Route, Session and Session layer guide

When you open trainz and select create new route you will be presented with a base board and a session. You can name the route and set up any of the instructions for the route.

In the layer selection tab highlight route and start to build your route. All your work will be saved in the route when you exit and a default session will also be saved. When you next open the route select the route from the list and select view all sessions. Highlight the session and open for edit, this will load the route and session as it was when you exited.
Lets build a steam train route with semaphore signals and a steam engine yard. Build all your route in the route layer except for semaphore signals and the engine yard. Select the session layer and now add the semaphore signals and build your steam engine yard. When you exit you will be asked to save both the route and session, click yes. When you next open the session for edit you will have the route with semaphore signals and engine yard.

Now lets highlight the route but select edit route instead of session. When the route opens you will find the semaphore signals and engine shed are not there and a new default session will have been created. Open the layer tab and highlight session. Now place modern day signals on the route and build a diesel depot in the space where the engine yard would have been. Now when you exit leave the route name the same but use a different session name. You might only be asked to save the session as you did not alter the route but use a different session name.

If you now select edit route no signals or depot/yard will show up. You need to edit session and select either the steam era or diesel era to bring back the signals and yard or depot. Any session with a date and time listed alongside the name can not be edited as this is a saved driver session and only allows you to return to driver at that point in time.

Session layer should be called the base layer to save confusion
 
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You can rename any layer, session layer or route layer, to anything that you like. I always rename the "session layer", or "base layer" as you call it, to "Consists" because that is where I place all my consists for that session. I don't place any consists in a route layer.

Other layers I name according to their contents. I also create and name a blank (empty) session layer with the name of the session, or more often a shortened version of that name, because I have found from experience that when you have multiple sessions it is all too easy to forget which session you are currently editing (but I concede that that may be a product of age) - the route assets are all identical so how can you tell?.

My mantra, as stated often in these forums, is "always edit the session, not the route" even if you are only editing the contents of the route layers. To avoid any possible confusion, by "edit the session" I mean load the session into Surveyor, don't just load the route.
 
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When you open trainz and select create new route you will be presented with a base board and a session. You can name the route and set up any of the instructions for the route.

In the layer selection tab highlight route and start to build your route. All your work will be saved in the route when you exit and a default session will also be saved. When you next open the route select the route from the list and select view all sessions. Highlight the session and open for edit, this will load the route and session as it was when you exited.
Lets build a steam train route with semaphore signals and a steam engine yard. Build all your route in the route layer except for semaphore signals and the engine yard. Select the session layer and now add the semaphore signals and build your steam engine yard. When you exit you will be asked to save both the route and session, click yes. When you next open the session for edit you will have the route with semaphore signals and engine yard.

Now lets highlight the route but select edit route instead of session. When the route opens you will find the semaphore signals and engine shed are not there and a new default session will have been created. Open the layer tab and highlight session. Now place modern day signals on the route and build a diesel depot in the space where the engine yard would have been. Now when you exit leave the route name the same but use a different session name. You might only be asked to save the session as you did not alter the route but use a different session name.

If you now select edit route no signals or depot/yard will show up. You need to edit session and select either the steam era or diesel era to bring back the signals and yard or depot. Any session with a date and time listed alongside the name can not be edited as this is a saved driver session and only allows you to return to driver at that point in time.

Session layer should be called the base layer to save confusion

Hello Keith,

Have you ever had the following situations?

I merged 2 routes with each other, and after the merging was done the track was completely gone within the route. No longer any track available in route and session.

Or

I merged 2 routes and after the merging was done, and I wanted to place a locomotive on the track, I received the following error - Error: Cannot add object as the selected layer is above that of the targeted track. Trackside objects cannot be placed in a layer above the track they are being attached to.

Could it be that these errors occur due to the naming of the layers?

Explanation : when merging 2 routes and those routes have identical layers names, icons within the merging process windows are red, indicating, the route having identical route names. In my case I had named a layer : route1VOEO-layer,

Any idea, suggestions?

Kind regards

Kurt :wave:
 
If you have two route layers in the route, open the layer tab and merge them to create one route layer. Cannot add object is most likely that where your are trying to place the asset you have the wrong layer selected. Route layer 1 has the track but you have selected route layer 2 which does not have the track so loco can not be placed.
 
If you have two route layers in the route, open the layer tab and merge them to create one route layer. Cannot add object is most likely that where your are trying to place the asset you have the wrong layer selected. Route layer 1 has the track but you have selected route layer 2 which does not have the track so loco can not be placed.

Hello Keith,

In the case of all track having disappeared, I had merged all layers into the basic route layer. This means, I will probably will not be able to use this method when I continue to merge this specific route with other routes.

This route has been built in a previous version of Trainz. It was imported into Tane, but doesn't show errors in Tane. It just has a few missing dependencies.

Kind regards

Kurt :wave:

PS : it seems this issue occurs frequently in Tane - ref : https://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?130598-Disappearing-Work-in-TANE
 
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There was a problem with merge layers in SP2 but seems to be fixed in the HF1 that is under test at present time.
Hello Keith,

Ok - thank you for the information. I will take a further break in the use of Tane, until HF1 has been officially released

Kind regards

Kurt :wave:
 
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