How to Use Portals

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Enhanced portals can have features such as:-
 
Enhanced portals can have features such as:-
 
*adding new trains to the Session according to a set schedule ranging from ''once only'', ''once per day'' or at ''set clock times''
 
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Revision as of 20:49, 6 March 2022

The information in this Wiki Page applies to TANE, TRS19 and Trainz Plus.

Contents

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What is a Portal?

DotPoint.JPG Portals are track objects that can add and remove trains during the running of a Session


PortalTypeScreenShot.PNG
NotePad.PNG Notes:

Portals come in a variety of forms - some resemble tunnels and others look like a section of normal track.

The basic portals supplied with Trainz can be configured to:-

  • remove trains that are sent to them or pass through them (the portals that look like track can be used to let certain trains pass through while "swallowing" others). The removed trains can be:-
    • removed permanently, or
    • returned to the Session through the same portal or another portal after a set time delay
  • add new trains to the Session. The new trains:-
    • will have drivers with orders to follow
    • can be randomly selected from available consists


DotPoint.JPG Portals can be "enhanced" by using Session Rules that add additional features and capabilities


Enhanced portals can have features such as:-

  • adding new trains to the Session according to a set schedule ranging from once only, once per day or at set clock times
  • varying the drivers of added trains and their commands according to a set schedule
  • varying the consists of added trains


PortalSearchSettings.PNG The quickest way to find all the train producing and consuming portals in the Surveyor Object Tool window is to set up a search filter. This will sort the portals you want from all the objects named "portal" such as tunnel portals.
Steps.PNG Steps:

Set an advanced search filter by:-

  1. Pressing Ctrl Shift F
  2. Enter Name portal (upper/lower case is not important)
  3. Select Category Industry
The Objects selection window will now show only those objects that match your search criteria.


Stop.PNG

In TRS19 the portals will not work correctly if the Trainz Settings - Dev Tab - Compatibility mode: from the TRS19 Launcher is set to Maximize performance. This setting should be left at Maximize compatibility.


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Configuring a Basic Portal

Open the properties window of a portal in the route.

PortalProperties01.PNG
Gears.PNG Settings:

This portal is set to:-

  • Produce a train every 15 minutes (but the train consist has not yet been specified)
  • Consume all trains that are sent to the portal or pass through the portal
  • The consumed trains will not be returned to the Session
NotePad.PNG Notes:

The difference between the two time setting shown is:-

  • Trainz Minutes refers to the "virtual" minutes as shown on the Session clock in the Heads Up Display in Driver. For example: If you have set the Session time to run at 2x normal speed then 10 minutes of Session time will be 5 minutes according to your watch
  • Real Minutes refers to the actual minutes as shown on your watch or computer date/time display, which may not be the same as shown on the Session clock as described above



Produce Trains

PortalProduceNewTrains.PNG
Steps.PNG Steps:

To add consists to be produced by the portal:-

  1. CheckBox.PNG Produce new trains
  2. set the desired time interval (in minutes) between the trains
  3. click the link Add new consist
PortalProperties02.PNG
Steps.PNG Steps:

Click:-

  • PortalPlusIcon.PNG to manually construct a consist from the Session rolling stock list
  • Add driver to consist to add a driver from the Session list
  • Add an existing saved consist to add a saved consist from those that you have already saved in the Trainz Train Tool


Construct a Consist

PortalProperties04.PNG
Gears.PNG Settings:

For each vehicle in the consist you can specify:-

  • how many to add (they will be coupled together)
  • the direction the vehicle(s) will face

You can also:-

  • delete vehicles or the entire consist
  • insert additional vehicles inside the consist
  • add additional vehicles at the end of the consist
NotePad.PNG Notes:
  • The first vehicle in the list will be the first vehicle produced by the portal
  • It is NOT possible to easily reorder the vehicles in a consist
  • To add more of the same vehicles in a different location in the consist, add the vehicles as a separate entry in the list
  • Add another consist and driver by clicking the Add new consist link again


Add a Saved Consist

If you have already saved your consists in Trainz using the Trainz Tool then those consists can be quickly and easily added to the portal consist list.

PortalExitingConsist.PNG
Steps.PNG Steps:
  1. Scroll through the list to find the saved consist
  2. Select the consist, then either:-
  • Click the Tick.PNG icon to accept the selection and load it into the portal consist list, or
  • Click the Cross.PNG icon to reject the selection and return to the previous screen


Add a Driver

PortalProperties03.PNG
Gears.PNG Settings:

You can:-

  • Select a new driver and icon
  • Rename the driver
  • Add driver commands
  • Delete the driver
LinkWiki.PNG

For information on adding driver commands see the Trainz Wiki Page at:-


Consume Trains

To remove trains from the Session

PortalAcceptAllTrains.PNG
Choices.PNG Choices:

CheckBox.PNG Consume trains then either

PortalOptionButtonEmpty.PNG Accept all trains to remove any and all trains that enter the portal, or
PortalOptionButtonEmpty.PNG Accept trains matching specific criteria to only remove certain trains that enter the portal
PencilTips.PNG For "dead end" portals (those that have no exit) the Accept all trains option is the option that should be used


Consume Only Specific Trains

After selecting the option Accept trains matching specific criteria a new set of controls will appear

PortalAcceptAllTrainsOpen.PNG
Gears.PNG Settings:

PortalOptionButtonFilled.PNG Accept trains matching specific criteria

  • You can set any one, any two or all three of the consist selection criteria
  • Any train that matches the entered settings will be removed from the Session as it enters the portal, other trains will be ignored


Specific Vehicles - normally used to specify just one particular train in the Session

  • You must select, from the Session list, the exact name given to a vehicle. This is the name that has been entered into the property window of that vehicle
  • The order of the vehicles, if there is more than one, is not important
  • You only need to select enough names to correctly identify the consist that contains the vehicle or vehicles (the locomotive name is usually sufficient)


Vehicles Types - normally used to specify a number of different trains in the session e.g. all trains with a particular type of coal wagon

  • You must select, from the Session list, the general name of the type of vehicle or vehicles - this is the name shown in the Trains Tool when the vehicle is added to a layout
  • If you have identified Specific Vehicles (above) then you would normally not need to set this option


Drivers - used to specify trains driven by particular drivers

  • Select the driver or drivers from the Session driver list
  • If your drivers change trains or consists during a Session then it may be useful to combine this with one of the other two options


An example:-

PortalAcceptAllTrainsSpecifics.PNG
NotePad.PNG Notes:

This will remove any train that:-

  • contains locomotive BR HST 125 with the running number 253007

or has any of the following vehicles:-

  • BR HST MK3 TF with any running numbers
  • BR HST MK3 TRUK with any running numbers

or is driven by any of the following drivers:-

  • Alan
  • Andrea


Return Consumed Trains

To return consumed trains back into the Session

PortalAcceptTrainReturns.PNG
Gears.PNG Settings:

To return the train from a different portal:-

  1. Set CheckBox.PNG Train returns through alternate portal and
  2. Enter the exact name of the alternate portal
Gears.PNG Settings:
  1. Set CheckBox.PNG Train returns after ...
  2. Set the time delay (in real minutes) between the train being consumed and produced, then select one option from:-
Choices.PNG Choices:
PortalOptionButtonEmpty.PNG Train is not loaded or unloaded - no changes will be made to the loads carried in each vehicle
PortalOptionButtonEmpty.PNG Train is loaded only - each vehicle will be loaded when it exits the portal
PortalOptionButtonEmpty.PNG Train is unloaded only - each vehicle will be unloaded when it exits the portal
PortalOptionButtonEmpty.PNG Empty trains are loaded, other trains are unloaded - vehicles that are empty when entering the portal will be loaded when they exit the portal, all other vehicles will be unloaded


DotPoint.JPG A train that has been returned after entering a portal will return to the Session with any remaining driver commands still in its Driver Schedule. It will then immediately start obeying those commands.


DotPoint.JPG A train that has been returned after entering a portal will return to the Session with any remaining driver commands still in its Driver Schedule. It will then immediately start obeying those commands.


Stop.PNG

If the driver command that sent a train to the consuming portal was the final command in its schedule, then it will emerge from the portal with an empty Driver Schedule. It will come to a halt immediately after leaving the portal.


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Configuring an Enhanced Portal

There are a number of portals available on the DLS that have additional features or capabilities that are not found in the basic portals built into Trainz. There are also Session Rules available on the DLS that will give additional features or capabilities to the basic portals.

Quick Portal Manager Standard Edition Rule (SP2 and later)

This is a Session Rule, by pguy, that manages the portals and adds flexible timetables to their operations. It is available on the DLS.

  • <kuid2:61392:5011:45> - correct at the time this document was written

Portals and the UDS (Unified Driver Surveyor) Interface

The UDS is an option for rapid switching, in both directions, between Driver and Surveyor. It is available in TRS19 Platinum Edition and Trainz Plus only. The UDS does not affect the operation of portals but it has revealed one previously unnoticed property of portals.

A train that is driven into a portal and later returned to the layout will be returned in the same layer as the portal and not in the trains originally assigned layer. Trains that are produced by a portal will be assigned to the same layer as the portal. This has  possibly always been the case with portals  but was probably unnoticed until the arrival of the UDS. It seems to have no other noticeable effect on trains.

This could become an issue if you make the switch from Driver to Surveyor after a train has been returned to the layout from a portal. For example, if a train is originally in a Session Layer then it is part of a Session. If it is returned from a portal then it will now be in a Route Layer and will be part of the Route. If you then switch from Driver to Surveyor and save the Route then the train will be saved in the Route not in the Session. If this is an issue then the remedy is to open the property dialogue window of any wagon in the train after it has left the portal and change its assigned layer to the correct one. This will set all vehicles in that train to the same correct layer.

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Trainz Wiki

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More Tutorials and Guides to Using Trainz

This page was created by Trainz user pware in July 2018 and was last updated as shown below.

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