Portals return consists to route layer...always?

[C_Blabsky]

Running TRS19PE. Many dl'd routes, and some handmade ones, always have a session to open in CM for use. 'Edit session in surveyor,' check around for stuff to do, save session. Cntrl-F2 to drive, move pixels and sound whistles, then pause, Cntrl-F1 to surveyor, save session as ended. I use calendar, time progress, and save the freight moved and folks transported as ongoing sessions. No changes to the route, usually, and don't have to clone OPR's (Other People's Routes).

Consists are kept on layer in session, but if they return from portal they will be listed in the route dependencies. If these consists then interact with industries and other trains, they often 'corrupt' these assets to the route layer. This then introduces a Route Save prompt at exit.

Is this always the case with portals? Can this be defeated other than using surveyor before exit to change the assets back to a Session layer?

regards,
Blabsky

 

[pware]

Is this always the case with portals?

Yes, it has always been the case with portals. It is only since the appearance of the UDS (in TRS19PE, TRS22 and Trainz Plus) that it has been noticed.

A consist that enters a portal to be returned or is produced by a portal will be placed into the same layer as the portal. One possible solution to this is to place your portals in the same session layer as the consists BUT this is not really practical if you have multiple sessions based on the same route.

I have found that it is really only an issue during the development stage of a route/session when you are running a session for testing. On the rare occasion where I have to save the session after switching, via the UDS, from Driver to Surveyor while testing, then I always saved it using a new session name and I never overwrote the original. That way the consists in the original session are always in their starting positions and in their starting layers.

See the Trainz Wiki Page at How_to_Use_the_UDS_Interface

 

[C_Blabsky]

Thanks so much for the reply; I've been operating on the basis of that behavior and wanted to confirm. The one little switching layout I've been working on releasing will have a fiddle yard/loop for that reason.

On a couple of personal routes, I've incorporated 'scenic' lines that are separate from the operating rail lines because of that behavior as well.

 

[JCitron]

Portals will always contain the consists in the Route layer even though you edited them in the Session when you created your session. Never modify the schedules or the consists in the Route editor because that can cause inconsistencies such as having two copies of the same consist with one having the schedule and the other nothing at all. I'm saying this from experience and I spent a long time replacing portals and replacing the consists in them.

Since UDS, portals will spit out there consists when you un-pause Surveyor. I find this annoying because we need to check animations off and on and end up finding trainz sitting on the mainline that get saved on the Route layer causing weird things to happen that we can't figure out the cause.

 

[stagecoach]

You can create a layer for just portals either in the route or session sections. All portals on this layer will return to the same layer.

 

[pware]

You can create a layer for just portals either in the route or session sections.

Placing the portals in a session layer would work if you only create one session per route but I often create multiple sessions (12 or more) for each route.

The ideal solutions would be for portals that:-

1. accept consists from a route to "remember" the consist layer and return that consist to the same layer if it is later emitted from the portal
2. produce new consists to have the option in the dialogue that builds the consist to allow the selection of the target layer. If none is selected then the same layer as the portal is used.

 

[C_Blabsky]

{Does 'binding' to a layer make a difference?} Edit: No, from just now experiment.

After Stagecoach's statement, I will experiment a bit with that; Pware's warning none-the-less. Usually only have one session for the dozens of routes that have been dl'd, as most are without a session.
Edit: This did not work for me just now with the short basic portal.

I've always placed portals, like other industries, on the route layer with the track. The portal worked to send back the consist, but it was on the route layer.

 

[pware]

{Does 'binding' to a layer make a difference?} Edit: No, from just now experiment.

Binding an object to a layer is a technique used in the route development process. It allows the object to be temporarily hidden or locked without hiding or locking all the objects that are in the same layer. Useful when you want to edit other objects that are nearby or on top of the object (e.g. seats on a platform).