Screenshots & Videos

[Sjoerd]

I guess the map is "Merenwijk Regional"

Nope, but nice try

One thing I'm kinda interested in is, if the editor has more a Trainz or a Train Simulator feel to it. I mean, MSTS and RailSim editor were uncomfortable to build, while Trainz has an easy Editor.

I do not have experience with Railsim editor (I never even tried Railsim), and Trainz just annoyed me (installing addons was just about impossible with their "assets"-system). I do have much experience with the MSTS route editor; I made the "Zuid Limburg route" (Meerssen-Valkenburg-Heerlen-Kerkrade, Kerkrade-Simpelveld-Schin op Geul, Simpelveld-Vetschau), the Wuppertal Schwebebahn, and the London Underground Northernline and Waterloo&City line.

The Metrosimulator editor does feel similar to the MSTS editor, but with a lot of improvements (I especially like the function which MSTS would call "dynamic track", which also applies to things like station platforms).
However, building a functional CVL and installing the ATB and ZUB systems requires a lot of effort; I have spend a lot of time (many hours per day, a few weeks long) doing this for my network. And I still think I have done it very fast, if I look back on the amount of work. I know this part can not really be compared to MSTS, as MSTS does not have a CVL and no train protection systems at all (just an overspeed warning).
I can tell you; the quality of the CVL/ATB/ZUB system in Metrosimulator looks really professional to me, but that does mean a lot of things you have to input into every individual signal along your route.

[MetroSimGermany]

Well, Trainz is my favourite ever since and I don't like other editors. That click for spline system is just so intuitive. Also, with Trainz being more advanced than MSTS and RailSim having only nice grafics, I never really worked my way into these editors. But I already had problems to place just a single train in RS.
Btw: Many Signal systems in Trainz need a lot of information for each signal as well. I just did not have to do this jet, 'cause I'm creating a tram route, where Signals just show if next section is free or not.

Anyways, I guess I'll find my way for MetroSim Editor, because I'm currently producing for a german Trainz variant that has the user some Payware to buy. MetroSim on the other hand is free, so everyone who likes could enjoy my content.

Berlin Underground does not have ATB alike security systems. Just magnet based emergency stopping when overrunning signal. Munich has LZB wich is something between ZUB and ATB. But no underground stations, so guess I go for Berlin when creating a real route. Plus, not so much to do.

Wasn't the Schwebebahn MSTS in the Wuppex12 pack from German developers?

[Michiel]

Actually the RET ATB is LZB, they just decided to rebrand is. Original version was LZB 801, later upgraded to LZB 805 and LZB 825.

[Sjoerd]

Wasn't the Schwebebahn MSTS in the Wuppex12 pack from German developers?

They made it too at around the same time. But when they announced theirs, I was already around 60% done with mine. And unlike their version, which used normal MSTS train tracks underground and the overhead tracks just as a visual trick, I build and programmed all the tracks for my version myself via Train Sim Modeler and the "XTracks" addon. And the stations and Schwebebahn train too.
I even went to Wuppertal just to film the entire line from one of the trains (you can sit just behind the driver and look over his shoulder), to help me make a realistic route.

These are screenshots from my version:

[MG2]

The Metrosimulator editor does feel similar to the MSTS editor, but with a lot of improvements (I especially like the function which MSTS would call "dynamic track", which also applies to things like station platforms).

When I wrote "Yes the editor is best compared to the Trainz editor" I meant the track laying, except for junctions. The rest of all is MSTS-like/inspired

[Michiel]

I never touched MSTS, I did touch Trainz myself long time ago and the main problem I had was that it was nearly impossible to lay tracks in smooth ways and make realistic switches. Haven't tried any of the newest versions anymore so it might have improved. Lots of games fall back to bezier curves for dynamic tracks, and that's where it goes wrong: these are very unrealistic for trains. It's very easy for the user (which is why it's used a lot) but train movement becomes unrealistic. Instead I'll be implementing actual transition curves in the future versions (pending a brand new editor) based on real life formulas and parameters.

As for the rest, the main issue with the current editor is the available objects, it's very limited (most stations don't have stairs) but also not compatible with each other (there are objects there from 5 years ago, and new enhanced onces, but they don't fit together properly, like roads not aligning correctly). In an attempt to be able to more I added some sets of modular objects you can combine, but since the editor wasn't made for this, it can be a pain to use this. Finally terrain editing is suitable mainly for Dutch landscapes: flat grassland only, the only real editing you can do is cut holes in it for tunnels (also a recent hack into the terrain system).

Main reason for not releasing the editor publicly is that it's not something you can use without help, and if 50 people start using it there isn't enough help available for everybody. Also people tend to come up with ideas that won't work out of the box and require the software to be updated, again you don't want 50 people finding out things like that. I can manage helping one person, specially if it's someone who can learn quickly, but I can't support an entire forum of route builders. And of course I still need to finish these things:

[MG2]

Never touched MSTS? I can imagine that you've never build an actual route for MSTS, but never touched it sounds odd...

[Michiel]

Kinda hard to touch a game you don't have To be honest I enjoy making routes more then driving them, I don't think I ever completed a single acvitity from Metro Simulator without using time acceleration and/or AI mode a couple of times to skip ahead When I play it's mostly fooling around during an AI activity, and that's not something the average game allows you to do.

[MG2]

No need to own it to play it or get inspired by it. However, did you ever own MSTS?

[MetroSimGermany]

Okay, to be honest, the route I have build, I haven't really played an activity on it. First, I always find something on an old section I really need to redo, while having a lot of other stuff I originally wanted to do. Second, programming 40 Tram AIs is a bad thing as they don't work so intuitively as in MetroSim. On the other side I do enjoy playing OpenRails and PTP2 (German Trainz variant) as a driver.

No, Trainz does still have the dynamic track. I think that spline tracks are the iconic thing about Trainz. But is has Fixed curves and a "Make track straight" option, that lets you create more realistic layouts. But looking at good payware trainz routes, they used a lot of spline points each curve so the Trainz spline physics don't apply creating strange curves.

Trainz started as model train builder and will always be one. I mean, who has 50 Baseboard of room is his house and the money for all the buildings?

Nice houses on that picture. Is that Briel?

...actual transition curves in the future versions (pending a brand new editor) based on real life formulas and parameters.

Err... But please not like the Railtracks in OMSI2, where you have to know the lengh, bending etc. of every spline piece before placing it. Something that would be an Idea, I don't know how hard it is to implement into the program, is to make a half-dynamic-track.
Let me explain: The user can still create the track with one click at the start, chose the lengh with the cursor and the curve, but he can only chose from a set of realistic bendings. Too tight curves are only allowed when selecting them specially and ctrl makes the track straight. Should stop a spline track chaos like in Trainz. I think some game had that in the past, but I can't remember what it was.

Hope you do find someone who writes a manual on the wiki so you can look up how to control the editor.