Generic question about AI trains

[NickF]

I'm getting ready to take the leap into creating scenarios, and need some guidance on AI traffic.

In many of the scenarios I've downloaded both here and from other sources there have been a fair number of AI trains running. My question is, where do these trains come from?

In Trainz I am able to program portals to emit specific AI consists at specific times, but from what information I've been able to find for RW, this either isn't possible, or is extremely unreliable in RW.

So where do these trains come from? Are people creating them on obscure dead end spurs and activating them at the required time? Have people been able to reliably force portals to emit them?

Just interested in how others address this.

Thanks.

[BlueLight]

I just place my AI trains at a point in front of my train. At a certain time the AI will start. If there is a portal, I will send the AI there to remove it from the track, otherwise I move the AI to the next empty siding or split track.

[Machinist]

In RW the portals don't emit consists, only "eat" them...

[NickF]

Thanks for the responses.

A little disappointing to learn, but that's life...

[harryadkins]

Is it possible to send multiple AI trains into the same portal?

[Machinist]

Is it possible to send multiple AI trains into the same portal?

As much as you want or need...

[simer4]

In RW the portals don't emit consists, only "eat" them...

Actually, you can make them emit them.

[artimrj]

Is it possible to send multiple AI trains into the same portal?

Just not at the same time ;)

[PapaXpress]

Is it possible to send multiple AI trains into the same portal?

Just not at the same time ;)

Dr. Egon Spengler: There's something very important I forgot to tell you.
Dr. Peter Venkman: What?
Dr. Egon Spengler: Don't cross the streams.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Why?
Dr. Egon Spengler: It would be bad.
Dr. Peter Venkman: I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, "bad"?
Dr. Egon Spengler: Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.
Dr Ray Stantz: Total protonic reversal.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Right. That's bad. Okay. All right. Important safety tip. Thanks, Egon.


sorry, just had to...

[Machinist]

In RW the portals don't emit consists, only "eat" them...

Actually, you can make them emit them.

Actually = after SP1?
Anyway... How?

[fraserm]

Hey, guys. I found this thread kinda late but it's in the ballpark for my question. I need to add a portal to a route but can't find out how to do it. Is it an object that gets added, is it a specific kind of track, is it...?
I know enough about route building to be dangerous, having modified one or two routes during my 850+ hours in-game. If it's in a flyout in the World Editor I can find it if pointed to it.

All suggestions gratefully accepted.

Thanks,
Marc

[artimrj]

Middle flyout on left. Click the old time signal. Scroll down to MARKERS, you will see siding, platform, destination and portal.

[fraserm]

Thanks, Bob. That's exactly what I needed. I'm learning every day!

Cheers,
Marc

[Scott_AUS]

Actually, you can make them emit them
Actually = after SP1?
Anyway... How?

How do we "emit" them? I'm with Doc....I don't know either? Cause...they sorta have to exist where you can see them....so you can put the driver icon on them...and build a timetable for them...not to mention building the consist visually.

I'm mainly curious on the impact of having the sim having to spit these out on the fly - versus having them all load at the beginning and head off at the appropriate time....ie pre-loaded. (some old MSTS thinking there, where it was better to have them all on track starting before your activity started...load wise, causing stutters with 10 "spawning" at once...)

[OldProf]

Ages ago (the RS age, to be precise), I wrote several scenarios in which AI trains came out of portals. The technique is far from fresh in my mind, but I do recall that the process was tricky and didn't always produce the desired results. How much can I recall? Let's see, I began by placing the AI train fairly close to the portal and then assigned instructions to (hopefully) head it in the correct direction at the correct time. This was pretty simple in RS, since AI actions were limited, and yet more complicated because the Timetable Editor didn't exist yet. After testing the AI train's run, the next step involved inserting it into the portal--and that's the technique that eludes me just now. I do remember that if more than one AI was to come out of the same portal, they had to be inserted in reverse order (last out, first in, etc.). I think I only "published" one of those scenarios because of the high likelihood of failure and the difficulty of setting everything up.

Trying the procedure again might be fun, but do keep in mind that RSC specifically states that portals are not designed to spawn AI trains. Let me see what I can manage to do.

[Edit: Just remembered one important limit: once placed into a portal, pulling an AI out to edit it was never possible ... the whole process had to be restarted afresh.]