Switching Consists/Locomotive Control

[HDN]

I'm designing an activity with a new route I am making. I want to be able to use two or more locomotives for a switching operation which would be similar to the DCC train layouts I've played around with, and it was implied that Open Rails was capable of this in a topic I posted in the General TrainSim board.

I have a main consist with a locomotive and 3 freight cars. This main consist is what I start the sim with. With the MSTS activity editor, I have another consist on a siding with another locomotive and three other freight cars connected together.

What I want to do is decouple a couple cars from my main consist and use the locomotive from the consist on the siding to switch the cars away to another track.

Right now I'm having no such luck doing this. I can't figure out how to switch consists or locomotive control. Is this possible in OR?

[R. Steele]

I'm designing an activity with a new route I am making. I want to be able to use two or more locomotives for a switching operation which would be similar to the DCC train layouts I've played around with, and it was implied that Open Rails was capable of this in a topic I posted in the General TrainSim board.

I have a main consist with a locomotive and 3 freight cars. This main consist is what I start the sim with. With the MSTS activity editor, I have another consist on a siding with another locomotive and three other freight cars connected together.

What I want to do is decouple a couple cars from my main consist and use the locomotive from the consist on the siding to switch the cars away to another track.

Right now I'm having no such luck doing this. I can't figure out how to switch consists or locomotive control. Is this possible in OR?

Yes, Train Switching is possible with Open Rails. You need to bring up the train list window Alt+F9 and follow these instructions:
From Elvas Tower Thread >>> http://www.elvastower.com/forums/ind...b+%2Bswitching

"The actual player train is shown in red. The star at the end of the line indicates that the cameras are linked to that train.
AI trains whose loco(s) has at least a cab are shown in green. They are eligible for player train switch.
Other AI trains are shown in white.

By clicking (left mouse click) a first time on an AI train, the cameras become linked to that train. A red star appears at the end of the line.

By clicking a second time on the AI train (usually when it has completely appeared on the screen - if it is far away from the player train this can require seconds to load tiles etc) the switch occurs. The AI train string now becomes red and is moved to the first position.
The train can be driven, or passed to autopilot mode. The former player train becomes an AI train." - [excerpts from posts written by Carlo Santucci - OR Development Team]

Here are the conditions:
Activity Mode
Player Train in Auto and on Path (White train symbol )
Alt-F9 to bring up Train List window
Left-Click on desired Static or AI train in Train List window
2nd Left Click to make switch to desired train
****IMPORTANT*** use SHIFT/HOLD+Left Click for 2nd left click if you want to put player train into suspension, otherwise it will continue on its path as an AI train.

I hope I have not forgotten anything. Best to try this in X3414 or later, because recently some new coding was implemented.

As of today (Jan 17, 2016) X3414 is available here >>> http://james-ross.co.uk/projects/or/builds

bandicam 2016-01-14 19-37-11-882.jpg

Train List window can be seen in upper right hand corner of screen grab, ignore that I'm using version 3404, may be a glitch in that version (??? beyond me) and I was messing around with Train Switching in manual mode and off path - it was NOT designed to do that.
New code implemented in version X3414 should have fixed any issues with this feature. Thanks to most excellent OR developer Carlo Santucci for the coding and implementation (and, certainly, all others who helped)

[OTTODAD]

Forget MSTS or ORTS for doing that as easy as Trainz and now Railworks FreeRoam Scenarios can do !

However, DTG no longer supply FreeRoam scenarios with their releases, not many knowing how to get the best from them, like Sniper started doing in MSTS, I have learned much from !

The main problem with ORTS is running a short path Jim Ward Freestyle activity, it does not allow unless its "Manual" method is being used, which is a PITA !

One of the reasons why I have stopped using ORTS !

[HDN]

So I can't just stick a single-locomotive consist on the track and be able to control it through OR? I have to make it an AI train first? I have some more learning to do then!

[R. Steele]

Forget MSTS or ORTS for doing that as easy as Trainz and now Railworks FreeRoam Scenarios can do !
However, DTG no longer supply FreeRoam scenarios with their releases, not many knowing how to get the best from them, like Sniper started doing in MSTS, I have learned much from ! The main problem with ORTS is running a short path Jim Ward Freestyle activity, it does not allow unless its "Manual" method is being used, which is a PITA ! One of the reasons why I have stopped using ORTS !

How does the personal information address the posters question and how does it help him?
Sorry,... this thread is not about you.

To OP ( HDN ) - I ran X3414 today and everything appears to be working as it is supposed to, regarding Alt-F9 Train List window.

[HDN]

I have a feeling I'm missing something. I consulted this tutorial: https://www.trainsim.com/vbts/conten...ate-AI-Traffic

I managed to get my AI consist to appear in the MSTS activity editor, and it runs a short path on my custom route. However, it doesn't appear at all when I run the activity in OR. I'm not quite sure how to make the train stand still either and still be able to switch to it.

This sure isn't as simple as I hoped it would be.

EDIT: Here's a little more information since I just realized that you implied that a consist doesn't have to be AI-controlled for me to take control of it. At first I just had a static consist placed on my route in the route editor. It was a locomotive with three cars couple to it. I ran the custom activity in OR and it didn't appear in the train list at all, but it does appear on the route. I hit Ctrl+A to switch my starting train to autopilot, and it still didn't appear in the list.

EDIT 2: I think I figured it out. I had to enable AutoPilot and Enhanced AI Shunting in the experimental tab of the Open Rails options menu. I found more information on this after Googling and finding a mention of Page 52 in the OR manual. From there on is more information for simulation play like what I desire. Whew!

[woodfyr]

Gerry,

Thanks for that explanation. It cleared up a few thoughts and questions I had. Many activities in MSTS do not work well in OR. That is to be expected. What can be done, is to make different scenarios within MSTS that are more prototypical than the originals. As everyone else, I patiently await an AE for OP. Heck, I still have hundreds of MSTS activities I have not even tried yet.

BTW Otto, why are you hanging out in the OR area when you don't use it. Awaiting an epiphany?

[OTTODAD]

How does the personal information address the posters question and how does it help him?
Sorry,... this thread is not about you.

He mentions that he knows how DCC works, which is a Trainz option for driving trains, you obviously are not aware of !

[R. Steele]

To HDN: In Open Rails for a locomotive to show up in the Train List window it must have a cabview, AI trains or static locomotives without cabview cannot be driven and will not show up in the Train List window.

Also static consists made up of only wagons will not show up in the Train List window.

AFAIK Ctrl+A (autopilot) function has nothing to do with the Train List window. It was implemented primarily to give activity dervelopers a tool to run through activities quickly without having to bother running the train. It is not "cruise control".

It appears from your last post that you working your way through the OR learning curve. The current manual is loaded with good information. People in the forums will help.

[R. Steele]

He mentions that he knows how DCC works, which is a Trainz option for driving trains, you obviously are not aware of !

Incorrect, I figured that out contextually from reading his post, still, I standby my post #5. Besides your post was predominately banging the drum again about FreeRoam Scenarios and Freestyle activities, not Train Switching in Open Rails.
Thank you.

[R. Steele]

Gerry,

Thanks for that explanation. It cleared up a few thoughts and questions I had. Many activities in MSTS do not work well in OR. That is to be expected. What can be done, is to make different scenarios within MSTS that are more prototypical than the originals. As everyone else, I patiently await an AE for OP. Heck, I still have hundreds of MSTS activities I have not even tried yet.

You're welcome. Regarding MSTS activities that do not work well or at all in OR....to be expected. For me that's where I get a lot of enjoyment, figuring out how to make the activity work in OR.

[HDN]

I did learn that I didn't need to put a train on autopilot when switching to a static consist. I do what I did with my train layout and park the main line train and switch out cars with another locomotive.

[HDN]

Now I have another question. I notice that the screen shot on the first page of this thread shows different names of the different trains on the train list in the activity, whereas my list just shows number sequences, which makes it difficult for me to ID which is which. How can I change those numbers to names that make sense?

[R. Steele]

Now I have another question. I notice that the screen shot on the first page of this thread shows different names of the different trains on the train list in the activity, whereas my list just shows number sequences, which makes it difficult for me to ID which is which. How can I change those numbers to names that make sense?

Player is always in Red and is assigned by OR
Yellow is for static consists and name is probably coded into OR
Green: These are the ones I'm assuming you are asking about: The names in the illustration are the service definition names used in both the traffic and services files for that activity.
These names can be changed by the user with the MSTS AE or by manually editing the appropriate files. In other words, whoever made the activity created these names.

[HDN]

Good to know. I hope it's possible to rename static consists in OR in the future. Thanks!