How on earth do you limit the train length?

[cammo2003 20]

I've been doing skins for my own SC4 for some time now, but this question has been bothering me for a while now.

How exactly would I go about limiting the train length? For example, I'd love to do 2-car railmotors, which would be an asset to the game (and would double as useful vehicles for the GLR.

In addition, I'd also like to have standard train lengths available - 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9 car passenger/el/subway sets would be good to have.

I assume there is a way to do this?

Sorry, had to get it off my chest, it's been wracking my brain for a while now... (and being the railfan I am

[vester_DK 477]

Yes please tell us if it's possible.

[GoaSkin 2]

Impossible. One Exemplar configures four train length settings:

- min length of freight trains
- max length of freight trains
- min length of all types of passenger trains
- max length of all types of passenger trains

[vester_DK 477]

Is it possible to do an engine with two (maybe 3) s3d models in it. It's act like a engine and a car, but don't drag any other cars.
I got some of the idea from a train by NOB:

It don't drag any cars.

[GoaSkin 2]

One car may be possible with a trick, but I don't know if that really works. There is a setting for freight trucks to add a second trailer to them. This parameter may be usable with train locomotives too but never tested.

[vester_DK 477]

GoaSkin Well let's us make a try. I will make a train where the car is a copy of the engine. Hope you will dig into the codes for me.

btw. that train I showed in my previous post, it's a bit to long for the GLR.

[cammo2003 20]

Date: 8/20/2005 6:39:17 AM
Author: GoaSkin
Impossible. One Exemplar configures four train length settings:


- min length of freight trains

- max length of freight trains

- min length of all types of passenger trains

- max length of all types of passenger trains

quote>

I should have made myself more clear. That doesn't really bother me, actually, seeing as I never see freight trains in my game anyway, i couldn't care less. I'm just sick of seeing trains that are far too long for any station. I just mentioned the lengths because that's likely what I'd be changing the maximum to, as they're fairly common real life standard set sizes.

I'm more concerned about having a lower maximum length than anything, I just happen to have a preference for the particular car lengths I mentioned earlier.

I'm sure that modding the lengths is actually possible (I seem to recall there was a dat floating around somewhere).

[GoaSkin 2]

There are pathfinding and automata plugins coming with the NAM. Inside the .DATs, there is only one exemplar. In each exemplar, there are numeric settings for the train lengths which can be adjusted there.

[6underground 11]

I have a question GoaSkin since you seem to be far more knowledgable about it than i am. I am currently modding an British Intercity 125 for New Rhodesia, then releasing on the STEX. Heres a shot (the long one in the middle) of the train layout with two driving trains at each end;

Train station in development from my BAT Thread



Is it possible too add a driving train automatically at the end of the coaches, like a jazzed up caboose if you will.

If possible could it also double up as a driving train so that you could go fowards AND backards if you choose too?

[GoaSkin 2]

@6underground: It is not possible to have influence on the last car on trains without modifying SC4MassTransitTrain.cpp. We don't have any sourcecode.

@vester_dk: I tried to declare a tram as a trailer vehicle and to attach a single car using this way (like truck trailers). That does not work because you have to use a different vehicle class which binds the vehicle to the road networks. When adding a single car, the trams are using streets and roads.

[6underground 11]

Thats a dman shame would have looked more authentic had it been possible. damn that source code!

Well, many thanks for your help.

[cammo2003 20]

Date: 8/20/2005 3:08:06 PM
Author: GoaSkin
There are pathfinding and automata plugins coming with the NAM. Inside the .DATs, there is only one exemplar. In each exemplar, there are numeric settings for the train lengths which can be adjusted there.

quote>

Thankyou. But exactly which property is it? It's kinda hard to figure out which is which when they all have 'unknown' next to them.... )

[GoaSkin 2]

Just examine the automata and pathfinding plugins coming with the NAM. Each .DAT has only one exemplar inside containing the setting.

[KurtangleTN 10]

Is it just Commute Train Length (the property) Or is it more? I have a file with just the Commute Train Length, but it dont work to limit it. The values are 0x02 for min and max is 0x05..

I have found other limiters but there either too small or dont do anything. I like 5 trains max becuase it looks good on both Passanger Rail and El Rail trains. Where anything less then 4 looks bad for passanger rail.

Could anyone tell me what other one controlls it, or make a mod like that?

[cammo2003 20]

Date: 8/31/2005 1:49:06 PM
Author: GoaSkin
Just examine the automata and pathfinding plugins coming with the NAM. Each .DAT has only one exemplar inside containing the setting.

quote>

I am aware - I've taken a look. It's just that with so many 'Unknown' properties listed within the exemplar...

[JohnB 66]

Attention!!!!

Vester and I have figured out how to change the length of the train. It is very simple.

 

We were trying to figure out how to get the Pittsburgh T tram to have one engine and 2 cars so it will be more like real life. So here is how we did it.

 

First of all, it depends on which version of NAM you have installed, but there is only one file like this in each version. Go to your NetworkAddonMod folder in the MyDocuments/SimCity4/Plugins folder.

 

Now look for the following file: NetworkAddonMod_Automata_Plugin_Radical.dat

 

I have the radical version of NAM installed so mine is radical. If you have the standard version of NAM installed look for the same file except it should say standard.

 

Then open this file in ILive reader and change the Commute Train Length property. Click on it and change the hex values to the length that you want.

 

For example we wanted the T trolley to have about 3 cars. Meaning first one is the engine and then 2 cars. So we put these hex values.

 

0x02,0x04

 

This is 2-4 cars. I think you get the idea. Vester will put more information about this later.

 

Here is the proof that it works

 

http://www.imgcity.net/server/primary/3_cars_Ttrolley_from_Johnb1.jpg align=baseline> 

 

 

[Andreas Roth 639]

@JohnB: Eh, I don't want to break the parade, but this is old news. GoaSkin already mentioned this back in august 2005. (BTW, the tram looks great, though.)

[JohnB 66]

Date: 12/28/2005 9:35:18 PM Author: Andreas Roth @JohnB: Eh, I don't want to break the parade, but this is old news. GoaSkin already mentioned this back in august 2005. (BTW, the tram looks great, though.)

Oh I didnt know. Hehe. Well lets say I put it again for anyone who does not know how to do it yet.  

[hamsterTK 93]

Goaskin wrote:

@vester_dk: I tried to declare a tram as a trailer vehicle and to attach a single car using this way (like truck trailers). That does not work because you have to use a different vehicle class which binds the vehicle to the road networks. When adding a single car, the trams are using streets and roads.

quote>

Your exaclty right. Articulated 2 car Trains do not belong on roads.

However, Articulated 2 car Bendy Buses sure do!

@vester_dk: thats really awesome. does that affect all train lengths? what about freight? Also, can you do the opposite and set it really high and have mile long freights?

[Swamper77 90]

HamsterTK,

There is a different property that affects the lengths of the freight trains. Modifying the commute train length also affects the passenger and monorail trains.

-Swamper77

[JohnB 66]

Date: 12/28/2005 10:28:37 PM Author: Swamper77 HamsterTK, There is a different property that affects the lengths of the freight trains. Modifying the commute train length also affects the passenger and monorail trains. -Swamper77

Swamper,  Vester and I want to create 4 different NetworkAddonMod_Automata_Plugin_*****.dat files. One for each version of the NAM.  We want to create these dat files that will have train lengths 2-4 cars.

 

These will be optional for the Pittsburgh T trolley and people who want the trams that have 2-4 cars.

 

There will of course be a disclaimer that the passenger and monorail trains will also change. I guess it depends if you use the monorail and passenger trains more or if you use the trams more.

 

I do wish that we could have it both ways. I guess its probably better to have a longer tram then to have a short passenger train. Although we want to be able to give people an option.

 

 

[Swamper77 90]

John,

It would be nice to have it both ways, but due to how the game is coded, it can't be that way. All of the various engines for the trains that move the sims have the occupant group ID 0x4215, which is commute train engine. So all train engines with this occupant group will get their train length settings from the Automata Tuning Exemplar.

Two properties determine the train lengths for the passenger train systems (Rail, Elevated Rail, Monorail, and Subway): Sims per Train Car and Commute Train Length. The Commute Train Length property controls how long the train is, including the engine. The Sims per Train Car property determines how many trips are satisfied by one train car, which plays a role in the determining the train length. The fewer people a train car holds, trains will be generated more often with long lengths of cars following them. The more people a train car holds, trains will be generated less often with shorter lengths of cars following them. Unfortunately, these properties affect all of the trains except the freight trains.

It would be nice if we could create our own properties and link them to occupant groups to make things work the way we want them to. However, that would probably mean editing the EXE, which is not allowed.

-Swamper77

[vester_DK 477]

and there are notthing we can add to the tram-file to make it shorter right ?

In the museum tram there is a line saying something like vechicle speed...

[Swamper77 90]

Vester,

Nothing that I can think of. I'm not sure why that property is in the Museum Tram Exemplar. I know you copied one of the exemplars from the trams that Andreas uploaded earlier. I assume it makes the spawned trams travel slower than the specified speed of the network, which is 150 km for the elevated rail, which the GLR is based off of.

-Swamper77

[Andreas Roth 639]

Maybe GoaSkin could answer the question about the speed property, since he did the modding of the museum tram. I haven't tested it in detail, but I guess Swamper77 is correct with his assumption.

[vester_DK 477]

Date: 12/29/2005 8:40:53 AM
Author: Andreas Roth
Maybe GoaSkin could answer the question about the speed property, since he did the modding of the museum tram. I haven't tested it in detail, but I guess Swamper77 is correct with his assumption.

quote>

I guess it's becauce it is an old tram, which does not travel as fast as the new ones.