About RouteBuilder 1.2

What is RouteBuilder?

It's a visual railway editor with the ability to export created routes for the simulator BVE. RB is developed by Thomas Tschofenig from Austria and Uwe Post from Germany. We give the program to you free of charge hoping that you create stunning routes for BVE with it.

Key features

• route building without knowing BVE commands
• intuitive 2D interface with zoom
• supporting all BVE2 features like curves, switches, height, pitch (not in V1.0), free objects, changing background images, sounds, fog, adhesion, accuracy, platforms, roofs, walls, dikes, signals...
• multiple routes per project, driving both directions or parts of the route or on different tracks
• base object and trackwork library included for you to use freely (about how you can contribute, see below)
• you can add your own csv- and b3d-objects
• addon interface and addons. Read the manual and visit our developer forum to find out how to make addons
• clickable overview map as blueprint
• packager creating auto-install route setup programs which carry the logo
• BVE Track Sound Standard Compliant
• supporting the for responsible BVE Development

What RouteBuilder cannot do

• exact Route export due to BVE restrictions
• create 3d objects - that's up to you
• create or modify trains
• load existing rw or csv route files
• create a stunning route with one click - there's still much work for you to do

RouteBuilder 1.2 features NEW

• freeobject binding to tracks
• (limited) csv object support
• signals
• no more wallids, just select the wall object (same for platforms, poles, grounds)
• import and export of regions, some of which are in a trackwork library in the setup
• station sounds (arrival, departure)
• manual updated
• object locking
• many bugfixes and small improvements

RouteBuilder 1.1.7 features

• additional Trackside Scenery Objects (TSO) for groundless building (explained in manual)
• freeobjects can be locked
• fine "switch" switches (Switch Addin)
• multiple train schedules
• internal 3D object preview
• pitch
• markers
• grids for complex track layout (i.e. stations)
• one-click switch add (in grids only)
• viewport scrollbars
• rulers for viewport
• smooth secondary track curves
• random wall/ground sequences
• special curved track fitting to switches (157 m radius)
• extended object library
• updated manual
• bugfixes
• automatic night export (you need night versions of your objects) (1.1.5)
• how-to-projects and tutorials included (1.1.5)

How it is done

RB has less restrictions than BVE. You can build various tracks and routes. The very special feature is that you tell RB on which track the BVE train should run just before exporting. Thus you can create a complex track layout and a couple of totally different routes to drive on - especially in both directions. Of course some knowledge of how BVE routes work is helpful, but our manuel provides you with everything you should know to build basic routes. For high detail routes, you need a fast PC not only to have them rendered with a high frame rate by BVE (RB routes are not optimized), but also to edit them in RB.

Base Object library

Railway is nothing without nature and buildings on both sides of the track. RB contains a Base Object Library with a huge number of such objects to be used freely in any of your routes. You can contribute to this library which will be extended furthermore by sending us your objects. You must agree that those objects will be redistributed and used by other RB users. RB assures that the name of each object creator can be found in the credits file which accompanies the route.

RB Installer

RouteBuilder comes with a packager that can easily be used to create auto installing archives of your routes for distribution.

If you have wishes for future versions, please don't hesitate to contact us at our bugs+features-forum.

The Development

RB 1.0 has been developed from July 2002 to April 21, 2003 using Borland Delphi 6 Personal Edition.

Uwe Post: concept, class library, main user interface and editor, export, object library, website

Thomas Tschofenig: user interface, object library, forums

Object library contributors: Darwin, Fons de Jong, Jan de Jong, mtrkwt, Rainer Hübner, Simon Man

Other contributors: Rüdiger Hülsmann (Switch Addon core), language file translators as stated in the RB about dialog box.

Beta testers: jay, peter and smace

Thanks to the whole BVE community for continuing support.