STW (SwedishTrainzWorks) vs AI (Advanced Idiot) Drive, and How To Deceive AI
- Thread starter BD1
- Start date
The AI drivers can be snotty punks and will tend to wander off on their own if their own to seek out another route. I've fired many of the drivers myself.
I find that using the Drive To instead of the Navigate To command to be better. With the Navigate To command, they will navigate around anything that blocks their path. The Drive To seems to help as it gives them a little bit more patience with signals and junctions.
With the AI drivers backing up, this is usually a sign of poor signalling and poorly marked tracks. I have found that I signal logically and not prototypically, meaning I use a system that the AI will follow the majority of the time without intervention. The use of direction marks also helps as well by preventing the drivers from going backwards or taking an in correct path to a destination.
I've noticed too that if there are a lot of drivers I need to put in Wait commands. A time of about 20 seconds seems to help a lot as it gives everyone a chance to catch up before performing another task.
John
I find that using the Drive To instead of the Navigate To command to be better. With the Navigate To command, they will navigate around anything that blocks their path. The Drive To seems to help as it gives them a little bit more patience with signals and junctions.
With the AI drivers backing up, this is usually a sign of poor signalling and poorly marked tracks. I have found that I signal logically and not prototypically, meaning I use a system that the AI will follow the majority of the time without intervention. The use of direction marks also helps as well by preventing the drivers from going backwards or taking an in correct path to a destination.
I've noticed too that if there are a lot of drivers I need to put in Wait commands. A time of about 20 seconds seems to help a lot as it gives everyone a chance to catch up before performing another task.
John
Lots_Trains
TS2010 User
I am and my AI works perfectly.
Mine does exactly what it is told, and it does super complex stuff. I'm now up to running 8 levels of priority trains, double track wrong track running, super reliable single track running no corncob meets or other hang ups.
AI is a black art, but I have a few extra tools as well that help. Hopefully one day they will be released.
Biggest thing about AI is not to exceed the limitations of the command you are using.
Cheers
Lots
Very helpful post, many thanks for posting BD1.
I use "STW" commands all the time, and I also use "Navigate To Trackmark", my tracks are littered with Direction Trackmarkers so AI trains have only one choice, to wait at the red signal until it turns yellow or green, and cannot double back to use an alternative route.
Joe Airtime
I use "STW" commands all the time, and I also use "Navigate To Trackmark", my tracks are littered with Direction Trackmarkers so AI trains have only one choice, to wait at the red signal until it turns yellow or green, and cannot double back to use an alternative route.
Joe Airtime
My A.I. Trains run very well, not perfect all the time, but very well on MY routes, because I have my signals properly positioned, I have passing spurs long enough, I have Track Direction Markers properly positioned, and I have ENOUGH Drive Via trackmarks so the A.I. Engineers don't get confused.
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Here's the famous track and signal tutorials:
http://trains.0catch.com/tutorial.html
You might need a wait command after the push over the hump, then maybe a reverse and drive to another trackmark.
What signals are you using that would cut your framerate in half? There's something wrong with the mesh or perhaps the textures that will cause that. Just for kicks, duplicate the route and try replacing the signals with something else. I don't use the Pennsy signals for anything (not modeling a Pennsy route), and use the JR Search signals with good results. There are some generic type 04 and type 05 dwarfs which I think are the kind you'll need for a hump yard anyway. These come with TS12 as part of the MS route.
John
http://trains.0catch.com/tutorial.html
You might need a wait command after the push over the hump, then maybe a reverse and drive to another trackmark.
What signals are you using that would cut your framerate in half? There's something wrong with the mesh or perhaps the textures that will cause that. Just for kicks, duplicate the route and try replacing the signals with something else. I don't use the Pennsy signals for anything (not modeling a Pennsy route), and use the JR Search signals with good results. There are some generic type 04 and type 05 dwarfs which I think are the kind you'll need for a hump yard anyway. These come with TS12 as part of the MS route.
John
PC tracks are like Guilford's tracks up my way. They have standing derailments all the time in Lawrence, MA! Like the PC they management runs everything until there's no longer a way to run the equipment any longer. You probably could make your track splines less smooth by putting in more spline points and lifting and shifting them around to make the track more crooked. There was a discussion about this a few years ago and someone posted a picture showing their crooked track. I can't remember who did this, or who posted the original thread.
In real life we have people on the ground to tell us where the trains are and to switch the tracks as necessary. In a simulator, we need to see when tracks are switched so there are track lables and signals at the end of the track throats. When a signal turns yellow or green from red, I know it's safe to proceed on my yard tracks throgh the junctions. I consider this a compromise to make the simulator useful. You can build your yards without signals if you want, but you'll have to drive the trains manually because the AI use the signals and track markers as a way to travel through the track maze. This is one of the reasons why I don't use the AI drivers for anything other than long-distance and commuter driving and why I do all the switching and local moves. The AI sit there and go from one end of the route usually without problems while I tend to the part of the route that would have put me in the funny farm a lot sooner than I'm heading now!
I agree the AI drivers are like gremlins, but for the most part they're fine unless you keep them up after midnight.
John
In real life we have people on the ground to tell us where the trains are and to switch the tracks as necessary. In a simulator, we need to see when tracks are switched so there are track lables and signals at the end of the track throats. When a signal turns yellow or green from red, I know it's safe to proceed on my yard tracks throgh the junctions. I consider this a compromise to make the simulator useful. You can build your yards without signals if you want, but you'll have to drive the trains manually because the AI use the signals and track markers as a way to travel through the track maze. This is one of the reasons why I don't use the AI drivers for anything other than long-distance and commuter driving and why I do all the switching and local moves. The AI sit there and go from one end of the route usually without problems while I tend to the part of the route that would have put me in the funny farm a lot sooner than I'm heading now!
I agree the AI drivers are like gremlins, but for the most part they're fine unless you keep them up after midnight.
John
Lots_Trains
TS2010 User
Hi John
I don't agree with this at all, all my yards are un signaled, I use the path command and Drive to command (same as STW Drive rule) and have no problems what so ever in my yards the AI just work fine, the biggest thing to make AI reliable is not to use the Navigate to/via commands they are just so unreliable I avoid them like the plague, I use path commands and Auto Drive for everything
For AI its not the signals that the program looks at but it has its internal permit system for sections of track between junctions.
Cheers
Lots
I don't agree with this at all, all my yards are un signaled, I use the path command and Drive to command (same as STW Drive rule) and have no problems what so ever in my yards the AI just work fine, the biggest thing to make AI reliable is not to use the Navigate to/via commands they are just so unreliable I avoid them like the plague, I use path commands and Auto Drive for everything
For AI its not the signals that the program looks at but it has its internal permit system for sections of track between junctions.
Cheers
Lots