CMTM/System Overview
Car Movement and Traffic Management System
System Overview
The CMTM System consists of a database of specific car movements and a method to attach an appropriate record to a car on the route. The data for a specific car is then displayed in a pop-up window when a left mouse click is executed on that car. This car movement data is contained in the CMTMSystem config.txt file string-table. Each line in the string-table is a car movement record. Each record has multiple fields grouped in clusters of four fields. Each four field cluster defines either the originating location or a destination for the car. Each record can have as many destinations for its car as needed.
By definition, those records whose first destination is a portal are called “Traffic Management” records. Those records that have more than one destination are called “Car Movement” records.
When a session starts, a destination is assigned to each of the cars on the route. You have little control over this process other than each car will be assigned a Traffic Management record (first destination is a portal). When a train arrives on the route via a CMTM portal, every freight car in the train will be assigned a record. The assignment process is to assign Car Movement records first. This is where the Category-Class is used to make sure the correct type of car is sent to an industry. This is also where the Company tag comes into play. Some of the Car Movement records route empty home road or leased cars to an Empty Car Storage track so it is important to identify the company correctly. You have no direct control over which record gets assigned to which car other than they are used in order listed in the string-table. Each Car Movement (local traffic) record is assigned only once in a session.
Once all the appropriate Car Movement records have been assigned to the available cars in the emitted train, each of the remaining cars are assigned a Traffic Management record. If you have a 20 car train emitted from a portal and 4 of the cars meet the criteria needed to match the Car Movement records for the emitting portal, the remaining cars are assigned Traffic Management records assigned to that portal. These traffic management records are used repeatedly, train after train.
The destination data for any car can be displayed in the CMTM Data pop-up window by a left mouse click on that car. This will focus the camera on that car, which makes it nice for switching moves.
As the session progresses, cars get delivered to their destinations. When a car is delivered to it’s destination, it needs to be noted by clicking on the appropriate box in the CMTM Data window. The Trainz message board will give you a message that the delivery has been noted.
The information in the CMTM Data window is updated only when there is a change in the focus of the camera. So, once you have noted delivery, click on another car, then back to the car you have just noted delivered. You will then see how much time is left before the car can be moved to its next destination. Once this time has elapsed and you click on the car, the new destination will appear in the window.
The CMTM System does not plan your operations. That is up to you. There are many resources for designing and planning operations. In my humble opinion, the best being www.OPSIG.ORG
