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Split save files! v5.18



This update adds a feature which is a complete game-changer for map collaboration projects, and also has a lot of other uses for solo map making!
And there's also an absolute ton of quality-of-life features packed in as well.

[h2]Split save files[/h2]

Firstly, the big focus of this update, save file splitting!
With this new system you can split a map into multiple different segments and edit them individually. This means you can make changes to one part of a save file without affecting the other parts. You can use this to easily collaborate with multiple people on a single map, where each person can edit one segment on their own without overwriting the other people's progress!
You can also use this feature to split up larger maps to make editing them easier and less performance intensive, as well as reduce loading times. If you are working on a massive map you can split it into smaller parts, and just work on each part on its own without needing to load the entire map.

For example, you could split the "Top of the south" map into individual segments and edit each one as if it was its own save file:



You can add new track, props and make any changes you want to a separated segment, Then you can combine the map together again afterwards!



You can find a full guide with step-by-step examples on how to use the new split-save features here:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3322846819

Other fixes & features


This update is quite a big one, with a ton of smaller features, as well as lots of quality-of-life improvements.

[h2]Automatic packaged mods[/h2]
When upload to the Steam Workshop you can now simply click a button to auto-select all packaged mods used by a save file. Please remember that save files can get VERY large (multiple gigabytes) if you package 100's of train mods, so don't abuse this feature!



[h2]New popup "message box" design[/h2]

The floating popup message box that you see all over the game now has a new visual look. It also now scales its size to fit larger messages. This means you can make longer messages display when using tools like the "show popup message" circuitry prop:



[h2]Quicksave reminder message[/h2]
The game now has an automatic reminder message that pops up when it's been a long time since you've last saved. You can of course disable this missage if you prefer, or change how long the time gap between messages is (this is in the "pause menu -> manage saves -> quicksave reminders" menu)





[h2]Tunnels hide smoke effects[/h2]
Custom tunnel regions will now also disable smoke, in addition to the usual effect of darkening the players view while inside them. This stops steam particle effects from going through the terrain when trains are underground



[h2]Workshop upload message[/h2]
A warning message is now shown when you try and upload a map download off the workshop, or any of the official built-in maps. This is to help prevent people uploading copies of other people's maps, or simple re-uploads of the official maps (which happens amazingly often).
You can easily ignore this message, but hopefully it helps a bit for people who are unaware of what they are doing.



[h2]And tons of other features & fixes:[/h2]
  • When you update a workshop item, tags are automatically remembered. You can also chose new tags when updating if you want, but if you leave the tags alone they will copy the previous tags automatically
  • The "generic failure" error message when uploading workshop items now shows additional messages to help diagnose the problem
  • There is now an "open save folder" button when in the "manage saves" menu. This is great for easily accessing save files manually
  • Cleaned up the collision data for all trains, so now you can click on things through the windows (like clicking to switch turnout levers from inside the cab)
  • Added collision data to the trestle bridge styles
  • Fixed bug where pressing Esc when editing a text box inside the modding manager would cause the textbox to get stuck on screen
  • Fixed bug where it was possible to place other props inside some of the non-custom drawers (e.g. the vehicle drawer) It is also no longer possible to delete props inside these drawers
  • Cloning a color off a prop (by pressing Enter) will no longer remove the item in your hand, unless that item is already a color painter
  • Fixed bug where level crossings would not detect any nearby crossings to copy if the were being edited using a 2D menu
  • Fixed bug where electrical wire connections were not set correctly when using the bulk move tool
  • Fixed bug where objects in custom drawers would sometimes load very small
  • Added lots more "view online guide" buttons throughout the game, linking to the official guides on Steam
  • Fixed bug where a SteamVR warning message would show up on startup in VR if bindings were missing
  • Fixed modding bug where the game would fail to load a mod if it has an empty wheel preset used
  • The custom music folder now supports WAV files
  • Fixed the "flicker" light setting for prop mods, it sometimes would not fully turn off when disabled
  • Props inside custom drawers are now disabled at a distance, and are hidden when the drawer is closed
  • The "Custom track" menu is now called "Editing"
  • The Steam store page now correctly shows controller support for the game
  • Removed the "Use advanced controls" setting, since the controls it affected are easily re-bindable in the controls menu now, so the setting is no longer needed
  • There is now a warning message on the "Save game" menu which will warn you if the name you have chosen is the same as a file already saved, and will overwrite it
  • Table props now have an alternative "center point" for selection which is higher off the floor. This makes using things like the bulk move tool easier for selecting tables
  • Flags now support the same material types as posters (e.g. transparent, unlit, etc)

Eastern Euro Comp winners! v5.17



The Eastern Euro Comp is complete! There were so many absolutely amazing entires, and here are my personal favourites. As with all the comp events, I played through every single entry and there was so much cool stuff to see. This was a really good event I hope everyone enjoyed it! I highly recommend going on the Steam Workshop and having a look at the entries yourself too.

Firstly, the winner of the best overall map is:


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3272855158&searchtext=

The winner of the best fantasy map is:


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3279036649&searchtext=

And the winner of the best mini-mode map is:


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3279061167&searchtext=

All 3 of the above winners get a game key for Trans-Siberian Railway Simulator, and I'll get in contact asap to give that to you!

But that's not all! There's still some honourable mentions:


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3273390775&searchtext=


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3270601915&searchtext=


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3278532413&searchtext=
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3267661823&searchtext=


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3266794754&searchtext=
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3263017375&searchtext=

There are still so many other maps that deserve a shout-out, so I highly recommend having a play of a bunch of maps from the comp yourself too. There were 79 total maps submitted, and thank you so much to everyone who took part!

[h2]Features in this update[/h2]

This update also includes a few features too, and these are:
  • You can now rotate bounds boxes! They are no longer locked to 90 degree angles:

  • The bulk move tool can now copy-paste! This works between different save files, so you can copy a group of props in one map, then load a different map and paste it:

  • Fixed issue where wires (both power lines and electrical circuits) did not move correctly when using the bulk move tool.
  • Fixed snapping issues with bounds boxes when they are scaled quite small.
  • You can now exit transform edit mode by pressing Escape (as well as pressing F as usual).

And that's everything for this update!
I hope you have fun trying out the Eastern Euro comp maps!

Copy-paste & move tool v5.16



Here's something special people have been wanting for a long time!
You can now copy-paste multiple props & track in one go, and move entire sections of your map around. This can all be done with the new bulk move tool!

I've written a guide on how to use this new tool, and you can find that here:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3271187876

[h2]Moving sections of your map[/h2]
Have you ever wanted to shift things around in your layout? Well now you can move, rotate and scale an entire segment of your map (or even the entire map!). This is extremely intensive for your PC though, since it involves enabling editing on large sections of your map all at once.



[h2]Copy-paste groups of props[/h2]
As well as moving a large section of map around, you can also use this feature to duplicate sections of your map as well! This is perfect for if you have a detailed custom-made building (using lots of smaller props) and you want to create multiple copies of it.



[h2]The Eastern Euro Comp end date is extended! [/h2]

The end date is now extended to the rest of the month, so submissions now close on July 1st.
There's already been a ton of great entires on the Steam Workshop!

For this competition there will be 3 different winners, each of which will get a free game key for Trans-Siberian Railway Simulator.

The categories for each winner are:

[h3]Best overall map[/h3]
Pretty simple! This goes to the best overall map, which includes creativity, detail, design, etc.

[h3]Best fictional railway/location[/h3]
This category is especially for a fictional design, whether you want to create your own fantasy railway line or just make a map set somewhere that doesn't exist in the real world.

[h3]Best use of miniature scale mode[/h3]
This is for a map that makes use of the miniature scale player physics, like being able to walk around in detailed streets & buildings, or exploring a world designed to be viewed on-foot in miniature scale.


But of course you can make any kind of map you like! These categories are not limiting factors.

As usual, i'll also be posting a ton of shout-outs to my favourite entries at the end of the event! (not just the winning ones).


In other news, I've also recently uploaded my own example entry for the competition, which is a small map based in the industrial city of Norilsk, and uses circuitry tools to mimic a simple RPG video game dialogue system!

You can find this map here:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3266766472

VL80 custom liveries! v5.15



This update adds custom livery support for the newly added VL80 locomotive, as well as a bunch of other minor fixes & features.

The Eastern-European comp is still running until June 25th! And it's amazing to see entries already showing up on the Steam workshop. You can find more info about the competition here:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/754150/view/4143953771616864523

Remember one of the categories you can win is for "Best fictional railway/location" and now that you can make your own liveries for the VL80 you can design your own fictional Eastern-Euro inspired railway line!

[h2]Creating your own liveries[/h2]

Making liveries is easy! All you need is basic image editing software (even MS Paint is fine).
There's a guide here on Steam that explains how to make your own liveries!

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1405658466

Just as with all the other liveries, you can find the templates in the "Rolling Line -> Modding -> templates -> livery templates" folder:



[h2]Downloading shared liveries[/h2]

You can find other people's shared liveries simply by going to the Steam Workshop and using the “livery type” drop-down list:



[h2]Other features[/h2]

This update also includes:
  • The VL80 now has a new horn sound, plus a whistle!

  • The shading on the model for the VL80 has been improved a lot
  • Fixed the horn sound effect point for the VL80
  • You can now press the left + right bracket buttons to control the front & back pantographs individually. There is also a custom binding for this in the "controls" menu:

  • There is also a new binding to use the alternative horn sound for trains that use it (like the Sprinter and VL80):

  • Fixed a bug where snap points on track would not be updated correctly when placing a group of track on the ground


The livery in the thumbnail is this one made by Skull4786:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3261350018&searchtext=

That's everything for this update!
And I'm excited to see all the things people are working on for the Eastern Euro comp!

Eastern-Euro Comp! v5.14



It's time for a map competition, a new locomotive, and even a collaboration with another game! (Trans-Siberian Railway Simulator)

Trans-Siberian Railway Simulator is just about to be released, and the developers reached out to me to see if we could make a Steam bundle with both games, and you can find that bundle here:
(The bundle will become available once the game officially launches)

https://store.steampowered.com/app/998400/TransSiberian_Railway_Simulator/

But why stop there! I've always wanted to add some Eastern-European content to the game, so I'm taking this opportunity to run a map making competition themed around it.

This update also adds an incredible community-made mod (the VL80 locomotive) make by Akandr:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2253493285

The mod has been expanded to have all the features of official trains, like headlights, rust & snow effects, cab controls, collision, etc.





You can find these new trains in the "Trains -> Eastern Europe" drawer:



[h2]About the competition[/h2]

Just like with previous comps & jams in Rolling Line, this is a chance for you to make a map (or mods) with a theme and then share them on the Steam workshop!

The theme here is Eastern Europe, but this is very broad. It encompasses the whole style & feel of this part of the world and isn't specifically limited to just a few countries.
In fact you can even make fictional locations and fantasy railway lines if you want!

To submit a map/mod to the competition, simply upload it to the Steam workshop and tick this option when uploading in-game:



For this competition there will be 3 different winners, each of which will get a free game key for Trans-Siberian Railway Simulator!

The categories for each winner are:

[h2]Best overall map[/h2]
Pretty simple! This goes to the best overall map, which includes creativity, detail, design, etc.

[h2]Best fictional railway/location[/h2]
This category is especially for a fictional design, whether you want to create your own fantasy railway line or just make a map set somewhere that doesn't exist in the real world.

[h2]Best use of miniature scale mode[/h2]
This is for a map that makes use of the miniature scale player physics, like being able to walk around in detailed streets & buildings, or exploring a world designed to be viewed on-foot in miniature scale.


But of course you can make any kind of map you like! These categories are not limiting factors.
As usual, i'll also be posting a ton of shout-outs to my favourite entries at the end of the event! (not just the winning ones).

This competition will run for 3 weeks, finishing on June 25th.

If you want to view the entires so far for the competition, you can view the "Eastern Euro Comp" tag on the Steam workshop:



If you're looking for more Eastern-European style content, there are even some more mods on the Steam workshop!
For example:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2260197258
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3242070671
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2253489688
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3030915840
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2187560781

[h2]Other additions in this update[/h2]
This update also includes:
  • Some new cliff face and rock props in the terrain drawers
  • Fixed the 1.0 classic version of the game (it had a bug related to SteamVR that was affecting some people). For those unaware, you can play a day-one release version of the game (just for nostalgia’s sake) by switching to the "Rolling Line 1x" beta-branch.

[h2]Progress on the Sierra Logging map[/h2]
There hasn't been an update for a while since I've been putting all my time towards the upcoming Sierra Logging map which I've teased at a few times in previous updates.
I'll be making a full announcement of this map in the future, but in the meantime, here's some more preview screenshots of progress!