Pureref by right clicking settings, then color tab -> Master Opacity all the way to the left, close the settings window, right click again, Mode -> Always on Top. Now you should set it up so that you can see your "real" browser window behind the window of PureRef. Lay both over an another, so the
real map and your screenshot in PureRef are overlapping. (You can right click -> window -> maximize to maximize PureRefs window) Now you can enable Transparent to mouse mode with Ctrl+T. Now you should always see your PureRef map anywhere you go. Alt Tab back to DRS and match the piece of track you made with the scale legend in the bottom right of the map. Now you can start laying down your tracks, aided by the map. When you are done with the section in your map screenshot, Alt+Tab to PureRefs window and press CTRL+T again to disable transparent to mouse. Right Click in Pureref -> Window -> minimize. Now you can pan the map view in the browser to the next section and do print screen again. Then paste it again in pureref, Match real map and your screenshot, back to drs, and so it goes..

It´s a bit tedious but it works.
The results:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2777587638

[OwainGlyndwr]

Originally posted by Bonbonschmatzer:

I did that with my highland railway route. I used a program called PureRef. You can download it here: https://www.pureref.com (You can set the pay amount to 0) and download it for free.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2777587638

Really good stuff buddy.

[Bonbonschmatzer]

Should I do a video about the process or is everything clear from my written description?

[BPilot253]

Originally posted by Bonbonschmatzer:

Should I do a video about the process or is everything clear from my written description?

A video will be appreciated if you have the time to do it. 🙂

[Bonbonschmatzer]

Alright, here you go! Depending on how you scale your map you can go crazy with details, especially with a topographic map, when you scroll in to 200m or 100m :) For even more detail one could use this map https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=52.09700&lon=-1.94487&layers=168&b=1
https://youtu.be/bvcRRzFDaX8

[Lapioware]

Thanks, that video is great! It's interesting to see how people actually use the editors and how the user interface could be improved to make things work better. For instance, adding something like shift+RMB shortcut to go back to the previous node would have made your track laying easier. Another improvement would be the ability to set the height of a terrain node immediately after placing it.

[OwainGlyndwr]

I found the zoom out required from your original post. A bit to far up above the map, to make precise track laying anything but inaccurate. Unless i misunderstood your explanation sorry.

[Bonbonschmatzer]

Well you could zoom as far in as you want. You can zoom in to 50m, as long as you have something displayed what can serve as a guide for the scale in DRS.

[BPilot253]

Originally posted by Bonbonschmatzer:

Alright, here you go! Depending on how you scale your map you can go crazy with details, especially with a topographic map, when you scroll in to 200m or 100m :) For even more detail one could use this map https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=52.09700&lon=-1.94487&layers=168&b=1
https://youtu.be/bvcRRzFDaX8

Thank you!

[OwainGlyndwr]

Originally posted by Bonbonschmatzer:

Well you could zoom as far in as you want. You can zoom in to 50m, as long as you have something displayed what can serve as a guide for the scale in DRS.

Okee dokes buddy thanks. I wasn't sure if the zoom amount had to be a certain number. To work within the DRS editor.

[Bonbonschmatzer]

https://imgur.com/a/rOfCq55
This is with 50m scale in the map for example.
@Lapioware. It would be nice to zoom in and out more gradually, maybe by holding shift and turning the mouse wheel, to find the exact scale.

[Lapioware]

Originally posted by Bonbonschmatzer:

It would be nice to zoom in and out more gradually, maybe by holding shift and turning the mouse wheel, to find the exact scale.

Yeah, sounds useful. I'll add this to my todo list

[OwainGlyndwr]

Originally posted by Bonbonschmatzer:

https://imgur.com/a/rOfCq55
This is with 50m scale in the map for example.
@Lapioware. It would be nice to zoom in and out more gradually, maybe by holding shift and turning the mouse wheel, to find the exact scale.

Isn't that a bit off the target location. Not meaning to be difficult, just a bit of an old git. Who takes a bit of time, to get my head around these things.

[Bonbonschmatzer]

I moved the map away to demonstrate the level of detail of the route in DRS :) And because I couldn´t got it to align perfectly because the current zoom functionality in the editor doesnt allow for such granular zooming. :)