LOCO LIGHTS

[ern45]

Hallo everyone,

Please can someone help me. Often you will load a steam loco, and you need to add the front lights (white on) and rear lights (even to the tender) showing red. Once placement is completed, I attach this to the vehicle (the chain emblem) but after a while I find these lights (one or 2) disappear or gets "left" behind somewhere. How do I solve this as I am tired of having to copy, re-align and attach.

Thanks in advance 

Ern45

[Goetz]

vor 22 Minuten schrieb ern45:

How do I solve this

That's difficult to say, Ern. Because normally the lights do stay attached.
And according to your description, you're doing it right.

Whatever is causing the lights to wander, is something you do that's missing from your description. 

A classic cause would be that someone uses the link and grouping at the same time and with the same objects. The two methods of keeping multiple objects together tend to fight each other when used in combination.

Kind regards
Goetz

[ern45]

Hallo Goetz,

I think I might have found my problem. When fitting a loco with lights do it "new" from the catalog. Do not copy & paste from another loco. It seems to have solved the problem (I hope).

Kind regards

Ern

[hmclay]

 

On 5/18/2025 at 12:36 AM, ern45 said:

Hallo Goetz,

I think I might have found my problem. When fitting a loco with lights do it "new" from the catalog. Do not copy & paste from another loco. It seems to have solved the problem (I hope).

Kind regards

Ern

Do not copy & paste

That is interesting to hear. I have been having multiple problems with tracks and such. I have used copy and paste a lot with vehicles, tracks (virtual and otherwise), and after hours of "fixing", I came to the conclusion that copy and paste was a great source of my problems. Even if I changed the name of the copied vehicle.

 I even copy and paste event "blocks" of code and change the variables necessary, had problems. Deleted the event reconstructed with the same exact code, problem removed.

VERY Interesting ! ... but un-nerving !

[Phrontistes]

vor 6 Stunden schrieb hmclay:

I came to the conclusion that copy and paste was a great source of my problems.

3DTS has its own copy and paste. It's a very powerful tool, but you have to be careful about what's being copied (for example the EM) and what isn't (for example the link).

vor 6 Stunden schrieb hmclay:

Even if I changed the name of the copied vehicle.

The name doesn't matter. The copied object always has its own ID, and 3DTS addresses the objects by ID not by name.

Am 18.5.2025 um 06:36 schrieb ern45:

Do not copy & paste from another loco

That's not the problem. The link isn't copied. If you align the copied light discs as desired and then link them (chain symbol), it works.

Am 12.5.2025 um 17:29 schrieb ern45:

I find these lights (one or 2) disappear or gets "left" behind somewhere.

Then you accidentally deleted the link to the loco.

[hmclay]

I use the duplicate function in 3DTS, not the copy. I'm I using the correct method. Copy/Paste didn't seem to work so well.

I have noticed, that when I duplicate and drag what I thought was the duplicate object, that may not be the case. The object that moves just may be the original. Then I change the name or whatever and it gets all messed up in the Events. If the object is reference in several events ... well it's hard to chase down and causes lots of errors.

BTW, I desperately need a search engine to find where objects, variables ect. are used in events. Is there a way ... I've looked but haven't found. Search for items on the screen yes, but not in the events.

Howard

[Phrontistes]

vor 4 Stunden schrieb hmclay:

I have noticed, that when I duplicate and drag what I thought was the duplicate object, that may not be the case. The object that moves just may be the original.

Use Duplicate (multiple), this is usually more convenient to use because you can then see where you place the copy when you click.

[Goetz]

vor 12 Stunden schrieb hmclay:

I have noticed, that when I duplicate and drag what I thought was the duplicate object, that may not be the case.

When you duplicate a model, the fresh duplicate is always the active model. You can rename it, reposition it, change it's properties ...
Just don't select it! Don't click on it! Because when you attempt to select it, you may accidentally grab the original instead.

[hmclay]

Thanks for the advice.

When I duplicate, the duplicate is superimposed on the "original". I usually just put the cursor on top and drag to another location , then rename it. I'll change my ways, and rename it first since it becomes the active model.

Thanks !

Just read @Phrontistes response ... I like that !!!

Bearbeitet Mittwoch um 22:05 Uhr von hmclay
Added "I like that"

[Goetz]

vor 57 Minuten schrieb hmclay:

I usually just put the cursor on top and drag

Hello Howard,

I figured that this might be what you do (and how you end up with unpredictable results).
Instead of trying to grab the copy with your mouse, you may want to activate the gismo (shortcut: G) first and then use one of it's axiis to drag the copy to a new location. 

Another safe method to copy an item is to

1. position the mouse over the original model
2. hold down the left mouse button
3. hold down the left Alt key too
4. drag the model to its new location (this creates the copy, the original remains at its place)
5. release the Alt key
6. release the left mouse button

kind regards
Goetz

Bearbeitet Mittwoch um 23:07 Uhr von Goetz
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