Main Line Gradients Have Gone Bonkers For No Apparent Reason

[Minneapolitan]

WTF VNH.jpg

In Berlin, Connecticut, I was editing the gradients on some industrial spurs to make them more authentically beat-up on my Vintage New Haven Springfield route. At some point, for literally no explicable reason, the elevation of the southbound main line suddenly shifted wildly, first well below the ground, then VERY high in the sky all the way to the route's end west of New Haven.

I started painstakingly changing every gradient point back to normal and now the northbound main has started doing the exact same thing! And for no reason, stretches of track that I've already fixed are returning to wildly incorrect elevations before I can finish another stretch.

What is causing this? What hidden tool or function is unknowingly being activated and screwing up the entire route? I've put a LOT of work into improving the details of this route to make it more realistic, including historical research into actual on-line industries, aerial photos, etc. Losing all this due to some bug would be enough to put my fist through my screen.

Also, I asked this yesterday and my post was apparently taken down for some reason...

[jlms48]

Hi, How frustrating! I have no direct experience of this myself not being a serious route builder, but I have read about it before possibly on this forum.
The only reference i can find relating to the problem is here
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/ ... 2205267954
so it is a known issue .
Quoting directly from this source

There are times when I would strongly advise running the World Editor in 32-bit. This is when you are using the Smooth Gradient tool on trackwork.

Simply put, there seems to be an issue which sometimes causes corruption of the tracks.bin file when the height of previously laid trackwork is adjusted - especially when smoothing out changes in track gradient using the 'Smooth Gradient' tool.

The issue can cause vast sections of track throughout your route to undergo unintended changes in height - either disappearing underground or floating in mid air. If this happens you will have to restore things from an earlier saved copy of your route.

I don't know the specific cause of this, but I have been told that the 32-bit version of the World Editor is more robust, and it is therefore a good idea to use 32-bit whenever changes of this sort are being made.


It also stresses the need for frequent backups during route editing and recommends setting up auto backup.

[tntrainer]

I see the tutorial mentioned above uses a method I have used when I really mucked up something and caught it before saving. I have "Ctl, ALT, Deleted" and used the Windows Task Manager to end the program and not save the mucked up section. Of course you will lose any good work you have done up until the mistake, if you had not been regularly saving all along. The key is when you realize its really bad DON'T SAVE. Then its too late and a lot of redress will be required. The only time I tried to use the smooth gradient tool it went haywire and did similar gyrations with the track. I always try to remember to save regularly when things are going well especially before starting a new operation or adding elements to the world I'm creating.

[Minneapolitan]

Very frustrating indeed. The matter addressed in that Steam article accurately describes my problem. However, I was only using the Gradient tool rather than the Smooth Gradient tool. (There's a difference that we should clarify for those who explore this thread and don't know.)

And because I was editing industrial spur tracks away from the main, I likely saved without even noticing how the Mains had been affected. Why would I? Never in a million years would I imagine that this could be a problem.

[mindenjohn]

I had the problem when putting in crossovers and switches. Minerman gave me a tip - cut the track either side of where the crossover or switch is going to go, put in the crossover etc. then "weld" the track that was cut. I have done this since and have not had the problem. I don't know why it works but it does - good enough reason to do it.

[tntrainer]

Indeed that is perplexing.
I have never experienced the issue with the Gradient tool, only the smooth gradient which is why I have left it alone since. Its impossible to not use the simple gradient tool and lay track.

Regarding your statement that you were adjusting gradient to make the track look more "beat up"...... I'm not totally familiar with how it is used but isn't there a "rough track setting" in the track rule that is adjustable? I have never tried to use it and just left it in its default setting. It may only affect the perception of rough track from the cab. I'll be honest and say I really don't know. Curious how it is used myself....

[GreatNortherner]

Hi,

I feel your pain about this issue, which is both perplexing and destructive.

That issue is sadly a long-standing bug in the RW route editor and I fear the only way to "fix" it is to go back to an update of the tracks.bin and track tiles folder (same backup timestamp for both to keep them in sync!) from when before this bug occured.

This bug can be triggered surprisingly easily by using the gradient tool (not "smooth" but the regular "up/down" gradient arrow gizmo) on any track section that was placed in past editing sessions.

There is a way to prevent it from happening, which is to split the tracks before and after the area in which you want to edit the gradient and re-weld them only after you've finished the gradient edits.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Michael

[kris120]

I think the technical reason of this issue is that RailWorks does not add a final height marker (the yellow arrows) to the older section of track when it creates a new section (you cannot prevent Railworks from doing that!). Sections are separated by red triangles when welded or by red rectangles.
When you raise or lower an arrow on the track normally only that location is changed and not the next locations with an arrow on the left and right.
If there is no adjacent arrow in one direction in the edited section, then the disaster occurs.
You can see such an end without an arrow when you try to lower or rise an unmodified red triangle (first make cuts at the next triangles like GreatNorthener has written !!!):
One end does not follow the other end.
You can solve this: First lower one track with the heght tool. Then tip with the height tool on the higher end which lacks an arrow. Then tip a second time on that end ...
You will be surprised what happens and how you can handle now both ends.

[tntrainer]

You lost me.... What do you mean "tip".....?

[kris120]

tip = click
Sorry, that may be german

[tntrainer]

Grüß Gott mein Freund, Kris

Ahhh! Thank you. I learn something new every day.

(Stating this without benefit of having tried, yet)
I take it once the procedure is followed, the formerly not connected track ends are now connected? I have always wondered why this separation of the gradient arrows occured to begin with?? I always resolved it by using the Ctrl button and clicking both arrows to connect them.

Can you elaborate more?

Thanks,
George

[kris120]

The track sections were already connected before, that's why you can drive over the triangles (in the editor).
There is actually no reason to complete all triangles with 2 arrows, otherwise you will never finish your work.
Only you should know that because of this problem you should (must!) always cut the track on the left and right of the place where you are working.
Then you are safe.