Railroad system

[Mechanical Man]

Has anyone experience of making a train following railroad tracks in his map? I was wondering what is the best approach to make such system, hopefully not too complicated without use of vjass.

 

[Dr Super Good]

Getting a train to follow a linear path is pretty simple. Getting a train to follow track art is another problem entirely.

 

[Chaosy]

Not actually done it, but I could if I wanted to.

I would make the track a unit, then I'd use an array point (or x/y, both works) variable and store detected locations of the track. Then check for another track from the last detected track.
You'd also have to take model size and facing into account, as long as your track doesn't have some weird shape (non linear actually) it wont be that difficult.

 

[Mechanical Man]

The problem is that it has a weird shape and curves.

 

[The_Silent]

You pretty much have to calculate the x/y using math and try to get it to fit with the models as much as possible when comes to corners/curves.

 

[IcemanBo]

Someone needs to "build" the road first. The train needs to know where to go next.
This might happen also via triggers only. It's not needed to happen physicaly at the game, with units/buildings and effects. But it looks better of course.

The problem is that it has a weird shape and curves.

Is the problem about visuals?

 

[Zwiebelchen]

I'm pretty sure I saw a fully functional railroad system in one of the other forums years ago. The guy in question used it to build a map about designing rollercoasters.

EDIT: There you go!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0q1px4OU0Y

 

[Ardenian]

As everyone is talking about an actual railroad, I would like to bring up an alternate way.

Dependent on your needs, you could also use a static model, like a plane and animated textures, or with different animations.
You would manipulate a unit's facing then instead of x/y, which is, in my opinion, easier, isn't it ?

The main problem with this solution is to make the static model look good.

 

[Mechanical Man]

The initial plan was using pathing blockers, so the train units won't fall out from the tracks.

 

[Ardenian]

The initial plan was using pathing blockers, so the train units won't fall out from the tracks.

You could create your own pathing textures to optimize the result.
http://world-editor-tutorials.thehelper.net/pathmaps.php

 

[Mechanical Man]

Yeah I know about this, I just need to make sure that the train won't jerk too much outside.