Ai Train lighting

[gusthegator]

It it worth it to add AI train lighting for AI trains with Openrails or does Openrails ignore it completely and just use player lights for AI trains?

E.G.
Player Lights
Light (
comment( Sphere of Lights Bright )
Type ( 1 )
Conditions (
Headlight ( 3 )
Unit ( 2 )
)
Cycle ( 0 )
FadeIn ( 0.7 )
FadeOut ( 0.7 )
States ( 1
State (
Duration ( 0.0 )
LightColour ( ffffe4ab )
Position ( -0.0 2.50 7 )
Transition ( 0 )
Radius ( 325.0 )
Angle ( 25.0 )
)
)
)

AI Controlled Train
Light (
comment( Sphere of Lights Bright )
Type ( 1 )
Conditions (
Headlight ( 3 )
Unit ( 2 )
Control ( 2 )
)
Cycle ( 0 )
FadeIn ( 0.7 )
FadeOut ( 0.7 )
States ( 1
State (
Duration ( 0.0 )
LightColour ( ffffe4ab )
Position ( -0.0 2.50 7 )
Transition ( 0 )
Radius ( 325.0 )
Angle ( 25.0 )
)
)
)

[slipperman]

Hi,
As far as I am aware, lights on AI trains work the same as they did in MSTS-Bin-enhanced MSTS.
You need to set the Unit and Control values accordingly.
See file ID 85983

Cheers,
Ged

[DuctTapeGuru]

I almost always write new include files for lights, and have stopped coding for AI lights when writing these files. The lights on my AI trains work fine without them. Open Rails T1.5.1-1627-g90cae11a5.

[geepster775]

How would DPU lighting be handled? Mid-train vs. rear end location? I just used a shasta sd45t-2 as a rear end helper coupled behind the EOT and had no rear end marker lighting, no headlight, no nothing. Is the code intelligent enough to dim or extinguish headlights of AI trains that are stopped waiting in the siding - vs. on when leading while moving?? To dim/off headlights while waiting in the hole is a prototypical behavior.

[DuctTapeGuru]

I'm probably the worst person to answer this, as I only ever run passenger trains. No need for me to concern myself with all this modern diesel stuff like DPU and mid train helpers. One doesn't really see that on passenger trains. There are freights in my timetables; their lights work just fine. I have coded rear end units to have dim lights. Those units never lead one of my freights.

One parameter very few people code for is TimeOfDay, which leads me to believe that light coding is not all that well understood by many. Using this and some of the newer parameters for light coding may be helpful. I don't really know.

If one runs all that modern stuff, then I would suppose that coding for AI lighting is worth it. But AI trains will light up just fine without AI coding.

[duboc]

It seems that AI trains don't use type 1 light, only the type 0.

[gusthegator]

Hi,
As far as I am aware, lights on AI trains work the same as they did in MSTS-Bin-enhanced MSTS.
You need to set the Unit and Control values accordingly.
See file ID 85983

Cheers,
Ged

Roger that. From what I've tested, seems without the control line added in, AI trains default to what ever the brightlight and rear marker settings are for the player train. I recently made it so ditch lights are tied to the horn and bell instead of the off/dim/bright. But when the AI train blows the horn the lights stay bright. Will test the control line on my off day.

[gusthegator]

How would DPU lighting be handled? Mid-train vs. rear end location? I just used a shasta sd45t-2 as a rear end helper coupled behind the EOT and had no rear end marker lighting, no headlight, no nothing. Is the code intelligent enough to dim or extinguish headlights of AI trains that are stopped waiting in the siding - vs. on when leading while moving?? To dim/off headlights while waiting in the hole is a prototypical behavior.

From what I've been able to do. The code is intelligent to handle it. Just gotta test it out as multiple marker light codes have to be written out. Heres what my MARC-HHP-8 markers look like:
This controls the markers when running from the engine:

Light (
comment ( Marker Light Engr Side )
Type ( 0 )
Conditions (
Headlight ( 1 )
Unit ( 2 )
Horn ( 0 )
Bell ( 0 )
)
FadeIn ( 0.5 )
FadeOut ( 0.5 )
Cycle ( 0 )
States ( 1
State (
Duration ( 0.0 )
LightColour ( FFC00000 )
Position ( 0.61 2.38 10.15 )
Transition ( 0.0 )
Radius ( 0.7 )
)
)
)

Light (
comment ( Marker Light Fireman Side )
Type ( 0 )
Conditions (
Headlight ( 1 )
Unit ( 2 )
Horn ( 0 )
Bell ( 0 )
)
FadeIn ( 0.5 )
FadeOut ( 0.5 )
Cycle ( 0 )
States ( 1
State (
Duration ( 0.0 )
LightColour ( FFC00000 )
Position ( -0.56 2.38 10.15 )
Transition ( 0.0 )
Radius ( 0.7 )
)
)
)

This controls the markers when running from a cab car or other engine and the hhp is at the rear and flipped ( didn't make a dual cab so i gotta flip it ):

Light (
comment ( Marker Light Engr Side Running from Cabcar )
Type ( 0 )
Conditions (
Headlight ( 0 )
Unit ( 4 )
Horn ( 0 )
Bell ( 0 )
)
FadeIn ( 0.5 )
FadeOut ( 0.5 )
Cycle ( 0 )
States ( 1
State (
Duration ( 0.0 )
LightColour ( FFC00000 )
Position ( 0.61 2.38 10.15 )
Transition ( 0.0 )
Radius ( 0.7 )
)
)
)

Light (
comment ( Marker Light Fireman Side Running from CabCar )
Type ( 0 )
Conditions (
Headlight ( 0 )
Unit ( 4 )
Horn ( 0 )
Bell ( 0 )
)
FadeIn ( 0.5 )
FadeOut ( 0.5 )
Cycle ( 0 )
States ( 1
State (
Duration ( 0.0 )
LightColour ( FFC00000 )
Position ( -0.56 2.38 10.15 )
Transition ( 0.0 )
Radius ( 0.7 )
)
)
)

This control the markers when running a lite engine:
Light (
comment ( Marker Light Engr Side Rear )
Type ( 0 )
Conditions (
Headlight ( 0 )
Unit ( 3 )
)
FadeIn ( 0.5 )
FadeOut ( 0.5 )
Cycle ( 0 )
States ( 1
State (
Duration ( 0.0 )
LightColour ( FFC00000 )
Position ( 0.55 2.38 -10.38 )
Azimuth ( 180 180 180 )
Transition ( 0.0 )
Radius ( 0.7 )
)
)
)

Light (
comment ( Marker Light Fireman Side Rear )
Type ( 0 )
Conditions (
Headlight ( 0 )
Unit ( 3 )
)
FadeIn ( 0.5 )
FadeOut ( 0.5 )
Cycle ( 0 )
States ( 1
State (
Duration ( 0.0 )
LightColour ( FFC00000 )
Position ( -0.62 2.38 -10.38 )
Azimuth ( 180 180 180 )
Transition ( 0.0 )
Radius ( 0.7 )
)
)
)

[gusthegator]

I'm probably the worst person to answer this, as I only ever run passenger trains. No need for me to concern myself with all this modern diesel stuff like DPU and mid train helpers. One doesn't really see that on passenger trains. There are freights in my timetables; their lights work just fine. I have coded rear end units to have dim lights. Those units never lead one of my freights.

One parameter very few people code for is TimeOfDay, which leads me to believe that light coding is not all that well understood by many. Using this and some of the newer parameters for light coding may be helpful. I don't really know.

If one runs all that modern stuff, then I would suppose that coding for AI lighting is worth it. But AI trains will light up just fine without AI coding.

Fair enough. Time of day is a neat code. I use it so my marker lights glow at night, it's a pretty cool effect:
Open Rails NewYear MG 2025-07-31 12-04-47.png

[wmuzeke]

....as multiple marker light codes have to be written out.

With the newer versions of Open Rails you can assign multiple conditions to one light.

For example on the front Engineer's side:

    Light (
        comment ( Marker Light Engr Side )
        Type ( 0 )
        Conditions (
            Headlight ( 1 )
            Unit ( 2 )
            )
        Conditions (
            Unit ( 4 )
            )
        FadeIn ( 0.5 )
        FadeOut ( 0.5 )
        Cycle ( 0 )
        States ( 1
            State (
                Duration ( 0.0 )
                LightColour ( FFC00000 )
                Position ( 0.61 2.38 10.15 )
                Transition ( 0.0 )
                Radius ( 0.7 )
            )
        )
    )​

The 0 conditions aren't needed (Horn ( 0 ), etc.) as they are default/implied.
For more information, check out section 9.1 in the Open Rails Manual.

[gusthegator]

With the newer versions of Open Rails you can assign multiple conditions to one light.

For example on the front Engineer's side:

Light (
comment ( Marker Light Engr Side )
Type ( 0 )
Conditions (
Headlight ( 1 )
Unit ( 2 )
)
Conditions (
Unit ( 4 )
)
FadeIn ( 0.5 )
FadeOut ( 0.5 )
Cycle ( 0 )
States ( 1
State (
Duration ( 0.0 )
LightColour ( FFC00000 )
Position ( 0.61 2.38 10.15 )
Transition ( 0.0 )
Radius ( 0.7 )
)
)
)

The 0 conditions aren't needed (Horn ( 0 ), etc.) as they are default/implied.
For more information, check out section 9.1 in the Open Rails Manual.

Holy cow I completely forgot about that. I'll work out some light code on the HHP-8 after I finish up the reverse cab.