I know it's not the current focus of the Formation Designer feature, but you ask for any kind of feedback, so here's mine. I hope someday we'll be able to use custom constists (both our own creations and those downloaded from the creator's club) in timetable mode. Basically allowing us to drive any train on any route. Scenario creator is nice and all, but it has the downside that it's quite labor-intensive to set up a scenario with a decent amount of AI traffic. Allowing us to use custom consists in timetable mode would allow us to get into the driving experience much faster, since it'd be easier and quicker to set up. Kinda similar to TSC Quick Drive mode, albeit with the advantages that timetable mode has to offer.
I was assuming any consists created would be shown in timetable mode as a spawnable train. Would be a bit disappointed if not. At the same time, I can continue to lay trains out the old fashion inefficient way.
you can? Use Free roam. when you choose your locomotive ie class 33 you then get the choice to use the normal fomations or custom. choose custom and all you custom made formations are listed for class 33. Unless you are talking about the PC editor compatibilty? Regards Hentis
That's Free Roam mode. I'm sure that works. But I haven't seen a way to make it work with Timetable Mode. If that's possible, the UI really isn't clear enough to me.
I havent yet had a chance to test it, will do when I get back home, but does this designer only put together consists aka couples stuff together or does it also show you if certain coaches are compatible for that consist? Like I wanted to try a consist like this before Formation designer was out: BR182 + dosto coach + 3 IC coaches + dosto control cab... when controlled from BR182, it worked no problem, but when I tried controlling it from the dosto control cab, I could only raise/lower panto, open/close circuit breaker and open/close doors, but wasnt getting any readings on power and couldnt get power for throttle... so I was wondering if now thanks to this thingie it might work (I mean, if I do what I usually do when taking control of a train from control cab, it should work)?
In timetable mode spawn on foot at a designated area bring up the add train like you do in free roam.and the choose the train you want regarding the custom formation you made. You can't have ai driven custom made formations / consists, but you can drive your own consists. Hentis
I'll give that a try. I believe I tried it before but couldn't quite figure it out. I think the UI could use improvements on this. TSC Quick Drive mode wasn't perfect, but at least the UI was pretty clear on how things worked.
Goto the creators club tab and its onthe far right. This is only available on PC Steam / epic platforms at the moment. Hentis
Ok, I managed to create a custom consist and spawn it into timetable mode. Now how do I assign a path and objectives to my train?
open the map with the 9 key, click on your train. it will give the option to set route. then use the new cross cursor it gives you to click on another section of track where you want to go. you now have a path. you can add waypoints the same way
I second the idea for extending this to timetable mode. It would be great to be able to choose a service, and then choose the custom formation. The benefit will be that the path and stopping patterns are set. Understandably there could be all kind of issues with the train not meeting the performance the timetable needs, but hey, that's the user's problem. It would be great if we could!
Thanks a lot. I was initially searching for some menu hidden under the TAB key (as that's the key used to spawn a consist). Nowhere in the UI I could find any indication how to add an objective to a train. DTG JD I think there's room for improvement here. Is there any way to assign a series of objectives to a train? I mean, for example, I've always wanted to do a full length all-stops service from Dartford to Faversham that Timetable mode never offered. With the current system I'd have to add an objective to the next station, and repeat that everytime I reach that station. It's labour intensive, not the best immersion, and takes away from the actual driving experience. I'm still hoping someday there'll be a system that's flexible and quick to set up, much like TSC Quick Drive mode.
probably because free roam/sandbox spawning and routing has been out since tsw4 launched and there was lots of guides ect how to use it. None of that functionality is new or to do with formation designer Adding waypoints is the way to add objectives. You set your route to the end point you want, then add waypoints inbetween where you are and where you want to go
Yes, that will give you the routing, but no specific "objectives". As in, I'd like to have the first waypoint shown as the next station to stop at for example, it will now only give you the final destination. I think the building blocks are there but we need some functionality to build a path with proper objectives / stops. But really, and that's the point of this thread, we'd like to select a service, and then be able to overrule the train consist with a choosing of your own, either official consists, or custom ones. Happy for TSW to give us a message that the service might not work as intended when using custom formations, but sky is the limit right, some type of "off the rails" (off the service?)
Overriding a consist in a timetabled service with an entirely new one is something that I'd thought of myself however the mechanics of it are extremely difficult at the moment so it's not on our plan - however as I say, I can see real benefit to it so i'll certainly try and get a discussion going internally on what might be possible here. Zero promises and not part of the beta timeframe though. Matt.
So it wasn't just me running into that problem. It's a lot of configuring and clicking menus and maps to set up a all-stops service. All that time setting up your run is time not spent driving. That'd be nice, but it'd also be nice to be able to quickly setup a custom route and stopping points. To use the same example, I'd like to do a all-stops service over the full length Dartford - Faversham, something the timetable doesn't offer. Although technically possible in free roam, it's quite cumbersome and requires quite some time setting it up in steps. I appreciate the reply. I do hope you haven't forgotten how flexible and easy TSC Quick Drive mode was. Sure it had it's shortcoming and flaws, but it was really quick to set up a drive. TSW Free Roam offers nice flexiblity, but it's cumbersome to set up. And well, as I said, all that time setting up your run is time not spent driving.
Sorry to dig this back up but how about the option of AI / Timetable subs using custom formations only working with the same amount of rolling stock? So as long as the timetable normally uses X or Y amount of coaches in the formation any custom formation of X or Y coaches will sub in. I suppose freight is slightly different due to the variety of stock types/sizes/lengths but could it be done for length for instance so anything upto a set default train length can be subbed in? Would these methods be possible/option for a way of implementing custom formations into timetable mode?
