Atomic Systems

Not sure if this is "better late than never" or not.....but I've discovered a way of setting a dynamic track with a raduis of less than 25m.

I've not done very much experimenting with this, but here's the theory so far:

1) Lay the dynamic track section with a 25 m radius curve
2) Save and exit the editor
3) Locate and open with a text editor the world file tile
4) Locate the definition of the dynamic track section you've just laid
5) Change the radius to the value you want
6) Save the file and reload the MSTS editor
7) Edit the dynamic track section by changing anything else but the changed radius, which you shouldn't touch!!

You now have a dynamic track section with a smaller than 25m radius!

I've no idea why someone hasn't discovered this before.......or have they, and I've not spotted it being reported?

dkightley wrote:.....but I've discovered a way of setting a dynamic track with a raduis of less than 25m.

7) Edit the dynamic track section by changing anything else but the changed radius, which you shouldn't touch!!

You now have a dynamic track section with a smaller than 25m radius!......

Have you observed at what time the local tsection.dat is updated for the new radius? I think it wouldn't occur until your Step 7), which would mean that some tinkering would be mandatory. Maybe simply enabling then disabling the initial straight would be enough to update the tsection.dat.

Without doing that, you could edit the local tsection.dat entry for the new radius just as you have for the world file...

regards,
charlie

You're quite right in your observation, Charlie. The track database is not updated until you execute step 7).

When you go back into RE prior to that step, the blue pole is at the location it was when the track piece was originally laid. Updating the track piece then dynamically updates the tdb.

It seems the only thing preventing radii tighter than 25m is the validation on the Dynamic Track window field!! I'm sure that if I had enough spare time (and patience!), I could find exactly where the validation is done in the code and change it.

dkightley wrote:I'm sure that if I had enough spare time (and patience!), I could find exactly where the validation is done in the code and change it.

Better you than me, and it's apparently too late to enlist the aid of BIN George.

regards,
charlie

Well done Doug!

It could come in useful for some situations- maybe narrow gauge layouts.

I seem to remember a couple of times in MEP that a smaller radius would have been helpful.........

Mick Clarke
MEP