Why Do Some of My Assets Disappear?

After saving the route I'm working on, the next day when I go back to it in Surveyor, I find out that a relay box is missing by one crossing set, and two JR tank sheds and JR fuel tanks are gone from one industry I set up. An old warehouse is still there, but the JR tank sheds and fuel tanks? Gone.. Has anything like this happened to other route builders? I imagine it has. Any explanations and preventative maintenance tips?
 
My guess is you put the assets in the session layer (which does not get saved inside the route) and are opening the route.
 
My guess is you put the assets in the session layer (which does not get saved inside the route) and are opening the route.

So to be safe, should I check the main box (that says route layer and session layer) to make sure I am actually in the route and not the session. There's a lock/unlock option on each one. Should I use this option, or when should a Surveyor lock or unlock each option?
 
The lock is for surveyor when you have assets near or on top of each other. If one asset is on one layer and the other on another layer you can lock one layer to stop the asset from moving while you move the other asset. If you select the route and view sessions you can edit the session. This will load the session and route, any work done will be saved to both route and session. You can merge the session into the route layer if you don't want the session layer. If you open only the route for edit a new blank session is always created.
 
You will find yourself well served to create numerous layers, it will make editing your session much easier. For example I have: Route (main layer), vector (track), scenery (trees, grass bushes), buildings, fences (fence, telephone pole, lights), frogs (track frog). This way you can lock all the layers but one and move and delete stuff without accidentally moving or deleting something else. All total I have about 10 layers, I use to have more but I merged several, like fences was fences, lights, poles etc.
 
There is a lot of good information in the link pware provided. To me, the following is the most important...
Route Layers vs Session Layers

This topic has filled endless threads in the Trainz Forums with arguments raging on both sides.
There are no "cast iron" rules that dictate what should be placed in the Route Layers Group and what should be placed in the Session Layers Group. Each Route and Session will be different and different creators have different ways of working. The main question to be asked is how many different Sessions will be created using a particular Route?

  • For a Route with only a single Session - everything can safely go into the Route Layers Group
Many creators only ever build a single Session for each of their Routes so they do not use Session Layers at all.


  • For a Route with multiple (2 or more) Sessions - certain things will probably need to go into the Session Layers Group for each Session.


However, the most critical piece of information is missing. This is regarding the default "Active Layer". Anytime you add "stuff" in Surveyor, it goes into the Active Layer.

A. If you Select Route / Edit Route, the default Active Layer is the Route Layer.
B. If you Select Route / Select Session / Edit Session, the default Active Layer is the Session Layer.

What that means is:

If you get into Surveyor using option A, and don't change anything in the Layer options, everything you add to your layout will go into the Route Layer.

If you get into Surveyor using option B, and don't change anything in the Layer options, everything you add to your layout will go into the Session Layer.


I always have only one Route/Session. For Route named BigGap I'll have one Session named BigGap Sess

I put everything into a Route Layer.

To get into Surveyor, I Select Route BigGap/ Select Session BigGap Sess/ Edit Session. I then immediately* go into the Layers Tab and select the Route Layer as the Active Layer.

I add stuff to my layout; click QuickDrive; save Route and Session; see how things are working; exit back into Surveyor mode (it still has the Route Layer as the Active Layer).

*If I forget, as I often do, as soon as I remember, I go into the Layers Tab and merge the Session Layer into the Route Layer.


I do make use of multiple Route Layers as described in the wiki. But that's for another thread.
 
There is a lot of good information in the link pware provided.

---- snip ----

However, the most critical piece of information is missing. This is regarding the default "Active Layer". Anytime you add "stuff" in Surveyor, it goes into the Active Layer.

Thank you for that ecco. The information on the "Active Layer" is there but further down and not as prominent as it should be. I will amend that.

Peter
 
There is a lot of good information in the link pware provided. To me, the following is the most important...
Route Layers vs Session Layers

This topic has filled endless threads in the Trainz Forums with arguments raging on both sides.
There are no "cast iron" rules that dictate what should be placed in the Route Layers Group and what should be placed in the Session Layers Group. Each Route and Session will be different and different creators have different ways of working. The main question to be asked is how many different Sessions will be created using a particular Route?

  • For a Route with only a single Session - everything can safely go into the Route Layers Group
Many creators only ever build a single Session for each of their Routes so they do not use Session Layers at all.


  • For a Route with multiple (2 or more) Sessions - certain things will probably need to go into the Session Layers Group for each Session.


However, the most critical piece of information is missing. This is regarding the default "Active Layer". Anytime you add "stuff" in Surveyor, it goes into the Active Layer.

A. If you Select Route / Edit Route, the default Active Layer is the Route Layer.
B. If you Select Route / Select Session / Edit Session, the default Active Layer is the Session Layer.

What that means is:

If you get into Surveyor using option A, and don't change anything in the Layer options, everything you add to your layout will go into the Route Layer.

If you get into Surveyor using option B, and don't change anything in the Layer options, everything you add to your layout will go into the Session Layer.


I always have only one Route/Session. For Route named BigGap I'll have one Session named BigGap Sess

I put everything into a Route Layer.

To get into Surveyor, I Select Route BigGap/ Select Session BigGap Sess/ Edit Session. I then immediately* go into the Layers Tab and select the Route Layer as the Active Layer.

I add stuff to my layout; click QuickDrive; save Route and Session; see how things are working; exit back into Surveyor mode (it still has the Route Layer as the Active Layer).

*If I forget, as I often do, as soon as I remember, I go into the Layers Tab and merge the Session Layer into the Route Layer.


I do make use of multiple Route Layers as described in the wiki. But that's for another thread.

Excellent answer. Loaded and detailed. Thanks Ecco.
 
Thank you for that ecco. The information on the "Active Layer" is there but further down and not as prominent as it should be. I will amend that.

Peter
I just checked the wiki to see where "further down" it was. But it wasn't further down at all - it was right near the top and very prominent.

I was wondering how I could have missed it. Then I realized you had already changed it. That was quick!
 
I just checked the wiki to see where "further down" it was. But it wasn't further down at all - it was right near the top and very prominent.

I was wondering how I could have missed it. Then I realized you had already changed it. That was quick!

I hear ya. Either way, I'll have to make sure I click on Edit Route and not Edit Session. I keep both the Route and Session unlocked.
 
One thing to be aware of if you're using Edit Route. If you've got a session set up you may find that it becomes a problem when you come to save.

Shane
 
One thing to be aware of if you're using Edit Route. If you've got a session set up you may find that it becomes a problem when you come to save.

The problem mostly occurs if you have loaded the route only and, after editing, you absentmindedly opt to save both the route and a session - particularly if your session was named "default". Ouch.
 
The only safe way is to open the route session for edit. Keep the one session and every time you exit it will overwrite both the route and session, that way you should not loose content placed. You can merge the session layer into the route layer at any time. I have done this ever since layers appeared and never lost any work.
 
I hear ya. Either way, I'll have to make sure I click on Edit Route and not Edit Session. I keep both the Route and Session unlocked.
Under the Routes Layer I keep a "Locked" Layer. Lock the "Locked Layer".

Usage Example:
You have a Multiple Industry (MU) object next to a building
You want to move the building but it always moves the MU
Click Properties on the MU
Change the Layer (upper right hand corner of the popup) to the "Locked" Layer.
Then you can move the building.
 
Allowing you to temporarily lock or even hide objects (but not all objects in that layer) is what the Bound Layer was introduced for.
 
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