[Weter]

Hello.
Hope Your wife feels better.
Since ORTS AE will become self-enough tool for all the tasks existant - no more need for compatibility with MSTS AE. But before that occurs - its required.

[cjakeman]

Amtrak115, on 31 January 2023 - 04:02 PM, said:

That's a question for the developers to ponder....Anyway...back to work....

Thanks for the suggestion, Amtrak.

Hoping to ponder soon.

[railguy]

Since this thread broaches the idea of combining the AE, Trackviewer, etc. into "one-stop shopping" so to speak, one thing that I've wished for a long time is to have the ability to add activity-specific scenery objects. For example, let's say that one wants a work crew and off-track equipment to appear at a certain location next to the track for an activity. The activity creator could use a tool to add the shapes for work crew, equipment, etc. at the desired location--sort of like placing a loose consist, but not tied to track location or loco/stock files and shapes--in the activity file. And, yes, TS20** has had this feature for a long time. Similarly, an object could be removed for a certain activity. For example, in the TrainSimulations BNSF Seligman Route, the Seligman depot is present in the route, but was removed from the prototype some years back. So, an activity creator building an activity for, say, the year 2020, could remove the depot for that activity only. Just some thoughts. As always, thanks to all of the folks working on making OR better.

[Amtrak115]

railguy, on 01 February 2023 - 05:10 PM, said:

activity-specific scenery objects

Already on my List!!

[R H Steele]

railguy, on 01 February 2023 - 05:10 PM, said:

... one thing that I've wished for a long time is to have the ability to add activity-specific scenery objects. For example, let's say that one wants a work crew and off-track equipment to appear at a certain location next to the track for an activity. ...

Amtrak115, on 01 February 2023 - 05:49 PM, said:

Already on my List!!

Would it be possible to link sound sources to these objects -- utilizing the activity editor or would that be accomplished in some other manner?

[Amtrak115]

R H Steele, on 02 February 2023 - 03:32 PM, said:

Would it be possible to link sound sources to these objects -- utilizing the activity editor or would that be accomplished in some other manner?

we can sort of do that today. you can play a sound file (.wav) as an outcome of a location event. you can set where you can here the sound, in cab, in wagons/passenger cars or outside, or you can limit to one of those. I'm on the verge of pushing out an activity that has 80 sound files, all triggered by location events, that can only be heard in the cab of the engine. Most are conductor calls to engineer or engineer calling out signals.

amtrak115

[Amtrak115]

Weter, on 02 February 2023 - 06:11 PM, said:

Yes, real-like audible radio-exchange would add a lot, rather just text captions on popup windows, what is our reality since MSTS times.

The activity I've created (and in final testing now), basically recreates a Headend video that was released in 2012. You can here the conductor tell the engineer to "Highball" at the end of station stops, and the engineer call out signals, and the conductor repeats. Also in one case a train on a siding calls out an inspection report that the engineer acknowledges. Took me a while because I had to set up traffic to set the signals as seen on the video....it was kind-of fun and acted as a requirements demo for what I want to add to any Acitivity editor.

[cjakeman]

Amtrak115, on 31 January 2023 - 04:02 PM, said:

So the thought ...is it necessary to have the "loose Consist" in the activity too. Why not a reference to the consist file. Yes this would be a move to ORTS specific....not backward compatible with MSTS....So is it time to start moving away from backward compatibility or do we continue to require that. That's a question for the developers to ponder....Anyway...back to work....

It's great that you're working on the TrackViewer.

James and I discussed your proposal at the recent ORMT session and, if it's simply a case of identical data in two places, then referencing the consist file sounds like a good idea. This would lead to activities that will not run properly on MSTS, but compatibility in that direction is not an issue we care about.

Any other developers care to comment?

[Amtrak115]

cjakeman, on 11 February 2023 - 09:07 AM, said:

It's great that you're working on the TrackViewer.

I'm looking at TrackViewer as the basis for a not only paths, but for activities. Personally I think working in the 2D space of trackviewer would make activity editing easier. I'm using TSRE for activity development currently, but it get cumbersome at times. Working with Perpetualkid...whose being very patient with all my questions...has helped in understanding how ORTS goes together...let's say...I'm starting to play in the code. Concentrating on Tools rather than the sim itself, however using the ORTS code as a basis for the tools. Anyway.....back to Visual Studio....

later

Amtrak115

[Metro4001]

Amtrak115, on 11 February 2023 - 10:20 AM, said:

I'm looking at TrackViewer as the basis for a not only paths, but for activities. Personally I think working in the 2D space of trackviewer would make activity editing easier. I'm using TSRE for activity development currently, but it get cumbersome at times. Working with Perpetualkid...whose being very patient with all my questions...has helped in understanding how ORTS goes together...let's say...I'm starting to play in the code. Concentrating on Tools rather than the sim itself, however using the ORTS code as a basis for the tools. Anyway.....back to Visual Studio....

later

Amtrak115

Yes yes yes, I've always hated the Railworks
/TS 20xx editors because of using the 3d space to make activities. It is cumbersome. I hate the way you have to load in the assets by clicking on the author/producer instead of having the stock you want in a nice list with a picture. Placing the stock can be tedious as well. The old 2d MSTS activity editor was a pleasure to work with on the rare occasion it could load.