Linking Routes

webwrx · Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 2:11 am

G'day all I'm a train fan - only recently discovered MSTS... now I'm addicted. I like trains, maps, navigation, 3d modelling, graphic, programming, computers, the net, etc.. - and MSTS lends itself to ALL that stuff - so it's all very interesting for me.

I'm having a go at building Seven Hills to Richmond.. and thanks to Mike S (Blue Mntns route) for pointing me in the right direction to this forum.

I was thinking longer-term about extending from Blacktown out to Penrith and somehow joining my route up to Mike's route - but from what I understand it's a real headache... and you end up with one 'merged' route rather than 2 independent routes.

Idea

So I came up with an idea ~ I believe the programmers at MSTS could quite easily implement something to allow routes to be linked.

My idea of how they could do that in future versions would be just another track object in the editor (call it a "link object" or URL) - place this onto the track (e.g. a dead-end piece which is heading toward the edge of your last tile). In this link object - you define the target route and target path on which the train will continue it's journy. Could also include the URL where to get the route if you don't have it. Driving over a link object simply needs to tell the Sim to quit the current activity and restart the new route/activity/path as defined in the link... Hopefully fast enough to make it ... err.. "seemless"!!! Confused

I think this is the sort of solution we'd want from MSTS especially if we have different people building different parts of the CityRail network it would make sense to have a straightforward way for a train to just "jump" from Route A to Route B rather than attempt to merge lots of sections into a single mega-route.

People could then just grab adjoining routes as they're ready to explore more of the network. That would save a tonne of disk space / download time.

Also - the links need not even be geographically matched! Eg - drive over a siding at Blacktown and then find yourself on a high speed European route! (but hopefully not stuck with a slow Tangara Laughing

) ... or driving into a rolling stock yard could activate a URL to a website to download the latest additional rolling stock.

Anyone else with me on this one? I think it makes sense and I'm serious about suggesting it to MS because it seems to me like a pretty easy thing for them to do.

Ben J