Conventions for MSTS

Over the past three years, I have downloaded numerous cars and engines, activities, and utilities. Developing my own activities, I ran in to utter confusion trying to find specific cars, engines, etc. We need to have some type of conventions so that we can have uniformity to make our hobby easier and more logical.
Some suggestions:
1. The Name for engines and cars could start with the Type, Road name, number, special identification, developer.
For example:
GP-38 ATSF 2055 warbonnet 3dTrainsim
Boxcar UP 65066 2-door
Flatcar IC 985734 w/steel loadBelieve it or not, the Activity Editor does try to put most of the named engines and cars in some type of alphabetical order. It is not perfect, but I have numerous boxcars in a row as well as other cars. Hopefully, MSTS2 will sort items better.2. It would be better if all paths could be named in a way that indicates where they start and where they end, and what it is used for. For example: "Whitefish to Cutbank Freight" or "Whitefish-Cutbank Pass." I have many paths that have been placed by downloaded activities, and I am sure many are duplicates. However, by the names given them, such as, "morning freight" and "Z10 Express" there is no way to find out without looking at each path to see if they might be the same. No one in his right mind would do that!3. Can I suggest that the "Traffic Pattern" used with each activity by named the same as the activity itself. That makes it very easy to identify anytime you want to make changes. If you ever have to redo an activity it will certainly help.4. I am stumped on what to do with how to identify "Services." I can see the benefit of names, such as, "Bigboy Freight 40 cars" or something like that, but I have gone to using the same name as the activity or a shortened version that is identifiable.
For example, if the activity name is "Tank Train LA-Chicago" then I would name the services "Tank Train LA-Chicago AI #1" then "Tank Train LA-Chicago AI #2" and so forth. It really helps when trying to find the right timing for departure on my AI trains.Just some comments, but it would be great if someone could come with some conventions and standards that would help us all.Comments invited.Bob Edwards

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

RE: Conventions for MSTS, derekmorton, Mar-18-04, 09:04 PM, (1) RE: Conventions for MSTS, kevarc, Mar-18-04, 10:44 PM, (2) RE: Conventions for MSTS, CPR_Malice_96th, Mar-19-04, 11:16 AM, (3) RE: Conventions for MSTS, kevarc, Mar-19-04, 11:41 PM, (6) RE: Conventions for MSTS, Stumbl, Mar-22-04, 03:01 PM, (9) RE: Conventions for MSTS, wecline, Mar-19-04, 06:47 PM, (4) RE: Conventions for MSTS, oakpalms, Mar-19-04, 11:02 PM, (5) RE: Conventions for MSTS, yellowdog, Mar-20-04, 06:24 PM, (7) RE: Conventions for MSTS, stryder47, Mar-22-04, 00:51 AM, (8)

Conferences | Topics | Previous Topic | Next Topic

Hi Bob,There has been a number of posts about this issue over the years.
There are several camps of thought and everybody appears to do what they think, without thought for the 'big' picture.Derek

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

1. Everyone has a system, I redo ALL the name lines to suit myself, his is done before it is moved into the trainset folder. I really do not care what a skinner does, I redo it myself.
2. I do in all my new activities, unless it is a special one.
3. I do
4. I use what type of train it is.You may try to herd cats!Kevin Arceneaux
DEFAULT IS FOR DUMMIES
Cry havoc and Let slip the dogs of war.
It's fun being CRAZY!!!!!
Lone Wolf Activities Forum and Activity Packs are on www.3DTrains.com

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

>You may try to herd cats! LMAO !!Never heard that one before.HoweverI have 4 cats / 2 dogsOne dog being an Australian Cattle Dog ( Blue Heeler )That dog can herd cats ..... I don't think the cats have been out of the spare bedroom since we got the dog 3 years ago.Oddly enough my brother in law was over during the siummer with his 3 sons ( all under 10 ) and the dog kept those 3 behind the garage and the shed for 2 hours straightQuite amusing to watch actuallyLater

Tim Kent – Winnipeg Canada

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

My Australian Shepard does the same thing.Kevin Arceneaux
DEFAULT IS FOR DUMMIES
Cry havoc and Let slip the dogs of war.
It's fun being CRAZY!!!!!
Lone Wolf Activities Forum and Activity Packs are on www.3DTrains.com

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

LoL , Tim , I have a blue heeler/collie mix that steps on the cats if when they come home after takin off out the front door.
She steps on em and holds em there for a bout 3 minutes "I do what my Rice Krispies tell me to do"

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Bob,Your suggestion certainly has merit but it won't work very well in this train-sim.com library.All filenames for uploaded files can have no more than eight (8) characters. This requirement severely limits how we can standardize filenames, as you suggest.Too bad.Maybe Nels can elaborate as to why the 8 character filename convention exists here.Bill Cline

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Bill,The limitation of eight characters only concerns the name of the file that is place on the upload screen at plane sim. It has nothing to do nor does it limit the size of any files used with the activity, paths, services, and other files used with Trainsim.I suppose that plane sim is using a computer system that has a very early Windows operating system and that is why the upload file is limited to eight characters.Bob

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Trying to stay off the soapbox here. . .The 8 character limit in the file library has absolutely NOTHING to do with the actual file name that will go into the TRAINSET folder. For instance, I just uploaded three CSX SD60s. The zip name that got uploaded to the file library is csx8700.zip, but the folder name that will get unzipped into the TRAINSET folder is CSX SD60 8700. This is quite easy to accomplish and I wish more people would save us the headaches by NOT NAMING THEIR FOLDER THE SAME AS THEIR ZIP.

Clayton

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

I concur heartily with that Clayton. And I prefer the naming convention listed in your post rather than have the engine name first as I like to keep all of my CSX together, all my NS together, etc. Of course I use an underline between the parts, a carry over from my dos days I suppose. But therein lies the problem of a consistent naming convention. Not everyone can agree on one. So, like Kevin says, I rename mine immediately upon downloading.
As for the other three items, I agree with Kevin again. And he does do it that way.
Still not sure what "You may try to herd cats means" but if he meant to say "You may as well try to herd cats" then I agree with him there as well. You will never see it happen. TimWestern Maryland Railroad
Gone, but not forgotten!

Alert | IP

[ Home | MSTS Forum | MSTS FAQ | File Library ] Copyright © 2004 by Nels Anderson. All Rights Reserved.