Configuring AJS Invisible Stations?

[sniper297]

AJS Invisible Station 1T 3.5,<kuid2:122285:3401:3>

These are driving me buggy (well, buggiER) trying to name and configure them. What I want to do is set the platform height and name the invisible stations IN THE ROUTE LAYER once and once only, then never have to fiddle with it again so that the people will be at the same height and the name in the map will be the same in all sessions. Anyone got a dummies guide on how to do that? :'(

 

[paulzmay]

I'm pretty sure that this is impossible. It's a basic limitation of Trainz that configuration info for an asset is stored in the session, irrespective of what layer the item is on. I always store a base session, and use 'save as' to create alternates.

Paul

 

[sniper297]

Aaaargh!

Thanks, kinda thought so. Strange thing is platform height is in the session, the name is in the route itself - but what I was doing was changing all the "ajs_invisible_station_1t_3.5_21" labels to "." to declutter the map, tediously finished one line and saved with no problem. Did another line, tried to save and got "create new session" as the only option, the most irritating part of the whole layer thing.

So I said DaHellWidIt, made a disaster backup CDP and hacked the config.txt file, replacing all the lines;

ajs_invisible_station_1t_3.5_21 "ajs_invisible_station_1t_3.5_21"

With

ajs_invisible_station_1t_3.5_21 "."

Then saved and committed, and that worked. My thinking is I don't need the actual platform names anyway since the "Call At" command is all cattywampus about stopping in the wrong place, just gotta figure out the magic formula for "Drive to Trackmark, Load passengers right 30 seconds". What I got now works sort of, the train stops at the trackmark and opens the doors, at some stations the passengers gradually disappear from the platform and can be seen sitting in the car, most they just stand there like they're waiting for a different train. When it works the animation is kinda lame, not really sure it's worth the effort to debug it for a hundred passenger stations.

 

[paulzmay]

The AJS stations actually use a different script to work out where the train should stop - it's generally more accurate than most other stations.

Paul

 

[sniper297]

Not quite close enough for Disco tho. What I found with other stations (the kind that have attached tracks all in one asset) is the "Call At" stops the train with the front coupler of the engine at the near end of the platform. AJS stations do better, but it's not hard to beat that - "Call At" on the AJS single invisible station I'm using stops with the engine front coupler at the middle of the platform, which don't look right either. My workaround is placing the track marker 25-50 meters past the far end of the platform for commuters, and 5-10 meters past for the L trains so at least most of the cars are lined up with the platform when the doors open. Again the whole passengers "boarding" animation looks so basic and weak I'm still trying to decide if the result will be worth the effort, or just use static people on the platforms since the door animation is activated by the Load Passengers command anyway even without a station.

 

[pfx]

I've found the AJS stations to work well for passing trains. They stop with the middle carriiage in the middle of the station. Check that you have the station set as a through and not terminus as this affects the stopping position of the train.