How best to render train tracks in a city map?

jackypaper · June 2016

Other than just a solid line, I would like the railway to look like . . . well, a railway: two parallel lines crossed by countless perpendicular lines. Have I missed a drawing command somewhere that can do this?

Monsen · June 2016

Depends on the city style and how visually detailed you want it. If you are looking for a simple replacement to a single line, using offset and symbols along is both fast and easy, but gives you a rather basic result, not well suited for a more detailed map, like a battle map on a railroad, but usually appropriate for a city overview map.
To do this, draw the center line first, then use the offset command (Draw -> Offset) to make an offset copy of this line on either side (These would be the actual tracks.). Then use Symbols Along (Draw menu) with the esc line centre symbol and the middle symbol angle option with 100% (You need to experiment to find the appropriate value, based on the distance between rails, but use the same values for all the scales) for all scales to create the perpendicular lines, using the original center line as the target. Finally delete the center line, and you have a basic track. The offset command makes sure the rails run paralell even through curves, something not accomplishable by regular copy.

jackypaper · June 2016

Thank you, Monsen! I'll give it a try.

Vintyri · June 2016

Or you could use rail symbols and get the real thing. First go here:

http://www.dundjinni.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=1561&KW=rail.

and then go here:

http://www.dundjinni.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=1559&KW=rail.

EDIT: Thanks to Dogtag, the bad link has been fixed.

jackypaper · June 2016

Thanks, folks. I now have my railway line.

Jay_NOLA · June 2016

This is a bit too late but I download a symbol set on a website that were just made for Campaign Cartographer. I did a quick search and the ones I downloaded can be downloaded from:

http://www.nightsaroundthetable.com/dnldzip/Railroad_LMK.zip

Also, see this thread:

http://forum.profantasy.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=2364

Dogtag · June 2016

Posted By: MonsenIf you are looking for a simple replacement to a single line, using offset and symbols along is both fast and easy, but gives you a rather basic result, not well suited for a more detailed map, like a battle map on a railroad...

I dunno. I used that method to satisfying effect for a battle map in a mine. One advantage to making tracks this way is that you can get shadows to match the rest of the map, if you want.

I shared the battle map in another post to illustrate how to cast shadows with cave walls, but it serves here as an example of the "offset/symbols along" method for creating tracks. In the linked example, I used straight track but, in other maps, the tracks curve nicely. Also, for the forum post, I switched from "point lighting" to "wall shadow lighting" to illustrate the cave wall shadows (and to provide a more brightly-lit map).

Admittedly, for the battle map, I got a little more complex than Monsen's quick and dirty method. I used separate sheets for the ties and the rails, which let me adjust shadow lengths and add a slight bevel to the tracks.

Cheers,
~Dogtag

Vintyri · June 2016

Posted By: Jay_NOLAI download a symbol set on a website that were just made for Campaign Cartographer.

This is Linda Kekumu's fantastic set of connecting railroad track symbols, probably the best set of connecting symbols ever made for CC2 Pro! However, keep two things in mind:

1. You need the CC3 conversion, which is not on John Casky's old web site but is available here:

http://forum.profantasy.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=2364

2. These are vector symbols rather than raster symbols. They do not always give your map the appearance that you might want in a CC3 or CC3+ raster map.

Dkarr · June 2016

BTW, I have not seen Linda Kekumu around. Does anyone know if she's OK?

Vintyri · June 2016

Posted By: DkarrBTW, I have not seen Linda Kekumu around. Does anyone know if she's OK?

Unfortunately not. The last time I heard from her, she was ill, but that was a number of years ago.

Dkarr · June 2016

I really hope she's OK. She was such a helpful person when I was learning the ropes with the software.

Vintyri · June 2016

Posted By: DkarrI really hope she's OK. She was such a helpful person when I was learning the ropes with the software.

I agree with you on both points.

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How best to render train tracks in a city map?

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