Track orientation on splines when deleting a section
- Thread starter paganwolf
- Start date
Hi there, I lay out the brunt of my trackwork with double track and replace it with single track drawn from the direction of travel as I am led to believe this helps the AI, however, once i remove a section, my curves just go to pot
Mr Wolf,
Have you tried using a JK Way Gauge? These are small items from Andi06 that, when added on the end of or between track, can be rotated with the rotation tool so that they alter the path/curve of the rails they're attached to. For example: JK Way Gauge 2T-5.0-FT (1.5m),<kuid2:122285:4027:1> will attach to the end of or between standard double tracks - but there are many other Way Gauge types & sizes on the DLS.
These items show as MISC in Content Manager; they're found in the scenery menu, not the track menu, in Surveyor.
Lataxe
When you replace the double track with single track you will probably not need as many sections of single track especially if you use the straighten tool on some sections. The single track tends to produce better curves and straights this way than double track does.
On curves, every spline node has an effect on the track routing. If you remove one, you change the definition of the curve.
In fact going from double to single track (as offered for rationale) will double the number of spline nodes required. Using your described construction method (using a single double track as a precursor to double single track) will require you to do the opposite - add nodes, rather than delete them, further complicating maintaining your curvature.
Also considerer the curvature of double track does not agree with the curvature of single track for the same node geometry. (Double track has been phased out as a kind in Trainz asset standards, but Surveyor still uses it as a matter of backwards compatibility.)
It is probably best for you to adopt the use a track gage construction method mentioned by Lataxe to rough out your route before you refine it (refine meaning as you say, by laying in accordance with the direction of travel). In this way, there won't be any unwanted curvature changes.
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BTW ....
Did you know that there's an easy way to replace double tracks in Surveyor, without having to laboriously delete and substitute track for every section individually? The trick is to change the "kind" in the config file of double track assets from "bridge" to "double-track".
For example, here's the standard Auran "2 track wood" double track config file with "kind" changed from "bridge" to "double-track".
username "2_track_wood"
trackoffsets -2.5,2.5
height 0
rgb 255,200,0
region "Britain"
kuid 13228
length 20
istrack 1
kind "double-track"
type "Rails"
username-de "4mstandard_2G"
username-pl "tor_podwójny"
username-fr "Double_voie_bois"
username-nl "2_track_wood"
username-cz "kolej_standardní_dvojitá"
username-es "2_vía_madera"
username-ru "2_????_(???)"
username-it "Binari_4mstandard_doppio"
asset-filename "4mstandard_double"
username-hu "2_track_wood"
kuid-table
{
}
This has the effect of changing all "2 track wood" runs in any of your routes containing "2 track wood" into double runs of "1 track wood". Because "1 track wood" is of kind "track" rather than kind "bridge", Surveyor allows you to use the Replace tool to change all of the "1 track wood" into some other track type that you prefer. As you know, the Replace tool won't otherwise allow you to replace certain kinds of items, including some (if not all) double track assets.
If & when you do, save the route with the the replacement track in it then "2 track wood, in either config-file guise, is gone from it.
When you've changed the kind to "double-track" from "bridge" in the config file of "2 track wood" (and I presume any other double track asset) "2 track wood" no longer appears as a track asset choice in Surveyor. If you ever wanted to actually lay "2 track wood" you'd need to revert the asset to the original config file, with kind = "bridge".
I learnt all this by playing about with various track assets. I don't fully understand why changing the "kind" works in this way. It might be that there are side-effects I've yet to notice. But why not give it a try and see how it suits you?
Lataxe
Well one side effect is any side effect would affect all his dependent routes. So therefore I think you would need to say you do fully understand all the side effects before asking him to do an experiment.
Also I would be careful about using kind double track on routes you want to survive to the next product release, kind double track has gone away as a standard, as I mentioned earlier.
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I've had a look at all the routes I have containing "2 track wood" after making the change to it's config file. The desirable effect (changing the double track to two parallel runs of "1 track wood", which can be globally replaced in Surveyor with the Replacement too, has appeared in them all. The only other effect I can see is that some runs of track go skew-whiff but are immediately corrected by use of the Straighten tool here and there. It happens most around points.
In all events, once the track is made single and then globally replaced with another single track, reverting the "2 track wood" config file puts any other routes still containing it back as-was.
Of course, experiment always run risks of unforeseen side effect; but the risk here seems small and any such effects easily reversible.
It does save an enormous amount of time compared to changing each double track section to single track a bit at a time. I have a merged route consisting of all 8 parts of the fine "Yorkshire" routes from the DLS, all of which contain "2 track wood". I never liked that particular track so being able to substitute a better-looking track in one fell swoop is very useful.
Lataxe
In all events, once the track is made single and then globally replaced with another single track, reverting the "2 track wood" config file puts any other routes still containing it back as-was.
Of course, experiment always run risks of unforeseen side effect; but the risk here seems small and any such effects easily reversible.
It does save an enormous amount of time compared to changing each double track section to single track a bit at a time. I have a merged route consisting of all 8 parts of the fine "Yorkshire" routes from the DLS, all of which contain "2 track wood". I never liked that particular track so being able to substitute a better-looking track in one fell swoop is very useful.
Lataxe
Assuming no one discovers a serious and/or irreversible glitch caused by changing kind from "bridge" to "double-track" in the config files of twin track assets, it does seem a useful technique to use.
The OP, Mr Wolf, seems to be saying that he lays out new track in a route he's building using double track which he then changes to single track when the way is sorted (where it goes, gradients, curves and so forth). Is that right Mr Wolf?
If so, I can see the advantage. Using double track assets means that the spacing between the two tracks is always exact and the two tracks are always at the same height along the way. It can be quite difficult, at times, to lay two-track ways using single track assets. The spacing has to be achieved manually and the relative heights can often wander off, leaving one track in the air with only the other one properly grounded.
When double track is laid then (via the above-mentioned config fiddling with "kind") turned into single track, those parallel single tracks seem to retain the proper spacing and equal heights that were automatically eastablished by use of double track.
That's even more way-laying time saved then.
Over the next few days, as I fiddle about with routes (as one does), I'll try laying some other types of double track then turning them single via the config "kind" change, to see if there are some that DO cause a glitch. It seems a safe technique using the older-build Auran double track types, though..... so perhaps if using Mr Wolf's way-laying techniques in new routes always employs something like "2 track wood" as the initial building-track, all will be safe & well.
But it does make sense to backup the userfile in case some global glitch mucks up every route with such track in it.
Personally I back-up the whole Trainz sub-directory after every significant building effort, using the fine Microsoft freeware tool, Synchtoy, recommended by someone in these forums. I usually run it as a background process whilst doing something else - although it only takes 10 minutes or so to check and update the whole 60 or 70 Gigs, presumably because it's only having to find, delete & write well under 1 Gig for changes since the last backup.
But perhaps a backup of the pre-backup state should also now be kept?
I do get the Windows backup facility to take a total system backup every week..... And there's always Trainz own Userdata backup files containing kuids that have recently been deleted or overwritten.Lataxe
I agree that having a whoops-proof backup available is a good thing and a well founded basis to work on. There is already a couple of backups in place. These are in the backups folder and in the original folder; both of which are found under your TS12/Userdata folder. The original folder, by the way, contains a copy of everything you've ever downloaded and acts as a way to revert content should your editing prove to be a bit on the sketchy side. The backups contains the stuff you've currently edited and modified.
Regarding backups. I use a program called fastcopy. It doesn't work synchronously or automatically from the GUI, but it allows for Diff backups based on time/date and file size and date. This doesn't say that it isn't available though as I haven't investigated this any further at the moment. At the present time, I run a daily backup using this program which I set off when I head to bed. The initial backup took about 4 hours to copy everything, but now since things have settled in, the backup now takes about 15 minutes max. Since this is a complete backup of my TS12 install, I've been able to take this and load it on to my laptop should I travel for any length of time and wish to work with Trainz while out on the road.
John
Regarding backups. I use a program called fastcopy. It doesn't work synchronously or automatically from the GUI, but it allows for Diff backups based on time/date and file size and date. This doesn't say that it isn't available though as I haven't investigated this any further at the moment. At the present time, I run a daily backup using this program which I set off when I head to bed. The initial backup took about 4 hours to copy everything, but now since things have settled in, the backup now takes about 15 minutes max. Since this is a complete backup of my TS12 install, I've been able to take this and load it on to my laptop should I travel for any length of time and wish to work with Trainz while out on the road.
John
Just to support my other claim below.. As of 2.9, kind "double track" is obsolete, as seen here in the CCG: http://online.ts2009.com/mediaWiki/index.php/CCG/Kind:_Bridge_Double_Track. Just a word of caution concerning its carryover in TANE is not guaranteed
