Rolling Line News

It's about time!
Re-bindable keys has been one of those important features that's been nagging me for years, but it never quite made it to the top of the priority queue.

So this update adds full key binding support, as well as controller support.
Which means you can now play Rolling Line with joypad controls too!



The game will recognize any controller plugged into your PC and it will be used if you have "Joypad Enabled" in the "Pause menu -> PC Options" menu.

If you launch the game with a controller plugged in you will see this message on the main menu:
Simply press "Start" on your controller to enable it!



While a controller is plugged in you can still use the keyboard & mouse controls just like normal.

You can also use the key binding menu to re-bind controller buttons as well.

Help text (like the context-sensitive-help messages) will also show the new binding keys if you change them.

[h2]The bindings menu[/h2]

You can find a new menu called "Controls" on the pause menu.
From here you can individually re-bind all of the actions in the game. Each binding can have both a main binding and an alternative binding as well (e.g. you can use both the scroll wheel and PageUp/PageDown to control the players' height).

You can also reset each binding back to its defaults individually, or clear the binding's keys (set both the main and alternative binding to "none").



At the top of the controls menu you can change the category to show a different list of controls.

You can also toggle between the keyboard & mouse bindings and the joypad bindings.
This means you can customize the PC controls as well as the joypad controls independently, without overriding the other.



Some bindings will have a little '?' button next to them, you can click this to get a more detailed description of what the binding does:



Now that there's a proper in-game controls menu, you'll probably find a bunch of controls that you didn't even know existed!
Like these shortcut controls, which make toggling options like prop snapping and scale speed much easier and quicker:



Bindings are saved to a simple text file, which you can find in:
Steam\steamapps\common\Rolling Line\Data



[h2]VR input binding[/h2]

Remember Rolling Line uses "SteamVR input" which is an input binding system built into Steam. You can use this system to fully re-bind the VR controls (using any kind of VR controller).
The keyboard controls menu does not work for VR inputs.

You can find a full guide here on how to re-bind your controls for VR:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2029205314

[h2]New settings[/h2]

There are also a bunch of new settings related to controls, like:

• "item clone key toggle" - is used to make the key which keeps a copy of items in your hand when placing (which is shift by default) behave either as toggle or hold.
  
• "cinematic mouse smoothing" - enables a mouse smoothing filter, which is great for capturing video footage where you want the camera to rotate really smoothly. It's NOT at all recommended for actual gameplay.
  
• "joypad enabled" - you can manually disable the joypad if you want to leave a controller plugged into your computer without it being used in Rolling Line.
  
• "joypad look speed (horizontal/vertical)" - change the sensitivity of the joysticks.
  
• "invert joypad look (horizontal/vertical)" - change whether the joystick view should be inverted.
  
• "joystick deadzone" - higher values reduce joystick drift, lower values increase accuracy.
  

You can find all these options in the "Pause menu -> PC Options" menu.



[h2]Whistles in the modding system[/h2]

This update also adds/restores a bunch of whistles into the new modding system:

• The whistle from the Ka steam engine
  
• An NYC 6-Chime
  
• A 3-Chime
  

[h2]Other fixes and changes[/h2]

Lastly, this update also has several other bug fixes and changes:

• Fixed bug where train audio would sometimes linger in the scene after a map was loaded with no moving trains on it.
  
• Made various fixes to the cab of the custom livery U20C (like headlight position).
  
• Fixed a small track error in the save file used for tutorial maps.
  
• The VSync setting has now been moved to "graphics" instead of "advanced"
  

And that's all for now!
I'm so happy with how positive the reception of the previous AI update was, and that update is now the most well rated update in Rolling Line's history!

Though the exciting updates still need to be balanced out with "quality of life" features like key binding, there's definitely going to be plenty more big updates on the horizon!

Most of Rolling Line's updates are focused on either map making or modding tools, so It's about time I added something a bit more gameplay themed! So here's something that's been asked for more times than I can count throughout RL's history: train AI!

This update adds a new "Auto Drive" mode which allows trains to respond to signals and start/stop accordingly, as well as "Auto Switch" which can automatically switch turnouts to direct trains down empty tracks to avoid other trains.



You can use these new features to make all sorts of track designs, like automatically sorted yards and sidings for AI-driven trains to use:



You can also make use of a variety of "AI trigger signs" which can be placed on the ground next to the tracks to make them do things like sound the horn, reverse, stop & wait, and even control the max speed.



This AI system does require a bit of understanding to use, so I've written an official guide which explains how to build your own AI-ready layout elements and how to make sense of this new system:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2753143585

To summarise, AI relies on signals to decide where to go.
The guide above explains various ways in which you can set up signals so that your AI-driven trains can do operations like passing each other and automatically filling empty tracks in a yard.

But if you just want to do simple things like making trains sound their horn when passing a crossing, or stopping and waiting at a station then you don't need to use any signals at all! You only need to make use of the simple AI-trigger signs.





You can enable/disable AI by pressing "Y" when controlling a train with a hand-held controller.
Or you can simply use the buttons in the cab of every train:



There is also an "AI debug view" you can enable in the "Misc" menu which will make coloured lines show up in front of any AI-driven trains to help visualize what they are doing.
This is incredibly helpful when you are designing your own AI-friendly layouts!



[h2]Speed value changes [/h2]

This update required the speed of trains to be converted into real values (instead of the mysterious "Rolling Line units per hour" that is use to be!).
So this means you can now read the train speed in-game using either Mph or Kph!

The speed steps sizes have been adjusted a tiny bit too.



You can convert between the two in the menu "Pause menu -> Misc -> Mph instead of Kph"



[h2]New rusty & graffiti wagons[/h2]

Another bonus feature of this update is that it adds some rusty variants of a couple of the original NZ freight wagons:



And a special feature of these wagons is that they have a random chance of spawning with special graffiti on them!
Some of you may remember that this graffiti was included in the game as an Easter Egg in the past.

Huge thank you to Obli who made the incredible art for this graffiti!



[h2]Other fixes and features [/h2]

This update also includes a bunch of smaller changes:

• Fixed the bug where wagon couplers drift apart when trains speed up and slow down (especially at low frame rates).
  
• Pressing Enter to copy the track data on a piece of track will now also copy the colour used for the ballast at the same time.
  
• Fixed a broken piece of track in the "example shelf" new game template map.
  
• Entering a moving train will no longer cause the locomotive to reset its "goal speed". This was most noticeable when stopping trains (setting the speed to zero) then trying to leave the cab it would sometimes reset the speed and no longer return to zero.
  
• Fixed bug where signals would flick over to green for a short time while locomotives pass by.
  
• Added audio, extended skybox and made various fixes to the Open Hearth Point map.
  
• Fixed bug where the particle emitter positioning UI when setting up a mod would forget the previous particle position when editing multiple times in a row.
  
• Loaded 3D models in the modding system will now have their materials automatically compressed into a single material.
  

And that's everything!
I've been away from home (and consequently away from work) for a while around Christmas and New Years so this update has taken longer than I hoped.
But now that everything is back to normal I'm hoping to release a list of what I actually have planned for this year and what kind of updates you can look forward to!

This year is going to be a big one for Rolling Line, and things are starting to kick back into gear again.
I hope everyone has fun with the new AI features, I know I'm personally keen to have a go at making my own automated AI-friendly map!

Happy New Year everyone!
I've got big plans for Rolling Line in 2022, and it's starting off with a highly requested modding feature:
Custom particle effects!

You can now add your own steam/smoke/fumes particles to train mods, as well as place a new "particle emitter" prop in your maps to create your own moving particle effects.



[h2]Particles for train mods[/h2]

The first part of this update makes it possible to create your own custom particle effects for the new train modding system.

You can access these new particle options in the new "Mod edit window -> Effects -> particles" menu:



You can add as many particle emitters as you like:



And you can customize all sorts of things like particle size, colour, speed, rate, etc.



You can also easily mirror particle effects, which is perfect for making steam engines!



You can use these particles for all sorts of things, like steam engine smoke, whistle effects, and even startup fumes on diesel engines.
The rusty U20C now has a cold-start fumes effect to demonstrate this:



You can find a whole new section of the official train modding guide which explains how to use these new particle effects in detail:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2664192139

[h2]Particle emitter prop[/h2]

This update also adds a placeable particle emitter prop!
Which means you can now easily add your own particle effects to your maps.



Of course you can customize these particle emitters with all the same options!



You can be really creative with these, and I've already seen a bunch of great ideas made by the community, like this one which uses particles for a ship's smoke stacks as well as waves!



You can find this new particle emitter prop in the "Room -> tools 2" drawer:



[h2]Open Hearth Point[/h2]

Some of you might know of this map I uploaded to the Steam Workshop a while back:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2142272917

Well it suits these new particle emitter props perfectly!
So I decided to give it a bit of an update and include it in the game officially.



You can find this map on the main menu by choosing "new game -> mini maps -> open hearth point"



[h2]Other features[/h2]

Another modding related feature which this update adds is a new "Lock to wagon body" option for wheel blocks.
Enabling this option will make this set of wheels "lock" onto the body of the mod, which will stop it from rotating to match the track and it will instead always line up with the wagon's body mesh.

This is useful for animated steam engine wheels which you want to be visually connected to the main steam engine body, instead of pivoting independently.



You can also now access all the animated wheel sets from the official trains as mod presets!
So you can use models like the Berkshire wheels, side-rod animated wheels, big-boy, etc, in your own mods.



The control valves in the steam engine cab for mods also now control the steam effects (if your mod makes use of them) just like official trains.



You can also now use the transform edit tool (PC only) to move points used in train modding, like the cab position, player spawn position, particle positions, etc.
Simply press F when pointing at the preview point object and you will be able to move it around just like any other prop:



And a couple of small other things:

• The "Show interaction UI" and "Show button names/icons" settings have been moved to the "misc" menu (instead of being deep inside the "VR options -> interaction" menu).
  
• The page is now set correctly when selecting a mod preset from the list. This applies to all item lists (like selecting a custom livery texture, or wagon type).
  

And that's all for this update!
These smoke particles are really fun to use in maps and I can't wait to see what kind of creative ways people will be using them. And I'm sure the train modders are really happy with the new features.

2022 is going to be an exciting time, and Rolling Line is going to be growing a ton during this year!
Happy new year!

Merry Christmas everyone!
This year Rolling Line's Christmas update adds a very famous (and very pretty) train known as the Holiday Train!

It's actually a real-world train which Canadian Pacific runs down its main line to celebrate the holiday season. The real one even has live music performances from stages built into boxcars!



You can find the new Holiday Train (as well as a bunch of boxcar and passenger wagons with lights too!) in the "miscellaneous -> Christmas 21" drawer:



When you spawn a copy of one of the wagons, it will use a random lights design (from a few different options):



The lights on all the wagons also change colour!
And thank you to Stationmaster who made the original version of the AC4400CW with the little Christmas tree on top and the wreath!



[h2]Other features and fixes[/h2]

This update also includes:

• Lots of the branding images for the game have been changed to a temporary special version for Christmas:
  
  
  
  
• Just like with other holiday events, there is now a special main menu too:
  
  
  
  
• And you can access the little scene used for the main menu from the "new game -> Mini Maps -> Christmas" option:
  
  
  
  
• There is now a warning shown when setting the "model offset" value for the wheels & couplers on train mods. This is because the model offset value is only meant to be used for small visual adjustments (like moving the model a small distance so it lines up properly). This value should not be used to extend the length of the whole wagon, for this you should use the "Length" value found in "general options".
  
• Loud weather no longer causes the music to fade out (e.g. storms and heavy wind).
  
• You can now have multiple animated meshes on a single "wheel block" for train mods. There used to be a bug where only one animated mesh would be recognized, this has been fixed.
  
• The image thumbnails for maps (and various other lists) now glow-in-the-dark, so you can still see them easily on dark maps.
  

You may have noticed that there's actually still a while to go till Christmas (10 days!).
I'm releasing this update a little early since I'm going to be spending the holidays with family, and enjoying some time off work. Update will resume after new years, and I have tons of exciting stuff planned for 2022!

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the new beautiful holiday train, and have a Merry Christmas!

Time for part-2 of the new train modding system!
This update includes a bunch of options for making locomotives, including:

• The option to make train mods controllable (and drivable inside the cab).
  
• Preset cab options, like a basic diesel cab and steam cab.
  
• Preset audio for the engine sound effects (e.g. steam engine, electric, diesel, etc)
  
• Preset audio horn sound effects. Use any of the horns/whistles from the official game in your mods.
  
• Options for adjusting the player spawn position when driving the train.
  
• And various other additions to the new modding system.
  

This update also includes a ton of fixes, as well as a couple of new liveries in preparation for Christmas!

The official guide for the new modding system has also been updated to include information about these new features:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2664192139

And there is also a new guide which goes into more detail about making animated wheels using Blender:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2671456640

[h2]New cab options[/h2]

To start with, this update now lets you turn your mod into a "locomotive".
By default, your mod just behaves like a "wagon" (so you can't drive it or add features like cab controls or a horn).

If you want to make a locomotive, simply go into the modding UI, then into the "general options" menu and enable the "Locomotive" option.
Once you do this, some new options will appear (like cab and audio options).



You can now choose from the diesel and stream cab presets, which will add in the speed controls & switchboard that the official trains use.



This update just adds basic cabs, there will be an update in the future which focuses entirely on customizing cabs and more advanced things like custom models and moving the individual controls around.

In the meantime, you can change the position of a few basic things:

• Whole cab offset pos - move the position of the whole cab object. This will also move the player spawn, buttons, horn effect position, etc.
  
• Player spawn offset pos - choose where the player spawns when you teleport into the cab of this train (aka the driver position).
  
• Horn offset pos - the location where the horn sound effect comes from (line this up with the physical location of the horn/whistle on your mod).
  

While you are editing these "position" values there will be a visual preview which shows up on the preview train model:



[h2]Audio options[/h2]

This update also adds the option to customize the engine sound effects as well as the horn/whistle.
Another future update will add the ability to import your own audio files to use! (but for now there are only the built-in options).



You can also enable track clicks. This will cause this wagon to make "click-clack" sound effects when passing over connections between tracks.

[h2]Other modding features[/h2]

There are also a few other new options & fixes:

• You can set the "pivot mode" of the wagon body mesh (whether the model averages it's position based on all the wheels or just the front/back wheels).
  
• The "locomotive" tag is automatically added if you save a mod without first customizing the tags.
  
• Fixed a bunch of problems with wheels being inverted when wagons are reversed.
  
• After saving a mod, the modding UI list returns to the correct page.
  

I've uploaded a couple of example to the Steam Workshop which make use of these new aspects of the modding system:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2680945462&searchtext=
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2680948451&searchtext=

You can also find some example mods included in the game files here:
...Rolling Line\Modding\templates\train mod examples\

[h2]New official liveries [/h2]

In preparation for the Christmas update, this update includes a couple of new colour variants for official trains.

Firstly, there's a Canadian Pacific version of the AC44:



And some new red versions of the Pullman carriages:



The reason these are being added is because the 2021 Christmas update is going to include the famous Holiday Train! (as well as a bunch of wagons to go with it)



Keep an eye out for that!

And that's everything for now,
Enjoy!