How do I set default junction setting in the route layer in Surveyor 2.0?

[RobWed]

It's doing my head in...

I've got a couple of switches that diverge from the mainline. I want to flip them in the route layer so every time I open Create Session the points are set for mainline operation.

The wiki says; "junction switches - the left/right switch direction is stored in the Session (but the default switch direction is stored in the Route)" but doesn't tell me how to set the default

So, I select Edit Route, make sure route-layer is selected, click on the junction, select Change Junction Direction. The switch indicator doesn't change (It's an animation so I guess that's not surprising) but the overlay shows the change. So far so good. When I go to save the only option is to overwrite existing session or save session as. Save the session, either option, jump out of surveyor, select Edit Route and nothing has changed. (Of course...)

I've come up with a workaround, which is to make some trivial change at the route layer, like moving an invisible signal a millimetre. This forces a route save and I discard the session. Works if you flip the switches in Surveyor using Change Junction Direction or if you use the overlay to flip it in Driver (because getting double slips right without the indicator is a pain!)

I don't know why it has to be so complicated. If flipping switches sits natively in the session layer (as would be indicated by the fact that it only prompts a session save) then why do all those point setting changes I made now exist in the route layer just because I moved an unrelated signal? If there's a default switch direction in the route layer, how do I access it?

 

[wreeder]

Zoom in on the junction and you will see a tiny yellow box connected to a tiny red box by a line. Click on it and the red box turns green to indicate that the turnout is selected. Once selected a round icon will appear. Click on the icon and choose Change Junction Direction from the menu.

 

[RobWed]

I tried that but when I try to save it only wants to save the session.

 

[RobWed]

Doing what you say will absolutely change the junction direction. But saving only brings up the option to save the session so the underlying route is unchanged. I want to avoid having to do this every time I create a new session for the route.

 

[pware]

But saving only brings up the option to save the session so the underlying route is unchanged.

A simple trick that I use is to move an object (e.g. a tree) that is in a Route Layer. Move it just just a centimetre or two then set the junction switch and save. Because you moved the tree it will offer to save the route and the session. Save the route but DO NOT save the session.

Then set the switch to the other direction (for the session) and save the Session only (Overwrite existing session).

When you next load the just the route (no session) the junction will be set in its new default direction.

When you next load the route AND session the junction will be set in the direction you specified for that session.

In general when a property is stored in BOTH the route and the session (e.g. switch directions, weather conditions, time of day, season of year, etc) then the Session will take priority in showing that setting. When no session is loaded then the route setting will take priority. When a setting has been set in a route but not in a session (this mostly applies to the Environmental controls) then the route setting will take priority over the session.

 

[wreeder]

Sorry, I didn't read your post fully. My bad. Looking at this is Trainz Plus, it appears that this is the default behavior now if no other changes are made to the route. The same behavior happens in Surveyor Classic as well.

 

[RobWed]

Yeah, it seems like the workaround is the new method!

 

[JCitron]

This is why I create a separate session that I use for setting up drivers and use in driver and only use UDS for testing. By setting up an actual session, all these things are controlled in one place, leaving the route separate for route-related stuff such as modifying track and placing objects. This may require jumping back and forth for editing and setting things up but it keeps the working and moving parts away from the static parts.

Don't get me wrong, but UDS has its use as well especially for testing animated assets and such things as crossings and other things that require rules and configuration. To be honest, I feel that N3V didn't go far enough with UDS and that it should operate more like it does with Multiplayer Surveyor (MPS) where users can edit a route while others are driving at the same time. UDS as it is, is in a semi-neither here nor there state somewhere in between the two.