I don’t know how many of you saw the new product from Microsoft, but the minute I saw it, I thought about how it could be applied to model railroading. Imagine people and cars randomly interacting with your model trains right on the layout! Basically, this visor adds holographic images to any surface, so the applications are endless. It could be the next step in RR video game technology as well. Train Simulator would be intense with this app, the same goes for games like RR Tycoon. The possibilities are endless!.
Finally! Some relief for people like me who aren’t good at scenery. Track and trains are real, but the HoloLens fills in all the scenery with highly detailed 3D renderings.
–Randy
I was thinking about that too Randy. It could be a benefit to modelers at all levels. On the promo video, it showed a little of the uses for architects. Scenery is one of my strong suits, so I think in my case, just having live figures and moving automobiles would be great.
My scenery holds its own, but having this work with the layout would be a way to improve the scenery. Plus you could even run different looks or “skins” to check how they would change how things look if actually executed in 3D. So this could be either a great leaerning tool on how to build scenery or make it easy to work with an outside consultant to improve your existing scenery.
Then there are all the cool apps/scenes it would make possible. You could be in the cab surrounded by the controls, which you have to ineract with correctly, while looking through the windshield along the tracks ahead of your loco; or old time brakeman, where you have to climb up to the running boards and tie down the cars with a club.
Now it’s starting to sound like exercise. Engineer whistles for brakes, you have to club down the brakes and make run across the roofwalks without ‘falling’ off, leaping the gaps between cars…
Of course, of there’s enough action, it might make the hobby more appealing to the younger generation.
–Randy
Yes, and your doctor may even write you an RX for it, making it potentially tax-deductible. Nothing wrong with turning at least part of the hobby into healthy exercise. That may indeed attract younger people, as well as those who just are looking for an entertaining workout.
On the other hand, the exercise factor could just be another parameter to fiddle with in Settings. That way, you can also dial virtually all the exercise out of the game, if you prefer the Sedentary setting.[;)]
I think this will mostly modernize designing and planning. For model railroading that means you can see your track plans as it will look like before you lift a finger to build. You will be able to plan scenery for the best look. Try paint colors and buildings. Already have a layout, you can easily plan projects and see end result. Plan a paint scheme for your locomotive.
And sharing your layout will be easier than ever.
What next? Holodecks, where you don’t even need a real layout? Just walk into your “train room”, turn on the program, and you can run imaginary train layouts.
The previous snarky comment was expected. My first post on this mentioned video game companies that could benefit from this like Train Simulator or RR Tycoon. I sometimes watch my kids play Minecraft on their tablets. That’s basically the same thing. I’m not talking about a “virtual layout”. I’m thinking more in the lines of enhancing the physical layouts we have now. I also agree that it could be a great tool for designing layouts and individual scenes and structures. In defense of the video games I referred to above, you still have to build the virtual layout. It isn’t something I would do, and it wasn’t my intention to make it look that way. Anyway, if you look at it like the previous remarks, you wouldn’t need to “walk into the train room”. Wherever you set up the unit would be the train room. In your living room, out in the backyard, or by the pool, anywhere you could use the visor. Here’s one for you, how about the wealthy guy who throws his money around to have some professional model railroad builder to build his layout, then he gets “his” layout posted in a national magazine like he created the darned thing. That’s more phoney than the self built virtual layouts.
I personaly do not want something like this for my RR.
If I see things moving other than trains…I might think it is an insect or rodent and end up smashing things.
Cool!