New Sign Cheat: Observe a piece of track

[jaakon]

I would really like a new sign cheat, let's call it "Cht: Watchpoint" for example.
You place it on a piece of track and whenever a train drives through this square, the train window pops up.

Why? Sometimes trains are stuck or choose stupid paths and i rebuild tracks, add tracks and so on. That's where it would be quite handy if you'll be informed if a train uses the new tracks.

[DaleStan]

Every time any train enters a new tile, one of the following would have to happen:
1) Search through all the signs to see if there's an appropriate one on that tile.
2) Search through a list of watched locations to see if there's a watch on that tile.
3) Check for a bit being set in the landscape array.

1 and 2 are obviously out, due to being entirely too CPU intensive, even if the signs and locations are kept sorted.

3 has a chance of working, but would require a new bit be assigned. I don't know how many bits will be available once newroutes gets completed.

Also, 2 and 3 require a removal cheat, and it will get really annoying really fast if you can't find the offending square, and even more annoying if the removal cheat is expanded to cover a 3x3 or 5x5 block, and wipes out watches than you still want.

[jaakon]

ok, 1 and 2 are out, perhaps I will ask again in 20 years, when computers are fast enough

But why would we need a removal cheat? wouldn't it be enough to remove the sign?

[jonty-comp]

Maybe a new option under 'GRF Status Window' could allow you to enter co-ordinates for the tile, effectively ruling out steps 1&2. How you find out the tile co-ordinates is another matter...

Maybe you can do it the OTTD way:- in the query box?

I think it's a good idea though.

[DaleStan]

But why would we need a removal cheat?

If the sign itself is the trigger for the train windows, then no, you don't need a removal cheat, but then you have to search through the sign array on every tile entrance instead.
If something else is the trigger, then another cheat is required to clear the trigger.

If it's acceptable to limit this cheat to only a very small number of locations, then it might be possible to scan through the list, but I'm not sure how many locations would be permissible. The overhead would have to be very small, because everyone will be basically stuck with it, even if they don't use this cheat.

[jaakon]

Would it work if we don't use signs but checkpoint with a special flag or a keyword in the name? You build a checkpoint, rename it, and each time a trains passes, it's window pops up. If you don't need it anymore, rename or bulldoze the checkpoint.

I don't know how TTD internally works, but i guess the game already knows if a trains is on a track or a statoin, right?