[Genma Saotome]

Goku, I've been spending a lot of time on .wags and .engs, mostly getting the value of Name() consistent. It occurred to me that adding a right-mouse-click command of send to editor for whatever file was mostly recently selected would have been a great help in moving thru so many files.

Second suggestion is sometimes a .wag or .eng doesn't load. The space it would have occupied in the train display seems to be zero pixels which makes it hard to know what's missing w/o pulling the .con file into an editor. Could you pad that space a bit so we can read the file name? That would also make it easier to replace the missing item with something else.

Thanks for your time.

[cr-stagg]

Genma Saotome, on 25 July 2018 - 11:03 PM, said:

Goku, I've been spending a lot of time on .wags and .engs, mostly getting the value of Name() consistent. It occurred to me that adding a right-mouse-click command of send to editor for whatever file was mostly recently selected would have been a great help in moving thru so many files.

…………..

Thanks for your time.

Why not just make the Name field editable? Then no scrolling needed.

[Genma Saotome]

Charles, that does remind me to add request #3: Yes, you can edit the name but it is a PITA to navigate thru 3 levels of menu to find save file when you are editing more than one or two files. Please put a save file button somewhere visible.

[cr-stagg]

Genma Saotome, on 26 July 2018 - 12:45 PM, said:

Charles, that does remind me to add request #3: Yes, you can edit the name but it is a PITA to navigate thru 3 levels of menu to find save file when you are editing more than one or two files. Please put a save file button somewhere visible.

Are you referring to saving CON files or ENG files after editing Name?

[Genma Saotome]

cr-stagg, on 26 July 2018 - 06:53 PM, said:

Are you referring to saving CON files or ENG files after editing Name?

Anything.

If its a simple text field it can be edited safely -- Mass(), Name(), filename. Edit the string, hit save. Or alternatively make it easier to pull the file into your editor and do the work there; add a reload function for selected lines.

Basically the program already does what one can do w/ KUJU's files so any further enhancement, if Goku wants to bother, would enhance user productivity by bringing copies of a few key functions from the menu into any sort of see it-do it solution, whether that's a clickable button or a context sensitive mouse click.

To do what REALLY needs to be done has to start w/ re-thinking the files; Consider the .con file. Ever notice the first line? It says Train(). Ever look up the rail term consist? It is a sub-element of a train that is not broken up in the journey the train takes. It is NOT a train. IOW a train is made up of a consist of locomotives, often multiple consists of cars traveling from start to finish of the trains journey, perhaps a few loose cars dropped off or picked up en route. What we need is a true consist file, both for locomotives and cars (which could be a lot like the current .con file) and a true train file that is a collection of any of the other file types.

With that you can have a train name for your train file -- #62: Red Ball East; several in-train consist files -- "SSW 913A/913B/917B/915A F3ABBA", "Chicago Block", "St Louis Block", "SP97315", "UP116238", and "SSW Caboose 374"; with each consist having its collection of individual .wags and .engs -- an .eng name of "SSW F3A #913A Black Widow", etc.

Our .ACT and .TRN files do have a Name() that is the train name so that's something, but wouldn't you like to see those trains blocked up like the real thing? In a place where you can easilly see what they really are? We're not there yet.

But we don't... and are not likely to ever see it, which is why we overload the current .con file Name() w/ so much.

[roeter]

Genma Saotome, on 26 July 2018 - 08:28 PM, said:

To do what REALLY needs to be done has to start w/ re-thinking the files; Consider the .con file. Ever notice the first line? It says Train(). Ever look up the rail term consist? It is a sub-element of a train that is not broken up in the journey the train takes. It is NOT a train. IOW a train is made up of a consist of locomotives, often multiple consists of cars traveling from start to finish of the trains journey, perhaps a few loose cars dropped off or picked up en route. What we need is a true consist file, both for locomotives and cars (which could be a lot like the current .con file) and a true train file that is a collection of any of the other file types.

With that you can have a train name for your train file -- #62: Red Ball East; several in-train consist files -- "SSW 913A/913B/917B/915A F3ABBA", "Chicago Block", "St Louis Block", "SP97315", "UP116238", and "SSW Caboose 374"; with each consist having its collection of individual .wags and .engs -- an .eng name of "SSW F3A #913A Black Widow", etc.

Our .ACT and .TRN files do have a Name() that is the train name so that's something, but wouldn't you like to see those trains blocked up like the real thing? In a place where you can easilly see what they really are? We're not there yet.

But we don't... and are not likely to ever see it, which is why we overload the current .con file Name() w/ so much.

OR does have that feature - in timetable mode. A train can be defined as consist+consist[+....], it also allows you to set $reverse for a consist or consist part. It is only the strict adherence to MSTS compatibility which prevents this option from being available in activity mode.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[conductorchris]

I agree that easily editing the name field from within TSRE-CE would be great.

To open an .eng or .wag file from TSRE-CE, choose OPEN IN EXTERNAL EDITOR from the ENG menu

Christopher

[Genma Saotome]

You can edit the Name() values for .con files on the screen. It's then a multi-level sequence thru the menu to get to save. Having save more accessible is what I was asking for. Being able to edit name on .wags or .engs would be a plus as well. You can leave out that step and later on exit; the software will ask you then if you want to save all of the things you edited. There seems to be a limit in there tho... edit too many and the program aborts and you lose everything; Do a save and it saves only one file. There doesn't seem to be a safe way to edit many and save all except for limiting how many edits you do and then editing the program and restarting it to edit some more. It's a bother.

Having width expandable columns would be a big plus as well... the more we have to shove into the name field the more the need for a wider column.

[goku]

Quote

Do a save and it saves only one file.

What? Save menu action will save all unsaved files ...

And what 3 level menu?

[cr-stagg]

Goku, on 30 July 2018 - 09:11 AM, said:

What? Save menu action will save all unsaved files ...
………...

REALLY? Bull Excrement!

Then explain why this happens:
Open TSRE-CE
File > NEW
Enter "1" for consist Filename
Add ENGs and WAGs
(No Save)
File > NEW
Enter "2" for consist Filename
Add ENGs and WAGs
(No Save)
File > NEW
Enter "3" for consist Filename
Add ENGs and WAGs
(Save)

Open File Explore to Consist folder. Folder ONLY contains 3.con file. NO 1.con and 2.con in the folder.

Now back to TSRE-CE
Click the red X or File > EXIT
Dialog opens and asks about saving 1.con and 2.con.

[Genma Saotome]

Goku, on 30 July 2018 - 09:11 AM, said:

What? Save menu action will save all unsaved files ...

It doesn't look like that. If I edit a handful of .con files, do a save, then do exit, I will be presented with a list of all the files I edited except for the last one and given the choice of saving them or throwing away my edits. I normally save & quit. My concern is the program often aborts before I can get to save/quit and I lose everything. I've no idea what causes the abort but it appears to be related to using the UI to edit the string in Name().

If the program does save everything when you us the menu to save then why show us the list at the every end?

Goku, on 30 July 2018 - 09:11 AM, said:

And what 3 level menu?

Sorry, my mistake I was going back and forth between my editor and TRSE_CE, the editor holding a copy of the log. The PITA 3 level function was in the editor. It all ran together.

[goku]

Quote

REALLY? Bull Excrement!

Then explain why this happens:

Ok, thanks. Save all menu action will be added in the future.

[Genma Saotome]

Genma Saotome, on 25 July 2018 - 11:03 PM, said:

Second suggestion is sometimes a .wag or .eng doesn't load. The space it would have occupied in the train display seems to be zero pixels which makes it hard to know what's missing w/o pulling the .con file into an editor. Could you pad that space a bit so we can read the file name? That would also make it easier to replace the missing item with something else.

Thanks for your time.

Goku, WRT the above comment, I'll clarify: the main problem is when a unit in a consist fails to load and is not displayed you cannot use the UI to replace it, you have to pull the .con file up in a text editor and make your changes there. This sort of defeats the purpose of using the con editor in the first place.

I think what's needed is the display of something to convey the file failed to load, something large enough to be easily selected by the user and allows him to use the UI of the editor to select a replacement unit. That way we don't need to open up the .con file in a text editor, we can work entirely within the con editor. So perhaps the display of a select-able rectangle would be sufficient, with or without a message explaining what's going on.

[goku]

Genma Saotome, on 07 August 2018 - 12:31 PM, said:

Goku, WRT the above comment, I'll clarify: the main problem is when a unit in a consist fails to load and is not displayed you cannot use the UI to replace it, you have to pull the .con file up in a text editor and make your changes there. This sort of defeats the purpose of using the con editor in the first place.

Just enable Unit view and you can select broken entries.

[Genma Saotome]

Ahhh... yes, that makes a big difference.

Thank you for your help!