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Hi:It's a long time, since I want to upload some activities for routes that I like, my favourite ones. This time I started making some activities for 2 australian routes: The Blue Mountains and the SydneyWest routes. But after spending lots of hours typing and testing, I can never finish any activity for there are always minor errors and big bugs, that spoil everything. But the strange point is that in the AE, in the 2D map, the trains run very well, the AI train waits for me as expected, or I must wait for another to pass me, and so on.But when I'm testing the same activity in the simulator, leaving Richmond towards Seven Hills, everything seems to be normal, then I find a yellow approach signal, I'm slowing down, until next signal I have to stop before a red stop signal in the middle of the single track. Before stopping at all, the red signal turns yellow and I go on slowly, and suddenly comes a curve and the Windsor station, so there comes quickly the AI train in the same track towards me, and crashes against me with no mercy; in the dark night I see all the wagons fly through the air and the message says "activity failed, train derailed..."Is it not an irony? I spent lots of hours from my precious time, but it seems that some routes don't support some kind of activities.These failures use to happen in other routes, when there are signals in the middle of the single track, between stations, for two countertraffic trains meet one facing another, and both facing a red signal, stopping them all. None can proceed because the other one is occupying its way.Well, I finally gave up. I won't upload them to the libraries, but I left them available at my webpage: http://usuarios.arnet.com.ar/eduardourcola/tsforum.htm follow the link that says "My Activities" that will guide you to the Activities sections, look for the australian flag, and click there, or enter directly to http://usuarios.arnet.com.ar/eduardourcola/tsactiveng.htm here are my activities for these routes. These are still beta versions, but as they are free, you can play them, fix them, improve, or change them as you please. Somehow you'll like them; forgive me my errors or lack of knowledge about the region.My best regards for all...
Eduardo, I know exactly what you mean, but also have a good idea what is causing this. #1, the use of permissive signals by the route author, since AI do not 'permanently stop', but simply stop and proceed, if they stop at all.#2, the timing will be completely different in the sim than in the AE and this fact has to be taken into account.What are the solutions? To over simplify it .. You as the activity author has to figure out the exact 'time window' in which the player will need to be at that 'certain' place to make it work. For example, when the player gets to X Signal, will the AI be coming up on a permissive or absolute. If they have an absolute between them, then there should be little problem. If not, start the AI either sooner, or later depending on the situation in question.How to best do this? I can't say it is best, but it works for me. Run the complete activity at whatever speed you wish the player to do it. Notate times every couple of miles, so you know where the player will actually be at any given time. Then you can place your meets to match up with this time. If you want to force the player to wait X minutes, then you have to back up all the times after that by X minutes. It is just trial and error and can literally take many weeks to perfect it, but it can be done. Also as you get into a very long activity, rather than running it from the beginning each time, do what Kevarc suggested long ago and make 'mini activities' using temporary paths and temporary times to get your AI setup the way you wish. Then all you have to do is go back to the orginal path, time, etc and the traffic will all be set up beautifully. For example, at exactly 13:22 in the activity you are at MP135 going at 55mph, use that as a temporary starting point with your player starting at 55mph. Hope this makes some sense. Just don't get discouraged and give up since someone can use all the activities anyone can come up with.RobertR .. ADF-M&RM at http://www.adfrr.com
Robert:Thanks a lot for your help, and for encouraging me again to go ahead. You gave me a big help making the difference between permissive and absolute; now I'll bear it in mind for the next time. It's hard when you want to upload your activities, for they require a lot of testing.The "miniactivities" is something I sometimes do to test some events and cannot spend hours from the very start. As I learnt at the university, when you cannot solve a big problem, split the problem into minor problems. And that's an important rule in programming languages.It makes much sense to notate the time you are stopping at each station. I use to do that in order to fine tune the player timetable: Most of times I see that the AE calculates a very quick timetable, but when driving in the simulator, if you obey all your speed limits, waiting times at stations, and even the maximum speed of the train, when you finished a long activity you may be half an hour late. As I notated the times, then I adjust arrival times in the Edit Timetable chart. Then I open the .ACT with WordPad and change the DepartTime (otherwise I don't know how).I'm really thankful to you for your attention and for explaining me the main causes of this misunderstanding between the AE and the simulator itself.For the next two weeks I'll have to stop with this. Then when I continue, I'll have a better control of the AE, with these suggestions.Kind regards, and thanks for all...
Eduardo,Concerning the AI crashing into your player train, it sounds like you did not start your AI train at least two block signals in advance of your player train. If you don't provide sufficient opportunity for the computer to calculate paths and times then you will get a train that will not be controlled since sufficient data is not possible for the computer to calculate. Start your AI path at least two signals in front of your oncoming player train, and don't forget that the start of the path is actually the rear of the train--in other words you can have your AI path two signals back, but if the forward length of the train puts the engines in front of the second signal then in reality it is only one signal back as the engines would already have passed the second signal.Good luck on redoing your activities--once they are working right you will have accomplished a major task.Bob Edwards
>As I notated the times, then I adjust arrival times in the >Edit Timetable chart. >Then I open the .ACT with WordPad and change the DepartTime >(otherwise I don't know how). Bob Edwards hit the nail on the head above about having at least two absolutes between player and AI when starting the AI. Also, keep in mind that many of the routes (MP3.1 if I'm not mistaken for example) are actually reading 4 - 6 signals ahead and things like this need to be taken into account.Eduardo, also to change the DepartTime will be the easiest solution you've ever found in MSTS. When you adjust the arrival time, do not put in your arrival time, but put in your DepartureTime first. Then when you've clicked OK, click the same adjust arrival time and this time put in your expected arrival time. Then when you click ok, you have both your arrival and departure time set. Just remember to put in the departure first, then the arrival and it will work. If you make a mistake and can't get the departure time low enough, go back into the edit player window and edit path, unclicking the stations and click save path (or whatever it says). Then go back in and do the same thing, only this time clicking each station you want to stop at, save and now you have a fresh "edit Timetable" with all zeroes.Hope this helpsRobertR .. ADF-M&RM at http://www.adfrr.com
