a plea about points

[robert159]

i'm fed up of point randomly changing which way they are facing by default and having to rebuild the damn things about 50 times till they go back to the way I want them.

HOW OH HOW OH HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CHANGE THE DEFAULT DIRECTION OF THE POINTS?

or even better, how am i suposed to change which way the points face for particular activities.

[Retro]

Are you talking about Scenarios on one of the default routes or are you building a new route with or without scenarios.
Regards James

[robert159]

I'm talking about a route that I have built. the route is a single track narrow gauge line called the EALR (v1 abalable on uktrainsim)

I have made 9 activities, but I have found no way of controlling which way the points are set either by default or in a given activity short of re laying the track.

I havnt managed to find any documentation on points what so ever that goes beyond how to lay them.

[Retro]

If you are talking about Kuju Railsimulator I am not familiar with this Route.The points need to be Automatic and not manual if you want to run a standard scenario with you as the Player Train. If MSTS you are in the wrong forum
Regards James

[robert159]

all the points on the EALR (an RS route, not msts) are manual. Apart from the lack of a leaver what is the difference between auto and manual points... But still I would like very much to know how to change the default direction on manual points... if indeed it is even possible.

[CaptScarlet]

I believe its not possible to set a default direction, but in a scenario the dispatcher will set the route for AI but you might need markers set in the right place if the Ai takes the wrong route. If the route is made up of just manual switches then the player train will need to be aware that they might have to check the switch direction as they go along ( via the 2d map ).

John

[robert159]

manual points in RS do seem to have a sort of default direction... a direction that they will revert to whenever the route is reloaded. I find it important that all points should be set to lead the player straight to the most important destinations with as few points switching required as is humanly possible (preferably none or one obvious one)

I have found a way of changing the default direction of points. it has a stupid number of steps but it works. (for manual points at least)

step1) launch a scenario that starts near where the problem points are and change the direction of all the points you wish to change the default direction of.
step2) move the engine forwards a bit, say about 4 coach lengths. (may be unnecessary)
step3) press the picture of the earth on the bottom of the screen to switch into editor mode.
step4) go into track laying mode and lay a random bit of track anywhere.
step5) press the play button to resume activity.
step6) drive along a bit further (may be unnecessary) and exit activity
step7) re launch route in edit mode, check the points (say hooray if they changed direction) and delete that pointless bit of track you laid earlier.

if this didn't work try moving a tree or something around a bit and selecting ground editing mode as well in step 4 for good measure.

however I am still wondering how automatic points function compared to manual points.

[CaptScarlet]

Well auto points in free roam are changed in the 2d map as you probably know, but in a scenario they are controlled by the dispatcher and the user cant change them as the the dispatcher determines the path.

John

[robert159]

when u say dispatcher what do you mean?

[CaptScarlet]

The dispatcher is the part of the program that determines the path of the train based upon the destinations ( or commands ) the scenario creator sets up. eg I set up a player or AI train to go to A to B to C where they can be destination marker or platform marker etc and the dispatcher will set the path to those destinations changing points as it goes along.

John

[robert159]

oh ok. so automatic points have there direction set by the game based on the path set based on the the destination instructions the train has been given in said activity (instructions you can add in when running the developers version). where as manual points don't, instead always pointing in there default direction.

ok, is there a way to change a manual pair of points into an auto pair or an auto pair into a manual without having to relaying the points.

[Retro]

Yes Sniper has done a tutorial on it somewhere you have to split the track at the front end of the point the yellow thingy should be sticky on the correct place then untick the manual box. Weld the track back together and it changes to Automatic. Do a search under his name.
Regards James.

[Ghostcav]

It works as well, must thank sniper for that one.

The dispatcher is actually rather good when all is set up properly. Check your direction of track as well.

I say the dispatcher is good as I have just run a 2 hour test train on My Wales & borders ph2 route & it signalled the train exactly correct & that included changing ends on a HST .

[robert159]

thankyou all for you're help. I have now fixed the manule points problems and replaced some of my manule points with auto points. (passing loop and y point) the rest I have left as manule points as they are better for shunting purposes... that or there are no signal boxes anywhere near the points in question.