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[Andy]

Just wrote some words, didn't hurt.. Looking forward for the finished one, I really like it!

[Goetz]

vor 3 Stunden schrieb 220hotwheels:

will add some extra details such as crossings etc

Don't, Pete.

Not at the beginning. Get to grips with one aspect. Just one. When that is fully understood, tackle the next one. You're progress will be much faster that way.

Begin with slowing the train at four different spots on your layout, using only a single event definition in the EM. Concentrate on that. Ignore signals, ignore stopping the train, ignore delay times, ignore barriers, switch points and what not.

[220hotwheels]

Hi Guys

I've had some more time to go through your earlier advice together with the work that Tom has done for me in setting me on the right path. It is now so clear that my approach has been more than just a little off the mark. Having taken your advice Andy and looked at the list of items used I was staggered by the amount of repetition. That said when I start to trim I will need to be careful not to diminish the overall effect that I had always wanted to create, When all is said and done elements such as trees provide an extremely important dimension in trying for near realism. In the same way telegraph poles, street lights etc have all yet to be added.

I've just read your recent advice Goetz and have no imminent intentions to complicate matters by introducing these into the demo layout EM at present. Rest assured that I plan to keep it all very simple and get to grips with the basics as you outlined in your example.

Hi Tom. I've also had the time to take a closer look at your revised EM for tracks 3 & 4, they are brilliant and show me just how wrong my approach has been. I will follow your advice to keep Fairmont principally for the landscaping aspect for now which will encapsulate a thinning of certain elements as well as additional work on the remaining tracks and roads.

My demo layout, currently two ovals providing two parallel tracks is called Lockington. When I am happy that I have got to grips with all of the advice given I will send it to you for further comment if that is OK with you.

Cheers 

Pete

 

[metallix]

Hi

Working on Fairmont I noticed something interesting in terms of laptop's and/or operating systems. My main machine is about 3.5years old and runs windows10. My older, now workshop, machine is about 9years old and on windows7. Both are on latest MS updates (Win7 is not supported anymore) and highly speced as for video editing and so on. The newer machine struggles really getting Fairmont up, it takes about 7min currently, but worse it stalls when trying to enter/edit object variables. After a minute or so it eventually opens the window for the selection and works fine again. The old machine struggles similar to get it up but once it is loaded all operations in EM are done without much hesitation.

Cheers

Tom

[220hotwheels]

Hi Tom

I believe I might have covered part of the above in an earlier reply but I too am using Windows 10 professional on both of my machines. Both have Intel i7 processors, the laptop one is less than a year old with 16Gb Ram and the desktop is only 4 months old running 48GB Ram so I don't find it too slow to load Fairmont. The laptop takes around 45 seconds and the desktop about 30 seconds. Where I have to be careful is when I am moving quickly around the layout to make sure that I don't catch something that I shouldn't.

Cheers 

Pete

[metallix]

Hi Pete

I just remembered: In Fairmont the ground(board) wasn't locked when I started. I locked it!

It is done by clicking on the pin needle. It looks like this when activated. Once it is activated it is safer to move on the ground either with a mouse or keyboard shortcuts. If it is not activated one needs to click outside the board in the Universum in order to have no object selected. So if you make sure, that ground is locked, you can also just deselect the current object by single-clicking on the ground since any locked object or even layer (yes you can lock every layer with all objects on it as well) requires a double click for activation.

Cheers

Tom

Bearbeitet 10. Oktober 2019 von metallix

[220hotwheels]

Hi Tom

Thanks for that. It should eliminate my error from before and stop my poor firemen from over exercising!! 

Cheers

Pete

[220hotwheels]

Hi Tom

As you suggested I have set up a demo layout Lockington. Size wise I appreciate that it is quite large again but my intention initially is to set up three stations along the outer track so that I can experiment with multi trains, barriers, speeds etc. Once I have got to grips with that I can then move on by setting up an inner two tracks to learn about points, crossings etc. At least that's the plan.

I thought all was going well following your examples and whilst the two trains seem to run reasonably I cannot for the life of me get the crossings to operate unless I place an instruction line in the EM for each track, which is not how you have sorted it's operation in Fairmont. I have compared your instructions and mine over and over and cannot see just where I am going wrong. Could I therefore trouble you once more to point out the errors of my ways please.

Cheers

Pete

Lockington demo.mbp

[Timba]

Hi Pete, the error is in the object variables of your two barriers. You have defined them as type "catchword" instead of "variable". If you change that it runs smoothly.

Regards Timba

[Timba]

[220hotwheels]

Hi Timba

Many thanks for that. I had assumed that as I had set the "Trains Crossing" variable to > than 0 then selecting + 1 and - 1 for the actual operation would work fine but having selected = to 1 and = to 0 in each of the variables for open and close barriers respectively they do now close and open so many thanks for that. Very much appreciated.

Kind regards

Pete

[metallix]

Hi Pete

Timba's hint got it somewhat going....the crossing in the west of the station is working fine. Have a look at the track contacts for opening the west one. They are involved in the east as well.....

Principle of the crossing operation

For a crossing, either a unit or assembled from parts, one counting variable is required. In V5 variables are typically homed in objects. It can be any object, visible or invisible, large or tiny, on or under/over the ground... Ideally, it is an object related to the task. The counting (object)variable can have a unique name or it can have a common name across several uniquely named objects.

To feed the counting variable with data, track contacts or contact tracks or a combination of both are essential. For each track, the information of a train entering the crossing zone as well as the information of a train leaving the crossing zone is communicated from contacts to the counting variable. The use of keywords allows to just copy and place track contacts on all tracks within a crossing and cover them all in one entry only in the EM, likewise for tracks used as a contact (trigger)

The counting variable is closing the barrier arms, and holding them shut, as long as its value is greater than zero. When its value is zero it opens the barrier arms and holds them open. For this, the setting in the animation has to be backward from end. If the value changes during opening the barrier should just reverse their motion and shut again. For this, the setting in the animation has to be forward from current.

If a crossing, that used to operate fine, is malfunctioning the first thing to check is the counting variable in the object it is homed. That's why it is preferable to home it in an object related to the task, it will be easy to find. Object variables can be monitored live (in V5 now)  with the EP (event protocol) This is useful when the cause for changing the value of a counting variable is a mystery.

Cheers

Tom

[220hotwheels]

Hi Tom

Your advice, as always, is invaluable. It's taken me a while to digest it all but it does make a lot of sense.

In trying to get both sets of points working properly in line with your setting in the Fairmont layout it was necessary to take some of my efforts back to basics and yes by doing so I realised where I had gone wrong initially and duplicated the operation between barriers 1 and 2. I've now got both barriers working properly as each train on their respective tracks approach and leave so progress has been made. 

So that I am sure I have the process right I will now look to set up a similar situation on the opposite side of the oval with a different station and set of crossings. Fingers crossed that I don't foul up again but as the saying goes, 'practice makes perfect'

Thanks again Tom. My folder with all of your advice grows weekly. By the time I become proficient at this hobby I will be able to write a book with all of your advice. Royalties to be shared 50/50 !!!

Cheers

Pete

[metallix]

Hi Pete

Sound's good to me.....shared

Try some changes to the setup/settings and watch the effects this is causing. This will help you also understand how things work and also give you ideas on how to do things in other/many ways.

Here is your demo with some mods to the trains stopping.....

Cheers

Tom

Bearbeitet 11. Oktober 2019 von metallix

[220hotwheels]

Thanks Tom. More ideas to play about with. This is definitely my best way to learn, in at the deep but with the help of an expert to keep me on the straight and narrow.

Many thanks once again

Cheers

Pete

[220hotwheels]

Hi Tom

I have followed your advice to simplify both rail and road tracks and get rid of flexibend elements as you know in the Fairmont layout. Whilst I have not finished this yet I have noticed that no vehicle seems to want to run on any road that has been altered in this way. I came across this phenomena whilst playing around with my demo track, Lockington, in trying to sort out how to stop a vehicle at a crossing only when the barrier is down. I'm not quite there yet but getting closer. I have therefore had to use flexibend roads to solve this problem on that particular layout. Clearly there is no doubt something that I am overlooking but so far I cannot figure out what it is.

On the demo layout I have now got 8 trains running on four different tracks with 8 different crossing barriers and a control mechanism in place to ensure none run into one another. Still a bit of fine tuning to undertake but I'm getting there. After that I plan to introduce alternative tracks to feed into others so that I can try to get to grips with different timings. Without your guidance I would still be floundering in the "dark ages", so to speak so once again many thanks for all your guidance.

Cheers 

Pete

[metallix]

Hi Pete

Did you alter all 3 tracks of a road model?

Track 0 is actually only the visible road (model) while virtual tracks 1 and 2 are the tracks vehicles are moving on. So if you only gave track 0 a new length of let's say 500mm, the two actual tracks the vehicles move on still only have 120mm length, hence won't go.

I often delete all virtual tracks, even on crossings, and use the roading models as such only. I build my actual virtual (driving) tracks from this:

Under the brush icon, you'll find a choice of colours for this virtual spline. These splines can be edited to your liking, so you can build more reality like scenes with parking vehicles on the kerbsides while traffic is more close to the centre, for example. You can edit points as well, so customized (and easier to control) intersections can be made, too. And with these splines, you can still incorporate the odd road model (flexi-bend), no prob. The use of the new virtual tracks in the catalogue is not practical with road models and the splines I am using because of hight differences that will make vehicles visibly jump.

Cheers

Tom

[220hotwheels]

Hi Tom

Oops. Just goes to show how much I need to learn. I think the phrase that springs to mind is, 'I wondered what that section did'. In my ignorance I simply thought that it allowed the choice of either route 'O', route 1 or route 2, not that it had any bearing on the makeup of each road section. Now that I know I can add further revision work to my schedule. As they say a day without learning is a day lost. With 3D Train Studio there are certainly no days lost!!

I will also look at the use of the virtual road. Now that you have pointed this out it makes perfect sense.

This particular phrase seems to be a normal one for me now but it is so appropriate. "Many thanks once again".

Cheers

Pete

[220hotwheels]

Hi Tom

Apologies for bothering you again, if I become a nuisance then please let me know. I would appreciate you taking a look at my efforts with both train and barrier control and pointing out the error of my ways, in particular with the crossing barrier control which I have really struggled to come to term with. The only way that I have been able to get the vehicles to start again once stopped is by introducing a time delay. This isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination because if two trains trip the barrier at the same time then my vehicle simply ignores the barrier instruction and ends up going through the trains. I've tried so many variations, clearly not the right ones, to try to achieve perfection but have now hit the proverbial brick wall and need further guidance.

Kindest regards

Pete

Lockington Main.mbp

[metallix]

Hi Pete

Don't you think you're going a bit overboard with a "demo" like Lockington Main? In general, I use a variable, similar to controlling the barriers, for controlling traffic. I made a demo for this a while ago, but all in German. Have a look. Happy to translate where the language barrier is trying to stop you.

By the way, V5 got an update with more cool features, yesterday, but one has to turn the auto-update function on in order to get it.

Cheers

Tom

 

[220hotwheels]

Hi Tom

Thanks for that. My thinking for Lockington Main is to present me with as many different scenarios to solve that may appear in Fairmont. Different tracks, different crossings and so on but without any clutter. As I solve one problem I can then introduce another whilst having to retain the overall operation capability.

So onwards and upward with the crossing problem. I've copied and translated the crossing demo shown in the posts under demo and will look to apply that logic to my problem. As for Auto Updates. I already have that "ticked" permanently so assume I will always have the latest available.

Cheers

Pete  

[220hotwheels]

Hi Tom

I hope you are well, that you enjoyed your Christmas and are now ready to fully embrace 2020. May I take this opportunity to wish you all the very best for this New Year.

Since our last contact I took the decision to follow your advice and put Fairmont well and truly on hold pending quite radical alterations once I have learnt more.

To that end I started a new layout, much smaller by comparison, so that I could concentrate on more interactive operations in order to try to understand EV management more fully. As a result of this I now have greater control of trains and loading and unloading of waggons so that the overall operation tells more of a story rather than them simply going around a circuit. I have also got to grips with trucks and trailers so that they too arrive at depots, load or unload with fork trucks, cranes etc and depot doors and gates operating at the correct time to facilitate arrivals and departures. All in all I am quite pleased with my progress so far which I have to say is largely down to your guidance and my sheer determination to master as much as possible. Having said that I am under no illusion that I am still at a pretty basic stage, especially after reading some of the posts and comments on the forum.

 

Speaking of which I did take a look at your suggested post regarding crossing barriers and have tried so many variations to see if I can understand the principle for a smooth operation. I have to admit that to date I have failed miserably. Getting the train to close and open the barriers is simple enough. Getting the vehicle to stop at the barrier is simple enough but getting it to stop only when the barrier is down is proving more difficult. Once the barrier is down and the vehicle has stopped then getting it to start again is also not difficult by using the track contact to open the barrier and start the vehicle.

I would, once again, be very grateful if you could point me in the right direction, in simple terms, as to how I could achieve this operation. My thinking has been to try to find the right combination of instructions to achieve what is a simple operation, ie when the road contact is triggered stop the vehicle only if the barrier is down and to carry on if the barrier is up. In trying to achieve this I started by following your examples for barrier operation and then tried to alter them to meet my requirement but so far nothing has worked.

This time I setup a simple test track and have attach this so that you can consider my feeble attempts to solve the problem.

I have also downloaded instruction for crossing control posted last August, see below, but this is too advanced for me at the moment.

1.       A train approaches the level crossing and passes the (green) track contact for closing the barrier: Increase the counter for the level crossing occupancy (variable "train occupancy") by 1 by trains. 2. If the level crossing is "free" from cars (variable "car occupancy" = 0), the protection signal opens. If the protection signal before the level crossing remains closed (variable "car occupancy"> 0), the train must stop in front of it. 3. Occupancy variable "Train occupancy" is increased from 0 to 1: Switch traffic lights for the cars at the level crossing to "Red" and prevent other cars from crossing the stop lines in front of the barriers (stop cars). However, the barriers cannot be closed while there are still cars in the level crossing area. 4. Car leaves level crossing (recognized by leaving the black track contact behind the level crossing): Reduce the counter for the level crossing by cars (variable "car allocation") by 1. 5. Occupancy variable " Car occupancy" is reduced from 1 to 0: Close barriers (there are now no cars in the level crossing area). 6. Closing of the barriers completed: opening of the respective protection signal when a train is waiting to be opened (i.e. is in front of the signal or is approaching). Start the stopping train or let the approaching train pass. 7. Train has passed a protection signal in front of the level crossing: close the protection signal. 8. Train leaves level crossing (identified by leaving the green track contact behind the level crossing): Reduce the counter for the level crossing occupancy by trains (variable "Train allocation") by 1. 9. Occupancy variable "Train occupancy" is reduced from 1 to 0: Open the railroad gates. 10. Opening of the barrier has been completed: switch off the red traffic lights, remove the blocking of the cars at the stop lines, and let the cars in front start driving. 11. Cars crossing the level crossing enter the black track contact between the stop line and the barrier: Increase the counter for the level crossing occupancy (variable "car occupancy") by cars

I would therefore very much appreciate your further guidance please.

Kind regards

Pete

Crossing barriers test track.mbp

[metallix]

Hi Pete

Sounds all good. Happy new year and the best wishes for a great and successful 2020 to you, too.

Have a look at this one. It's not designed for multiple vehicles on each lane but the principle is easy.

For multiple vehicles I created this one a while ago.

Cheers

Tom

 

[220hotwheels]

Hi Tom

Many thanks for that. From a brief glance through the EV it would seem that I was not far off the mark at times but just got certain bits mixed up so then went down numerous other paths. If Mr Google and I get a bit lost with any translation might I impose on you yet again for help with that?

Cheers 

Pete

[metallix]

Hi Pete

Sure, no problem.

Cheers

Tom