New TSRE route editor tips & tricks

[Vince]

Linking Signals

...............snip............................... .....'
Easy Junctions
1. Assuming you've placed your signal and know what you want linked, click on the button 'Show List' on the left-hand side of the screen. A menu will pop up with all the signal's sub-objects on it. Select what you need. Note that unlike MSTS, you must actually click on the checkbox, rather than either the text or checkbox.
2. When you're ready to link a route, click the 'Link' button for that sub-object, which should no longer be greyed-out now that that sub-object has been selected. When you press the Link button, the 'Set Link' button should now read 'Set Link [x]', with 'x' being the sub-object number assigned to it in the sigcfg file. That number is not otherwise indicated in the menu, but can be determined by counting from the top starting at 0 for the topmost one. In my case, it reads 'Set Link [13]'.
3. When you have done this, click on the track where you want the link set. In my case it will be the diverging route. In the image below, a red arrow indicates where I clicked to set the link. If done right, a set of numbers will appear in the blanks in the SubObjLink info section next to the Set Link button. The two outside numbers will be switch or end-of-track nodes wich will be visible in TSRE. These can be used, especially in tight quarters, to make sure you got the right track linked................snip........................ ........

LInking Signals

Here is the step by step procedure I have worked out.
Please! correct me if there is a problem with this.
Be sure the pointer (cursor) is set to 'Stick to Anything mode'. Shift+Q toggles selection.
1. Locate pointer on the track and place the signal. Red marker and signal object appear. Flip if necessary.
2. Click the 'Show list' button.
3. Click the 'Link Top Head' checkbox. A check in the box appears and the 'Link' button enables.
4. Click the 'Link' button. The 'Set link' button enables. The fields are blank.
5. Click on the 'Set link button.'
6. Click the switch exit track you want linked. Junction data appears in the Set Link fields.
7. Save . . .
Done!

Goku,
if you're listening, I'd suggest a 2D map for linking would be a desirable feature. Click on track works but with slips it's a real pain selecting an exit. I got it done but wow . . . sometimes it took 4-8 tries! NOT GOOD! Using Romans YTracks Slips.

regards,

[Vince]

ALIGNING OBJECTS to TRACK

Need to align ANYTHING to track? Here's the solution.

Place a Check in the Stick to Target box.
Any object placed within the distance specified in the Snappable max radius field will align to the **track.
Set the size radius smaller to align objects in crowded areas.

This sure makes placing trackside equipment, bridges, platforms, gantries easy, even on curve!.

Placed items will follow (align to) track grade. If align is off by 90 degrees use the Rot Y 90 button. The correct gradient will follow the rotation!

As an aside, ( and thanks to Goku) signals automatically align to the track when placed except for direction. Use Flip to change

**This is set in the Target Field Default setting is Tracks.

regards,

[landnrailroader]

Vince,

Could you provide a tip on how to select a small object that lies within the collision box of a track piece. Specifically, I
need to select a single catenary support in my MCOA2 route but for the life of me the track piece gets selected but not
the catenary pole.

J. H. Sullivan

[Vince]

Hi Jerry,
Try going underground and sneak up from below. ('/' toggles terrain collision just like MSTS)

regards,
edit add: I'll add that as I remember some German style catenary support poles were a devil to select after they were placed.

[landnrailroader]

Okay, I'll try that. I have found that by turning off all the lines, etc. you can get a very clean image
in large size for posting purposes. Check my post on this forum earlier today. I use the snipping
tool of Win-7 to clip out just the image.

[Karthik90]

1.JPG
My TSRE Crashes When I Open
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: TSRE5_v0.6924x32.exe
Application Version: 0.614.0.0
Application Timestamp: 59ea0f42
Fault Module Name: KERNELBASE.dll
Fault Module Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Fault Module Timestamp: 4a5bdaae
Exception Code: e06d7363
Exception Offset: 00009617
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

Read our privacy statement online:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=104288&clcid=0x0409

If the online privacy statement is not available, please read our privacy statement offline:
C:\Windows\system32\en-US\erofflps.txt

[GokuMK]

1. You need to have OpenGL installed.
2. Your version is old.

[landnrailroader]

Vince, Another question and perhaps you could add a tip/hint.

Okay, so I am aligning a bridge to a piece of track. If everything goes well, it is very simple, and I
can do that. But today, I accidently selected a piece of track and moved it verticall about a meter.
I noticed this in RE, but RE then gave me the "unable to select, adjacent piece not loaded" error.
In TSRE the database lines are present, things seem great, but for the life of me I cannot figure
how to get this piece back in position, so since it was my first edit of today, I am just restoring
from yesterdays backup so I can "try, try, try ahen----". If I remember, it is desirable to not
save the track database when doing this, since the entry is already there, just need repositioning,
but HOW??

J. H. Sullivan

[Vince]

Hi Jerry,

Unless you've just moved it horizontally or vertically a 'known' number of key taps no.
The TDB entry is generated directly from the Track Object's position . . . and that's 8 decimal place accuracy!

If the track has been dragged around without first pressing 'Z' to remove the TDB line, it is impossible to 'exactly' re-position the track with the required accuracy.
And any saving without the track exactly back in position is not recommended for a route builders health.(both kinds)

I usually notice this right away and unless I've intentionally moved the track up out of position I immediately delete it.

If no saves have been executed with the track out of position I think (but not sure) you can just select the out-of-position track section and delete it. If successful the TDB yellow line for the track section should delete at the same time. If not, time for a restore from backup.

I'd respectfully suggest you do as I did to help me understand this; I used my 3 tile 'practice' route for this. Lay some track and experiment!

What you did was correct . . . when in doubt either delete or go for the backup.
Guard against this happening when editing track by always having the Add to TDB set to Manual ( Ctrl + Q )

regards,

[GokuMK]

I usually notice this right away and unless I've intentionally moved the track up out of position I immediately delete it.

In this case better use Undo.

[Vince]

Hi Goku,

I forgot about using Undo (Ctrl + Z).

This feature is in my opinion the greatest improvement up from the MSTS editor.

regards,

[Vince]

Want to save some space and simplify a routes database files? With TSRE you can do that.

With the MSTS editor there was no choice when installing roads if they were added into the Road Database file.

If you are modding a route ( as I have been ) I noticed many roads without car spawners, short local mostly and some that could not be seen from a passing train. These roads without car spawners take up unnecessary space in the Road Database file and serve no purpose other than to complicate the database file!

So why not just eliminate the database entry for these roads and leave them as static objects?

METHOD
With TSRE5 select the road you want to eliminate it's database entry. press the 'Z' key. The blue road database line vanishes. Save and you're done.
The road section has been deleted from the routes RDB leaving the road as a static object.

regards,

[jonpd]

To create roads without car spawners you can also use John Milligan's Dumb Roads. Just static scenery, no rdb entries.

[ebnertra000]

I think the point of Vince's post is that one can use actual roads to set up a road network, but then remove any roads that aren't needed for car spawners or crossings from the .rdb, reverting them to static objects and de-cluttering the .rdb. Always-static road shapes would work, but do they connect like regular roads, and are there the variety of shapes that regular roads offer?

[muskokaandtahoe]

Hi Goku,

I forgot about using Undo (Ctrl + Z).

This feature is in my opinion the greatest improvement up from the MSTS editor.

regards,

Getting Goku to add it was like talking him into letting me pull several of his teeth.