Activity Editor Tips for Beginners

[priatnia]

I am making an activity and passed a signal few times without problem. Then the signal turned red (and it wasn't supposed to) and when I passed it message "signal failed-activity ended". I can't continue. This signal remains "failed" and is always red...Solution anyone ?


Also I can't place "take other path" points and my reverse points don't cause the AI trains to reverse.

[priatnia]

Wasn't there an "Activity Editor Fix"" for MSTS? But I don't see it in the file library.

[oakpalms]

There is no "bug" with the path editor screen. It simply disappears behind the large Activity Editor screen. Any time you want to to bring it back into view, simply put your mouse on the top blue line of the AE editor screen, then hold the left mouse button down and move that screen toward the bottom of the monitor. You will then once again see the Path Editor screen which you can move around using the same method and place it where you can relocate the main AE screen. There is no need to do a CTL-ALT-Delete command to get out of the program!!!!

Just experiment moving the screens around until you get comfortable knowing that the Path Editor screen is never very far away.

Bob Edwards

[dirkjesje]

I've discovered a bug with the Path Editor part of the Activity Editor.


When making a path for a player or AI train, make sure to NOT drag the Path Editor box off the main screen.

If you do, this will dissapear and the only way to get out of the path editor is to bring up the Task Manager and select End Task for the Activity Editor, losing all your work in the process.

To get around this problem, make sure to keep the Path Editor window to the side of where you are working in, mainly with switching areas, without dragging it off the screen.

And you had uploaded activities... unbelievable.

[priatnia]

When I zoom or move the map in the editor, it stucks always except if I don't do it very very slow. Is there a fix for this ?

And what's "begin passing path " for ?

[mrha57]

consists and ai trains dont show up on the activity editor when i place them they dont show

[oakpalms]

How does one make an Optional path along single track mainlines so that the computer will put the first train to arrive in one track or the other?

Making use of the Optional path is done by first creating passing paths.

(1) The best way is to first create your path for the player train and keeping in mind that some track sections will not allow making use of the Optional path. So first make your route as though that function does not even exist.

(2) Make sure that anyplace you want a train meet to take place that the length of the longest train whether the player train or an AI train will fit within both tracks used for passing.

(3) You should automatically rule out any location where the two tracks used for trains to pass if either or both of them have a siding that comes off from either track and then returns to the same track prior to where the two tracks merge with one another. You can have all kinds of sidings that go off from either track as long as they end in a dead end.

------------ ---------- ------------ ---------- ------------ ---------- ---------
\------------ ---------- ------------ ---------- ------------/
Any track like the connection above will not allow the completion of an Optional path!

With those comments in mind, create your player path and save it. Then reopen the path editor and go through the path and at each switch (small green circle) where you want to start an Optional path, simply right click on the green circle and that will bring up a screen where you can select "Begin Passing Path."

This will automatically place a blue x through the green circle as well as automatically placing a blue x through the switch where the two tracks remerge together. But, this is not the end of the process by any means.

Repeat this process through the entire lenght of the player train path But be careful not to put that blue x in an area that you don't want it--it is hard to change. You can't simply remove it.

Once you have done the entire path, then save the path. Once that is done reopen the path editor and you will see within the path editor window a tab marked "Highlight." Left click on Highlight and it will take you automatically to the first section of track for you player train path. You should note that this section of track is now in the color RED.

You move back and forth along the highlighted track using the tabs "Next" and "Previous." The next segment (node) of track turns red when the "next" tab is clicked. Some sections may be very short due to a series of switches just a few yards from each other such as in a yard. Other sections of track may cover a few miles.

When you find a switch with the blue x through it you move the highlight area past the switch and check the box that says, Optional Path Selector (OPS). Once you have checked the OPS box you notice that the track now turns to the color YELLOW, and it should cover both of the track sections used for the meet. If you ever come to an area that does not have two blue x markers then that will result in a failed section of track.

Note that some sections may have more than one area where the OPS must be checked. Always check to make sure that all of the track within the area where you want the computer to select which track to put your trains on has the color YELLOW. Any other color once you have selected the OP box indicates something that will not work. After all areas are done, save the path.

(3) If you made a mistake and want to make a correction for your path, then open the path editor and go to the area that you want to change and prior to that location place an End of path setting using the right mouse key. You will have to save the path and then reopen the path from the point you saved it realizing that any path selections you made past the bad point has to be redone. That is why it is important to use the OPS selection in areas that you know will work!

(4) Once the OPS selections for the player train has been set and saved, you can then begin to think about paths for your AI trains. Guess what? Those settings you did for the player train have no effect upon AI trains.

(5) Begin setting your AI path the same as you did the player train and then save it.
Reopen the track editor and go through and select the places that you want your AI trains to pass using the OPS box--it should be the same switches with blue x marks that is used by the player train. Once that is done, save and reenter the path editor and use the Highlight, Next, Previous tabs to mark out your path for your AI train/s. Once again, the red line should turn to yellow when the OPS box is checked.

Normally along your route you will probably find there are sections of track where passing must be made by hard coding the player train on one track and AI trains on the passing track whether that be the mainline or a passing track. The risks here concern the length of the trains---will your trains fit in the passing area. Remember you may want to use that path with another train sometime down the road. You don't have to create a passing location at every area possible. But, if you don't you may encounter some very long waiting times for some slow train to travel 30 miles to get to where it will pass your train. Even if it is not 30 miles, MSTS seems to run one AI right behind another if the first AI has not cleared your train pror to a second AI getting to the stretch of pass that the first AI has just used--yeal, a series of AI trains!

I hope this helps. By the way did I say that double track mainlines do not permit Optional Track selection? All paths on double track mainlines must be hard coded as far as I know.

Bob Edwards

[SurvivorSean]

I know this is an old post in train-sim terms but is very informative and cuts to the point.

I get plenty of requests to redo old activities etc. and I basically try to tell others to either wait for new ones or write their own. Tonight for the 1st time in ages I was actually bored and tired of testing some new activities so I'd come over and see if there were any new developments.

Single track railroads work great in cookie cutter situations but tend to give you headaches when dealing with sidings with multiple switches (nodes). As mentioned in some of these situations hard coding may be the best alternative.

As your setting your optional paths it will highlight each section one at a time with one on the main and one on the siding. MSTS will get confused however when say the siding has a few extra switches vs. the main. In that case you have a few options but there are no guarantees.

1) Hardcode is the best option. Sure it might mean your service ends up taking a siding and coming back out with no meet. But it's better to keep moving than to have to sit at a red light that never clears or worse something gets screwed up and the AI thinks your not there. The worse feeling in the world of MSTS is coming up to an intermediate signal and watching it drop to red in front of you. Jump out while you still can because the AI is coming right at you.

2) Overextend the optional zone. Provided that there is some room between the siding your dealing with and the next siding down the line. If say for instance you have 3 intermediate blocks between sidings and there is 1 extra switch on the siding. As mentioned you must have both the main and sidings highlighted yellow but what this will do is create an additional yellow section down the mainline to the next intermediate signal. This is OK as you've completed the optional requirements. But if your dealing with complex track arrangements you may wind up finishing up the highlight on the siding and have your mainline already highlighted as far as the next siding. This will not work and only lead to trouble.

3) You can try using DRP's to even the nodes but this can create it's own complications. For each DRP you place your basically adding 2 segments. DRP's can be very dependent on service size so if you have too long of a train it won't work. If your services are all within a certain length you'll get away with it. Otherwise you have to straddle the nodes whcih is ill advised for this purpose. The other thing that will happen is you'll always come up to an approach signal when set for the main facing a stop at the other end until the DRP is activated. In other words you may as well hard code the siding and avoid the complication since slowing for a turnout is still more efficient than running into an approach signal every time your on the main.

3b) One thing about DRP's though in controlling traffic movements is apart from using them in passing paths (not recommended) you can use them on long yard tracks and/or short sections of track if the player service is small. Lets say your service is only the power of your train and your building a freight in a terminal. The AE will only know you as the power through the entire trip (not the train your building). If you want to call for a signal the DRP will allow you to do your switching and then before your ready to leave cut the power and head up to the signal and the DRP. This will activate the signal (unless something else is coming). You can then couple up, and proceed via signal indication. A single RP does the same if it's in one of the yard or industry tracks. Back the service up when your ready to leave. In fact that's probably the best method if available simply because backing up after you have a clear signal as well documented can cause issues where AI will project ahead assuming it's now following the player service in the same direction despite signal indication. This of course can lead to a stand off and if unprotected by an intermediate will result in a head on crash with the AI traveling at restricted speed.

Hope that helps. I'll try and subscribe to this thread so I can keep up with what's going on if you have any comments or questions.

Thanks

Sean