Rolling Line News

It's time for another layout building competition!!

For those who have been around since the early days of Rolling Line you might remember the "Compact Comp" event...
Guess what, that was over 5 years ago! (2019)
The goal of the compact comp was to make a map within the limits of a really small table, and it was a real favorite of the events so far in the games history.

So while I'm getting the final parts ready for releasing the "Sierra Logging" map, it would be fun to run a map competition in the meantime.
Since the compact comp was so enjoyable, it would be really neat to give it another go, especially since Rolling Line has had so many new features added since then.

[h2]Welcome to the Compact Comp #2 [/h2]

This event will be running from today (April 8th) until April 28th.

The goal is simple, build anything you like as long as it fits within the size limit.
You can find an easy template map in the "new game -> custom templates -> compact comp" menu:



Alternatively, you can find a wall bounds reference prop in the "Misc -> compact comp" drawer:





And lastly, the size limit is equal to exactly 4x4 of the smaller square table shape, so you can just use those tables to set the size!

Here is the full list of rules:

• The only limit is to fit within the bounds size. There is no height limit, you can go up/down as much as you want.
  
• Your map can have multiple layers of tables, or no table at all. Anything that fits within the bounds is fine, be creative with it!
  
• You can have a skybox that extends as far as you want. The size limit only applies to the large scale table size.
  
• Invisible/hidden track is allowed to extend beyond the size limit.
  
• You can also add decorations to the room that go beyond the table size, as long as it fits within the spirit of the comp. E.g. it should be obvious where your table ends and the "room decorations" begin.
  
• You can make as many entries as you want,
  
• You must start a new map for this comp, you can't re-use an old map.
  
• Mods, liveries, modded terrain, etc are all allowed.
  

And remember to be creative! You don't even need to make a railway, it could be anything!
The only restriction of this event is that your map fits within the size limit.

To submit your map (or multiple maps!) simply upload them to the Steam Workshop, and click the "compact comp 2 entry" button when uploading:



You can view all the entries so far by going on the Steam Workshop and selecting the tag for:
Competitions -> Compact comp 2



And if you're looking for some inspiration, have a look at the entries for the original Compact Comp!



[h2]Prizes [/h2]

The prizes for this comp are quite unusual...
Since I'm about to release the big "Sierra Logging" map, this prize for this comp is to choose an Easter egg to be included in the map!

There will be three winners, and each one can come up with something to be hidden inside the official map. This could be a reference to something you like, or a joke/scene hidden somewhere on the map.
There will be some limitations of course, like the Easter egg has to be subtle, and the content has to be something that I approve of. I'll message the winners after the event to discuss what kind of Easter egg they want to add.

I'll be choosing the winners myself based on things like creative ideas, building skill and fitting the theme of the event.
Though as usual with these events, afterwards I'll post a ton of shout-outs and honorable mentions as well.

Remember I always play every single entry! So don't feel like you need to make some complex and incredible map to get involved, even just something simple and enjoyable is worth submitting!
Creative ideas are always my favorite part, and I'm really excited to see what people can do with the limited space.

[h2]Other features of this update[/h2]

The competition isn't the whole update, there's also a bunch of great new quality-of-life features to make editing maps easier:

[h2]Complex selection collision[/h2]

There is now more precise collision detection for selecting some editable props.
Have you ever had the frustration of trying to select grass/tress when they are close together and having to wrestle with the prop layering to try and select the correct one? Well this completely avoids that and makes certain props have a super-detailed selection collision mesh when you are close to them!
If you point at them from a distance they will still have their normal larger hitbox, but if you get closer they will switch to a more complex hitbox:



[h2]2D item hover popup UI[/h2]

The item hover popup UI is now 2D (flat on the screen instead of a 3D object in the world).
You can toggle between 2D and 3D in the options menu, but it is now 2D by default.

This means that the popup hover UI no longer clips into objects and can easily be seen at all times.





[h2]Layer overlay for the item in your hand[/h2]

The item held in your hand is now rendered on its own layer. This means that the item you are holding no longer clips into the terrain when you get close to the map!





[h2]Search through all settings[/h2]

You can now press the tilde key ~ to open a search window.
Simply type in anything to search all of the settings in the game and easily access them without needing to use the main menu!



For example, you could type in "snap" to view all of the snapping related settings easily:



Please note you can only use the search feature on PC and when 2D menus are enabled.

[h2]Optimized map loading[/h2]

This update makes some major changes to how the game loads in chunks and makes the whole during-gameplay loading experience WAY smoother. Basically this only applies to when you are walking around the map and loading in new areas, the startup initial map load hasn't changed.
The game will try and match your current framerate, so if you're running at 144fps the game will try and stay as smooth as possible to load in the chunks without dropping the framerate (but there will still be some hitching when certain things happen, like enabling the final loaded chunk). Meanwhile if you are running at a low framerate like 20-30fps, it will ignore smoothness and just load in the chunk as fast as possible.
Regardless of what framerate you get, moving around the map to load new scenery should appear to load MUCH faster and smoother now!

[h2]New table-side terrain pieces[/h2]

There are now a bunch of terrain props which have a "wall cutoff" included, where the black side of the table cuts the terrain piece in half. This is really useful for making terrain look like it smoothly fits the side of the table!



[h2]Other fixes & features:[/h2]

• There is now some text on screen to show if you are currently editing a skybox layer (e.g. large scale only, miniature).
  
• There is now a setting to enable/disable the item hover popup UI in miniature mode.
  
• You can also adjust the scale of the item hover popup UI.
  
• Fixed shadow issues for the rust decals on wagons.
  
• You can now hold backspace to clear all text inside a text box.
  
• Fixed the "fullscreen by default" setting, which wasn't working correctly.
  

And that's everything!
I'm really excited to see what kind of maps people will make for this event, and I hope these new features make the process of editing smaller details much better. I've had a lot of these features on my to-do list for ages so it's great to finally get them done.

Also, I would love to share some more teaser screenshots for the upcoming Sierra Logging map!











There will be much more news coming about the Sierra Logging map soon!

Continuing with the theme of the log loaders added into the game, this update adds some more!

• A long pond unloader
  
• An alternative larger log loader
  
• A crane for both loading and unloading
  

And in addition to those, it also adds a bunch of new features:

• Shadow graphics improvements
  
• Ability to enable/disable shadows for individual props
  
• Physics based logs you can push around
  
• More graphics settings
  
• Levers to control whether loaders/unloaders are enabled or not
  
• Several more minor features and fixes!
  

[h2]Firstly, the new log pond unloader[/h2]



There is now a new animated unloader prop which dumps logs off freight cars!
When logs are brought into a lumber mill they are usually rolled off into a log pond, where they are stored and eventually pushed around and fed into the "green chain" up into the lumber mill saws.

This update also adds a physics-based log prop which you can literally click on to push it around!



[h2]Crane loader/unloader[/h2]

There is now a fully animated crane which can be used to load and unload freight. You can put any prop you like into this!



There are two versions, one at ground level and one elevated off the ground:



[h2]Alternative larger log loader [/h2]

There is also another alternative log loader prop which fits over two tracks and has both the log pile and donkey steam engine on the same side:



[h2]Leavers to enable/disable loaders[/h2]

You can now control whether a loader/unloader is enabled or not. If you click on this lever (which you can find on each loader prop) it will enable/disable the loader. While the loader is disabled, it won't automatically load freight wagons until you enable it again.

This is great for when you want to push a wagon in to place, then start loading it manually:



[h2]New shadow graphics changes [/h2]

Many people have pointed out that the shadows in Rolling Line behave in a rather unusual way, where shadows feel a bit "detached" from the object that is casting them.
This was originally a visual style choice, since it makes objects look softer and less hard-edged.
But the overall consensus is that the game seems to look better without this effect, and instead having the sharper shadows that you would expect from most games. So I've made the shadows look sharper by default now:

left = sharper shadows (new), right = softer shadows (old)





You can still change the shadows back to how it was before this update if you like, you can find this setting in the "Pause menu -> Graphics -> Lighting" menu, along with some more shadow settings:

• You can now extend/reduce the default shadow distance for both large and miniature independently
  
• You can change the intensity (darkness) of shadows
  

With this new shadow style a few other changes have been made to suit the new lighting:

• Flat objects like road markings & decals no longer cast shadows
  
• The "ground" terrain pieces (used for making pathways and such) also don't cast shadows by default
  

[h2]Painter to enable/disable shadows on any prop manually[/h2]

Along with the new shadow graphics settings, you can now use a new painter to manually control shadow casting on individual props. Just like other painters, you simply click on the prop you want to change with either the "shadows on" or "shadows off" painter.
You can find these new painters in the "Room -> Advanced" drawer:



[h2]More multipaint slots[/h2]

The maximum multipaint slots for props has been extended all the way from 4 to 12! This means prop mods can now use up to 12 paintable mesh slots:



[h2]Depth of field effect when using 2D menus[/h2]

This is just a simple visual effect, but it makes the 2D menus look so much nicer!



[h2]New drawers category for all loading/unloading props[/h2]

All of the loading/unloading props have been moved to a new drawer category (the one with the log stack for an icon):



Other minor features and fixes:

• There is now a setting in the freight load display menu on wagons to control whether loaded props play animations or not. This is useful for things like loading the steam donkey on to a flatcar, since you wouldn't want the animation to play.
  
• Fixed the gear rotation angles on the steam donkey animation.
  
• Fixed the switchboard spawn location on the Shay locomotive.
  
• Fixed glitch where wagons would "snap" their rotation when the player steps on to them sometimes.
  
• The "heavy rain" weather preset now includes a strong wind as well.
  
• Fixed bug where the shay would emit a bit of smoke when first spawned.
  

And that's everything!
Lots of stuff packed into this update, you can probably tell that I'm wrapping up all of the final features required for the big Sierra Logging map! The map isn't far away, and I'm hoping to release it within the next 2 months, and there will be more info coming as it gets closer to release.

But in the meantime, please enjoy all the new stuff!

This update adds a new official steam engine to the game: the Shay!
With the upcoming Sierra Logging map, there's no way that the game couldn't include the most iconic locomotive of the American logging industry.

The Shay is especially designed for steep gradients and sharp corners, prefect for the tight complex railway lines used for logging in the hills.

The best thing about the shay is its unique gear system!



You can find the new locomotive in the "Trains -> Steam" drawer:



This official Shay model is built upon the amazing community-made mod by:
[h3]HuskyDynamics & Globin347![/h3]
Massive thank-you to both of them for their incredible work!
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2962779184

The official version has some additional details, effects and a different livery template.

You can find the livery template along with all the other official liveries, in the
"Rolling Line -> Modding -> templates -> livery templates" folder:





[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

[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]New steam donkey[/h2]

This update also adds a new variant of the steam donkey prop.
These older (and smaller) donkeys were often used for more light-weight jobs like skidding logs, while the newer more powerful ones were used for loading logs on to wagons.



[h2]Small details view distance LOD[/h2]

This update makes some minor changes to the LOD (level of detail) system. Some smaller props like grass, rocks and bushes now have their own view distance layer which will be hidden at a closer distance than other props.
This means an improvement in performance since details like grass don't need to be rendered at such a long distance. You can disable this setting if you want in the "Pause menu ->Graphics -> advanced" menu.

Here is an example of the effect in action (left = optimization on, right = optimization off):



[h2]New "cylinder chug alt" mod particle preset[/h2]

If you look at the GIF of the Shay's pistons you can see that there are two different particles which "chug" at alternating times. The mod system now has the option to make a "cylinder chug alt" particle to use this effect. They will simply emit particles at alternating times from the normal ""cylinder chug" particle preset.



And that's everything for this update!
It's been a while since there was a steam engine added into the game, and this is a really fun one. The Shay is a personal favorite of mine and it's so exciting to finally have it in the game.
The Sierra Logging map is nearing completion, and there will be lots of news about it in the coming month, so keep an eye out for that.

In the meantime, have fun with the new Shay engine!

Continuing the theme of freight loading from the last update, this next update focuses on the lumber industry and adds animated machinery for loading logs on to freight wagons!

This update also includes "steam donkey" engines, a new skeleton log car, and automatic loading/unloading functionality for any props you want.

[h2]Automatic loading & unloading[/h2]

There is now a feature to automatically load freight wagons in a chosen location with props. You can place a "loading source" prop on your map (e.g. next to the tracks in a yard) and then choose which props you want the loader to add.
When empty wagons move past, they are loaded with a random prop from the chosen list.
You can also make these into "unloaders" as well, and they will remove props instead of add them.







[h2]Animated lumber loading[/h2]

This update focuses on the lumber industry, so of course there's a unique loader/unloader prop for loading logs! Simply place the prop on to some track (it snaps on to track) and it will automatically load any empty wagons that support freight loading.

You can also switch it over to an "unloader" instead, and the animation will pick up and remove a log from the wagon instead of adding one.

These loading props are in the "trains -> loading/unloading" drawer:





These loaders aren't just limited to logs though! You can put whatever props you like in there:



[h2]Steam donkey engines [/h2]

In addition to the loading machinery (pulleys and ropes) you can also add an animated "steam donkey" engine to complete the scene!

These steam donkeys were incredibly common in early steam-era logging around America (and a lot of the rest of the world). They are a very portable and useful small steam engine, and they were used for pulling logs along the ground as well as loading them on to wagons.



The steam donkey prop snaps on to the log loader prop, and as long as it's close enough to the loader prop it will automatically play animations in-time with the loader!



[h2]Skeleton log wagons[/h2]

This update also adds a new "skeleton" log car, another very common sight in the logging industry.
You can find this new wagon in the "trains -> USA freight" drawer:





[h2]Vehicles with display points[/h2]

All of the road vehicles have freight load display points now too!





[h2]Other fixes & features:[/h2]

[h3]fine-tuning room bounds[/h3]

You can now change how large the adjustments that the room bounds buttons make.
This means you can make smaller adjustments, like 0.1 and 0.01.



[h3]Snappable shipping containers[/h3]

All of the shipping container props now snap together!



And a bunch of smaller features & fixes:

• You can now adjust the horizontal offset for freight loads (in the freight load display menu).
  
• Fixed 3D model shading on a bunch of different props.
  
• The bulk move tool can now only be used when "placed", not just "dropped" on the ground.
  
• Holding shift while placing a prop in an objects inventory (or any equip slot) will now correctly keep a copy in your hand.
  
• Fixed number positions on the DX livery.
  
• Fixed various minor mesh issues (on shipping containers and the Dom tower easter egg prop).
  

As I've mentioned in previous news posts, all of these logging themed features are working towards Rolling Line's next big map release, the Sierra Logging expansion!
I'm incredibly excited about this map, and I can't wait to finally release it. There's still lots of work to do though so the full map release is at least a few months away still.

But since the scenery fits this update so well, I'm releasing a small diorama called "Slice of the Sierra" which takes a chunk of the larger map (one of the logging camps) and posting it to the Steam Workshop. If you would like to play an example diorama using the new logging machinery, you can download it here:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3426362092

Have fun!!

This update is a special one!
It marks the beginning of a series of major updates where I'm finally adding functional freight loading into the game, a much requested feature that I've always wanted to work on!

Since this is a very large and complex feature, I'll be working on it in smaller parts and releasing them as individual updates as they are ready. To kick things off this first update makes it possible to load any prop you want into an "inventory" which certain freight wagons have (like flatcars). These props are visually displayed on the wagon!

This system is incredibly flexible and entirely supports modding, which means you can display prop mods on freight wagons, and make your own train mods which can display freight. Wagons can even be loaded with locomotives and vehicles.

This news post will only briefly show off the new features, but there is a full guide here which goes into lots of detail about the whole system:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3395546391

At the moment these "freight loads" are purely visual, and there are no ways to load/unload freight automatically. These props need to be manually placed on the wagon.

But the next step in this series of updates is to add functional industries!
This means special buildings which have the ability to add/remove freight loads from wagons. Things like coal dumpers filling a wagon with coal, or a log pond to unload logs from a flatcar.
So keep an eye out for the next update, which will be all about turning this freight load display system into a fully functional industry system!















[h2]Loading wagons with props[/h2]

To access these new features, open the newly added drawer in the "trains" category called "freight loads":



It has a bunch of official wagons which support freight loading, as well as lots of props which can be loaded on to them.
Remember you can load ANY prop or train on to a freight wagon, not just the ones in this drawer!

Simply point at a wagon and press "L" to open the freight loads menu.
From here you can access the wagons inventory and places props in each slot:



You can customize all kinds of things, like the size & position adjustments of props, as well as control how the props are organized.
There is a full guide here which goes into lots of detail about the whole system:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3395546391

[h2]Modded freight loads and wagons[/h2]

This feight load display system is entirely integrated with modding, which means you can make your own prop mods which can be used as freight loads, and you can make your own train mods which can have "display points" to display props that are loaded on to them.

The above guide goes into full detail about how to use the new modding features, and has step-by-step examples on how to make a train mod which makes use of this new system.

I've also uploaded my own example freight wagon too:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3401617685

You can also find this example mod in the folder "Rolling Line/modding/templates/train mod examples".

On the Steam Workshop you can now also see a tag for "Freight loadable" under "mod features".
This tag is automatically added to any train mods which support the freight loading system.



[h2]New props to use as freight loads[/h2]

This update adds a few new props as dedicated freight loads.
Some of these were made by SmokeStream and are from their mod packs!



I highly recommend having a look at their mods, they are excellent!
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3209903016

[h2]Other features & fixes in this update[/h2]

This update also includes:

• You can now see which direction a train will be facing when placing it, there is an arrow on the "placing ghost" and you can also press Q and E to flip the placement direction while placing too:
  
  
  
  
• When using the "Clone left/right" hover options, wagons with randomizable colors are now shuffled (instead of all being the same color). If you want to place multiple wagons with the color you can still hold shift while placing them one-by-one and they will keep their color:
  
  
  
  
• In the modding manager, the "wagon length" option for train mods is now found in the "wheels" menu, as well as the "general options" menu.
  
• When adding items to a list (like in various modding menus) the page of the list will automatically set the page which the new item was added to.
  
• Some props that are very thin (like logs and containers) now have wider hitboxes when they are inside an inventory slot so they are easier to select.
  
• The hand-held controllers on the wall now auto re-spawn if they are destroyed.
  
• The setting which makes controllers return to their holder when dropped is now on by default.
  

And that's everything!
I'm so excited to finally be working on freight loading, this is a feature I've been dreaming of for years. Keep an eye on future news and updates as this system has a lot more development still to come!
The goal is to have a fully dynamic loading & unloading freight system, where freight trains can be loaded up in one location and then driven to another to then be unloaded, all with a wide range of different industry types.
In the meantime, please enjoy these new freight load display features!