[Weter]

Let me add my 2 cents, please.
Crankshaft is geared to wheels as well, but we need 4x to 6x multiplier for geared locomotives, and more complex algorithm for those with shiftable gear.

[copperpen]

steamer_ctn, on 04 May 2023 - 12:11 AM, said:

The challenge with this approach is that it assumes the fire is behaving the same as demonstrated on the film.

Remembering how the MSTS fireman AI fireman worked and the way the fire was modelled, one has to accept that this was the assumption that Kuju used. This can be achieved in steps. First give us a fireman that takes short breaks while the fire burns down a bit then resumes shovelling to rebuild the fire. I know that is possible because I made a rudimentary version a few years ago while the steam model was being developed. Once that is in place the graphics side ( exhaust colouring ) can be worked on as and/or when time is available.

[Jonatan]

copperpen, on 05 May 2023 - 01:42 AM, said:

Remembering how the MSTS fireman AI fireman worked and the way the fire was modelled, one has to accept that this was the assumption that Kuju used. This can be achieved in steps. First give us a fireman that takes short breaks while the fire burns down a bit then resumes shovelling to rebuild the fire. I know that is possible because I made a rudimentary version a few years ago while the steam model was being developed. Once that is in place the graphics side ( exhaust colouring ) can be worked on as and/or when time is available.

This is exactly how I think the AI fireman in OR should initially be set up. It was a very simple "fire mass is at 50%, bung in coal until it's at 100%", and as someone who've handfired locomotives, this is adequate enough to how it's done in real life too (but maybe resume shovelling when firemass is at 80%). And the rate at which this happens is directly correlated to how fast the fuel is consumed.

The current way the AI fireman is set up should instead be used when the SteamFiremanIsMechanicalStoker parameter is present.



One thing I've heard from early in ORs development was that if you ran an engine hard and shut off steam after the AI fireman had adjusted itself, the safety valves popped off. This is pretty realistic behavior as all the fire, heat and steam have nowhere to go. Could we get that back?

[Traindude]

A quick question--when are we going to address the issue of smoke/steam/exhaust clipping through the interiors of passenger coaches? It mostly happens in external views but here it is in a passenger view...


And by the way--while I like the wind effect added to the recent Unstable versions (instead of the smoke going straight up into the air, it's diverted sideways), but how do I turn it off or control the intensity?

[Weter]

Add missing since MSTS times smoke collision with obstacles, like overpasses, tunnel ceilings, etc.

[darwins]

Smoke and steam drifting around solid objects seems to be a big challenge. Steam heating relief valves should be central under the passenger carriages. If set that way in OR steam rises vertically through the vehicle. So instead we need to set them at either side.

[Laci1959]

darwins, on 08 May 2023 - 01:42 AM, said:

Smoke and steam drifting around solid objects seems to be a big challenge. Steam heating relief valves should be central under the passenger carriages. If set that way in OR steam rises vertically through the vehicle. So instead we need to set them at either side.

I believe the ESD_Bounding_Box ( -X -Y -Z X Y Z ) attribute was used for this purpose. It is in the SD file. That seems like the logical explanation to me.

[Weter]

Yes, it's the second part of effect, but collidability is needed for smoke sprites too - for interaction with bounding boxes.

[Jonatan]

Traindude, on 07 May 2023 - 09:46 PM, said:

And by the way--while I like the wind effect added to the recent Unstable versions (instead of the smoke going straight up into the air, it's diverted sideways), but how do I turn it off or control the intensity?

I agree, sometimes it looks like the smoke is pulled away by hurricane force winds, leaving a trail of little puffs! Quite comedic...

[Traindude]

Going back to the discussion of overhauling the AI firing algorithm, I have an idea for two new firing models--a "US" model (where the fireman closes the door with each shovelful and the3 doors remain closed when not firing) and a "UK" model (fireman keeps the doors open throughout the firing cycle and afterward adjusts their opening based on the burn rate):

The US Model
1. Wait a short time to simulate the time it takes for the fireman to walk from his seat to the front of the tender.*
2. Decrease the tender coal level by an amount equal to ShovelCoalMass. ( TenderCoalMass = TenderCoalMass - ShovelCoalMass )
3. Wait a short time to simulate the time it takes for the fireman to walk from the front of the tender to the fire door in the cab.*
4. Open fire doors 100%
5. Increase the fire mass by an amount equal to ShovelCoalMass. ( FireMass = FireMass + ShovelCoalMass )
6. Close fire doors. If the locomotive is equipped with a pneumatic (air) fire door, the main reservoir pressure will decrease slightly every time the doors are closed.
7. Wait a short time to simulate the time it takes for the fireman to walk from the fire door back to the tender before "scooping up" (Step 2) the next shovelful of coal.*
8. Loop steps 2 through 7 as needed until fire mass is sufficient.

The UK Model
1. Open fire doors 100% if they are not already open.
2. Wait a short time to simulate the time it takes for the fireman to walk from his position in the cab to the front of the tender.*
3. Decrease the tender coal level by an amount equal to ShovelCoalMass. ( TenderCoalMass = TenderCoalMass - ShovelCoalMass )
4. Wait a short time to simulate the time it takes for the fireman to walk from the front of the tender to the fire door in the cab.*
5. Increase the fire mass by an amount equal to ShovelCoalMass. ( FireMass = FireMass + ShovelCoalMass )
6. Wait a short time to simulate the time it takes for the fireman to walk from the fire door back to the tender before "scooping up" (Step 3) the next shovelful of coal.*
7. Loop steps 3 through 6 as needed until fire mass is sufficient.
8. After the last shovelful for the current firing interval is "tossed in" (Step 5) close the fire doors enough to ensure proper secondary air flow.

*Since the cab-to-tender distance varies with each loco, this delay (or even the specific distance) can potentially be specified in the *.eng file.

These models can be further refined for other regions and conditions.