Switching to Surveyer from driver
- Thread starter Mesabi193
- Start date
shaneturner12
Tutorial Creator
I think (at least with TRS2004/TRS2006) that you have to load it into surveyor first then go into driver using the quick drive button.
(I'm not sure about other versions though)
(I'm not sure about other versions though)
same with ts09. if you load it in surveyor, then everything will run the way its set up to. if you go in this way, you can go main menu, exit driver
yes your correct, the answer is no.
Yeah... but dumb!
So it really can't work as an actual "model railroad"... I was playing the Highland Valley route, and set it up in the surveyer with plenty of things to do (switch in and out industries, run some passengers on the main)... but as time went on and I ran out of flat cars, and i derailed a few of my favorite locomotives... I wanted to go back to Surveyer in order to change up some of my rolling stock, add a loco, etc. But I can't go back to it with the current saved game.
The only option would be to go into surveyer, and set the layout how I want it and "start over".
Any help? Does this make sense..
So it really can't work as an actual "model railroad"... I was playing the Highland Valley route, and set it up in the surveyer with plenty of things to do (switch in and out industries, run some passengers on the main)... but as time went on and I ran out of flat cars, and i derailed a few of my favorite locomotives... I wanted to go back to Surveyer in order to change up some of my rolling stock, add a loco, etc. But I can't go back to it with the current saved game.
The only option would be to go into surveyer, and set the layout how I want it and "start over".
Any help? Does this make sense..
No, it doesn't work as an actual model railroad. And yes, you'll have to start over.
Well, maybe not the only option. I want to use TRS / TS in much the same way you do, and have come up with this work around, pending someone with more knowledge, and a more complete skill set than I have creating a "session editor" utility.
The best way I've been able to devise to do what you want is to open a session in surveyor, and do a "save as", and save the session with a new name. Then I open the session in driver, and operate it as I need to do. When i'm done, I make note of what cars are where, and what their next status will be. Then I open the session with the new name, and move the equipment around in surveyor to fit the starting conditions for the next day. I then repeat the process again.
ns
How about adding a "Fiddle Yard" AKA "Hidden Sidings" to the route in Surveyor and having spare locos & stock hiding there which you can bring out as required during a running session? (A bit like a real railroad would do if they ran out of stock or had an unservicable locos they would bring some in from elsewhere).
To take this a stage further you may be able to do something similar with a portal and some of the portal control rules. You could also look at the rerail portal for putting derailed trains back onto you layout.
Neither of these ideas is perfect - e.g. you can't put stuff exactly where you want it in the Driver session but they might go part of the way.
Just to confirm what has been said before you can't edit a saved Driver session.
Chris
To take this a stage further you may be able to do something similar with a portal and some of the portal control rules. You could also look at the rerail portal for putting derailed trains back onto you layout.
Neither of these ideas is perfect - e.g. you can't put stuff exactly where you want it in the Driver session but they might go part of the way.
Just to confirm what has been said before you can't edit a saved Driver session.
Chris
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If you open the route using QuickDrive Mode in Driver and place your consists using both the Global Consist Library and the QuickDrive panel you can save a driver session and then re-open it again and make changes using GCL and QuickDrive to the saved session. You can do this over and over again. You don't have to make changes in surveyor to rolling stock if you have upgraded to a version that has QuickDrive available. Sorry I don't remember where it was added but it is in SP2.
There are only a couple of gotchas:
1. You should stop all trains before saving a Driver session.
2. Interactive industries may not work correctly after opening a saved Driver session.
These are NOT problems with the QuickDrive system but with the way Driver saves sessions.
If I get some time over the weekend I'll do a tutorial on how to use QuickDrive. It isn't hard to figure out.
William
There are only a couple of gotchas:
1. You should stop all trains before saving a Driver session.
2. Interactive industries may not work correctly after opening a saved Driver session.
These are NOT problems with the QuickDrive system but with the way Driver saves sessions.
If I get some time over the weekend I'll do a tutorial on how to use QuickDrive. It isn't hard to figure out.
William
norfolksouthern37
what's a normal map?
or another alternative is the emit train now rule. i find that the quickdrive allows you to place trains anywhere but you cant load them and its really easy to derail them while placing.
with emit train now you use a portal, just set up what train you want, and send it to that portal. thats how i do my staging or fiddle yards in TRS.
you can get an up to date emit train now rule by visiting my site.
with emit train now you use a portal, just set up what train you want, and send it to that portal. thats how i do my staging or fiddle yards in TRS.
you can get an up to date emit train now rule by visiting my site.
Not William, but QuickDrive already exists in TRS2006 SP2. In Surveyor, it's an icon located just next to the main file menu in the upper left, but not visible unless one has the cursor in the region that opens the surveyor toolbar.
ns
Mjolnir,
Thanks, but I'm aware of quick drive in Surveyor - I think William is talking about something else - see quote - or I'm confused, which is not unusual.....
Chris
I hope you do get some time over the weekend, I'd be very interested to learn about this QuickDrive. I thought it was just a quicker way to get from Surveyor to Driver.
Mick Berg.
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Yeah, the name is confusing but it is a new feature. The global consist library is a rule that is added by default to new routes created in TS2009 SP2. You can add it to an existing route by choosing it in the Edit Session dialog. The other half is the Quick Drive control panel that opens if you enter driver by choosing just the route's name and not an existing session file. When you choose the route name the button at the bottom right changes to say Quick Drive.
Briefly, the concept works like this:
You create consists which can be locos and/or rolling stock in either surveyor's consist list panel or using the GCL. You access the GCL in Driver by going to the Main Menu button at the upper left and choosing Options. There may be two listed, I don't know why but ignore the second one if it is present.
Click on the GCL and you will see a panel where you can build consists from the list of your installed rolling stock. It works a lot like building consists in Trainz UTC and before. Pick a vehicle and add it. Keep adding to that consist until you are happy. Then build more consists. When done close the options panel.
Now go back to the open Quick Drive panel. You might want to find yourself on the map too since Driver has placed your POV in the middle of nowhere most of the time.
The Environment Tab should make sense to you all ready.
The Consist Tab list consists you have placed on the route. At the moment it should be empty.
The New Train Tab is where you add the consists you have created to the route. Near the top is a link that should say either MainList or SurveyorList. Click it and box opens that allows you to choose which consist list to use. You can create many different consist lists using the GCL. All the consists from the list you choose will be shown in a scrollable list. Click the name of one and you enter placement mode. Scroll around the map to find where you want to place the consist and click the track. The consist will appear and the little box changes options to allow you to delete the consist or flip the direction it is facing. If you are happy then close the small window and you are back at the New Train screen ready to add more consists.
Now if you placed a loco then you need a Driver so click the Drivers tab. This is a list of all available drivers. Click the checkbox of one and it will say Not in a Vehicle. Click that link and a box opens that allows you to choose a loco for the driver to drive.
Repeat the New Train and Driver process until you are happy.
The Command tab is like the Environment tab in that it controls what Driver commands will be available in the right click driver menu. This is not programming the driver but just what commands are available to add to a driver in real time.
Now if you have placed a loco and driver then close the Quick Drive panel and click on the loco with the pointer to choose that loco to drive as normal. If you want to get back to the Quick Drive control panel look above the HUD display on the top menu bar for a new icon. It is the User Rules Menu icon. Click it and choose Quick Drive from the pop up menu.
When you are done with Driver, then save a session as normal. Exit Driver. When you come back use the Saved Session button on the main Driver screen to start your session again. If you left the Quick Drive panel open then it will be open, if not then use the User rule menu to open it.
You can make changes by adding more consists or deleting old ones. Remember a consist can be one car or an entire train.
There are a few shortcomings to keep in mind:
As stated above, the GCL has the buttons to change the loads in cars but it does not work yet as far as I can tell. Be careful placing consists. Avoid switches and make sure there is enough room for the consist or it will derail. You are in Driver so use the free roaming camera mode to move around after driving a loco.
Here is something I don't know yet. I've been testing with the built-in routes and the interactive industries all seem to be setup to produce goods even though I'm just choosing a route and not a session where the industries settings would normally be stored. So I don't know if building your own route with interactives industries working requires something different in TS2009. Maybe someone can figure it out now that you know how to use Quick Drive.
William
Briefly, the concept works like this:
You create consists which can be locos and/or rolling stock in either surveyor's consist list panel or using the GCL. You access the GCL in Driver by going to the Main Menu button at the upper left and choosing Options. There may be two listed, I don't know why but ignore the second one if it is present.
Click on the GCL and you will see a panel where you can build consists from the list of your installed rolling stock. It works a lot like building consists in Trainz UTC and before. Pick a vehicle and add it. Keep adding to that consist until you are happy. Then build more consists. When done close the options panel.
Now go back to the open Quick Drive panel. You might want to find yourself on the map too since Driver has placed your POV in the middle of nowhere most of the time.
The Environment Tab should make sense to you all ready.
The Consist Tab list consists you have placed on the route. At the moment it should be empty.
The New Train Tab is where you add the consists you have created to the route. Near the top is a link that should say either MainList or SurveyorList. Click it and box opens that allows you to choose which consist list to use. You can create many different consist lists using the GCL. All the consists from the list you choose will be shown in a scrollable list. Click the name of one and you enter placement mode. Scroll around the map to find where you want to place the consist and click the track. The consist will appear and the little box changes options to allow you to delete the consist or flip the direction it is facing. If you are happy then close the small window and you are back at the New Train screen ready to add more consists.
Now if you placed a loco then you need a Driver so click the Drivers tab. This is a list of all available drivers. Click the checkbox of one and it will say Not in a Vehicle. Click that link and a box opens that allows you to choose a loco for the driver to drive.
Repeat the New Train and Driver process until you are happy.
The Command tab is like the Environment tab in that it controls what Driver commands will be available in the right click driver menu. This is not programming the driver but just what commands are available to add to a driver in real time.
Now if you have placed a loco and driver then close the Quick Drive panel and click on the loco with the pointer to choose that loco to drive as normal. If you want to get back to the Quick Drive control panel look above the HUD display on the top menu bar for a new icon. It is the User Rules Menu icon. Click it and choose Quick Drive from the pop up menu.
When you are done with Driver, then save a session as normal. Exit Driver. When you come back use the Saved Session button on the main Driver screen to start your session again. If you left the Quick Drive panel open then it will be open, if not then use the User rule menu to open it.
You can make changes by adding more consists or deleting old ones. Remember a consist can be one car or an entire train.
There are a few shortcomings to keep in mind:
As stated above, the GCL has the buttons to change the loads in cars but it does not work yet as far as I can tell. Be careful placing consists. Avoid switches and make sure there is enough room for the consist or it will derail. You are in Driver so use the free roaming camera mode to move around after driving a loco.
Here is something I don't know yet. I've been testing with the built-in routes and the interactive industries all seem to be setup to produce goods even though I'm just choosing a route and not a session where the industries settings would normally be stored. So I don't know if building your own route with interactives industries working requires something different in TS2009. Maybe someone can figure it out now that you know how to use Quick Drive.
William
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