Upgrading your network - Stage 3

[acidd_uk]

We already have two great network upgrade tools at our disposal. First, the autoupdate rail too, that can convert between track types. Second, the new autoupdate patch that Bjarni has written, that allows the automatic replacement of vehicle types.

However, in order to fully manage our network upgrades, we need a third tool. We need to be able to upgrade our network, without selling all of the old trains, then re-buying new trains and redoing all their orders.

Wouldn't it be good if we could send all the trains to the depot, have them refit themselves (though autoupdate) to the new rail type (while still in the old railtype's depot. They would them be blocked from leaving the depot , as it is now the wrong railtype for them to travel. Once all your trains have replaced themselves in the depots, then the autoupdate rail tool can be used to upgrade all your rail (and depots) to the new rail type. Your new rail type trains would be in the correct railtype, and would be allowed to leave the depots.

In this way, the entire process of upgrading all of your network would become far easier to manage, allowing you to concentrate on exploiting the new railtype for faster new routes.

So, this third stage involves the following modifications:

1. Autoupdate patch should allow updaing to different rail type engines/wagons.
2. Trains should be allowed to exist in a depot, even if they are of the wrong railtype for that depot. They should not be allowed to leave the depot, however, if they are the wrong type.
3. Auto update rail should allow the updating of depots, irrespective of there being trains in the depot.

What do you think?

[Pimmeh]

Its a brilliant idea!
I hope the devs get to see this and work it out cus i got only one thing to say about it: Brilliant.
I was thinking about this myself but i didint know how to formulate it

[Bjarni]

1. Autoupdate patch should allow updaing to different rail type engines/wagons.
2. Trains should be allowed to exist in a depot, even if they are of the wrong railtype for that depot. They should not be allowed to leave the depot, however, if they are the wrong type.
3. Auto update rail should allow the updating of depots, irrespective of there being trains in the depot.

1: the code can actually handle that now, it's just the GUI, that prevents it
2: they can be there with the current code, but they try to leave, blocks the signal block and then returns because there are no suitable track outside. This should be easy to fix
3: I think this one is easy to code. It's a question about skipping an if in the right location.

If we do this, we would need code to replace all cars once the engine is replaced. That's doable too.

Now the question is if and how we want this to be. I have a feeling that this will be talked about on the channel

[CruDeLioS]

I am currently doing this, please check out http://www.tt-forums.net/viewtopic.php?p=240774#240774