[ATW]

Seeing how dispatch systems for ORTS is in the talk in another topic, I want to discuss the future of flags, other objects being displayed trackside or in center of tracks as well as speed orders.

Since the issue of displaying such things on track as in invisocar wag/eng is talk and issues in ORTS for removing coupling when it shouldn't couple while passing it or mess with signaling I have a couple ideas in mind.
How hard is it to code additional special triggers for waiting point code formulas, activity event codes, time events etc? We already have helpful waiting point shunts an triggers where I already like how you can make paths have special waiting points to hold trains at stop signals for a chosen duration with even departure times to keep a chosen schedule from being exceeded as well as place activity events using sounds (helpful for chatters, detectors, instructions etc) and more but we need more.

As in more path waiting point codes I am looking for options to place special speed limits in paths for players an AI trains to follow whether dispatch/bulletin given or just for AI/autopilot to control speeds in the following ways of these options:

1: The Speeds
1a. If headend passes a special speed order the speed order applies upon headend passing and till rear of train passes it.
1b. If headend passes a special speed order the speed order applies upon headend passing it where faster speeds ahead may increase upon headend passing.
1c. If headend passes a special speed order the speed order applies for duration till a option "1a", "1b" or "1d" in path is in existence.
1d. If headend passes a special speed order the speed limit resumes/resets to original route speed and are relieved of slower previous speed orders.


With that part said is it possible for events or waiting points to have a parameter set the speed limit an track monitor to warn it?

As in object options for both activity events and path waiting points (combined combination for special speed options) I am looking to use specialized shapes to be placed whether in the effects of speedpost.dat or elsewhere where shapes such as side flags, warning signs, center in track objects etc, are placed based on triggered events or waiting points you name it. These shapes can be placed or removed based on duration of an existing waiting point code, triggered or timed event. Bellow are examples of functions that can be used in scenario building.

2: The Shape Objects
2a. Shape is placed or triggered in path by special waiting point or event code with special ORTS parameter placed in .pat or .act file for shape an orientation of the object; ORTSObjectShape (( flag.s y x flipped 1=yes 0=no))

2b. If shape is animated then you have the option to animate it yes or no like the example of a windy flag or men working hammering the track in Form B territory or have trackside railfans waving at you lol.
2c. In any event that has a time function, frame or limit there is the option for objects to be removed by animation or vanish.

Not really eye candy for animation but I mean for example say a object placed dead center in track like a Red Flag placed by a manager testing your range of vision to stop in activity event codes that are triggered by "Train Must Stop" in radius bubble an playing that triggered text or sound file for a briefing. Once time frame expires the object is removed or event is triggered for animation to close like.


Have a couple of other function ideas in mind but what are yours?

[ebnertra000]

It's a bit off-topic, but head-end permanent speed restrictions* would be nice, since at least in North America, they're fairly common.

*For those not familiar, a head-end restriction requires a train to maintain a certain speed within its limits only until the front of the train has left said limits, at which point the train may resume its previous speed, even though the rest of the train is still within the limits of the restriction. They are most often found in cities, particularly those with a lot of crossings known for heavy traffic

[darwins]

I think a post that I made in the other forum is relevant to this.

In UK head lamps, side lamps and tail lamps were oil lamps placed on brackets on the vehicles. They might change during an activity or timetable.
At present they are freight anims set within the eng or wag files.

Greater flexibility could be achieved if they could be set in activity or timetable files - this would allow them to change when appropriate.

My initial thought on this was to have 'conditional' freight anims that could work in the same way that we now have 'conditional' lights. This would at least allow the shapes for headlights to appear at the front of a train and those for tail lights to appear at the rear.

Having freight anims that could be set for a defined vehicle or consist within an activity or timetable file would allow headcodes, destination boards and headboards to be changed.

I also like the thought about changing speed limits in activities, I would quite like to see this work throughout routes as speed limits changed from year to year and could be set to this for an older or more modern era than the route was built for. Another card already on Trello.

[ATW]

ebnertra000, on 10 May 2019 - 06:39 AM, said:

It's a bit off-topic, but head-end permanent speed restrictions* would be nice, since at least in North America, they're fairly common.

*For those not familiar, a head-end restriction requires a train to maintain a certain speed within its limits only until the front of the train has left said limits, at which point the train may resume its previous speed, even though the rest of the train is still within the limits of the restriction. They are most often found in cities, particularly those with a lot of crossings known for heavy traffic

It actually fits in well. It brings up the point an other function idea for long trains to increase headend speed after following a grade crossing restriction, passing other trains that are in unnecessary stopped situations or even trains turning around a corner gently till signal is in view in none signaled territory turning into signal territory or where PTC is not applicable to tell you what the next signal, speed an distance is to the change.

darwins, on 10 May 2019 - 08:09 AM, said:

I think a post that I made in the other forum is relevant to this.

In UK head lamps, side lamps and tail lamps were oil lamps placed on brackets on the vehicles. They might change during an activity or timetable.
At present they are freight anims set within the eng or wag files.

Greater flexibility could be achieved if they could be set in activity or timetable files - this would allow them to change when appropriate.

My initial thought on this was to have 'conditional' freight anims that could work in the same way that we now have 'conditional' lights. This would at least allow the shapes for headlights to appear at the front of a train and those for tail lights to appear at the rear.

Having freight anims that could be set for a defined vehicle or consist within an activity or timetable file would allow headcodes, destination boards and headboards to be changed.

I also like the thought about changing speed limits in activities, I would quite like to see this work throughout routes as speed limits changed from year to year and could be set to this for an older or more modern era than the route was built for. Another card already on Trello.

That's a good idea an fits in well especially for trains that need to air test an have a blue flag an light raised on locomotive an removed at a time when complete or even when loading an unloading processes occur as well as placing a rear end device. But yea ORTS in commuter service needs those destination boards changed at certain times. In fact the freight animation thing could one day be triggered to animate on wag/eng files at anytime you triggered or in specific locations to make intentional defects or problems to happen to your train but visual by attaching to train or be immovable from train.

[darwins]

Thanks for the support.

I have tried to update my earlier idea on the road map to include this more recent train of thought.