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Idea for timetable writers: Consider including save games?

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Idea for timetable writers: Consider including save games? 04/07/2016 at 18:02 #83396
arabianights
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An idea for timetable writers - why not release save files (say half hourly or hourly) of a "perfect" play through of your timetable?

Is this something that would actually be practical? I am assuming that QA of the TT involves a full play through under ideal conditions and therefore potentially the recording of a full save game should be "free".

This would be handy to end users (and especially for multiplayer hosts) who want to jump into the middle of the timetable (generally to get to the busiest bits).

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Idea for timetable writers: Consider including save games? 04/07/2016 at 18:10 #83397
jc92
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The main issue with this is if timetables use any decisions or rules which provide different outcomes (different days of the week or trains with 2 or 3 paths where the one to be used is randomly selected for instance) then the saves would record the chosen rule/decision. you would never get any varied outcomes.

Providing a limited number of seeded starts like 0400 0700 1200 1500 for example would provide an alternative solution.

"We don't stop camborne wednesdays"
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Idea for timetable writers: Consider including save games? 04/07/2016 at 18:13 #83398
Steamer
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Speaking personally, I do a 'Perfect' run of the timetable, however I only tend to run it once, and correct the bugs as I go. So a save taken at, say 09:00, will be with a version of the timetable that still contains any bugs that present themselves later in the day. I don't really want to correct the TT in dozens of saved games as well! The idea would only work for TT writers who keep running the TT until they have a complete run with no bugs.

I do include 0445 starts though, which are fairly near the point at which the service starts ramping up.

"Don't stress/ relax/ let life roll off your backs./ Except for death and paying taxes/ everything in life.../ is only for now." (Avenue Q)
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Idea for timetable writers: Consider including save games? 04/07/2016 at 19:16 #83401
AndyG
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It would be much easier and practical to consider adding another start time eg 1630 maybe, for the build up to an evening peak.

An alternative start time WTT is far more flexible in the options that the user can set, rather than being embedded in any saves.

As an aside, the original concept of the later start times was to help with hosting, especially at meets, to allow for the sim options to be selected on the day, rather than tied into a save.

Might mean we see a few more hosts of evening peaks for a change.

I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either.
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Idea for timetable writers: Consider including save games? 05/07/2016 at 04:16 #83404
kaiwhara
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The Seeds idea is probably one worth exploring more. I would say though that 1430 might be a more suitable time for it?
Sorry guys, I am in the business of making people wait!
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Idea for timetable writers: Consider including save games? 24/07/2016 at 14:30 #83776
kbarber
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1712 posts
" said:
It would be much easier and practical to consider adding another start time eg 1630 maybe, for the build up to an evening peak.

An alternative start time WTT is far more flexible in the options that the user can set, rather than being embedded in any saves.

As an aside, the original concept of the later start times was to help with hosting, especially at meets, to allow for the sim options to be selected on the day, rather than tied into a save.

Might mean we see a few more hosts of evening peaks for a change. ;)

Good in principle, but I'd say 16:30 start is getting rather late for setting up the peak. When I was at Marylebone, we'd have extra 4-car sets coming off the (long-gone) diesel depot from any time after 15:00, into a platform to couple to an incoming 4-car. And at least one 8-set would come off to form an outgoing train, with two successive 4-car inward workings coupling to form another outgoing train. All of these would go out as Aylesbury or Wycombes, early enough to 'bounce back' and form another outgoing working during the peak, at a time when there wasn't really a lot of time for coupling. (Admittedly this was in the days when coupling meant putting a shackle on then piping up and plugging up the jumpers. Coupling in service is a lot quicker these days. But I suspect the preparations still start a good way in advance of 17:00.)

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Idea for timetable writers: Consider including save games? 26/07/2016 at 08:49 #83794
Gwasanaethau
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509 posts
" said:
An idea for timetable writers - why not release save files (say half hourly or hourly) of a "perfect" play through of your timetable?

Is this something that would actually be practical? I am assuming that QA of the TT involves a full play through under ideal conditions and therefore potentially the recording of a full save game should be "free".

This would be handy to end users (and especially for multiplayer hosts) who want to jump into the middle of the timetable (generally to get to the busiest bits).
I was thinking of doing this for the timetable that I am writing, but for a different reason. As I’m developing the timetable for South Humberside, which was built before seeding was available, I have to have trains appear from entry points near to where they are expected to be at the start of the timetable. I was considering including an .SSG for the start of the timetable once the trains were all in their correct positions.

As for including several start-times for the timetable: I can only concur with Steamer. I have already done several runs of the timetable to try to iron out clashes and other timing issues (bare in mind this is now four years in development), and to add to that I am simulating a full seven-day timetable. The work involved in doing the perfect run-through for each day just looks…monolithic!

Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea! I have thought much about how to fast-forward timetables to a given part of the day (trust me, this would make testing MUCH easier as well!). I’m just sorry I can’t offer an alternative for you at this time. :)

" said:
" said:
It would be much easier and practical to consider adding another start time eg 1630 maybe, for the build up to an evening peak.

An alternative start time WTT is far more flexible in the options that the user can set, rather than being embedded in any saves.

As an aside, the original concept of the later start times was to help with hosting, especially at meets, to allow for the sim options to be selected on the day, rather than tied into a save.

Might mean we see a few more hosts of evening peaks for a change. ;)

Good in principle, but I'd say 16:30 start is getting rather late for setting up the peak. When I was at Marylebone, we'd have extra 4-car sets coming off the (long-gone) diesel depot from any time after 15:00, into a platform to couple to an incoming 4-car. And at least one 8-set would come off to form an outgoing train, with two successive 4-car inward workings coupling to form another outgoing train. All of these would go out as Aylesbury or Wycombes, early enough to 'bounce back' and form another outgoing working during the peak, at a time when there wasn't really a lot of time for coupling. (Admittedly this was in the days when coupling meant putting a shackle on then piping up and plugging up the jumpers. Coupling in service is a lot quicker these days. But I suspect the preparations still start a good way in advance of 17:00.)
If memory serves me right, when I was working at one of the Southern depots, the last couple of trains (‘service showstoppers’) had to be out by 15:32 to avoid adversely affecting the evening peak (this is going back a few years now).

Mark (Gwasanaethau)

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Idea for timetable writers: Consider including save games? 28/07/2016 at 15:18 #83828
Meld
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1098 posts
Its a shame that the in game clock can't run through midnight as I have often toyed with the idea of shift timetables.

0600-1400 - morning rush hour
1400-2200 - evening rush hour
2200-0600 - overnight wind down and start of next day.

I wonder if it could be arranged that the clock was to reset at midnight to 00:00 instead of 24:00 and we could use a numeric day so the time format would be d:hh:mm:ss so 0:22:00:00 would be day 1 and after midnight 1:00:00:00 would be the start of the 2nd day

Passed the age to be doing 'Spoon Feeding' !!!
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Idea for timetable writers: Consider including save games? 28/07/2016 at 15:33 #83829
JamesN
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1575 posts
" said:
Its a shame that the in game clock can't run through midnight as I have often toyed with the idea of shift timetables.

0600-1400 - morning rush hour
1400-2200 - evening rush hour
2200-0600 - overnight wind down and start of next day.

I wonder if it could be arranged that the clock was to reset at midnight to 00:00 instead of 24:00 and we could use a numeric day so the time format would be d:hh:mm:ss so 0:22:00:00 would be day 1 and after midnight 1:00:00:00 would be the start of the 2nd day
The clock does now wrap around, has done for a while.

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The following user said thank you: Meld
Idea for timetable writers: Consider including save games? 28/07/2016 at 15:59 #83830
Meld
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Thanks James must have missed / forgot about that one - not been reaching midnight too much recently with the TTs I'm working on. :whistle: :whistle: :whistle:
Passed the age to be doing 'Spoon Feeding' !!!
Last edited: 28/07/2016 at 15:59 by Meld
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Idea for timetable writers: Consider including save games? 28/07/2016 at 20:28 #83835
Steamer
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3922 posts
" said:
I wonder if it could be arranged that the clock was to reset at midnight to 00:00 instead of 24:00 and we could use a numeric day so the time format would be d:hh:mm:ss so 0:22:00:00 would be day 1 and after midnight 1:00:00:00 would be the start of the 2nd day
The clock continues up to 99:59, i.e. 03:59 on Day 5. A simulation option allows you to display post-24:00 values as 00:00-23:59 values. Note that the timetable won't re-start- it must be designed to continue after midnight, for example the 4-Day King's Cross timetable.

"Don't stress/ relax/ let life roll off your backs./ Except for death and paying taxes/ everything in life.../ is only for now." (Avenue Q)
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