Some random 122411 thoughts

[martinvk]

Working in a 85mb DEM generated route and have not experienced any issues. Everything seems to work as expected.

One bit of an annoyance when creating a route from TransDEM is that a lot of extra track joints are created. Aesthetically, I don't like to see so many of them so I first go around and remove most of them using the Merge function. What's the difference if I was to use the Delete function instead?

I had a consist that didn't want to to traverse a section of curved track from which I had previously removed all the extra joints. Nothing seemed to be obviously wrong so I eventually just deleted that curve and placed a new track spline in its place. Problem solved but without knowing why.

When a consist doesn't want to continue on what appears to be a continuous track, I quickly go to Surveyor and double click on the track causing the selection highlight to appear all the way to the next junction or a break in the track where two track splines touch but are not joined. Makes for a nice visual track continuity tester.

Another technique is to place Trackmarks halfway to the next driver destination and then keep adding more halfway until the faulty section of track can be identified and hopefully fixed or replaced if I can't figure it out.

By placing major items like roads, tracks, buildings, canal edges, airports, etc on their own layers, I can lock them and also make the invisible to make it that much easier to work on one layer at a time while not accidentally disturbing the other items.

Haven't advanced to placing ground textures yet but look forward to the much finer brushes that are now available.

 

[CBorg]

Hi
Why anytime I install a new object (signals or tracks for example) on PTYellowstone they do not register on the map when I reopen it in the new version
Thanks for your help
Trainz+ BUILD: 122411
Chris

 

[JCitron]

Hi
Why anytime I install a new object (signals or tracks for example) on PTYellowstone they do not register on the map when I reopen it in the new version
Thanks for your help
Trainz+ BUILD: 122411
Chris

Since this is a DLC route, you are allowed to create your own version of the route if you want to edit. I wonder if you are opening up the original route and not your own. You might want to rename your route to something else to help identify which one is which. I do that all the time including updated versions of my own routes to ensure I am editing the intended route.

Hint:

Instead of recreating a driving session and having to setup the consists and driver commands, try this:

Open up a session of interest.
Go to the file menu and choose Save_as.

This will prompt you to clone the route and session, or just save a session.

Choose Save the route and session.

Put in the name you want for the route. The session will have the same name with the appended - Default. You can always rename this later by editing the config.txt file, or by doing a Save_as on that session, and save the session and not the route this time around.

What this will give you is your own copy of the route plus a working session you can modify as you go along.

 

[martinvk]

I also wonder if the OP is editing and saving the session then when the route is opened again, a new blank session is created.
Once a session has been edited, always open the same session for editing, the route will open anyway. Only if you save everything in route layers would it be safe to edit the route directly but then you'll still have a bunch of orphan sessions.

 

[JCitron]

I also wonder if the OP is editing and saving the session then when the route is opened again, a new blank session is created.
Once a session has been edited, always open the same session for editing, the route will open anyway. Only if you save everything in route layers would it be safe to edit the route directly but then you'll still have a bunch of orphan sessions.

Yes, editing the same session ensures that that particular session is edited and associated with the route. I highly recommend keeping the two tasks separate and not fool with layers because in doing so, the layers "default" to the one you open in and that's where things end up in the wrong place. How would I know!

When editing a session, he will sometimes get a prompt to save both the route and session. This is due to how some assets exist between the two layers such as ATLS crossing and what not. When that prompt comes up, save as prompted to do so and no harm will be done to the route.

When editing the route-only, this ensures what stays on the route is on the route and not confused with the session. When saving, save route only, there's a checkbox for that option, instead of route and session when editing the route because that will create yet another session which only confuses thing.

IMO, saving something shouldn't require a doctorate degree in computer science and physics, but unfortunately this is typical of what we have to deal with and has been an issue since at least TS2009 or TS2010 when the plethora of default sessions started growing exponentially with each route save.

 

[martinvk]

...
IMO, saving something shouldn't require a doctorate degree in computer science and physics, but unfortunately ...

IMHO, I would attribute this to the tendency of cleaver programmers' need to show how cleaver they can be. The underlying code might be straightforward and logical but what the user sees is not always so. Makes you wonder if the devs ever actually used the UI in real game situations or watched users who had no prior experience try to use the UI. Something we did and called Use Acceptance Testing, (UAT) and it was surprising how often what seemed like an obvious process stymied an average unprepared user.

Meanwhile, unless I have a really compelling reason, I always open the session to work on the map even if I'm modifying the route itself. I only open the route if I want to Save-As to create a copy before making major changes. That way I always have a previous version to go back to if my new idea wasn't so good.

 

[CBorg]

Since this is a DLC route, you are allowed to create your own version of the route if you want to edit. I wonder if you are opening up the original route and not your own. You might want to rename your route to something else to help identify which one is which. I do that all the time including updated versions of my own routes to ensure I am editing the intended route.

Hint:

Instead of recreating a driving session and having to setup the consists and driver commands, try this:

Open up a session of interest.
Go to the file menu and choose Save_as.

This will prompt you to clone the route and session, or just save a session.

Choose Save the route and session.

Put in the name you want for the route. The session will have the same name with the appended - Default. You can always rename this later by editing the config.txt file, or by doing a Save_as on that session, and save the session and not the route this time around.

What this will give you is your own copy of the route plus a working session you can modify as you go along.

Ok Thanks for all your ideas
I have found out to get around to it: when I install a new object (signal or track for exemple) all I have to do is:
" edit properties"
click on the object,
click on "route-layer"
save changes

 

[martinvk]

If the route layer is the active one (visible and not locked) at the time you add a new object, it will automatically be in that layer without the need to later edit its properties.

 

[CBorg]

If the route layer is the active one (visible and not locked) at the time you add a new object, it will automatically be in that layer without the need to later edit its properties.

Hi martinvk
OK but I always work in sessions and I was not aware at first with the new version I had to go in "edit properties" when I install a new object on the layout

 

[martinvk]

Hi martinvk
OK but I always work in sessions and I was not aware at first with the new version I had to go in "edit properties" when I install a new object on the layout

Not sure why you have to "edit properties" when you install a new object in a layout. Are you changing just the layer or other values too? Whatever is the active layer at the time you install a new object will be the layer that receives the object. No real need to change that unless you change your mind after and want to put it in another layer instead. And with S2, if you select multiple objects at the same time, you can change them all at once.

PS. If you add objects in a session layer, they will be tied to that specific session and not to the route itself. If you want the map to always have the object, whatever the session, make sure the layer is in the route. Each session as well as the route itself can have multiple layers to help you organize your objects and make editing easier by being able to hide and lock layers as needed.

 

[CBorg]

Thanks martvink for all the information you gave me

I go into the last session because I want to see all the consists on the layout as I am installing other objects. That's why I "edit properties" in that particular new object in order to have it in the "route-layer"

 

[martinvk]

I also enter via the session but then edit in the route. By making one of the many layers in the route side of the map active (visible and not locked), anything I add will automatically be added to that layer.

 

[CBorg]

Hi eveyone
going in build 122411 how to you change the name of a trackmark for example when you are in "Edit in Surveyor 2.0"
I cannot find it out even if i click on the object

 

[martinvk]

Hi eveyone
going in build 122411 how to you change the name of a trackmark for example when you are in "Edit in Surveyor 2.0"
I cannot find it out even if i click on the object

Go to the Info Palette. On my screen it is at the lower right. If it is not visible, click on the eighth icon at the top left. In there you can turn on the Info Palette as well as other palettes.There you will find all sorts of properties such as position, rotation and layer, as well as the name of the object. Here you can change the name.

Also have a look at https://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/How_to_Use_S20_Tools#The_Info_Palette

 

[CBorg]

Go to the Info Palette. On my screen it is at the lower right. If it is not visible, click on the eighth icon at the top left. In there you can turn on the Info Palette as well as other palettes.There you will find all sorts of properties such as position, rotation and layer, as well as the name of the object. Here you can change the name.

Also have a look at https://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/How_to_Use_S20_Tools#The_Info_Palette

You sure are of a great help!!