Hi All.

I been lucky enough to get copies of several card model steam locomotives, but there is a problem. To use them we need to have a more flexible system for setting up the train formations, as the length of the coaches and wagons are going to be a lot different from the current default rolling stock. is there any way we can think of to do this?

Hi Guys.

This is one of the reasons we need an easy way to change the trains around. This is a Southern Region Bullied coach, used on the Southern Railway, during WWII. I have matching locomotives too, but they do not fit the programmed train formation, because of the difference in length of the models.



Ralf or Tony, would it be possible to have anther one of those external tables to set different trains up? All the exe needs to know is the center point of each model so it puts them together properly, without overlaps or spaces. Is that possible?

I'll have a look tomorrow John to see what routine sets the position of the rolling stock items.

Jel

If you script the model names, you can add code to find the lengh of the model.

edit:
sig removed

I have not had chance to look yet, but I am wondering if the positional data for MGO's is coming from the TMod table which is now in "TMod.dat".
If so, it raises the possibility of splitting TMod.dat so that a line of individual data could be included with the other files relating to a TMod, and used if present in the referenced folder.

Jel

Hi Tony.

I was thinking about a model list, for a set of train 3dz's, like now, but if possible adding a random factor to which set is selected, like train set allied 1, 2, 3...... This would allow the player to see different trains, when flying missions.

Hi Allen.

Is there anyway to set the direction of travel on a line? A from-to, like if we lay a line from Berlin to Paris, the train always starts in Berlin. Setting the direction, would allow us to lay double tracks, with trains traveling in both directions. This would be far more realistic and give us more trains to attack.

The railways always seem to be a bit under used in EAW [a bit like the birds used to be], when in reality they were heavily used by both sides in WWI, and WWII.

The composition of both allied and axis convoys is set by default in the exe (as a fallback) but also in a number of "*.mpf" files, and has been since the early days of the 1.28 series.
These files cover trains, trucks, armoured convoys, escorted merchant ship convoys and battle fleets.
If the appropriate "*.mpf" file is in a folder referenced in a "dir.set" file or in the root folder it will be read and used.
For the moment I will check out the placement of individual components of the train. Just about to start now that our visitors are out for the day

Jel

Col,

Have you tried the new models in a train yet ?

I only ask because when Ray and I used the towed gun model it seemed to fit into the road convoys OK even though it was significantly longer than the lorry on it's own, but conversely when I made the Tiger2 and tried to put it into armoured columns, if I placed it in the kubelwagen slot it overlapped, so I suspect the spacing is already taking into account the tmod data for the size of the model....


cheers,


Pobs

Before checking the code I made a "TrnList.mpf" file which was made up a train convoy of destroyers and windmills LOL.
I flew a train interdiction at Deelen in a Tempest:



I think that John's anticipated problem regarding sizes does not exist, and that Pobs is correct in that the size comes from TMod.dat (which is what I suspected)

Jel

Good Tony, one less problem then.

How about the setting up of the trains, the spawing of the trains, and the direction of them?