Work to resume on BR Set - What do I need to know?

[Ronnie Clark]

After a long hiatus, I'm about to resume work on the BR Set (I'm getting
bored with playing it the way it is - I'm deeply annoyed that I never put in
any suburban EMUs!).

So what's new in the world of TTD graphics? About six months ago, I had an
email pointing out that the BR Set is not compatible with the new
industries. I've also heard about the new station graphics, but not learned
anything about them.

It hadn't helped by not having easy access to the internet for some while!

No doubt Michael Blunk will point out a hundred and one ways in which things
are different / improved now, and that the BR Set is like a dinosaur now!

Ronnie
--
Volunteer guard on the Great Central Railway, Loughborough, Leicestershire
Visit the world's only double track preserved steam railway!
http://www.gcrailway.co.uk

[michael blunck]

Ronnie Clark wrote:

After a long hiatus, I'm about to resume work on the BR Set [...]

Good news, Ronnie!

So what's new in the world of TTD graphics?

Many things, but nothing really fundamental.

(check http://www.ttdpatch.net/src/ for recent changes)

About six months ago, I had an email pointing out that the
BR Set is not compatible with the new industries.

??? There are no "new industries" in TTD/patch, AFAIK.

I've also heard about the new station graphics,
but not learned anything about them.

Well, that´s what I´m working on ATM:

http://www.ewetel.net/~michael.blunck/ttd/stations.html

There will be a couple of passengers and freight stations included in the next
version of the already existing "NewStations" .grf (so far giving waypoint
stations only) which can be used by any vehicles set. In addition there will be
"regional-style" stations integrated in future releases of the DB set and the
AlpineSet.

No doubt Michael Blunk will point out a hundred and one ways in
which things are different / improved now, and that the BR Set is
like a dinosaur now!

Hehe. )

No. Seriously, there aren´t too many things which have been changed, except the
diverse "callbacks" introduced for powered wagons, wagon length, load amount,
refitted capacities and articulated engines. These are the most advanced
features at the time being.

I could imagine that it´d be useful to include callbacks for powered wagons to
design better DMUs and EMUs and to use callbacks for articulated engines to have
tenders at steamers by default for the BR set.

Michael

[Ronnie Clark]

After a long hiatus, I'm about to resume work on the BR Set [...]

Good news, Ronnie!

Looks like even better news, as it seems lots of artists have joined the
team in my absence - just no one has put all their work together in a .GRF
yet! (In steps me...)

Many things, but nothing really fundamental.

(check http://www.ttdpatch.net/src/ for recent changes)

/me goes all glazed eyed again.

So a pseudo sprite is...?

About six months ago, I had an email pointing out that the
BR Set is not compatible with the new industries.

??? There are no "new industries" in TTD/patch, AFAIK.

Rather, "more industries". The paper wagon over-rid my "Mk.2" carriage.
Annoying, as the set pretty much relies on it!

Seriously, there aren´t too many things which have been changed, except the
diverse "callbacks" introduced for powered wagons, wagon length, load
amount,
refitted capacities and articulated engines. These are the most advanced
features at the time being.

These are the things making me glazed eyed at the moment! I'm trying to get
my head around "callback.grf" at the moment.

I could imagine that it´d be useful to include callbacks for powered wagons
to
design better DMUs and EMUs and to use callbacks for articulated engines to
have
tenders at steamers by default for the BR set.

Definitely. I may, as I hinted at early, find it to be an idea to make
correct unit operation mandatory via the articulated engines callback, too.
I'll see what the jury says on that. Otherwise, the set might have to come
with a large manual...

Also, is it possible to use callbacks to change the capacity / weight /
price of a wagon? If it does, it'd be a neat trick to save veh-ids, needing
eg. only one mail van to exist, that changes to whatever is required when
put behind a corresponding engine.

Ronnie
--
Volunteer guard on the Great Central Railway, Loughborough, Leicestershire
Visit the world's only double track preserved steam railway!
http://www.gcrailway.co.uk

[michael blunck]

Ronnie Clark wrote:

[...]

About six months ago, I had an email pointing out that the
BR Set is not compatible with the new industries.

[moreindustries]

Rather, "more industries". The paper wagon over-rid my "Mk.2"
carriage.

Yes. The patch uses veh-ID 26 (paper wagon in arctic) to transport paper in
temperate too (with "moreindustries" set).

Annoying, as the set pretty much relies on it!

Just don´t use veh-ID 26 by your own vehicles. In addition, if you have own
freight wagons which are to carry paper you could sent that ID 26 to toyland ...

[callbacks]

These are the things making me glazed eyed at the moment! I'm
trying to get my head around "callback.grf" at the moment.

If you have still problems don´t hesitate to ask ... )

Definitely. I may, as I hinted at early, find it to be an idea to
make correct unit operation mandatory via the articulated engines
callback, too. I'll see what the jury says on that.

Well. At first I had the same idea resp. that feature had been set on the to-do
list once with making fixed train sets in mind. But as Josef pointed out
recently, it´ll make much more sense to keep the possibility for people to
choose between coaches (for passengers) and vans (for mail) when building MUs.

Otherwise, the set might have to come with a large manual...

Hehe. Apparently, *nobody* reads manuals.

ATM, I´m using a different approach with the DB set XL. If a particular engine
stands for a DMU (or EMU), newly bought coaches/mail vans are attached the word
"more" on it if the MU needs still more vehicles and the word "stop" if you
added too much coaches ...

The set also decides on appearance and powering of its constituent vehicles by
rank of a vehicle in the consist when assembling MUs. (Hint: take a look on the
ET-87 or the BR420 EMUs of the DB Set XL)

Also, is it possible to use callbacks to change the capacity /
weight / price of a wagon?

Unfortunately, this seems very hard to implement and hasn´t been done yet.

If it does, it'd be a neat trick to save
veh-ids, needing eg. only one mail van to exist, that changes to
whatever is required when put behind a corresponding engine.

Yeah. It´d also allow for a correct handling of MUs.

Michael