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Has anyone experimented with changing the aspect colors of a signal.I am using the BNSF signals on the CRR route, and they are physically close to correct, but the bottom head is the wrong color. It should be red/green, rather than red/yellow. You would only get a red/yellow indication if movement was to be into an occupied siding with an intermediate signal protecting a train ahead.Can you edit the config. file to accomplish this.J. H. Sullivan

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Changing aspects of signals [View All], landnrailroader, 10:57 PM, Jul-18-02, (0) RE: Changing aspects of signals, flarrfan, Jul-19-02, 07:10 AM, (1) RE: Changing aspects of signals, sniper297, Jul-19-02, 09:46 AM, (2) RE: Changing aspects of signals, Signalmaster, Jul-19-02, 10:16 AM, (5) RE: Changing aspects of signals, flarrfan, Jul-19-02, 12:40 PM, (7) RE: Changing aspects of signals, Signalmaster, Jul-19-02, 12:56 PM, (8) RE: Changing aspects of signals, flarrfan, Jul-19-02, 02:14 PM, (9) RE: Changing aspects of signals, flarrfan, Jul-19-02, 08:10 PM, (11) RE: Changing aspects of signals, Signalmaster, Jul-19-02, 09:46 AM, (3) RE: Changing aspects of signals, sniper297, Jul-19-02, 09:59 AM, (4) RE: Changing aspects of signals, Signalmaster, Jul-19-02, 10:43 AM, (6) RE: Changing aspects of signals, NSFAN, Jul-19-02, 07:32 PM, (10)

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Yes, Jerry, you can edit sigcfg and sigscr, but I don't recommend it unless you know what you are doing. I suggest you try Hank and Conn's CL sigs from the file library. I used them on the Funnel, Jason used both the CL's and the searchlights on the A-Line, and I think you'll find the CL's are even closer to the prototype, but I still get some wrong aspects, particularly on the 3-head absolutes, and there are some funky speed restrictions from some of those aspects that I just don't know what to do with. There's a short sigtest route that comes with the signals, and you can play around with that in figuring what edits to make in the script files. There's some good documentation with the signals and route as well.Kent

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LAST EDITED ON Jul-19-02 AT 09:51 AM (EDT)

It's in the sigcfg.dat file only, no need to mess with sigscr.dat. Scroll down or search til you find the specific signal you want to change, then change the color entries.
I used Hank's NA switchstands on PO&N5, and wanted red instead of yellow for the distant switch. After backing up the file, I cautiously started poking around in it and found this:
****************************************
SignalType ( "SwitchDistant" SignalFnType ( DISTANCE )
SignalLightTex ( "BNSF ltex" ) SignalLights ( 2
SignalLight ( 0 "Amber Light"
Position ( 0 0.39 0 )
Radius ( 0.10 )
)
SignalLight ( 1 "Green Light"
Position ( 0 0.39 0 )
Radius ( 0.10 )
)
)
SignalDrawStates ( 2
SignalDrawState ( 0
"Yellow"
DrawLights ( 1
DrawLight ( 0 )
)
)
SignalDrawState ( 1
"Green"
DrawLights ( 1
DrawLight ( 1 )
)
)
)
SignalAspects ( 2
SignalAspect ( APPROACH_2 "Yellow" )
SignalAspect ( CLEAR_2 "Green" )
)
SignalNumClearAhead ( 1 )
)
**********************************************
And changed it like this:**********************************************
SignalType ( "SwitchDistant" SignalFnType ( DISTANCE )
SignalLightTex ( "BNSF ltex" ) SignalLights ( 2
SignalLight ( 0 "Red Light"
Position ( 0 0.39 0 )
Radius ( 0.10 )
)
SignalLight ( 1 "Green Light"
Position ( 0 0.39 0 )
Radius ( 0.10 )
)
)
SignalDrawStates ( 2
SignalDrawState ( 0
"Red"
DrawLights ( 1
DrawLight ( 0 )
)
)
SignalDrawState ( 1
"Green"
DrawLights ( 1
DrawLight ( 1 )
)
)
)
SignalAspects ( 2
SignalAspect ( APPROACH_2 "Red" )
SignalAspect ( CLEAR_2 "Green" )
)
SignalNumClearAhead ( 1 )
)*************************************************I'm also squeamish about hacking that unicode stuff, one parenthesis missing or in the wrong place and the whole file is trashed, but replacing the word "yellow" with the word "red" or whatever is pretty easy.One of Hank's readmes talked about copying and pasting data blocks, and I had no luck at all with that, but I suspect a "datablock" for an individual signal is everything between "Signal Type" and "SigNumClearAhead", so change everything in between once you find the signal you want to change the colors for.

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LAST EDITED ON Jul-19-02 AT 10:25 AM (EDT)

Speeds can be changed in the 'SignalAspects' code block of the sigcfg file. It looks like this:SignalAspect ( APPROACH_1 "Yellow" SpeedMPH ( 30 ) )The '30' can be changed to anything you want or removed entirely to look like this:SignalAspect ( APPROACH_1 "Yellow" )In the latter, the default track speed takes over.Generally, this is how I use the stock MSTS signal states:STOP = Stop (Red)
STOP_AND_PROCEED = Stop and Proceed (Red)
RESTRICTING = Restricting (Yellow)
APPROACH_1 = Approach or Approach Slow or Slow Approach(Yellow)
APPROACH_2 = Approach Medium, Approach Limited (Yellow top, fixed or flashing Green bottom/middle)
APPROACH_3 = Not used often
CLEAR_1 = Medium Clear, Limited Clear, Slow Clear (Red top, fixed or flashing Green bottom/middle, dwarf.
CLEAR_2 = Clear (Green top, Red middle and/or bottom)CLEAR_1 is the diverging indicator picked up by the distant signal. These apply to non-semaphore signals.Hank

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Hank, I've got 2 places on the Funnel where the most frequently used route for trains involves going through a crossover (linked to head 2 of the 3-head absolute) and then immediately taking a diverging route (linked to head three). In both of these cases, the signal as placed imposes a 10 mph speed limit that overrides the track values until you get to the next signal. This rather drastic speed limit is with clear indications for the applicable heads. Not sure why this is happening or what to edit in the cfg file to deal with it. Any ideas you'd like to share most welcome.Kent

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Do both heads 2 and 3 show non red aspects when a train is routed this way?Look in the signal properties dialog box to see which signal "S" file is being used. Then open the sigcfg and search for that S file in the SignalShapes script block. Note the head definitions and find them in the SignalTypes script block above. The speeds are in the SignalAspects block for each signal head definition. Change the number associated with the SpeedMPH (*) variable to whatever you want.Hank

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Thanks much, I really love your signals, they were easy to set up, and hopefully this tip will solve my last issue with them.Kent

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Mission accomplished! Thanks again, Hank.

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>Has anyone experimented with changing the aspect colors of a
>signal.
>
>I am using the BNSF signals on the CRR route, and they are
>physically close to correct, but the bottom head is the
>wrong color. It should be red/green, rather than
>red/yellow. You would only get a red/yellow indication if
>movement was to be into an occupied siding with an
>intermediate signal protecting a train ahead.
>
>Can you edit the config. file to accomplish this.
>
>J. H. Sullivan
Rule 1: Once a signal is placed in a route, change as little of the script as possible. Certain options and parameters selected on signals get incorporated into other data files and when not found, corrupts the route instantly. Do not change anything in the 'SignalShapes' block if the signal is placed in the route.The color aspects probably can be changed without this catastrophe. You can do that in the sigcfg file. Go to the 'SignalAspects'. For BNSF signals, change the color within the quotes to anything you want that's defined in the 'DrawState' block within that head definition. Speeds assigned to indications may also be changed there. You may also remove the speed restrictions entirely if you so desire.Hank

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Speak of the devil, up he pops! Wassup', Hank?
I'm still screwing around with those new signals you sent me, but still not getting something. I get red over red if either the near switch or far switch is set for diverge, there's no indication of the state of the far switch if the near switch is set against the signal. I suspect that's cuz there's only one trip and it's on the near side of the near switch, but I'm getting only two states, and the one (I forget if it's top or bottom) never changes. Once I get this screwy email thingie sorted out I'll send you the route beta I'm playing with so you can see what I'm talking about.

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Sniper,I don't think you have the latest PON signal development. I can send you your route with some of the signals installed. If you have the room, put a good copy of the PON5 in a blind directory to hide it from the sim. I'll send you the world files, the needed S/SD/ACE files along with the root directory files for you to load directly into the PON5 route folder.I have the new signals installed along the mainline from Fowlis to VDH via Sundermeyer. Run the Sundermeyer activity toward VDH, wye the train and head toward Tinker's. There's signals installed at the bridge and tunnel. You'll see how the signals work goining into traffic. Reverse course, wye, and head toward Sundermeyer and watch the signals perform when following AI traffic.You wanna try this?Hank

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They call the red over yellow signal a diverging approach and a red over green a diverging clear. They use diverging approach when they are going into a siding and diverging clear when they cross over or come through a Jct.

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