AI Portals Question.

[mountainrail2012]

How can we set a "AI"Portal for two tracks with one setting"(Click)? I ran into them for the first time in the up-dated Donner Pass and it seems like it would save a lot of memory load for the Route. KenC.

[robbit]

You are better off not doing that because it will cause issues if you use the portals to spawn ai traffic. And do not put them to close to signals either because that will give you signaling problems if the ai train goes into the portal before clearing the block

[harryadkins]

Okay, so where do portals need to be placed in a block...the middle?

[OldProf]

Here's one scenario writer's opinions on this question.

1) It's relatively easy to stretch a single portal across multiple tracks, but it's better to stick to one portal per track. Simply put, this practice prevents confusion for both the route creator and the scenario writer.

2) Portals can be placed anywhere within a block and can be very useful for scenario writers.

3) The best use of portals, however, is at the end of every track that comes to an otherwise abrupt end. I simply cannot understand why so many routes feature abrupt-end tracks without portals.

[robbit]

You might want to create run offs that go out of sight but to nowhere and yes put a portal on every one of them.

[OldProf]

You might want to create run offs that go out of sight but to nowhere and yes put a portal on every one of them.

I wasn't familiar with the term "run offs", but that's exactly what I'm saying. Most routes I've looked at contain lots of "run offs", but only a small percentage of them end at a portal. How difficult can it be to simply add the portals as the last step in building a route?

[robbit]

It should be very easy and they definitely should. I have always wondered why they do not. When I install any new route that is the first thing I look for is the amount and placement of the portals. And sorry about the "Run Offs" I did not know exactly what to call them at the time but I guess the proper name for them is spurs.

[Toripony]

My answer to the current "why?" question from this self-taught routebuilder (aren't we all?) is that I didn't realize all the usages for Portals until I began scenario writing and got feedback from other writers like in this thread. But I'm getting it now and hopefully other builders are, too. Working on a scenario just yesterday I found myself wishing a I had a Portal "right there". "This one is too close and that one is too far". I only have a couple of places I can use the "run off" idea, but I have a lot of sidings that could stand a portal at the end and I'm going to look for more places to put them on the mainline. However, I do try to avoid "vanquishing" any train while it is spread across two signaled blocks.

How do you spawn a train from a portal?

[OldProf]

Although RSC discourages the practice, having a train emerge from a portal is a fairly simple process -- provided that the portal is correctly placed. The steps are these:

1) Place an AI engine or train near the portal ... facing away from it, of course.

2) Set up the AI engine or train's route and make sure that it runs correctly without interfering with other trains. I typically leave the last step until the entire scenario is complete.

3) Double click the portal: a fly-out opens at the upper right of the screen and can be pinned in place like any other fly-out. This one contains two buttons, labeled "add" and "remove", and a list box, as well as the name of the scenario and the name of the portal. To place the train into the portal, simply click the "add" button and then click any part of the train. The train's name then appears at within the list box. Click anywhere outside the fly-out.

This becomes trickier when two or more trains are to be hidden within the same portal. I don't much care for the term "spawn" being applied to what happens in during the scenario, because it suggests that the portal simply spits out one or more trains on its own, when the truth of the matter is that a good deal of planning has gone in to the process. One last note: to remove a train from a portal, double-click the portal to open its fly-out, click the "remove" button, and click the train's name. Careful! The train is now attached to the mouse pointer and if not placed correctly on a track it will simply vanish.

[Toripony]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing that!

[CSX2057]

On my side of the scenario, the AI stops at the yard on the end of the routes. If there are yards in the middle like the NERW, I would consider stopping there at some places. Just a thought ;). I will never ever use portals.

[OldProf]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing that!

You're certainly welcome, Tori. I seem to have forgotten to mention something in regard to placing portals: I've come to think that it's better to place one portal for each track, rather than stretching a portal to cover more than one track. The reason is that although a single portal stretched over multiple tracks will work well for trains exiting the route, one portal per track is better for trains entering from them. I've discovered while writing scenarios for Munich-Augsburg that in a place, for example, where three parallel tracks head off into nowhereland, one of the tracks has its own, separate portal, the other two share a portal. This kind of a situation can lead to traffic problems both going and coming.

Regards,

Tom

[robbit]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing that!

You're certainly welcome, Tori. I seem to have forgotten to mention something in regard to placing portals: I've come to think that it's better to place one portal for each track, rather than stretching a portal to cover more than one track. The reason is that although a single portal stretched over multiple tracks will work well for trains exiting the route, one portal per track is better for trains entering from them. I've discovered while writing scenarios for Munich-Augsburg that in a place, for example, where three parallel tracks head off into nowhereland, one of the tracks has its own, separate portal, the other two share a portal. This kind of a situation can lead to traffic problems both going and coming.

Regards,

Tom

This was my original point but I did not explain it as well as you did thanks.