Experimental Release X1413

[dennisat]

Just a note to say that I've been running some AI heavy activities on the Dorset Coast route and this release is a leap forward in signalling and AI management. The section between Woking and Waterloo is now as busy as it ought to be in real life. True, many trains are not keeping to time and a few seem to have vanished but I suspect that this is mainly due to the physics differences between MSTS and OR.

Congratulations to the OR team.

Dennis

[seagoon]

Dennis,
Thanks for the HU on this X.
I downloaded the package and agree with your comments.......running on the MILW RMD_East (by Lukas Lusser) and the signalling and AI so far are good.

Bruce

[Claude350]

The update is very good. I ran into one situation on the DRGW route where I was routed thru the siding and nothing was on the main. I was running the North Fork Coal Westbound.

[seagoon]

I'm delighted by the fact that now, to increase speed legally, it is necessary to wait until the end of the train has passed the speed-post.
Also the high-rez of the cab interiors now available.

Just a question or two: what does the green football represent in F4 and F8 pop-ups and why does the switch indicator in F8 sometimes display a red path and other times green?

Great work on this X-File, crew!

Bruce

[neyland]

The Distant signals still do not work properly on either the Thames - Trent or the S&DJR routes.

[mnjrr]

The Distant signals still do not work properly on either the Thames - Trent or the S&DJR routes.

Hello,

Would you please submit a bug report at https://launchpad.net/or, so an OR team member can get assigned to address the issue? Moreover, by submitting a report at the OR bug tracker site, that helps the OR team keep track of bugs.

[neyland]

Yup no problem, Walter.

EDIT: Bug Submitted.

Mike.

[seagoon]

Interesting - I'm experiencing a "glitch" in the X-File which doesn't occur in the current general release.

In Maple Leaf Tracks' "Willamette Pass" route, running under the general OR release, I can change switches in the yard(s) ahead and behind the train using G and Shift+G.
However, running the same Activity (and others) in the X-1413 experimental release, this function is dead and the Activity cannot be used due to the inability to change switches.
Attempting the operation using Alt+Mouse doesn't work either.

Bruce

[eric]

I'm having no problem with switches, but I did notice that I was able to drive off the end of the tracks today and keep going.... That had been fixed a few versions back, or so I thought.

Was heading out thru Arlington Heights with an express scoot, threw an advance switch with the G key, and stepped away for a moment. When I came back, I thought the world file was just being laggy in displaying... just a train plowing thru the green terrain, and gradually burying itself... Odd. I thought the terrain had been fixed...

Pulled up the compass, and saw I was on a heading of 355, and about a mile or so north of a line that runs on a heading of 315 degrees to the northwest.... Put it into reverse, wound up back on the tracks, and continued on my way....

[Claude350]

Interesting - I'm experiencing a "glitch" in the X-File which doesn't occur in the current general release.

In Maple Leaf Tracks' "Willamette Pass" route, running under the general OR release, I can change switches in the yard(s) ahead and behind the train using G and Shift+G.
However, running the same Activity (and others) in the X-1413 experimental release, this function is dead and the Activity cannot be used due to the inability to change switches.
Attempting the operation using Alt+Mouse doesn't work either.

Bruce

I'm having the same problems with the switches. Can't throw them in front or behind me.

[muskokaandtahoe]

... and why does the switch indicator in F8 sometimes display a red path and other times green?
Bruce

The new signalling software has two modes you can use... right now called Auto and manual. In auto mode all turnouts the pathing defined in the activity controls the switches and as such you cannot change those the path has per-defined. That path is indicated by the red shown in the f8 window. Because the real world intrudes upon the best laid plans you can escape from the strict control of the Auto mode by toggling in/out to Manual mode by use of <cntl-M> (probably lower case m). Once you enter manual mode you can do pretty much what you want/need. To return to auto mode you must return to the defined path and toggle yourself back. There are also some visual differences between the two modes that are shown in the f4 window but offhand I do not recall them.

AFAIK, the difference between Auto mode and what MSTS does is largely based on what was needed to prevent lockups with AI trains. It also does a good job of representing any form of remote control over the position of the points. Going into manual mode is equivalent to getting a hold of the dispatcher with a request for local/manual control over turnouts.

I'm told the new system is quite a step up from what MSTS can do. It's being tested now and whatever problems surface are being ironed out. Please report any logical issues you find -- being different from MSTS is known; being wrong in this or that situation may not be and it is those that are of interest.

[muskokaandtahoe]

I'm having no problem with switches, but I did notice that I was able to drive off the end of the tracks today and keep going.... That had been fixed a few versions back, or so I thought.

Was heading out thru Arlington Heights with an express scoot, threw an advance switch with the G key, and stepped away for a moment. When I came back, I thought the world file was just being laggy in displaying... just a train plowing thru the green terrain, and gradually burying itself... Odd. I thought the terrain had been fixed...

Pulled up the compass, and saw I was on a heading of 355, and about a mile or so north of a line that runs on a heading of 315 degrees to the northwest.... Put it into reverse, wound up back on the tracks, and continued on my way....

Yeah, I've seen that too. What is happening is the train has gone past the end of the path and the emergency brake has kicked in. I find it's a real bother while testing my route building work. I'm not in the habit of going into the activity editor to update the path after each track laying session... and I havn't been persuaded it's a habit a route builder should need.

[seagoon]

The new signalling software has two modes you can use... ..
I'm told the new system is quite a step up from what MSTS can do. It's being tested now and whatever problems surface are being ironed out. Please report any logical issues you find -- being different from MSTS is known; being wrong in this or that situation may not be and it is those that are of interest.

Dave,
My thanks to not only your goodself for this reply but also to the gentleman who responded to my bug report (virtually a cut 'n' paste of what I posted here).
This was his reply:-

New signalling logic was introduced in version X1395, and this brought some changes to handling of switches and signals.
When starting an activity, the train is in AUTO mode, which means it is under control of the system - switches and signals can not be set manually. The train can only follow the path as defined in the activity - moving forward only.
When other moves are required, e.g. for shunt actions, the player must switch to MANUAL mode.
Switching between MANUAL and AUTO mode is done by pressing CTRL-M, the train must be at a standstill to do so.
When in MANUAL mode, you can set the switches manually as usual. Signals will not clear automatically, but have to be cleared using TAB (forward) or SHIFT-TAB (backward). When shunting in completed, and the train is back on it's path as defined in the activity, you can switch back to AUTO mode to continue the activity by again pressing CTRL-M.

Apologies that the documentation on the new signalling is not yet
available - it is still a work in progress but I hope to release it
soon.

You blokes are doing a great job, you know.
OR, even now, is streets ahead of vanilla MSTS and I am having a resurgence of enjoyment in re-doing old Activities on old routes.

PS
I've now run two MLT activities on two different routes (Williamette and Soldier Summit) using the prescribed method and both worked perfectly, as intended.
The OR team have developed a very clever and neat way of managing this arrangement.
Well done!

Bruce

[eric]

the train has gone past the end of the path and the emergency brake has kicked in.

I was wondering why that had been happening... never made the connection between the path ending, though. Good pickup.

I find it's a real bother while testing my route building work. I'm not in the habit of going into the activity editor to update the path after each track laying session... and I havn't been persuaded it's a habit a route builder should need.

Agree -- I tend to make really, really short paths to start a test scenario, usually around 500m, for the same reasons.