This thread is focused on implimenting CMTM or some version thereof with the use of iPortals. If you are not familiar with CMTM, a description follows.
I'd like to get a better understanding of how players are using their iPortals, and what you would expect from CMTM.
Thanks for your input.
CMTM ( Car Movement & Traffic Management) is a destination database that automatically gives every freight car (that is either on a route when the session begins, or arrives on the route during the session via a Portal) a series of destinations. It does not depend on AI nor does it preclude its use. It could care less if you are driving your trains in person with DCC or Cab, or have them running with driver commands. One thing it does not do is automatically direct a car to its destination. That is up to you.
This third release of CMTM has several enhancements suggested by N3V and users of earlier versions.
The heart of CMTM is the SwitchList Window. It is a window on the left side of the screen (works best with a wide screen display). At the top of this window are four options that enable player interaction.
Delivered - when a car is delivered, it is so noted by clicking on this item.
Add record to vehicle - for putting an empty car into service
Find Vehicles Ready for Pick-up - all the cars on the route that have completed their load/unload cycle and are ready to be picked up, sorted by location.
Toggle Switchlist Display - toggles display between all cars in train to only car on which camera is focused, making window much smaller.
The lower part of the CMTM window displays the reporting mark, car number, destination and load status for every car in the consist on which the camera is focused with the current camera focused car highlighted in bold print.
The window is closed by clicking on the x in the upper right corner or by hitting the ESC key.
Cars can be given multiple destinations in sequence for more prototypical operations such as scale track, clean-out track, RIP track, icing station and other extra destinations for your freight cars. There is no known limit to the number of destination for a given car.
Supports seven continuous days of operations with capability of different mix of trains and traffic patterns each day. Seven day pattern repeats if you keep operations going.
No interactive industries are required. Any spot on your route can be an industry. Delivery locations are identified with a Track Mark.
Supports load/unload time of up to 99 hours, that is 4 days 3 hrs. If you move a car before it’s load/unload time has completed, you will be notified with a pop-up window to replace the car and again note that it has been delivered. The Load/unload cycle will continue from the point at which it was interrupted.
System accommodates empty car storage tracks for cars with no current destinations. Requests for empty cars to industries are issued on session start-up and are assigned to specific cars by Player. For multiple day operations, new empty car requests are issued shortly after midnight or whenever, using QuickDrive, you set the clock to the next day .
Time advance allows jumping forward in time if there are no activities for an extended period
Sessions can be saved and restored with no loss of data.
In order for CMTM to display the reporting marks and car numbers, some train cars may need to be modified with an addition to the extensions table. This is covered in the manual. Several prolific train car makers have already started to make these changes. All of Majekears cars with auto numbering have been modified to work with CMTMSystem3 - that’s over 1200 train cars at last count with more coming all the time. A big thanks to Majekear for making this happen and to Ed McNally who did a bunch of the work required.
And many thanks to the Beta testers that put System3 through its paces and found every last problem. We hope.
I'd like to get a better understanding of how players are using their iPortals, and what you would expect from CMTM.
Thanks for your input.
CMTM ( Car Movement & Traffic Management) is a destination database that automatically gives every freight car (that is either on a route when the session begins, or arrives on the route during the session via a Portal) a series of destinations. It does not depend on AI nor does it preclude its use. It could care less if you are driving your trains in person with DCC or Cab, or have them running with driver commands. One thing it does not do is automatically direct a car to its destination. That is up to you.
This third release of CMTM has several enhancements suggested by N3V and users of earlier versions.
The heart of CMTM is the SwitchList Window. It is a window on the left side of the screen (works best with a wide screen display). At the top of this window are four options that enable player interaction.
Delivered - when a car is delivered, it is so noted by clicking on this item.
Add record to vehicle - for putting an empty car into service
Find Vehicles Ready for Pick-up - all the cars on the route that have completed their load/unload cycle and are ready to be picked up, sorted by location.
Toggle Switchlist Display - toggles display between all cars in train to only car on which camera is focused, making window much smaller.
The lower part of the CMTM window displays the reporting mark, car number, destination and load status for every car in the consist on which the camera is focused with the current camera focused car highlighted in bold print.
The window is closed by clicking on the x in the upper right corner or by hitting the ESC key.
Cars can be given multiple destinations in sequence for more prototypical operations such as scale track, clean-out track, RIP track, icing station and other extra destinations for your freight cars. There is no known limit to the number of destination for a given car.
Supports seven continuous days of operations with capability of different mix of trains and traffic patterns each day. Seven day pattern repeats if you keep operations going.
No interactive industries are required. Any spot on your route can be an industry. Delivery locations are identified with a Track Mark.
Supports load/unload time of up to 99 hours, that is 4 days 3 hrs. If you move a car before it’s load/unload time has completed, you will be notified with a pop-up window to replace the car and again note that it has been delivered. The Load/unload cycle will continue from the point at which it was interrupted.
System accommodates empty car storage tracks for cars with no current destinations. Requests for empty cars to industries are issued on session start-up and are assigned to specific cars by Player. For multiple day operations, new empty car requests are issued shortly after midnight or whenever, using QuickDrive, you set the clock to the next day .
Time advance allows jumping forward in time if there are no activities for an extended period
Sessions can be saved and restored with no loss of data.
In order for CMTM to display the reporting marks and car numbers, some train cars may need to be modified with an addition to the extensions table. This is covered in the manual. Several prolific train car makers have already started to make these changes. All of Majekears cars with auto numbering have been modified to work with CMTMSystem3 - that’s over 1200 train cars at last count with more coming all the time. A big thanks to Majekear for making this happen and to Ed McNally who did a bunch of the work required.
And many thanks to the Beta testers that put System3 through its paces and found every last problem. We hope.