TrainzOnline - User contributions [en]

Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule

2016-12-17T12:01:06Z

Vostrail: /* Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the trains tab view */ Minor wording changes for readability.

{{FUN-top}}

=== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule===

[[File:Help-eit-manager-rule-panel.png | none ]]

Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule is a session rule that is released with the [[Enhanced Interlocking Tower|Enhanced Interlocking Tower package]], that enables under surveyor to edit your towers and paths from a centralized interface, and under run time that enables to display a run time monitor to display current available information on your towers, paths and trains using or waiting for any path.

The rule is available on DLS under the KUID <kuid2:61392:8130:11>. The rule works with both standard interlocking towers and [[Enhanced Interlocking Tower|enhanced interlocking towers]].

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule - How it can help using Interlocking Tower ====

The Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule is a session rule that enables under surveyor to define and edit from a centralized point all the existing towers and paths on your route. Under Surveyor, the rule is redundant with the integrated editing facility included in each Interlocking Tower, while providing a convenient centralized management capability for multiple towers. Under Driver mode, the rule's integrated interlocking tower run time monitor may prove to be very helpful to understand what are the current paths states and what may be the current session problems with interlocking towers, either standard ones or the enhanced version.

First a short reminder on how in driver mode to launch the enhanced interlocking tower rule run time monitor facility. To launch the monitor window, you only need to click on the user rule icon ( the little book icon in the toolbar at the top right of the main window) and choose tower manager in the displayed menu items. When selecting the towers manager item, you should have a new window opened by the enhanced interlocking manager rule and displaying the list of all the available towers on the route

''The image below shows where you need to click and select towers manager in the menu.''
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 1.png | none | 800px]]

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the towers list tab view ====
''The following image below shows the initial page displayed by the run time monitor facility''
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 2.png | none | 800px]]

This first screen will list all the interlocking towers available on your route and the type of the interlocking tower : either standard or enhanced.
The window displayed has a tabs toolbar on the second line displayed with two tabs : towers and trains. The current tower tab (you can see it is the current tab as the tab has some pink background) displays the list of the available towers and the other tab named trains will list all the trains with drivers currently on your route.

From the tower list screen, you can select any tower and display more details about the tower by clicking the display details link. the display details screen will show the selected tower paths list and their current state. if a path is active, it will also give which train is currently owning the path and if the train has already entered the path or not. This information is available for both standard and enhanced interlocking tower. For only enhanced interlocking tower, the monitor will also list trains waiting for path activation or path cancellation.

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the tower paths list tab view ====
''here just below an example of the display details screen for IT Garrenac South"
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 3.png | none | 800px]]

You can see on this example screen that there are now three pages available in the tabs toolbar : the towers page, the tower paths page (currently displayed as the tabs has a pink background) and the trains tab. Using these tabs link it is very easy to switch from one page to another by clicking on the adequate tab.

The tower paths list page has a header to remind you the tower options used for the selected tower, and will list all the available paths in the tower with the path name, the entry signal, the exit signal and the current path status. The page will be refreshed every two seconds and you can follow on this page all the paths states evolution in the tower.

The paths states can be '''path not set''', '''path not activable''', '''path activating''', '''path active''', '''path cancelling''', '''path in panic mode'''.
When a path is not set, the monitor checks if the path is currently activable or not and will display path not set for path that can be activated and path is not activable for path that cannot be activated due to some ressources conflicts. Using the show details link, you can display another details screen this time at the path level that will list resources in conflicts that makes the path not activable.
Just below the path status, the monitor will display for active path the train owing the active path and if the train has already entered the path or not. The message Train xxx owns activated path means that the train has not already entered the path, while the message Train xxx has entered active path means that the train has reached and left the path entry signal and is currently on the path. This information is available for both standard and enhanced tower paths. For only enhanced towers, you will have also some information about the trains waiting for the path activation or waiting for the path cancellation.
On the example screen above, we can see that Train T004 - Louise is waiting for path V1ToSouth activation and that the path is currently not activable. To obtain the reason why the path is not activable, you will need to click on the show details link on the displayed path status line. We can also see that Train T001 - Ami currently owns path V3ToSouth which is active.

To understand why path V1toSouth is not activable, we will click on the display details link. And the monitor will display all the current path details :

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the path details tab view ====
''example of the display details screen for path V1toSouth in IT Garrenac South"
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 4.png | none | 800px]]

The path details screen display first the properties of the selected path with the enhanced options for a path belonging to an enhanced tower. But the important thing is that it displays the current path state : path is not activable. Why ? because some path objects are currently locked. It reminds that train T004 - Louise is waiting for this path activation. And the status is displayed with a yellow color because there is a train waiting for the path. And below, you will find the conflicting ressource, in our case a conflicting path V3toSouth which is currently active and owned by train T001 - AMI.
This is only an example, but on this screen you will find why a path is not activable, because some objects are locked by a conflicting path, or because a TCB is occupied or locked, or because an exclusive set name is locked and not available, or because an extra consist has been detected on the path.

The main interest of this run time monitor is to be able to know all the path states, which trains are using or waiting for these paths, and if a path is not activable, why ? and which conflicting ressource is making this path not activable.

You can also see that when displaying the path details screen, the tab bar has now four tabs : the tower list page tab, the tower paths list page tab, the tower path details tab and the trains tab, making easy to switch from one view to another one by clicking on the tab for the page you want to display.

Let's now have a look to the last monitor screen : the trains tab

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the trains tab view ====
''example of the trains tab screen view"
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 5.png | none | 800px]]

The trains tab will list all the trains with a driver currently on your route. In our demo example, we have currently 9 trains with drivers and the trains tab will list the train name, the train id, the driver name, the internal consist name and the current state for the train : either stopped or moving.

For each train, all the paths owned are listed with the message train has entered active path if the train has already reached and left the path entry signal, or train owns active path for trains owning a path but not having reached already the entry signal. For an enhanced tower, train waiting path activation or path cancellation are also listed. The path full name is also displayed with enclosed between brackets the tower name followed by a dot and enclosed between brackets the path name inside the tower. By clicking on the tower name, you will switch to the tower paths list tabs display screen and by clicking on the path name you will switch to path details display screen.

When a path is cancellable for a train, you will also have a cancel path link to enable to cancel the path if you need. If the path is not cancellable, the current state path is not cancellable is displayed with no link. With an enhanced tower, paths are much more cancellable than with standard towers. For enhanced towers, a path is cancellable is either the owning train is stopped or if the owning train is moving and there are at least two signals between the train and the path entry signal. When a path is cancelled in an enhanced tower, to avoid any risk of derailment, any junctions overlapped by a consist will not have their initial directions restored. And path activation will be delayed if some extra consist are overlapping any path junction.

Finally, this screen provides a global view of all the interlocking activity on your route, organized by trains, and when something does not work as you expect, you can easily switch to the tower paths list view or the path details view to understand the problem cause.

With this run time monitor facility, it is much more easy for session creators and end users to better understand the order of events and what is happening inside your route interlocking towers and paths.

The enhanced interlocking tower manager includes also some facilities to create, edit or delete path from a centralized management point under Surveyor, but the most interesting feature of this rule is its run time monitor which can help a lot in understanding how interlocking towers work and for troubleshooting problems in your session.

That will be all for this short documentation. I hope you will enjoy using the enhanced interlocking tower run time monitor. And if you have any questions, you can either ask in the forums or send me a private message.

Regards.
Pierre GUY (61392)

[[Category:Help|Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager]]
[[Category:Rules]]
{{FUN-bot}}

Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule

2016-12-17T11:49:51Z

Vostrail: /* Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the path details tab view */ Very minor typo correction

{{FUN-top}}

=== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule===

[[File:Help-eit-manager-rule-panel.png | none ]]

Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule is a session rule that is released with the [[Enhanced Interlocking Tower|Enhanced Interlocking Tower package]], that enables under surveyor to edit your towers and paths from a centralized interface, and under run time that enables to display a run time monitor to display current available information on your towers, paths and trains using or waiting for any path.

The rule is available on DLS under the KUID <kuid2:61392:8130:11>. The rule works with both standard interlocking towers and [[Enhanced Interlocking Tower|enhanced interlocking towers]].

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule - How it can help using Interlocking Tower ====

The Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule is a session rule that enables under surveyor to define and edit from a centralized point all the existing towers and paths on your route. Under Surveyor, the rule is redundant with the integrated editing facility included in each Interlocking Tower, while providing a convenient centralized management capability for multiple towers. Under Driver mode, the rule's integrated interlocking tower run time monitor may prove to be very helpful to understand what are the current paths states and what may be the current session problems with interlocking towers, either standard ones or the enhanced version.

First a short reminder on how in driver mode to launch the enhanced interlocking tower rule run time monitor facility. To launch the monitor window, you only need to click on the user rule icon ( the little book icon in the toolbar at the top right of the main window) and choose tower manager in the displayed menu items. When selecting the towers manager item, you should have a new window opened by the enhanced interlocking manager rule and displaying the list of all the available towers on the route

''The image below shows where you need to click and select towers manager in the menu.''
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 1.png | none | 800px]]

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the towers list tab view ====
''The following image below shows the initial page displayed by the run time monitor facility''
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 2.png | none | 800px]]

This first screen will list all the interlocking towers available on your route and the type of the interlocking tower : either standard or enhanced.
The window displayed has a tabs toolbar on the second line displayed with two tabs : towers and trains. The current tower tab (you can see it is the current tab as the tab has some pink background) displays the list of the available towers and the other tab named trains will list all the trains with drivers currently on your route.

From the tower list screen, you can select any tower and display more details about the tower by clicking the display details link. the display details screen will show the selected tower paths list and their current state. if a path is active, it will also give which train is currently owning the path and if the train has already entered the path or not. This information is available for both standard and enhanced interlocking tower. For only enhanced interlocking tower, the monitor will also list trains waiting for path activation or path cancellation.

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the tower paths list tab view ====
''here just below an example of the display details screen for IT Garrenac South"
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 3.png | none | 800px]]

You can see on this example screen that there are now three pages available in the tabs toolbar : the towers page, the tower paths page (currently displayed as the tabs has a pink background) and the trains tab. Using these tabs link it is very easy to switch from one page to another by clicking on the adequate tab.

The tower paths list page has a header to remind you the tower options used for the selected tower, and will list all the available paths in the tower with the path name, the entry signal, the exit signal and the current path status. The page will be refreshed every two seconds and you can follow on this page all the paths states evolution in the tower.

The paths states can be '''path not set''', '''path not activable''', '''path activating''', '''path active''', '''path cancelling''', '''path in panic mode'''.
When a path is not set, the monitor checks if the path is currently activable or not and will display path not set for path that can be activated and path is not activable for path that cannot be activated due to some ressources conflicts. Using the show details link, you can display another details screen this time at the path level that will list resources in conflicts that makes the path not activable.
Just below the path status, the monitor will display for active path the train owing the active path and if the train has already entered the path or not. The message Train xxx owns activated path means that the train has not already entered the path, while the message Train xxx has entered active path means that the train has reached and left the path entry signal and is currently on the path. This information is available for both standard and enhanced tower paths. For only enhanced towers, you will have also some information about the trains waiting for the path activation or waiting for the path cancellation.
On the example screen above, we can see that Train T004 - Louise is waiting for path V1ToSouth activation and that the path is currently not activable. To obtain the reason why the path is not activable, you will need to click on the show details link on the displayed path status line. We can also see that Train T001 - Ami currently owns path V3ToSouth which is active.

To understand why path V1toSouth is not activable, we will click on the display details link. And the monitor will display all the current path details :

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the path details tab view ====
''example of the display details screen for path V1toSouth in IT Garrenac South"
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 4.png | none | 800px]]

The path details screen display first the properties of the selected path with the enhanced options for a path belonging to an enhanced tower. But the important thing is that it displays the current path state : path is not activable. Why ? because some path objects are currently locked. It reminds that train T004 - Louise is waiting for this path activation. And the status is displayed with a yellow color because there is a train waiting for the path. And below, you will find the conflicting ressource, in our case a conflicting path V3toSouth which is currently active and owned by train T001 - AMI.
This is only an example, but on this screen you will find why a path is not activable, because some objects are locked by a conflicting path, or because a TCB is occupied or locked, or because an exclusive set name is locked and not available, or because an extra consist has been detected on the path.

The main interest of this run time monitor is to be able to know all the path states, which trains are using or waiting for these paths, and if a path is not activable, why ? and which conflicting ressource is making this path not activable.

You can also see that when displaying the path details screen, the tab bar has now four tabs : the tower list page tab, the tower paths list page tab, the tower path details tab and the trains tab, making easy to switch from one view to another one by clicking on the tab for the page you want to display.

Let's now have a look to the last monitor screen : the trains tab

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the trains tab view ====
''example of the trains tab screen view"
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 5.png | none | 800px]]

The trains tab will list all the trains with a driver currently on your route. In out demo example, we have currently 9 trains with drivers and the trains tab will list the train name, the train id, the driver name, the internal consist name and the current state for the train : either stopped or moving.

For each train, all the paths owned are listed with the message train has entered active path if the train has already reached and left the path entry signal or train owns active path for trains owning a path but not having reached already the entry signal. For enhanced tower, train waiting path activation or path cancellation are also listed. The path full name is also displayed with enclosed between fracked the tower name followed by a dot and enclosed between fracked the path name inside the tower. By clicking on the tower name, you will switch to the tower paths list tabs display screen and by clicking on the path name you will switch to path details display screen.

When a path is cancellable for a train, you will also have a cancel path link to enable to cancel the path if you need. If the path is not cancellable, the current state path is not cancellable is displayed with no link. With enhanced tower, paths are much more cancellable than with standard towers. for enhanced towers, a path is cancellable is either the owning train is stopped or if the owning train is moving if there are at least two signals between the train and the path entry signal. When a path is cancelled in an enhanced tower, to avoid any risk of derailment, any junctions overlapped by a consist will not have its initial direction restored. And path activation will be delayed if some extra consist are overlapping any path junction.

Finally, this screen enables to have a global view of all the interlocking activity on your route, organized by trains, and when something does not work as you expect, you can easily switch to the tower paths list view or the path details view to understand the problem cause.

With this run time monitor facility, it is much more easy for session creators as for end users to better understand the order of events and whet is happening inside your route interlocking towers and paths.

the enhanced interlocking tower manager includes also some facilities to create, edit or delete path from a centralized management point under surveyor, but the most interesting feature of this rule is its run time monitor which can help a lot in understanding how interlocking tower work and find some problems in your session.

That will be all for this short documentation. I hope you will enjoy using the enhanced interlocking tower run time monitor. And if you have any questions, you can either ask in the forums or send me a private message.

Regards.
Pierre GUY (61392)

[[Category:Help|Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager]]
[[Category:Rules]]
{{FUN-bot}}

Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule

2016-12-17T11:46:59Z

Vostrail: /* Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the tower paths list tab view */ Very minor typo correction

{{FUN-top}}

=== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule===

[[File:Help-eit-manager-rule-panel.png | none ]]

Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule is a session rule that is released with the [[Enhanced Interlocking Tower|Enhanced Interlocking Tower package]], that enables under surveyor to edit your towers and paths from a centralized interface, and under run time that enables to display a run time monitor to display current available information on your towers, paths and trains using or waiting for any path.

The rule is available on DLS under the KUID <kuid2:61392:8130:11>. The rule works with both standard interlocking towers and [[Enhanced Interlocking Tower|enhanced interlocking towers]].

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule - How it can help using Interlocking Tower ====

The Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule is a session rule that enables under surveyor to define and edit from a centralized point all the existing towers and paths on your route. Under Surveyor, the rule is redundant with the integrated editing facility included in each Interlocking Tower, while providing a convenient centralized management capability for multiple towers. Under Driver mode, the rule's integrated interlocking tower run time monitor may prove to be very helpful to understand what are the current paths states and what may be the current session problems with interlocking towers, either standard ones or the enhanced version.

First a short reminder on how in driver mode to launch the enhanced interlocking tower rule run time monitor facility. To launch the monitor window, you only need to click on the user rule icon ( the little book icon in the toolbar at the top right of the main window) and choose tower manager in the displayed menu items. When selecting the towers manager item, you should have a new window opened by the enhanced interlocking manager rule and displaying the list of all the available towers on the route

''The image below shows where you need to click and select towers manager in the menu.''
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 1.png | none | 800px]]

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the towers list tab view ====
''The following image below shows the initial page displayed by the run time monitor facility''
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 2.png | none | 800px]]

This first screen will list all the interlocking towers available on your route and the type of the interlocking tower : either standard or enhanced.
The window displayed has a tabs toolbar on the second line displayed with two tabs : towers and trains. The current tower tab (you can see it is the current tab as the tab has some pink background) displays the list of the available towers and the other tab named trains will list all the trains with drivers currently on your route.

From the tower list screen, you can select any tower and display more details about the tower by clicking the display details link. the display details screen will show the selected tower paths list and their current state. if a path is active, it will also give which train is currently owning the path and if the train has already entered the path or not. This information is available for both standard and enhanced interlocking tower. For only enhanced interlocking tower, the monitor will also list trains waiting for path activation or path cancellation.

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the tower paths list tab view ====
''here just below an example of the display details screen for IT Garrenac South"
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 3.png | none | 800px]]

You can see on this example screen that there are now three pages available in the tabs toolbar : the towers page, the tower paths page (currently displayed as the tabs has a pink background) and the trains tab. Using these tabs link it is very easy to switch from one page to another by clicking on the adequate tab.

The tower paths list page has a header to remind you the tower options used for the selected tower, and will list all the available paths in the tower with the path name, the entry signal, the exit signal and the current path status. The page will be refreshed every two seconds and you can follow on this page all the paths states evolution in the tower.

The paths states can be '''path not set''', '''path not activable''', '''path activating''', '''path active''', '''path cancelling''', '''path in panic mode'''.
When a path is not set, the monitor checks if the path is currently activable or not and will display path not set for path that can be activated and path is not activable for path that cannot be activated due to some ressources conflicts. Using the show details link, you can display another details screen this time at the path level that will list resources in conflicts that makes the path not activable.
Just below the path status, the monitor will display for active path the train owing the active path and if the train has already entered the path or not. The message Train xxx owns activated path means that the train has not already entered the path, while the message Train xxx has entered active path means that the train has reached and left the path entry signal and is currently on the path. This information is available for both standard and enhanced tower paths. For only enhanced towers, you will have also some information about the trains waiting for the path activation or waiting for the path cancellation.
On the example screen above, we can see that Train T004 - Louise is waiting for path V1ToSouth activation and that the path is currently not activable. To obtain the reason why the path is not activable, you will need to click on the show details link on the displayed path status line. We can also see that Train T001 - Ami currently owns path V3ToSouth which is active.

To understand why path V1toSouth is not activable, we will click on the display details link. And the monitor will display all the current path details :

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the path details tab view ====
''example of the display details screen for path V1toSouth in IT Garrenac South"
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 4.png | none | 800px]]

The path details screen display first the properties of the selected path with the enhanced options for a path belonging to an enhanced tower. But the important thing is that it displays the current path state : path is not activable. Why ? because some path objects are currently locked. It reminds that train T004 - Louise is waiting for this path activation. And the status is displayed with a yellow color because there is a train waiting for the path. And below, you will find the conflicting ressource, in our case a conflicting path V3toSouth which is currently active and owned by train T001 - AMI.
This is only an example, but on this screen you will find why a path is not activable, because some objects are locked by a conflicting path, or because a TCB is occupied or locked, or because an exclusive set name is locked and not available, or because an extra consist has been detected on the path.

The main interest of this run time monitor is to be able to know all the path states, which trains are using or waiting for these paths, and if a path is not activable, why ? and which conflicting ressource is making this path not activable.

You can also see that when displaying the path details screen, the tabbar has now four tabs : the tower list page tab, the tower paths list page tab, the tower path details tab and the trains tab, making easy to switch from one view to another one by clicking on the tab for the page you want to display.

Let's now have a look to the last monitor screen : the trains tab

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the trains tab view ====
''example of the trains tab screen view"
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 5.png | none | 800px]]

The trains tab will list all the trains with a driver currently on your route. In out demo example, we have currently 9 trains with drivers and the trains tab will list the train name, the train id, the driver name, the internal consist name and the current state for the train : either stopped or moving.

For each train, all the paths owned are listed with the message train has entered active path if the train has already reached and left the path entry signal or train owns active path for trains owning a path but not having reached already the entry signal. For enhanced tower, train waiting path activation or path cancellation are also listed. The path full name is also displayed with enclosed between fracked the tower name followed by a dot and enclosed between fracked the path name inside the tower. By clicking on the tower name, you will switch to the tower paths list tabs display screen and by clicking on the path name you will switch to path details display screen.

When a path is cancellable for a train, you will also have a cancel path link to enable to cancel the path if you need. If the path is not cancellable, the current state path is not cancellable is displayed with no link. With enhanced tower, paths are much more cancellable than with standard towers. for enhanced towers, a path is cancellable is either the owning train is stopped or if the owning train is moving if there are at least two signals between the train and the path entry signal. When a path is cancelled in an enhanced tower, to avoid any risk of derailment, any junctions overlapped by a consist will not have its initial direction restored. And path activation will be delayed if some extra consist are overlapping any path junction.

Finally, this screen enables to have a global view of all the interlocking activity on your route, organized by trains, and when something does not work as you expect, you can easily switch to the tower paths list view or the path details view to understand the problem cause.

With this run time monitor facility, it is much more easy for session creators as for end users to better understand the order of events and whet is happening inside your route interlocking towers and paths.

the enhanced interlocking tower manager includes also some facilities to create, edit or delete path from a centralized management point under surveyor, but the most interesting feature of this rule is its run time monitor which can help a lot in understanding how interlocking tower work and find some problems in your session.

That will be all for this short documentation. I hope you will enjoy using the enhanced interlocking tower run time monitor. And if you have any questions, you can either ask in the forums or send me a private message.

Regards.
Pierre GUY (61392)

[[Category:Help|Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager]]
[[Category:Rules]]
{{FUN-bot}}

Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule

2016-12-17T11:39:18Z

Vostrail: /* Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule - How it can help using Interlocking Tower */ Minor rewording for readability

{{FUN-top}}

=== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule===

[[File:Help-eit-manager-rule-panel.png | none ]]

Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule is a session rule that is released with the [[Enhanced Interlocking Tower|Enhanced Interlocking Tower package]], that enables under surveyor to edit your towers and paths from a centralized interface, and under run time that enables to display a run time monitor to display current available information on your towers, paths and trains using or waiting for any path.

The rule is available on DLS under the KUID <kuid2:61392:8130:11>. The rule works with both standard interlocking towers and [[Enhanced Interlocking Tower|enhanced interlocking towers]].

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule - How it can help using Interlocking Tower ====

The Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule is a session rule that enables under surveyor to define and edit from a centralized point all the existing towers and paths on your route. Under Surveyor, the rule is redundant with the integrated editing facility included in each Interlocking Tower, while providing a convenient centralized management capability for multiple towers. Under Driver mode, the rule's integrated interlocking tower run time monitor may prove to be very helpful to understand what are the current paths states and what may be the current session problems with interlocking towers, either standard ones or the enhanced version.

First a short reminder on how in driver mode to launch the enhanced interlocking tower rule run time monitor facility. To launch the monitor window, you only need to click on the user rule icon ( the little book icon in the toolbar at the top right of the main window) and choose tower manager in the displayed menu items. When selecting the towers manager item, you should have a new window opened by the enhanced interlocking manager rule and displaying the list of all the available towers on the route

''The image below shows where you need to click and select towers manager in the menu.''
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 1.png | none | 800px]]

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the towers list tab view ====
''The following image below shows the initial page displayed by the run time monitor facility''
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 2.png | none | 800px]]

This first screen will list all the interlocking towers available on your route and the type of the interlocking tower : either standard or enhanced.
The window displayed has a tabs toolbar on the second line displayed with two tabs : towers and trains. The current tower tab (you can see it is the current tab as the tab has some pink background) displays the list of the available towers and the other tab named trains will list all the trains with drivers currently on your route.

From the tower list screen, you can select any tower and display more details about the tower by clicking the display details link. the display details screen will show the selected tower paths list and their current state. if a path is active, it will also give which train is currently owning the path and if the train has already entered the path or not. This information is available for both standard and enhanced interlocking tower. For only enhanced interlocking tower, the monitor will also list trains waiting for path activation or path cancellation.

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the tower paths list tab view ====
''here just below an example of the display details screen for IT Garrenac South"
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 3.png | none | 800px]]

You can see on this example screen that there are now three pages available in the tabs toolbar : the towers page, the tower paths page (currently displayed as the tabs has a pink background) and the trains tab. Using these tabs link it is very easy to switch from one page to another by clicking on the adequate tab.

The tower paths list page has a header to remind you the tower options used for the selected tower, and will list all the available paths in the tower with the path name, the entry signal, the exit signal and the current path status. The page will be refreshed every two seconds and you can follow on this page all the paths states evolution in the tower.

The paths states can be '''path not set''', '''path not activable''', '''path activating''', '''path active''', '''path cancelling''', '''path in panic mode'''.
When a path is not set, the monitor checks if the path is currently activable or not and will display path not set for path that can be activated and path is not activable for path that cannot be activated due to some ressources conflicts. Using the show details link, you can display another details screen this time at the path level that will list resources in conflicts that makes the path not activable.
Just below the path status, the monitor will display for active path the train owing the active path and if the train has already entered the path or not. The message Train xxx owns activated path means that the train has not already entered the path, while the message Train xxx has entered active path means that the train has reached ad left the path entry signal and is currently on the path. This information is available for both standard and enhanced tower paths. For only enhanced towers, you will have also some information about the trains waiting for the path activation or waiting for the path cancellation.
On the example screen above, we can see that Train T004 - Louise is waiting for path V1ToSouth activation and that the path is currently not activable. To obtain the reason why the path is not activable, you will need to click on the show details link on the displayed path status line. We can also see that Train T001 - Ami currently owns path V3ToSouth which is active.

To understand why path V1toSouth is not activable, we will click on the display details link. And the monitor will display all the current path details :

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the path details tab view ====
''example of the display details screen for path V1toSouth in IT Garrenac South"
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 4.png | none | 800px]]

The path details screen display first the properties of the selected path with the enhanced options for a path belonging to an enhanced tower. But the important thing is that it displays the current path state : path is not activable. Why ? because some path objects are currently locked. It reminds that train T004 - Louise is waiting for this path activation. And the status is displayed with a yellow color because there is a train waiting for the path. And below, you will find the conflicting ressource, in our case a conflicting path V3toSouth which is currently active and owned by train T001 - AMI.
This is only an example, but on this screen you will find why a path is not activable, because some objects are locked by a conflicting path, or because a TCB is occupied or locked, or because an exclusive set name is locked and not available, or because an extra consist has been detected on the path.

The main interest of this run time monitor is to be able to know all the path states, which trains are using or waiting for these paths, and if a path is not activable, why ? and which conflicting ressource is making this path not activable.

You can also see that when displaying the path details screen, the tabbar has now four tabs : the tower list page tab, the tower paths list page tab, the tower path details tab and the trains tab, making easy to switch from one view to another one by clicking on the tab for the page you want to display.

Let's now have a look to the last monitor screen : the trains tab

==== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Run Time monitor - the trains tab view ====
''example of the trains tab screen view"
[[File:eit manager run time monitor - image 5.png | none | 800px]]

The trains tab will list all the trains with a driver currently on your route. In out demo example, we have currently 9 trains with drivers and the trains tab will list the train name, the train id, the driver name, the internal consist name and the current state for the train : either stopped or moving.

For each train, all the paths owned are listed with the message train has entered active path if the train has already reached and left the path entry signal or train owns active path for trains owning a path but not having reached already the entry signal. For enhanced tower, train waiting path activation or path cancellation are also listed. The path full name is also displayed with enclosed between fracked the tower name followed by a dot and enclosed between fracked the path name inside the tower. By clicking on the tower name, you will switch to the tower paths list tabs display screen and by clicking on the path name you will switch to path details display screen.

When a path is cancellable for a train, you will also have a cancel path link to enable to cancel the path if you need. If the path is not cancellable, the current state path is not cancellable is displayed with no link. With enhanced tower, paths are much more cancellable than with standard towers. for enhanced towers, a path is cancellable is either the owning train is stopped or if the owning train is moving if there are at least two signals between the train and the path entry signal. When a path is cancelled in an enhanced tower, to avoid any risk of derailment, any junctions overlapped by a consist will not have its initial direction restored. And path activation will be delayed if some extra consist are overlapping any path junction.

Finally, this screen enables to have a global view of all the interlocking activity on your route, organized by trains, and when something does not work as you expect, you can easily switch to the tower paths list view or the path details view to understand the problem cause.

With this run time monitor facility, it is much more easy for session creators as for end users to better understand the order of events and whet is happening inside your route interlocking towers and paths.

the enhanced interlocking tower manager includes also some facilities to create, edit or delete path from a centralized management point under surveyor, but the most interesting feature of this rule is its run time monitor which can help a lot in understanding how interlocking tower work and find some problems in your session.

That will be all for this short documentation. I hope you will enjoy using the enhanced interlocking tower run time monitor. And if you have any questions, you can either ask in the forums or send me a private message.

Regards.
Pierre GUY (61392)

[[Category:Help|Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager]]
[[Category:Rules]]
{{FUN-bot}}

Enhanced Interlocking Tower

2016-12-17T11:16:38Z

Vostrail: /* Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule : How to monitor at run time your towers, paths and trains */ Minor wording changes for readability.

{{FUN-top}}

===Enhanced Interlocking Tower assets===

[[File:Help-eit-assets-img01.png | left | thumb ]]

'''Enhanced Interlocking Tower assets''' are Interlocking Tower scripted assets using some additional script from a library to offer extra functionalities to the standard interlocking tower. By doing some pre-processing before calling standard interlocking tower processing and doing some post-processing on return, these new assets enable the user to take the best from interlocking towers and to offer some enhanced functionalities by default or on option.

Among these added functionalities you will find :

: '''at the path level :'''

::* path supports that an exit signal is also an entry signal from another tower 
::* path will be activated only if there are no extra consist currently occupying the path. If it is not the case, path activation will be delayed until there is no longer any extra consist on path. 
::* path can be cancelled using a specific driver command or using the enhanced interlocking manager rule run time monitor. Cancelling a path can occur at any time for an owning train which is stopped, and for an owning train moving only if there are at least two signals between the train position and the path entry signal. To avoid any derailment risk, paths junctions currently overlapped by a consist will not restore their initial direction. 
::* path can use several clear method : clear on cancel is the traditional clear method used with standard IT ; clear_on_drive enables to release junctions and signals when your train has left the junction or signal so that these objects are made available for any waiting other path before the initial path is cleared ; clear_on_last_junction will clear the path when the last junction along the path has been left : this method may be used at terminal station with path having the buffer at the end of the track being the exit signal - though the exit signal will never be reached, the path will be cleared when the last junction will be left. 
::* path can optionally check if a track circuit block embedding the exit signal is occupied or not, and will lock the track circuit block name until the path is cleared. It is also possible to request that all track circuit blocks embedding any path objects (except the path entry signal) will be processed in a similar manner. Using exit signal TCB can help a lot to protect terminal or through station platforms. 
::* path can optionally choose either to restore path junctions initial direction when a path is cleared or to do not restore path junctions initial direction and keep the current target direction when the path was active. 
::* path can optionally be member of an exclusive set name, and will have their activation delayed as long as any other path referencing the same exclusive set name is active. This feature enables to protect easily track crossing without using some invisible junctions or signals. 

: '''at the tower level :'''

::* it is possible to choose if the yellow disc used to reselect a target path is displayed or not. 
::* processing on train schedule blocked can be choosen : you may either use the standard IT implementation that will try to cancel and reactivate later unused paths (paths owned but not already entered) which may help activating a path for a train with schedule blocked at an entry signal.You may also avoid this standard processing by disabling the option. 
::* trc compatibility : it is possible to choose at the tower level if crossing conformant to TRC system will be managed by the interlocking tower or by the trc system. 
::* tower debug level : this option is mainly for session developers. It enables to have either no logging (for production), or only logging to the system log, or to have both logging and messages on screen. 

=== Enhanced Interlocking Tower : How to use them ?===

To use enhanced interlocking tower, you need to drop on your route an enhanced interlocking tower like the enhanced trc3 interlocking tower <kuid2:61392:8101:4> available on dls. Some other content creators will shortly also release some other enhanced interlocking tower asset. In fact any scenery asset can be defined as an enhanced interlocking tower by using the adequate configuration file.

When you have installed on your route the enhanced interlocking tower you want to use, you only need to edit the object property by clicking on it to open the standard editor window. For enhanced interlocking tower, the editor window includes options that can be selected in the header at the top of the tower object properties window.

==== Editing enhanced Interlocking tower : options available in the tower editor window ====

[[File:Help-eit-assets-img02.png | 768px | none ]]

The available options in the header at the tower level are :

:* '''tower display yellow disc option :'''
::by clicking on the link on the right, you can either choose display yellow disc enabled or disabled

:* '''tower path requery option :'''
::this option is on how to process AI trains with schedule blocked. It can either be '''try requery path on schedule blocked''' or '''do not requery path on schedule blocked'''. With requery path option active, when an AI train has its schedule blocked, the enhanced IT will try to release unused paths (paths owned but not entered) to enable some other paths to be activated. The unused paths released are requeued for later activation. This standard processing done in standard IT may help to find a solution to some AI schedule blocked, but may have some side effects as some activated path may be cancelled before being later reactivated. If you do not want this behavior, just change the option to do not requery path on schedule blocked and no processing will be done when an AI train has its schedule blocked.

:* '''tower trc compatible mode :'''
::when this option is active, crossings conformant to trc system specification will not be managed by interlocking tower. Trc crossing objects will be skipped with no tower ownership and will remain managed by the trc system. if the option is inactive, interlocking tower will manage all the crossings along its path.

:* '''tower debug level :'''
::tower debug level option is an option available that help session developper to understand interlocking tower problems. Interlocking tower have an integrated debugging facility by default disabled. By selecting only log debug information or log and print debugging information, you will activate the debugging facility which may help to understand some conflicting or deadlock problems using interlocking tower.

at the bottom of the header area, you will find a link '''Restore default options''' that enables to reset all the current enhanced options to the default values defined by the enhanced tower asset content creator.

==== Editing enhanced Interlocking tower path : options available in the path editor window ====

[[File:Help-eit-assets-img03.png | 768px | none ]]

The available options in the header at the path level are :

:* '''Path clear method to use :'''
::you can here select the path clear method to be used between '''Clear on cancel (when a path is either complete or cancelled)''' , '''Clear on drive (following train progress along the path)''' and '''Clear after last junction (when the train leaves the last junction along the path)'''. Clear on cancel is the standard IT clear method that can still be selected. Clear on cancel will release path objects locks when the owning train leaves the path object. With clear on drive, the path will still be cleared and cancelled only when the train will leaves the exit signal, but path objects are unlocked as soon as the train has left them and are made available for other conflicting paths to be activated earlier. Clear after last junction will clear and cancel the path as soon as the owning train has left the last junction along the path and will not wait for the train to reach and leave the exit signal. Clear on last junction may be an interesting option for path leading to an and of track with a buffer. You can use the buffer as the exit signal, and though the owning train will never leave the buffer exit signal, the path will be cleared as soon as the train will have left the last junction along the path.

:* '''Path track circuit blocks mode :'''
::this option can either be '''no tcb processing''' , '''process only tcb for exit signal''' or '''process all tcbs along path'''. With process only tcb for exit signal, before activation, the path will look if its exit signal is embedded in some track circuit block, and if it is the case will check that the track circuit block is not occupied and not locked. If it is not the case, path activation will be delayed until the previous conditions are met. When the exit tcb is unoccupied and unlocked, path will be activated but will also lock the tcb name while the path is active. Doing so enables to guarantee that a path is activated only when a tcb embedding the exit signal is not occupied and locking its name enables to prevent other paths to activate while the initial path is active even if there are no common paths objects between the paths. Exit signal tcb are very usefull for terminal station platforms, for through station platforms and for unique track between two several passing places. As several interlocking tower paths from distinct towers can have their exit signal embedded in the same tcb, this facility also enables to do some interlocking between paths form distinct towers. Using the process all tcbs option along path enables to do the same processing for all the tcbs embedding some path objects and not only for the exit signal tcb.

:* '''Path clear option for owned junctions :'''
::this option enable to either restore the junction initial direction (default used by standard it) or to do not restore junctions initial direction when a path is cleared. This option is available mainly for prototypical behavior as sometimes it is not very prototypical to have a junction having its initial direction restored because a path has been cleared followed by rechanging the direction due to another path being activated. With this option you avoid successive inadequate direction changes for junctions.

:* '''Exclusive sets membership :'''
::exclusive sets membership is an option that has been designed to help protect a crossing of tracks without the need to add some invisible junctions using these junctions as external object reference. When you add an exclusive set name in this field, the path will only be activated if no other paths in any tower with also the same exclusive set name is active. Paths sharing the same exclusive set name cannot be simultaneously active and this works inside the same tower as inside any tower on your route. To protect a crossing of track, you need only to give a unique name to this crossing of track and reference this name as an exclusive set name in all your paths using this crossing of tracks. It is much more easy to use than using invisible junctions with external references in paths.
::You can enter in this field either only one name or several names separated by a comma. Exclusive set name A will be displayed in the field as A. Exclusive set names A , B will be displayed as an exclusive set names list [A,B]. What is important is that you can enter either one name or several names separated by commas. When several names have been listed, the path belongs to all the exclusive set names and will check that no paths active are referencing any of these names before activating the path. This feature is very usefull to protect crossing tracks, and also slips and double-slips.

At the bottom of the header, you have also two links available : the '''restore default options''' link will restore all the default values for the enhanced options for the current path. The '''make current path options default options''' will change the default options in the current tower to be the current path options. Using these options link, it is quite easy to retrieve some path options and to propagate them to some other paths.

==== Creating your own enhanced Interlocking tower asset : What are the modifications needed in your asset config.txt file ====

Like for standard interlocking tower, any scenery asset can be transformed in an enhanced interlocking tower asset by making a few modifications to the config file.

You will find below as an example, taken from the config.txt file for the enhanced trc3 invisible interlocking tower, all the lines you need to have in your own asset config.txt so that your asset becomes an enhanced interlocking tower. Other lines like your asset kuid number, description, username, ... should remain unchanged.

'''List of lines needing to be present for a scenery asset to become an enhanced interlocking tower asset :'''

<nowiki>
trainz-build 4.3
kind "interlocking-tower"
script "dummyinterlockingtower.gs"
class "DummyInterlockingTower"
category-class "IT"

extensions
{
generic-61392
{
assetid "enhancedinterlockingtower"

eitoptions
{
displayyellowdisc 0
pathrequeryonscheduledblocked 1
trcsupport 1
debuglevel 0
clearmethod 1
checktcb 1
resetjunctions 1
edityellowdisc 2
editpathrequery 2
edittrcsupport 2
editdebuglevel 2
editclearmethod 2
editchecktcb 2
editresetjunctions 2
editexclusivesets 2
}

colors-61392
{
cunselect "bbf5bb"
cselect "f5bbbb"
clink "ffffff"
cnrm "c0c0c0"
cwhite "ffffff"
calert "ff0000"
}
}
}

script-include-table
{
commondata <kuid:61392:4000>
esvlib <kuid:61392:4002>
eitlib <kuid:61392:8190>
trcitlib <kuid:61392:8191>
}

kuid-table
{
sessvar <kuid:-3:10197>
sessvars <kuid:-3:10197>
commondata <kuid2:61392:4000:31>
esvlib <kuid2:61392:4002:30>
eitlib <kuid2:61392:8190:1>
trcitlib <kuid:61392:8191>
0 <kuid:61392:4000>
1 <kuid:61392:8190>
2 <kuid:61392:4002>
}
</nowiki>

Just only a few comments on some of these mandatory lines in config.txt file :

The trainz-build tag needs to be at least 4.3 for any interlocking tower. The kind tag should always be "interlocking-tower". The script and class should be "dummyinterlockingtower.gs" and "DummyinterlockingTower" and should respect the case for the class tag. And the category-class tag should be "IT". These tags are mandatory and should not be changed.

In the extensions part, default values for enhanced options are defined and may be changed if you wish to change the default values in your enhanced interlocking tower asset.

displayyellowdisctag is 0 for yellow disc disabled or 1 for yellow disc enabled.

pathrequeryonscheduleblocked should be 0 to disable requery and 1 to enable requery when an ai train has its schedule blocked.

trcsupport should be 1 to support trc system and 0 if not.

debug level should be 0 for no debugging, 1 for log only debugging message and 2 for log and print debugging messages

clear method should be 1 to clear on cancel, 2 for clear on drive, and 101 for clear after last junction. Other values may lead to unexpected results.

checktcb should be 0 for no tcb processing, 1 for process only exit tcb, 2 for process all tcbs along path.

reset junctions should be 0 to avoid reseting junctions direction when a path is cleared and 1 to reset junctions when a path is cleared.

and that's all for default values settings. The following tags will define if an enhanced option is not visible (0), displayed only (1), or displayed and editable (2).
the tags edityellowdisc, editpathrequery, edittrcsupport, editdebuglevel, editclearmethod, editchecktcb, editresetjunctions, editexclusivesets can be set to one of these values (0, 1, 2) to make the enhanced option not visible, displayed in read-only mode, or displayed and editable.
By configuring these extensions tags, an enhanced interlocking tower content creator can choose the default values for an option, and decide if it can be viewed or not, and if the end user can change the default values. For example, if trcsupport is set to 1 and edittrcsupport is set to 0, the tower will have the trc support option enabled, but not displayed and so not updatable by the end user. Using these tags the asset content creator can enforce any of the enhanced options value.

the other tags cunselect, cselect, clink, cnrm, cwhite, calert defines the colors to be used in the interface. You should not normally alter these values, but if you don't like the colors scheme used, you may alter these values to change the colors used in the interface. The string values defined for each tag are only the RGB hexadecimal values for the color to be used for this category of information.

and the last containers script-include-table and kuid-table should be left unchanged for the enhanced interlocking tower to work correctly.

=== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule : How to monitor at run time your towers, paths and trains ===

Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule is a session rule that is released with the Enhanced Interlocking Tower package. Under Surveyor it enables editing of your towers and paths from a centralized interface, and under Driver it provides a run time monitor to display current available information on your towers, paths and trains using or waiting for any path.

The rule is available on DLS under the KUID <kuid2:61392:8130:11>. The rule works with both standard interlocking towers and enhanced interlocking towers.

To get more details on what this rule can display, just click on the following link to the [[Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule]] dedicated page.:

That is currently all for Enhanced Interlocking Tower assets wiki documentation.
I hope you will enjoy these new assets to help you using more versatile and powerfull interlocking tower.
And if you need more details or have unanswered questions, do not hesitate to post in the forums or to send me a private message.
Regards. Pierre GUY (61392)

[[Category:Help|Enhanced Interlocking Tower]]
[[Category:Interlocking Towers]]

{{FUN-bot}}

Enhanced Interlocking Tower

2016-12-17T11:09:39Z

Vostrail: /* Creating your own enhanced Interlocking tower asset : What are the modifications needed in your asset config.txt file */ Minor typo corrections

{{FUN-top}}

===Enhanced Interlocking Tower assets===

[[File:Help-eit-assets-img01.png | left | thumb ]]

'''Enhanced Interlocking Tower assets''' are Interlocking Tower scripted assets using some additional script from a library to offer extra functionalities to the standard interlocking tower. By doing some pre-processing before calling standard interlocking tower processing and doing some post-processing on return, these new assets enable the user to take the best from interlocking towers and to offer some enhanced functionalities by default or on option.

Among these added functionalities you will find :

: '''at the path level :'''

::* path supports that an exit signal is also an entry signal from another tower 
::* path will be activated only if there are no extra consist currently occupying the path. If it is not the case, path activation will be delayed until there is no longer any extra consist on path. 
::* path can be cancelled using a specific driver command or using the enhanced interlocking manager rule run time monitor. Cancelling a path can occur at any time for an owning train which is stopped, and for an owning train moving only if there are at least two signals between the train position and the path entry signal. To avoid any derailment risk, paths junctions currently overlapped by a consist will not restore their initial direction. 
::* path can use several clear method : clear on cancel is the traditional clear method used with standard IT ; clear_on_drive enables to release junctions and signals when your train has left the junction or signal so that these objects are made available for any waiting other path before the initial path is cleared ; clear_on_last_junction will clear the path when the last junction along the path has been left : this method may be used at terminal station with path having the buffer at the end of the track being the exit signal - though the exit signal will never be reached, the path will be cleared when the last junction will be left. 
::* path can optionally check if a track circuit block embedding the exit signal is occupied or not, and will lock the track circuit block name until the path is cleared. It is also possible to request that all track circuit blocks embedding any path objects (except the path entry signal) will be processed in a similar manner. Using exit signal TCB can help a lot to protect terminal or through station platforms. 
::* path can optionally choose either to restore path junctions initial direction when a path is cleared or to do not restore path junctions initial direction and keep the current target direction when the path was active. 
::* path can optionally be member of an exclusive set name, and will have their activation delayed as long as any other path referencing the same exclusive set name is active. This feature enables to protect easily track crossing without using some invisible junctions or signals. 

: '''at the tower level :'''

::* it is possible to choose if the yellow disc used to reselect a target path is displayed or not. 
::* processing on train schedule blocked can be choosen : you may either use the standard IT implementation that will try to cancel and reactivate later unused paths (paths owned but not already entered) which may help activating a path for a train with schedule blocked at an entry signal.You may also avoid this standard processing by disabling the option. 
::* trc compatibility : it is possible to choose at the tower level if crossing conformant to TRC system will be managed by the interlocking tower or by the trc system. 
::* tower debug level : this option is mainly for session developers. It enables to have either no logging (for production), or only logging to the system log, or to have both logging and messages on screen. 

=== Enhanced Interlocking Tower : How to use them ?===

To use enhanced interlocking tower, you need to drop on your route an enhanced interlocking tower like the enhanced trc3 interlocking tower <kuid2:61392:8101:4> available on dls. Some other content creators will shortly also release some other enhanced interlocking tower asset. In fact any scenery asset can be defined as an enhanced interlocking tower by using the adequate configuration file.

When you have installed on your route the enhanced interlocking tower you want to use, you only need to edit the object property by clicking on it to open the standard editor window. For enhanced interlocking tower, the editor window includes options that can be selected in the header at the top of the tower object properties window.

==== Editing enhanced Interlocking tower : options available in the tower editor window ====

[[File:Help-eit-assets-img02.png | 768px | none ]]

The available options in the header at the tower level are :

:* '''tower display yellow disc option :'''
::by clicking on the link on the right, you can either choose display yellow disc enabled or disabled

:* '''tower path requery option :'''
::this option is on how to process AI trains with schedule blocked. It can either be '''try requery path on schedule blocked''' or '''do not requery path on schedule blocked'''. With requery path option active, when an AI train has its schedule blocked, the enhanced IT will try to release unused paths (paths owned but not entered) to enable some other paths to be activated. The unused paths released are requeued for later activation. This standard processing done in standard IT may help to find a solution to some AI schedule blocked, but may have some side effects as some activated path may be cancelled before being later reactivated. If you do not want this behavior, just change the option to do not requery path on schedule blocked and no processing will be done when an AI train has its schedule blocked.

:* '''tower trc compatible mode :'''
::when this option is active, crossings conformant to trc system specification will not be managed by interlocking tower. Trc crossing objects will be skipped with no tower ownership and will remain managed by the trc system. if the option is inactive, interlocking tower will manage all the crossings along its path.

:* '''tower debug level :'''
::tower debug level option is an option available that help session developper to understand interlocking tower problems. Interlocking tower have an integrated debugging facility by default disabled. By selecting only log debug information or log and print debugging information, you will activate the debugging facility which may help to understand some conflicting or deadlock problems using interlocking tower.

at the bottom of the header area, you will find a link '''Restore default options''' that enables to reset all the current enhanced options to the default values defined by the enhanced tower asset content creator.

==== Editing enhanced Interlocking tower path : options available in the path editor window ====

[[File:Help-eit-assets-img03.png | 768px | none ]]

The available options in the header at the path level are :

:* '''Path clear method to use :'''
::you can here select the path clear method to be used between '''Clear on cancel (when a path is either complete or cancelled)''' , '''Clear on drive (following train progress along the path)''' and '''Clear after last junction (when the train leaves the last junction along the path)'''. Clear on cancel is the standard IT clear method that can still be selected. Clear on cancel will release path objects locks when the owning train leaves the path object. With clear on drive, the path will still be cleared and cancelled only when the train will leaves the exit signal, but path objects are unlocked as soon as the train has left them and are made available for other conflicting paths to be activated earlier. Clear after last junction will clear and cancel the path as soon as the owning train has left the last junction along the path and will not wait for the train to reach and leave the exit signal. Clear on last junction may be an interesting option for path leading to an and of track with a buffer. You can use the buffer as the exit signal, and though the owning train will never leave the buffer exit signal, the path will be cleared as soon as the train will have left the last junction along the path.

:* '''Path track circuit blocks mode :'''
::this option can either be '''no tcb processing''' , '''process only tcb for exit signal''' or '''process all tcbs along path'''. With process only tcb for exit signal, before activation, the path will look if its exit signal is embedded in some track circuit block, and if it is the case will check that the track circuit block is not occupied and not locked. If it is not the case, path activation will be delayed until the previous conditions are met. When the exit tcb is unoccupied and unlocked, path will be activated but will also lock the tcb name while the path is active. Doing so enables to guarantee that a path is activated only when a tcb embedding the exit signal is not occupied and locking its name enables to prevent other paths to activate while the initial path is active even if there are no common paths objects between the paths. Exit signal tcb are very usefull for terminal station platforms, for through station platforms and for unique track between two several passing places. As several interlocking tower paths from distinct towers can have their exit signal embedded in the same tcb, this facility also enables to do some interlocking between paths form distinct towers. Using the process all tcbs option along path enables to do the same processing for all the tcbs embedding some path objects and not only for the exit signal tcb.

:* '''Path clear option for owned junctions :'''
::this option enable to either restore the junction initial direction (default used by standard it) or to do not restore junctions initial direction when a path is cleared. This option is available mainly for prototypical behavior as sometimes it is not very prototypical to have a junction having its initial direction restored because a path has been cleared followed by rechanging the direction due to another path being activated. With this option you avoid successive inadequate direction changes for junctions.

:* '''Exclusive sets membership :'''
::exclusive sets membership is an option that has been designed to help protect a crossing of tracks without the need to add some invisible junctions using these junctions as external object reference. When you add an exclusive set name in this field, the path will only be activated if no other paths in any tower with also the same exclusive set name is active. Paths sharing the same exclusive set name cannot be simultaneously active and this works inside the same tower as inside any tower on your route. To protect a crossing of track, you need only to give a unique name to this crossing of track and reference this name as an exclusive set name in all your paths using this crossing of tracks. It is much more easy to use than using invisible junctions with external references in paths.
::You can enter in this field either only one name or several names separated by a comma. Exclusive set name A will be displayed in the field as A. Exclusive set names A , B will be displayed as an exclusive set names list [A,B]. What is important is that you can enter either one name or several names separated by commas. When several names have been listed, the path belongs to all the exclusive set names and will check that no paths active are referencing any of these names before activating the path. This feature is very usefull to protect crossing tracks, and also slips and double-slips.

At the bottom of the header, you have also two links available : the '''restore default options''' link will restore all the default values for the enhanced options for the current path. The '''make current path options default options''' will change the default options in the current tower to be the current path options. Using these options link, it is quite easy to retrieve some path options and to propagate them to some other paths.

==== Creating your own enhanced Interlocking tower asset : What are the modifications needed in your asset config.txt file ====

Like for standard interlocking tower, any scenery asset can be transformed in an enhanced interlocking tower asset by making a few modifications to the config file.

You will find below as an example, taken from the config.txt file for the enhanced trc3 invisible interlocking tower, all the lines you need to have in your own asset config.txt so that your asset becomes an enhanced interlocking tower. Other lines like your asset kuid number, description, username, ... should remain unchanged.

'''List of lines needing to be present for a scenery asset to become an enhanced interlocking tower asset :'''

<nowiki>
trainz-build 4.3
kind "interlocking-tower"
script "dummyinterlockingtower.gs"
class "DummyInterlockingTower"
category-class "IT"

extensions
{
generic-61392
{
assetid "enhancedinterlockingtower"

eitoptions
{
displayyellowdisc 0
pathrequeryonscheduledblocked 1
trcsupport 1
debuglevel 0
clearmethod 1
checktcb 1
resetjunctions 1
edityellowdisc 2
editpathrequery 2
edittrcsupport 2
editdebuglevel 2
editclearmethod 2
editchecktcb 2
editresetjunctions 2
editexclusivesets 2
}

colors-61392
{
cunselect "bbf5bb"
cselect "f5bbbb"
clink "ffffff"
cnrm "c0c0c0"
cwhite "ffffff"
calert "ff0000"
}
}
}

script-include-table
{
commondata <kuid:61392:4000>
esvlib <kuid:61392:4002>
eitlib <kuid:61392:8190>
trcitlib <kuid:61392:8191>
}

kuid-table
{
sessvar <kuid:-3:10197>
sessvars <kuid:-3:10197>
commondata <kuid2:61392:4000:31>
esvlib <kuid2:61392:4002:30>
eitlib <kuid2:61392:8190:1>
trcitlib <kuid:61392:8191>
0 <kuid:61392:4000>
1 <kuid:61392:8190>
2 <kuid:61392:4002>
}
</nowiki>

Just only a few comments on some of these mandatory lines in config.txt file :

The trainz-build tag needs to be at least 4.3 for any interlocking tower. The kind tag should always be "interlocking-tower". The script and class should be "dummyinterlockingtower.gs" and "DummyinterlockingTower" and should respect the case for the class tag. And the category-class tag should be "IT". These tags are mandatory and should not be changed.

In the extensions part, default values for enhanced options are defined and may be changed if you wish to change the default values in your enhanced interlocking tower asset.

displayyellowdisctag is 0 for yellow disc disabled or 1 for yellow disc enabled.

pathrequeryonscheduleblocked should be 0 to disable requery and 1 to enable requery when an ai train has its schedule blocked.

trcsupport should be 1 to support trc system and 0 if not.

debug level should be 0 for no debugging, 1 for log only debugging message and 2 for log and print debugging messages

clear method should be 1 to clear on cancel, 2 for clear on drive, and 101 for clear after last junction. Other values may lead to unexpected results.

checktcb should be 0 for no tcb processing, 1 for process only exit tcb, 2 for process all tcbs along path.

reset junctions should be 0 to avoid reseting junctions direction when a path is cleared and 1 to reset junctions when a path is cleared.

and that's all for default values settings. The following tags will define if an enhanced option is not visible (0), displayed only (1), or displayed and editable (2).
the tags edityellowdisc, editpathrequery, edittrcsupport, editdebuglevel, editclearmethod, editchecktcb, editresetjunctions, editexclusivesets can be set to one of these values (0, 1, 2) to make the enhanced option not visible, displayed in read-only mode, or displayed and editable.
By configuring these extensions tags, an enhanced interlocking tower content creator can choose the default values for an option, and decide if it can be viewed or not, and if the end user can change the default values. For example, if trcsupport is set to 1 and edittrcsupport is set to 0, the tower will have the trc support option enabled, but not displayed and so not updatable by the end user. Using these tags the asset content creator can enforce any of the enhanced options value.

the other tags cunselect, cselect, clink, cnrm, cwhite, calert defines the colors to be used in the interface. You should not normally alter these values, but if you don't like the colors scheme used, you may alter these values to change the colors used in the interface. The string values defined for each tag are only the RGB hexadecimal values for the color to be used for this category of information.

and the last containers script-include-table and kuid-table should be left unchanged for the enhanced interlocking tower to work correctly.

=== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule : How to monitor at run time your towers, paths and trains ===

Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule is a session rule that is released with the Enhanced Interlocking Tower package, that enables under surveyor to edit your towers and paths from a centralized interface, and under run time that enables to display a run time monitor to display current available information on your towers, paths and trains using or waiting for any path.

The rule is available on DLS under the KUID <kuid2:61392:8130:11>. The rule works with both standard interlocking towers and enhanced interlocking towers.

To get more details on what can display this rule, just click on the following link to [[Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule]] dedicated page.:

That is currently all for Enhanced Interlocking Tower assets wiki documentation.
I hope you will enjoy these new assets to help you using more versatile and powerfull interlocking tower.
And if you need more precisions or have unanswered questions, do not hesitate to post in the forums or to send me a private message.
Regards. Pierre GUY (61392)

[[Category:Help|Enhanced Interlocking Tower]]
[[Category:Interlocking Towers]]

{{FUN-bot}}

Enhanced Interlocking Tower

2016-12-17T11:04:09Z

Vostrail: /* Editing enhanced Interlocking tower path : options available in the path editor window */ Minor typo corrections.

{{FUN-top}}

===Enhanced Interlocking Tower assets===

[[File:Help-eit-assets-img01.png | left | thumb ]]

'''Enhanced Interlocking Tower assets''' are Interlocking Tower scripted assets using some additional script from a library to offer extra functionalities to the standard interlocking tower. By doing some pre-processing before calling standard interlocking tower processing and doing some post-processing on return, these new assets enable the user to take the best from interlocking towers and to offer some enhanced functionalities by default or on option.

Among these added functionalities you will find :

: '''at the path level :'''

::* path supports that an exit signal is also an entry signal from another tower 
::* path will be activated only if there are no extra consist currently occupying the path. If it is not the case, path activation will be delayed until there is no longer any extra consist on path. 
::* path can be cancelled using a specific driver command or using the enhanced interlocking manager rule run time monitor. Cancelling a path can occur at any time for an owning train which is stopped, and for an owning train moving only if there are at least two signals between the train position and the path entry signal. To avoid any derailment risk, paths junctions currently overlapped by a consist will not restore their initial direction. 
::* path can use several clear method : clear on cancel is the traditional clear method used with standard IT ; clear_on_drive enables to release junctions and signals when your train has left the junction or signal so that these objects are made available for any waiting other path before the initial path is cleared ; clear_on_last_junction will clear the path when the last junction along the path has been left : this method may be used at terminal station with path having the buffer at the end of the track being the exit signal - though the exit signal will never be reached, the path will be cleared when the last junction will be left. 
::* path can optionally check if a track circuit block embedding the exit signal is occupied or not, and will lock the track circuit block name until the path is cleared. It is also possible to request that all track circuit blocks embedding any path objects (except the path entry signal) will be processed in a similar manner. Using exit signal TCB can help a lot to protect terminal or through station platforms. 
::* path can optionally choose either to restore path junctions initial direction when a path is cleared or to do not restore path junctions initial direction and keep the current target direction when the path was active. 
::* path can optionally be member of an exclusive set name, and will have their activation delayed as long as any other path referencing the same exclusive set name is active. This feature enables to protect easily track crossing without using some invisible junctions or signals. 

: '''at the tower level :'''

::* it is possible to choose if the yellow disc used to reselect a target path is displayed or not. 
::* processing on train schedule blocked can be choosen : you may either use the standard IT implementation that will try to cancel and reactivate later unused paths (paths owned but not already entered) which may help activating a path for a train with schedule blocked at an entry signal.You may also avoid this standard processing by disabling the option. 
::* trc compatibility : it is possible to choose at the tower level if crossing conformant to TRC system will be managed by the interlocking tower or by the trc system. 
::* tower debug level : this option is mainly for session developers. It enables to have either no logging (for production), or only logging to the system log, or to have both logging and messages on screen. 

=== Enhanced Interlocking Tower : How to use them ?===

To use enhanced interlocking tower, you need to drop on your route an enhanced interlocking tower like the enhanced trc3 interlocking tower <kuid2:61392:8101:4> available on dls. Some other content creators will shortly also release some other enhanced interlocking tower asset. In fact any scenery asset can be defined as an enhanced interlocking tower by using the adequate configuration file.

When you have installed on your route the enhanced interlocking tower you want to use, you only need to edit the object property by clicking on it to open the standard editor window. For enhanced interlocking tower, the editor window includes options that can be selected in the header at the top of the tower object properties window.

==== Editing enhanced Interlocking tower : options available in the tower editor window ====

[[File:Help-eit-assets-img02.png | 768px | none ]]

The available options in the header at the tower level are :

:* '''tower display yellow disc option :'''
::by clicking on the link on the right, you can either choose display yellow disc enabled or disabled

:* '''tower path requery option :'''
::this option is on how to process AI trains with schedule blocked. It can either be '''try requery path on schedule blocked''' or '''do not requery path on schedule blocked'''. With requery path option active, when an AI train has its schedule blocked, the enhanced IT will try to release unused paths (paths owned but not entered) to enable some other paths to be activated. The unused paths released are requeued for later activation. This standard processing done in standard IT may help to find a solution to some AI schedule blocked, but may have some side effects as some activated path may be cancelled before being later reactivated. If you do not want this behavior, just change the option to do not requery path on schedule blocked and no processing will be done when an AI train has its schedule blocked.

:* '''tower trc compatible mode :'''
::when this option is active, crossings conformant to trc system specification will not be managed by interlocking tower. Trc crossing objects will be skipped with no tower ownership and will remain managed by the trc system. if the option is inactive, interlocking tower will manage all the crossings along its path.

:* '''tower debug level :'''
::tower debug level option is an option available that help session developper to understand interlocking tower problems. Interlocking tower have an integrated debugging facility by default disabled. By selecting only log debug information or log and print debugging information, you will activate the debugging facility which may help to understand some conflicting or deadlock problems using interlocking tower.

at the bottom of the header area, you will find a link '''Restore default options''' that enables to reset all the current enhanced options to the default values defined by the enhanced tower asset content creator.

==== Editing enhanced Interlocking tower path : options available in the path editor window ====

[[File:Help-eit-assets-img03.png | 768px | none ]]

The available options in the header at the path level are :

:* '''Path clear method to use :'''
::you can here select the path clear method to be used between '''Clear on cancel (when a path is either complete or cancelled)''' , '''Clear on drive (following train progress along the path)''' and '''Clear after last junction (when the train leaves the last junction along the path)'''. Clear on cancel is the standard IT clear method that can still be selected. Clear on cancel will release path objects locks when the owning train leaves the path object. With clear on drive, the path will still be cleared and cancelled only when the train will leaves the exit signal, but path objects are unlocked as soon as the train has left them and are made available for other conflicting paths to be activated earlier. Clear after last junction will clear and cancel the path as soon as the owning train has left the last junction along the path and will not wait for the train to reach and leave the exit signal. Clear on last junction may be an interesting option for path leading to an and of track with a buffer. You can use the buffer as the exit signal, and though the owning train will never leave the buffer exit signal, the path will be cleared as soon as the train will have left the last junction along the path.

:* '''Path track circuit blocks mode :'''
::this option can either be '''no tcb processing''' , '''process only tcb for exit signal''' or '''process all tcbs along path'''. With process only tcb for exit signal, before activation, the path will look if its exit signal is embedded in some track circuit block, and if it is the case will check that the track circuit block is not occupied and not locked. If it is not the case, path activation will be delayed until the previous conditions are met. When the exit tcb is unoccupied and unlocked, path will be activated but will also lock the tcb name while the path is active. Doing so enables to guarantee that a path is activated only when a tcb embedding the exit signal is not occupied and locking its name enables to prevent other paths to activate while the initial path is active even if there are no common paths objects between the paths. Exit signal tcb are very usefull for terminal station platforms, for through station platforms and for unique track between two several passing places. As several interlocking tower paths from distinct towers can have their exit signal embedded in the same tcb, this facility also enables to do some interlocking between paths form distinct towers. Using the process all tcbs option along path enables to do the same processing for all the tcbs embedding some path objects and not only for the exit signal tcb.

:* '''Path clear option for owned junctions :'''
::this option enable to either restore the junction initial direction (default used by standard it) or to do not restore junctions initial direction when a path is cleared. This option is available mainly for prototypical behavior as sometimes it is not very prototypical to have a junction having its initial direction restored because a path has been cleared followed by rechanging the direction due to another path being activated. With this option you avoid successive inadequate direction changes for junctions.

:* '''Exclusive sets membership :'''
::exclusive sets membership is an option that has been designed to help protect a crossing of tracks without the need to add some invisible junctions using these junctions as external object reference. When you add an exclusive set name in this field, the path will only be activated if no other paths in any tower with also the same exclusive set name is active. Paths sharing the same exclusive set name cannot be simultaneously active and this works inside the same tower as inside any tower on your route. To protect a crossing of track, you need only to give a unique name to this crossing of track and reference this name as an exclusive set name in all your paths using this crossing of tracks. It is much more easy to use than using invisible junctions with external references in paths.
::You can enter in this field either only one name or several names separated by a comma. Exclusive set name A will be displayed in the field as A. Exclusive set names A , B will be displayed as an exclusive set names list [A,B]. What is important is that you can enter either one name or several names separated by commas. When several names have been listed, the path belongs to all the exclusive set names and will check that no paths active are referencing any of these names before activating the path. This feature is very usefull to protect crossing tracks, and also slips and double-slips.

At the bottom of the header, you have also two links available : the '''restore default options''' link will restore all the default values for the enhanced options for the current path. The '''make current path options default options''' will change the default options in the current tower to be the current path options. Using these options link, it is quite easy to retrieve some path options and to propagate them to some other paths.

==== Creating your own enhanced Interlocking tower asset : What are the modifications needed in your asset config.txt file ====

Like for standard interlocking tower, any scenery asset can be transformed in an enhanced interlocking tower asset by making a few modifications to the config file.

You will find below as an example, taken from the config.txt file for the enhanced trc3 invisible interlocking tower, all the lines you need to have in your own asset config.txt so that your asset becomes an enhanced interlocking tower. Other lines like your asset kuid number, description, username, ... should remain unchanged.

'''List of lines needing to be present for a scenery asset to become an enhanced interlocking tower asset :'''

<nowiki>
trainz-build 4.3
kind "interlocking-tower"
script "dummyinterlockingtower.gs"
class "DummyInterlockingTower"
category-class "IT"

extensions
{
generic-61392
{
assetid "enhancedinterlockingtower"

eitoptions
{
displayyellowdisc 0
pathrequeryonscheduledblocked 1
trcsupport 1
debuglevel 0
clearmethod 1
checktcb 1
resetjunctions 1
edityellowdisc 2
editpathrequery 2
edittrcsupport 2
editdebuglevel 2
editclearmethod 2
editchecktcb 2
editresetjunctions 2
editexclusivesets 2
}

colors-61392
{
cunselect "bbf5bb"
cselect "f5bbbb"
clink "ffffff"
cnrm "c0c0c0"
cwhite "ffffff"
calert "ff0000"
}
}
}

script-include-table
{
commondata <kuid:61392:4000>
esvlib <kuid:61392:4002>
eitlib <kuid:61392:8190>
trcitlib <kuid:61392:8191>
}

kuid-table
{
sessvar <kuid:-3:10197>
sessvars <kuid:-3:10197>
commondata <kuid2:61392:4000:31>
esvlib <kuid2:61392:4002:30>
eitlib <kuid2:61392:8190:1>
trcitlib <kuid:61392:8191>
0 <kuid:61392:4000>
1 <kuid:61392:8190>
2 <kuid:61392:4002>
}
</nowiki>

Just only a few comments on some of these mandatory lines in config.txt file :

The trainz-build tag needs to be at least 4.3 for any interlocking tower. The kind tag should always be "interlocking-tower". The script and class should be "dummyinterlockingtower.gs" and "DummyinterlockingTower" and should respect the case for the class tag. And the category-class tag should be "IT". These tags are mandatory and should not be changed.

In the extensions part, default values for enhanced options are defined and may be changed if you wish to change the default values in your enhanced interlocking tower asset.

displayyellowdisctag is 0 for yellow disc disabled or 1 for yellow disc enabled.

pathrequeryonscheduleblocked should be 0 to disable requery and 1 to enable requery when an ai train has its schedule blocked.

trcsupport should be 1 to support arc system and 0 if not.

debug level should be 0 for no debugging, 1 for log only debugging message and 2 for log and print debugging messages

clear method should be 1 to clear on cancel, 2 for clear on drive, and 101 for clear after last junction. Other values may lead to unexpected results.

checktcb should be 0 for no tcb processing, 1 for process only exit tcb, 2 for process all tcbs along path.

reset junctions should be 0 to avoid reseting junctions direction when a path is cleared and 1 to reset junctions when a path is cleared.

and that's all for default values settings. The following tags will define if an enhanced option is not visible (0), displayed only (1), or displayed and editable (2).
the tags edityellowdisc, editpathrequery, edittrcsupport, editdebuglevel, editclearmethod, editchecktcb, editresetjunctions, editexclusivesets can be set to one of these values (0, 1, 2) to make the enhanced option not visible, displayed in read-only mode, or displayed and editable.
By configuring these extensions tags, an enhanced interlocking tower content creator can choose the default values for an option, and decide if it can be viewed or not, and if the end user can change the default values. For example, if trcsupport is set to 1 and edittrcsupport is set to 0, the tower will have the trc support option enabled, but not displayed and so not updatable by the end user. Using these tags the asset content creator can enforce any of the enhanced options value.

the other tags cunselect, cselect, clink, cnrm, cwhite, calert defines the colors to be used in the interface. You should normally do not alter these values, but if you don't like the colors scheme used, you may alter these values to change the colors used in the interface. the string values defined for each tag are only the RGB hexadecimal values for the color to be used for this category of information.

and the last containers script-include-table and kuid-table should be left unchanged for the enhanced interlocking tower to work correctly.

=== Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule : How to monitor at run time your towers, paths and trains ===

Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule is a session rule that is released with the Enhanced Interlocking Tower package, that enables under surveyor to edit your towers and paths from a centralized interface, and under run time that enables to display a run time monitor to display current available information on your towers, paths and trains using or waiting for any path.

The rule is available on DLS under the KUID <kuid2:61392:8130:11>. The rule works with both standard interlocking towers and enhanced interlocking towers.

To get more details on what can display this rule, just click on the following link to [[Enhanced Interlocking Tower Manager Rule]] dedicated page.:

That is currently all for Enhanced Interlocking Tower assets wiki documentation.
I hope you will enjoy these new assets to help you using more versatile and powerfull interlocking tower.
And if you need more precisions or have unanswered questions, do not hesitate to post in the forums or to send me a private message.
Regards. Pierre GUY (61392)

[[Category:Help|Enhanced Interlocking Tower]]
[[Category:Interlocking Towers]]

{{FUN-bot}}