Atomic Systems

About 5 weeks ago all I could do (apart from default activities) was drive a 'light' loco off of a CD I'd bought. Now I can make a consist, download and install cabviews and sounds, change coupling types, create my own activities (although all other traffic is stationary) and have hours of fun. My next mountain to conquer is to suss out how in an activity with AI trains, my train can cross a previously used route of an AI train, because at the moment I sit at a red signal forever.
I have learnt all this by the following means, trial and error, reading the READ-ME files carefully, hunting out some tutorials and reading various topics posted on these boards even if the topic doesn't initially seem to interest me.
So I would just like to say a big thank you to everyone of you seasoned MSTS campaigners for helping me and others and thanks to all my fellow newbies for asking all those questions that get everyone discussing this wonderfully addictive hobby.
Thank you one and all.

Paul

Ho Ho! welcome to the Hell of activity writing. Just a few tips. Start on a double track line with the AI traffic going in the opposite direction. Single track lines are a real pain in the arse to get the AI traffic to work properly. There are many pitfalls facing you like phantom red lights, AI trains refusing to pass your player train's reverse points, AI trains getting confused over who's path's whos, and an AI signal man who suffers from schizophrenia (and yes I did have to look up how to spell that!).
Have Fun!

Nice to hear that.

For AI trains you have to treat them like "your" player train. Just like when you create and activity and you create your own path, the AI trains need theirs.

Best thing to do is whilst in the AE, at the bottom you will see traffic, this is all the traffic which will be placed in the activity, you name it and then its comes up blank. From there you can create a new service, add in services and set times that services start and also their timetable which they have to stick to.

Whilst in the "Traffic" window, create a new service. Do it just like you were doing your own service, but create a different path, for example, have the AI train going the opposite way you, so that you see it. pass by

After you have created the service you should be returned to the traffic window, from that you can select from the drop down box the service which you just created. Then you click the button "insert selected service" (or something along those lines), and then your service should appear in the box below. You will need to enter a start time for the loco, so make sure its somewhere near the time that your activity is running, as if its not, then you wont see the train.

You do have the option to sort the timetable by just click on the service in the box below, select all station and then at the bottom click "Recaluculate". That will then sort out all the times it arrives at each station. Most likly you will get a ping at each station and a message box comes up, just press enter it shouldnt be a problem.

If you have any futher problems or what to find out more information there are some really good sites around, I did know a few sites which were good for activies but as Ive just formmated the PC I no longer do!

Cheers

Paul

If you download the Tweaks Utils and Improvements file on the front page of UKTS you'll find a couple of activity tutorials / FAQs in there. Might help you to tackle AI traffic.

Thanks everyone.
I'll have another go.

isnt it nice writing activities Cannock chase V4 is a brilliant route to do activities as there are soooo many station countless collieries and power stations, MPD's goods sheds, one humongus chemicals and battery plant at Four ashes, and a brewery.

I wonder if any of the drivers and firemen ever nicked off with a create of bottled M&B booze in real life

Don't forget:

http://www.uktrainsim.com/tutorials.php

Matt.

Matt,

Strewth!
That's a superb tutorial, especially for someone entering the activity creation world.
Thanks a lot for pointing that one out.

Paul