AG4 Enhancement List Options

[sgdavis]

Norm and I have been discussing what features would be important to incorporate into the next release (next full version) of Activity Generator.  The bad news is I may not be able to get this done until this summer when things slow down somewhat.

 

Here are our initial thoughts:

 

AG 4.0 New Features

·                       New SWLTDB file format

·                       Both numbers for each spur (solves problem with track numbers in SWLACT and SWLTDB files not matching)

·                       Field for CarTypeWanted (as always) PLUS new field CarTypeShipped (so these can be changed simply by changing the SWLACT file without a need to edit the activity .act file).

·                       Fields allow for multiple types, space delimited (so a spur could accept, say, covered hoppers and/or tank cars, or any combination of cars, and ship out the same or different cars.)

·                       New track selection window: Destination track(s)  -- This is so cars picked up at "Industry" tracks (online shippers/customers) will be scheduled to be set out somewhere rather than just picked up, at the user's option.  Also it will make generating Through Trains w/o switching easier: you could start with a train already assembled and have ONLY a destination track, the only goal would be to stop off as much of the original train as will fit on that track or tracks at the end of the run (basically, one setout, or more if the user desires) at the end of the run.

·                       Depending on capacity of those tracks, all industry pickups will go to that track or tracks

·                       If there aren't enough industry pickups to satisfy the "total pickups" then yard track pickups will be added to go to the destination track

·                       Design Challenge: Need to figure out how to determine car type to move when starting with a "Yard" track or in the player's train, and then setting out in another yard track.  Suggestions?

·                       Suggestion: in fill world routines, like kinds (types) grouped together in a cut as an option?  So you see strings of boxcars, then tank cars, etc., in yard cuts rather than a more random sequence?

·         New track type (i.e. not Y or I or U) just for world fill: X.  Pickups/setouts never scheduled for these tracks, just used for world fill.  This would be useful to place cars on the "other side of the tracks" for double track routes or for spurs that can only be used for facing point setouts which are passed by a train but may not be schedulable for work by the template designer.

·        Save selections for activity generation in a file (.dat?) and allow reload (so if you choose source tracks, industry tracks, number of pickups, etc., you can just reload that and generate a new activity using the same settings.)  This could be useful if you generate an activity but don't like the work you got, the length of the train, the amount of fill, etc., and would like to generate the same activity again.  Once the settings were loaded you could make changes before pressing the "Generate" button.  Or generate with exactly the same settings.

 

These enhancements are really targeted to our template designers and our more advanced users.  If you have thoughts on these enhancements, questions, or suggestions, or can help with any of the design challenges above, please respond to this topic here on this forum.

 

Thanks!

 

Steve

sgdavis2007-4-23 19:19:13

[sgdavis]

A couple additional features I think we need to add:

·        Set a “starting region” (and/or specific starting tracks?) for each path.  Source tracks will default to those.  That will reduce the need for documentation -- players can always get a good activity by sourcing their trains from those tracks, such as tracks in Whitefish yard for an eastbound run on Marias.

·        Set a “max cars in initial player train” for each path, valid at path start.  For templates that have this file the warning about starting with cars in a player train (in AG) will go away, but the maximum number will be limited to the maximum set here by the template author.  Since trains build from the rear in most cases the max can likely be 99, but in some cases there won't be this much room.  This will enable users to SAFELY start with a train already built, up to a length determined by the template author.

 

[joebandit]

ConBuilder max consist size is now at 150, I would think that a mximum length for a train should be that and as far as sidings go, whatever will fit. Since a lot of route builders don't seem to put the siding markers to the full working length of those sidings and spurs that might be a fun thing to incorporate.

All good ideas Steve.Wouldn't comma delimited be a better idea for the fields rather than a space?

 

[sgdavis]

Joe,

Thanks for your response, it's great having your input!  As for comma delimited, I can't do that because the file itself is comma delimited.  So the list of car types will look like a single string within the .csv file I already use.  I.e. "some other field","BX T CVH","some other field".

Good info on the max consist size, I'll use that!

Thanks again, for this post and your continued contributions to our hobby. 

Best,

Steve

[nbeveridge]

Regarding the track type X for world fill, I assume that a pick up event is still needed for these tracks?!??

[nbeveridge]

For the casual user, who is not interested in creating templates, note that all these enhancements will create much better activites for you.  For example, the new SWLTDB.csv file with the multiple car types plus the added "car type shipped" column will allow for more realistic movements to and from individual industry tracks. 

This will make yard tracks more interesting as well, since currently we must choose between a single car type or the "A" (for any and all car types).  With AG4 you could set up the receiving yard track(s) for "A", and then have class tracks for specific (though multiple) car types by industry or destination.  Not only would the yard look more realistic, but this would make a yard switching activity much more interesting.

[Frascati]

For you 'wish list' ...

It occurs to me that the 'car description' field held in the SWLADB.csv might at some future time be profitably augmented by a the addition of AG recognising a consist file name.

This would allow 2 part articulated auto boxes, multi part articulated container cars, spine cars, tank-train and other multi part stock (such as a MOW crane consist) to be accommodated. Many of these have to be constructed in a set order, something that AG cannot at the moment do.

AG would need recognise the .con suffix to the file name as well as the current .wag (which would have to be implied when absent for backward compatibility).

Perhaps some naming convention on the filename could state how the consist might be used by the AG. eg FIX... Fixed type consist, used "as is" and VAR... a 'variable length' type car pro forma consist, consisting of Lead car, Middle Car (which AG can then create a random number of) and End car.

 

[jrmeindl]

Another for the wish list.

A way to choose or set up various traffic patterns.  It would be a great help when running a reverse main senerio on routes such as Gallup Sub, Clovis Sub etc.

Jim

[sgdavis]

Another for the wish list.

A way to choose or set up various traffic patterns.  It would be a great help when running a reverse main senerio on routes such as Gallup Sub, Clovis Sub etc.

Jim

That's a great suggestion.  I won't be able to accomplish that in the next update.  The problem is the limitations of MSTS and the signalling system  I will keep trying to improve the AI traffic situation though.

Thanks,

Steve