Using Signals and Making Routes - tools?

[boleyd]

Perhaps with the next release we will see signals reach a threshold of more usability. Then making routes will make more functional sense. However, not being anything but a casual MSTS and OR user, what tools do I need to make a route for OR? Will new tools appear soon or does it make sense to invest the time learning a set of MSTS tools? My interest is not driving a train. Rather it is an attempt to build a simple full function railroad. It would not be unlike a physical model railroad but on a larger scale.

[longiron]

Dick,
Yes, the upcoming release will achieve 90% MSTS signaling and AI dispatcher compatibility. To be honest, we are well along the process of re-writing the entire signaling foundation to support our future plans - moving from a node to block occupancy logic.

Regarding editors, that's the next big project on our plate. It's going to take some time before new OpenRails Editors will be released, as they will be entirely independent from existing MSTS Editors - and will store route information in brand new OpenRails formats. I will let you make a judgement as to what is worth the time.

[OTTODAD]

Evertything the ORTS team does is worth waiting for if it is an improvement of what MSTS does !

O t t o

[conductorchris]

Not trying to pin you down, but just understand a little more precisely so I can make my own decisions: does "it will take some time before editors are released" mean something in the neighborhood of a year, or 5 years or somewhere in the middle? Realizing that the team has hardly started, of course.

[OTTODAD]

Not trying to pin you down, but just understand a little more precisely so I can make my own decisions: does "it will take some time before editors are released" mean something in the neighborhood of a year, or 5 years or somewhere in the middle? Realizing that the team has hardly started, of course.

In the meantime we can still use the MSTS Route Editor to modify existing MSTS routes to also run in ORTS, I have done giving my favorite routes DB-Tracks, ORTS has no problems with running !

The MSTS Activities Editor also has no problems creating or modifying them for use with ORTS !

O t t o

[longiron]

An optimistic GUESS is in the neighborhood of one year