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OR activity features poor design? Rate Topic: -----

#1 User is offline   Goku 

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Posted 12 September 2017 - 08:48 AM

I'm working now on Activity Editor and I think that OR fearures have bad implementation.

1. Play a sound.

EventCategoryLocation (
  EventTypeLocation ( )
  ID ( 7 )
  Activation_Level ( 1 )
  Outcomes (
    DisplayMessage ( "Won't be shown because ORTSContinue = 0")
  )
  Name ( Location6 )
  Location ( -146 14082 -1016.56 762.16 10 )
  TriggerOnStop ( 0 )
  ORTSContinue ( 0 )
  ORTSActSoundFile ( "x_Next_stop_MiClei.wav" "Pass" ) <======= why it is here?
)


It's not bad, but why it is not like all other outcomes, in Outcomes section?
In present form, it will confuse users when editing an event.

EventCategoryLocation (
  EventTypeLocation ( )
  ID ( 7 )
  Activation_Level ( 1 )
  Outcomes (
    DisplayMessage ( "Won't be shown because ORTSContinue = 0")
    ORTSActSoundFile ( "x_Next_stop_MiClei.wav" "Pass" ) <======= isnt it better?
  )
  Name ( Location6 )
  Location ( -146 14082 -1016.56 762.16 10 )
  TriggerOnStop ( 0 )
  ORTSContinue ( 0 )
)


2. Weather.

Again. Why Weather change like all other outcomes isn't like all other outcomes, in Outcome section?
Also, I think definition of new weather should be separated from event. Imagine that user needs to set weather parameters every time. I think better would be something like this:

EventCategoryLocation (
  EventTypeLocation ( )
  ID ( 7 )
  Activation_Level ( 1 )
  Outcomes (
    DisplayMessage ( "Won't be shown because ORTSContinue = 0")
    ORTSWeatherChange ( "SunToRainWeather" ) <======= isnt it better?
  )
  Name ( Location6 )
  Location ( -146 14082 -1016.56 762.16 10 )
  TriggerOnStop ( 0 )
  ORTSContinue ( 0 )
)


And the Weather definitions should be in separate part of the .act files, for example ORTSWeathers.

ORTSWeatherChange (
  Name ( "SunToRainWeather" ) <====== new attribute
  ORTSOvercast (
    final_overcastFactor(float)
    overcast_transitionTime(int)
  )
  ORTSFog ( final_fogDistance(float) fog_transitionTime(int) )
  ORTSPrecipitationIntensity (
    final_precipitationIntensity(float)
    precipitationIntensity_transitionTime(int)
  )
  ORTSPrecipitationLiquidity (
    final_precipitationLiquidity(float)
    precipitationLiquidity_transitionTime(int)
  )
)


Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I think.

#2 User is offline   Csantucci 

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Posted 12 September 2017 - 12:24 PM

I know I'm not the best at defining new file formats, so logically it's probably more correct to insert the ORTSActSoundFile and the ORTSWeatherChange commands within the Outcomes, and I appreciate your proposal, however:
1) The actual format is available and it works
2) modifying the OR code accordingly would require some work
3) and in particular, inserting one block more inside the above commands requires a more complex management of the additional .act file
4) I don't see significant advantages in doing as you propose
5) Last but not least, at least in my country there are already published activities using the actual syntax.

So I'd leave things as they are.

The important news is that you are working on an activity editor :)

#3 User is offline   Goku 

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Posted 12 September 2017 - 12:45 PM

4.
The significant advantage is that it can be easily edited by an average user.
If these two things will be only new OR features, then it's not bad. But when more new features be included in OR, imagine how big and difficult to use will be event form in editor.

5.
We can allow two solutions.
Allowing ORTSActSoundFile() in both places coudn't be that hard to do?
Allowing two solutions for ORTSWeatherChange() will be definitely more dificult, but it doesn't need to be done now. It's something to think about in the future.
I think it is worth considering, because current weather implementation will be to difficult to use by most of the users.

At the monent I just make support for read/write OR attributes in .act file without editing them.

.. and
3.
Who will need an additional .act file when new AE is done? :)

#4 User is offline   Goku 

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Posted 13 September 2017 - 07:21 AM

Ok, I think I came with good temporary solution.

TSRE will use new approach to this subject.

New features will be stored in "outcomes" section:

EventCategoryLocation (
  EventTypeLocation ( )
  ID ( 7 )
  Activation_Level ( 1 )
  Outcomes (
    DisplayMessage ( "Won't be shown because ORTSContinue = 0" )
    ORTSActSoundFile ( "x_Next_stop_MiClei.wav" "Pass" )
    ORTSWeatherChange ( "RainWeather" )
  )
  Name ( Location6 )
  Location ( -146 14082 -1016.56 762.16 10 )
  TriggerOnStop ( 0 )
  ORTSContinue ( 0 )
)


And there will be new file for weatherChange definitions, so the user will be able to easily select one weather from predefined list, instead of defining them each time.
How to best name the file?

---------------------------------------------
How it will work in OpenRails?
User will be able to press a button "Convert Activity settings to Open Rails" in Activity Properties and TSRE will adjust these features to work with current Open Rails approach.
Or it could be done always on Activity Save if proper value is set in TSRE settings.

After this, the above code will look like this:

EventCategoryLocation (
  EventTypeLocation ( )
  ID ( 7 )
  Activation_Level ( 1 )
  Outcomes (
    DisplayMessage ( "Won't be shown because ORTSContinue = 0" )
    ORTSActSoundFile ( "x_Next_stop_MiClei.wav" "Pass" )
    ORTSWeatherChange ( "RainWeather" )
  )
  Name ( Location6 )
  Location ( -146 14082 -1016.56 762.16 10 )
  TriggerOnStop ( 0 )
  ORTSContinue ( 0 )
  ORTSActSoundFile ( "x_Next_stop_MiClei.wav" "Pass" )
  ORTSWeatherChange (
    ORTSOvercast (
      final_overcastFactor(float)
      overcast_transitionTime(int)
    )
    ORTSFog ( final_fogDistance(float) fog_transitionTime(int) )
    ORTSPrecipitationIntensity (
      final_precipitationIntensity(float)
      precipitationIntensity_transitionTime(int)
    )
    ORTSPrecipitationLiquidity (
      final_precipitationLiquidity(float)
      precipitationLiquidity_transitionTime(int)
    )
  )
)


#5 User is offline   Csantucci 

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Posted 13 September 2017 - 08:48 AM

OK, this is an acceptable solution.

#6 User is offline   Goku 

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Posted 13 September 2017 - 11:08 AM

Any ideas about the weather file name?

#7 User is offline   Csantucci 

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Posted 13 September 2017 - 11:45 AM

WeatherBlends?

#8 User is offline   Goku 

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Posted 13 September 2017 - 11:56 AM

WeatherBlending.dat ? Is it good name for file that contains ORTSWeatherChange objects?

New file is also good idea, because if OR will have in the future more weather parameters that can change during activity, it will be possible to tweak the weather changes without editing every activity released earlier.

#9 User is offline   Csantucci 

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Posted 13 September 2017 - 12:58 PM

WeatherBlending was my other option. Or WeatherTransitions.

#10 User is offline   Goku 

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Posted 13 September 2017 - 01:04 PM

WeatherTransitions sounds nice.


Envent Properties form with OR Additions:

https://i.imgur.com/q0RdNlJ.png

https://i.imgur.com/kGTkmp2.png

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