AI "in waiting" - operation Question

[edion2]

Hello,

I'm on TS2009, current public build 38599.

I'm relatively new to AI operation "programing". So far, I only have AI "traffic" trains running on specified intervals on my main line. I understand the basics of creating an AI Schedule.

I've been working on Switching sessions for yard operations. What I want to do is to have a loco with a driver waiting for switching operation to be finished, then couple to the created consist and drive away to a specified location.

My thinking so far, is that I need to have a specific car with a specific name (lets say, car X1) to be placed on the proper end of the new consist for the AI driver to couple to. Then the "user" can drive over a "trigger" located somewhere to get the AI driver to couple to the newly created consist and drive away. This method does work. But it requires for "car X1" to be at one end, and not in the middle of the consist.

I thought there was a way to "name" a consist when its created. But I can't figure out how to do that. I apologize if I missed something obvious, sometimes I do that :hehe:.

I think the idea was to create a consist in Surveyor, then save it somewhere. In driver mode, when ALL the cars in a saved consist exists, the AI springs into action. Otherwise it just sits and waits.

This way, the "user" running the session only has to worry about which cars need to be in the consist he is creating. As the user breaks up a consist to create new ones, the finished consists are driven away by AI drivers without having to drive over a trigger which is invisible.

Can someone explain how to do this?
Do I need to download some "rule" that I am not aware of?

This would be a pretty common thing for shunting cars in a yard, so I'm sure this question have been asked already.

I would appreciate any help.

Thanks

 

[Bill69]

Hi edion2,

Two rules that you will need are wait for trigger and couple at trackmark.

The way to set it up is to have your mainline AI loco sitting somewhere handy with the command wait for triggerxx as his first command. Make up your consist with the switcher and place the finished consist at a named trackmark, say trackmark shunt1. When your switcher has finished making up the consist make him drive over the triggerxx, but be sure to place this trigger where he wont drive over it while shunting. Best place for it would be at the entrance to a small engine shed or where you are going to park the loco when finished shunting. Your AI driver will start when your shunter activates the trigger, his next command should be couple at trackmark shunt1 or whatever you have named your trackmark then continue with the rest of your AI commands. The idea of the couple at trackmark command is so the loco will couple to any car that is at that trackmark, you do not have to know which car will be there.

For saving a consist see next post.

Hope this helps,
Bill69

 

[Bill69]

As for your question about creating and saving a consist, first create the consist in surveyor, the click on the rollingstock tab,'the one with the wheel icon' at the top of that tab click on the consist icon, then click on the get icon at the bottom of thetab then click on the consist and you will asked for a name, type in the name of the consist click on the tick and it will be saved under that name.

Cheers,
Bill69

 

[edion2]

Bill69,

Thanks. "Couple at Track mark", there is a new one for me. I'll download it.

I have some saved consists, but so far I just use it to create consists for creating sessions and to use them to generate trains from portals.

I was thinking that there might be a way for an AI driver to find / recognize a consist on a route that matches one of the "saved consist". But . . . now that I think of it, perhaps the AI also needs to know which END it needs to couple to. So it needs to find it, navigate to it and couple to the correct end . . . maybe this is just too much to as an AI to do :hehe::hehe:

Thanks

 

[Kennilworth]

Hi edion2

I've just been looking at the Winter in Germany route, 1st scenario, in 2009 and there is a Consist Check rule in there. I know nothing about it but a quick glance at it seems to indicate it may be what you are looking for.

Regards

Brian