Scenario Editor

Contents

1 Creating a Simple Scenario
2 Setting Up a Driver
3 Adding Intermediate Goals
4 Creating a Stop At Destination Instruction
5 Creating a Pick-Up Passenger Instruction
6 Creating a Fuel/Freight Pick-Up Instruction
7 Creating a Consist Operation Instruction
1. 7.1 Consist Operation Properties Tab
2. 7.2 Editing Individual Consist Operation Instructions
8 Trigger Instructions
9 Scenario Specific Content
10 Troubleshooting Scenarios

Creating a Simple Scenario

Scenarios are activities that encourage players to explore routes by setting interesting challenges or objectives.

These objectives might include running a passenger service, loading freight or fuel, adherence to a strict timetable, or organising wagons scattered around a yard. This section explains the principles to allow you to create and modify your own Scenarios.

Before describing the details of Scenario creation, it is important to understand the overall process:

Choose Route
First, you must decide the route on which to base your Scenario.
Tip: It is highly advisable to delay Scenario creation until you have fully completed your route. Otherwise, you risk making Scenarios that will no longer work because changes to the track or signalling are subsequently made.
Choose Start Point
Navigate in the simulated world to the point where you wish the scenario to start. This is where a new scenario marker can be placed and the scenario editing of this new scenario begins. At this point, you can choose the time of day, season and weather for your Scenario.
Choose Train
Select the locomotive you wish the player to drive, then add any passenger or freight vehicles you wish to be present at the start.
Set Final Destination
By adding a driver to the train, you can specify the final destination for your scenario. This is the location at which the scenario will end.
Set Intermediate Goals
Intermediate goals can include: Stopping, waiting, picking up passengers, loading freight or fuel; or attaching or delivering freight. These intermediate goals break the Scenario into manageable chunks and provide additional challenges for the player.
Perform a Basic Test
Before going any further, fully test the Scenario with just one train. Ensure you are happy with all aspects of the Scenario before you add other trains. It is much easier to fix any errors when the player train is the only one in the Scenario.
Add AI Trains (Train Simulator Controlled)
To make your Scenario more realistic, add AI trains that run without player intervention. This creates additional challenges for the player such as if they need to wait for a train to clear a signal block ahead. These also add visual interest to the player experience by giving the impression of a living world and further making the scenario more enjoyable.
Add Trackside Features or Events (optional)
To add more variety to the player experience, adding trackside content can really add a great deal of value to the scenario by providing more points of interest for the player to see along their journey. These can come in the form of broken down road vehicles, emergency services, trackside workers, aircraft flying over and many, many more. Use your imagination to come up with the most compelling ideas to fill out your scenario.
Perform a Full Test
Now test your Scenario.

The following sections describe these steps in greater detail.

Placing a Scenario Marker

From the main menu, select the Build option. You will then be presented with a list of available routes.

Select the Scenario Tab and then the route on which you want to create a scenario, which will become highlighted and expands to show a list of available scenarios for that particular route. Choose any Scenario and then click on the Edit button.

Note: The route must be unlocked for edit. This is a one-time process which is done by loading any Scenario, entering the World Editor and selecting the padlock icon on the bottom right of the screen. The selected Scenario will then load in edit mode.

Once the world has loaded you will be in the Scenario Editor and can create a new Scenario:

Click on the Scenario icon (train icon) in the Toolbox Tab (top-left).
Select Scenario Markers from the Browser Tab (middle-left) and then the type of Scenario marker (Free Roam, Standard or Career) you require.
Choose where you wish to place the start point for the Scenario. If you wish to place your marker in a location other than where the camera is at present, click the 2D map icon from the Navigation Tab (middle-top), find the location you wish to place your marker, then press and hold Ctrl, and left-click on the map (the map will re-orient itself to centre the clicked point on the screen). Then click the small white Go button on the Navigation Tab to be instantly transported to that location in the 3D world. Note: You may need to reposition the camera upward if you find yourself under the terrain.
Tip: In Free Roam scenarios, the marker will be used to determine the initial camera position, so it is a good idea to set it about 20 metres from where you expect to place your train(s).
Press the left mouse button to place the scenario marker (You will be asked if you wish to save the current Scenario you loaded initially, pressing No will ensure you do not make changes to this Scenario).
Press the right mouse button to prevent further scenario markers being placed.
The Scenario properties tab will be open on the right side of the screen. If this panel closes, double Click the scenario marker to edit the Scenario properties.
Set up the Scenario properties (see Editing Scenario Properties).
Click off the properties panel and save the scenario by pressing the <F2> key

Now that the initial marker has been placed you can further edit the scenario properties.

Editing Free Roam & Standard Scenario Properties

To edit the Scenario (external link) properties, double left-click the scenario marker. This will reveal a Properties tab on the right-hand side of the screen. You will probably want to pin this tab so that it is permanently visible by clicking the pin icon. Once you have double clicked a scenario marker you are effectively in that scenario and are editing it directly.

Currently, all the fields on the properties tab are filled with the default values. To edit a field, left-click on it and type in new text or values with the keyboard. Holding your mouse cursor over the icon beside each field will bring up a descriptive tool tip.

The bottom two fields, Weather and Season, are drop-down menus.

Below is a list of each field and a description of what they mean:

Pin/Unpin: This tab
Advanced Options: This allows you to select scripted events if an appropriate LUA script is present in the scenario folder, see Scripted Events for more information.
Scenario Name: This is the name which is displayed in the scenario list for the route.
Description: The description that appears when a Scenario is selected.
Briefing: Once the scenario has been selected and loaded, the text in this field is the first thing a player will see, and will also appear when the player uses the Assignment Assistant. This can contain more technical information as the player will be able to refer back to this text, when driving, by pressing the F1 key. Tip: If your scenario briefing is long, type it into Notepad (or similar plain text editor) and copy and then paste it into this field.
Author: The name of the creator of the scenario - most typically your own name.
Start Location: The name of the starting point for your scenario. Note that this text is for information purposes only and has no impact on the actual start location.
Date: This is the date of the scenario in dd/mm/yyyy format, and is displayed in the scenario. Note that this text is for information purposes only and has no impact on the season or weather.
Rating: This value indicates to the player the relative difficulty of the scenario, where 1 is easy and 3 is hard, to a maximum of 5.
Duration: This is an estimate, in minutes, of the duration of a scenario. This is a guide for people wanting to play the scenario and has no other impact on the scenario.
Start Time: This is the start time of the scenario, based on the 24-hour clock. The values entered here will directly affect the look of the scenario when it is played. Tip: Set the start time before placing any trains as, changing this value afterwards, will mean you have to update the start times of those trains as the start times of trains cannot be any time before the start time specified here.
Weather: There are a variety of pre-defined weather patterns to choose from. Any weather pattern denoted with the 3D prefix will use the Silverlining plugin.
Season: Selecting a season will affect the textures on the route as well as dawn and dusk times and general lighting but will have no impact on the weather.
Traction Type: The type of traction experienced in this scenario. Note that this is for information purposes only and has no impact on the operation of the scenario.
Force Simple Controls: Allows you to force only the use of simple controls in this scenario.
Force Expert Controls: Allows you to force only the use of expert controls in this scenario. This is particularly useful for those trains that cannot be operated with simple controls but can also be used to ramp up the difficulty level.
Force Cab Camera: Allows you to force the player to be confined to the cab camera only in this scenario. This is particularly useful for when you wish to make the scenario even more difficult for the player.
Rolling Start: Allows you set whether the scenario starts with the player inside a moving consist. See Rolling Starts for more details.

To save the scenario, either press the F2 key or start playing the scenario by pressing the large Play button on the Mode Select/Lock menu at the bottom right of the screen.

If you start driving, Train Simulator will switch to the time of day and the season that the scenario specifies. You will notice there is no train or instructions set up yet; see the section on Setting up a Driver.

Editing Career Scenario Properties

Career scenario properties can be edited in exactly the same way as for Free Roam and Standard scenarios. However, you will notice an additional icon in the upper-right corner (1 in the image below):

Clicking this icon will allow you to set the Rules for the Career scenario:

Below is a list of each field and a description of what they relate to:

Start Score: The starting score for the player.
Version:
DLC:
Stats Group:
Speed Check:
Points Per MPH Per Interval:
Speed Multiplier Interval (Sec):
Speed Multiplier:
Comfort Check Per Interval (Sec):
Points Per g Per Interval:
Lateral Comfort Force Threshold (g):
Lateral Comfort Force Max Scale (g):
Length Comfort Force Threshold (g):
Length Comfort Force Threshold (g):
Late Points Per Second:
Late Multiplier Per Min:
Early Points Added Per Second:
Early Multiplier Per Minute:
Missed Stop Points:
Leave Early Points:
Arrival Points:
Emergency Braking Points:
Wheelslip Points Per Sec:
Points Per Op Error:
Fuel Usage Threshold:
Fuel Points Per Unit Used:
Carriages Penalty:
Whistle Sign Points Penalty:
Stopping Point Bonus:
Stopping Point Penalty Per Metre:
Stopping Point Max Penalty:
Gold:
Silver:
Bronze:

Editing an Existing Scenario

You can edit scenarios that already exist by selecting the scenario name from the front end menu and pressing the Edit button.

The scenario will then load with the camera close to the scenario marker. Double-click the scenario marker to edit the scenario properties.

Setting Up a Driver

Placing a Player Train

Continuing on from the Placing a Scenario Marker, enter the scenario (if not already loaded) by clicking the scenario name from the Build Menu and selecting Edit.

The scenario will load and the camera will be positioned near the scenario marker. Initially, you will want to place a train and add a driver. To place a locomotive, click the Engines & Tenders button on the Object Browser Tab (middle-left). You will be presented with a list of all available engines and tenders. If the list is empty, you will want to include some by adding the appropriate products to your scenario.

Using the Object Set Filter

Click the Object Set Filter icon on the Browser Tab to bring up the list of currently installed products:

This will open the Object Browser in the same panel as the Properties Tab (top-right):

Follow these steps to add objects to your scenario:

Select a Provider: This drop-down box contains a list of all the current providers you have installed in Train Simulator. Each new product purchased will automatically be added to this list. Select an appropriate provider, in this example, select DTG.
Product List: Once a provider has been selected, the entries in this field will populate with all currently installed products for that particular provider.
Route Objects: This column of checkboxes are only available when building routes.
Scenario Objects: Select an entry in this column to add that product's objects to your scenario. Unchecking this box again will display a warning advising that if you have used one of the objects in this product, it will cause the scenario to fail to load. Use with care.
Show in Browser: When you select an item in the Scenario Objects (or Route Objects) column, this item will be enabled by default and can be unchecked to hide these objects from the Object Browser Tab. The objects will still be available to use in the scenario but you will not be able to select them if this option is unchecked.

Now that you have added new locomotives to your scenario, you can now place them in the world.

Left-click a locomotive from the list so that the name becomes highlighted. You can then move the mouse to the main screen and the selected locomotive will be attached to the cursor. Move the locomotive over the tracks and the loco will become sticky to it. Left-click once again to confirm the placement. You will need to add a tender to the locomotive if it is a steam locomotive.

You can choose to add passenger or freight wagons in the same way from the Rolling Stock button next to the Engines & Tenders button.

To change the direction in which the train is facing, click the part of the train you want to flip (you can hold down the Ctrl key to multiple select additional rolling stock). You will notice an orange arrow above the train. The large end of the arrow shows the direction the train is facing. Click the arrow to flip the selected rolling stock to the opposite direction.

Adding a Driver

Now that the train has been placed you need to give it a driver. Select the driver icon from the upper tab, then click the locomotive.

A disc is now sitting at the front of the locomotive showing a driver icon.

Now that a driver has been assigned to the train, the driver needs to be given some properties before the train can be driven.

Driver Properties

To edit the driver properties, double left-click the driver marker on the locomotive. This will reveal a properties tab on the right-hand side of the screen.

Currently, all the fields on the Properties Tab are filled with the default values. To edit a field, left-click on it and type in new text or values with the keyboard. Holding your mouse cursor over the icon beside each field will bring up a descriptive tool tip.

Set Destination and its importance will be explained in the section Set Destination.

The available Driver Properties are:

Driver Name: This is the name which is displayed above the train, and is an identifier for the train. This name should be unique.
Player Consist: This is used to determine whether the train is controlled by the player or Train Simulator (AI). Checking the box means it is the player train. Leaving the box empty means the train is controlled by Train Simulator. You will need to check this box if you intend to drive it.
Unloaded at Start: This is used to determine whether the train starts without passengers/freight. Checking the box means it is empty. Leaving the box empty means it has passengers/freight.
Set Destination: This field is used to set the final destination for the train. See Setting the Destination.
A text box that will display the destination set at 4.
Start Time: This is the time the train begins its operation based on other scenario instructions. A time earlier than the Start Time of the scenario (as set in the scenario marker) is not valid. For a player train, the start time should be the same as the scenario start time and is filled in as such automatically.
Service Class: Select the service class of the train. This is used by Train Simulator to prioritise the trains. For example, an Express Passenger train has line priority over a Standard Freight, and a Special Train has priority over all trains.

Setting the Destination

This field has different functionality depending on whether the train is a player or AI train.

To set the destination, you first click the blue box Set Destination icon (4 on the image above) then select a valid destination in the world editor. A valid destination can be a platform marker, a siding marker, a destination marker or a portal. Alternatively, you can open the 2D map by pressing 9, then press the Set Destination icon and select a location on the 2D map.

If the train is AI then setting a destination is the simplest form of instruction and potentially the only instruction that is needed.

The AI train will find a path to the destination, as long as there is a valid way to reach that destination, and will make its way to that destination from the driver start time. Once it has reached the destination it will stop. It is often good practice to set the destination on the driver icon to a portal. Once the train reaches a portal, it will be removed from the world, and will therefore free system resources and clear the way for other trains. If there is no valid way of reaching the destination, perhaps due to signalling or the directionality of tracks, the AI train will get stuck. Change the destination or create intermediate goals to avoid this.

Once the Set Destination property has been set, it is then possible for you to start driving the train.

Driving the Train

Once you have set up the scenario marker, placed a train, added a driver and have set a destination, you have the basics to drive the train.

Although your train may not yet have any intermediate goals you can now drive the train by entering drive mode and the scenario will complete once the destination set on the driver icon is reached.

Below is a simple list containing the basics needed to get a player train driving in a new scenario:

Place a scenario marker, double-click the marker and edit the properties.
Place a locomotive on the track.
Add a driver to the locomotive and assign properties to the driver.
Set the destination on the driver icon where the scenario will end.
Press play to enter drive mode.

Adding Intermediate Goals

Train Simulator provides you with the ability to make your scenarios more interesting by setting intermediate goals. These goals can be assembled to provide engaging or challenging elements to your scenario and effectively make it more enjoyable to play.

Types of Intermediate Goals

These goals are built up in a sequence which can subsequently be refined and amended. Some intermediate goals are:

Go via waypoints
Stop at Destination
Pick up Passengers
Fuel/Freight pickup
Marshall rolling stock
Assemble consists of individual items of rolling stock
Drop off rolling stock at specific destinations.

This section describes information that is common to all intermediate goals. Features specific to a specific type of goal will be described individually and in greater detail later in this section.

Adding and Changing Intermediate Goals

To add intermediate goals to your scenario:

Select the desired instruction from the Scenario Tools in the Toolbox Tab.

Click on the player locomotive.
You will see the instruction icon placed behind the driver icon at the front of the locomotive. Further instructions will stack in the order in which they are placed. Instructions are carried out in order from front to back. If you want to change the order of the instructions, left click and drag it along to a new position.

To delete an Intermediate Goal, select it and press the Del key or use the Delete icon.

Sequence of Similar Goals

Some instructions involve repetition of particular commands, such as "pick up passengers", that may be repeated many times, so there is a shorthand way of achieving this by adding multiple instructions. See below.

Setting and Changing Properties

Double-click the instruction icon to open the Properties tab. The following properties are common for all instructions:

Add Instruction: Intermediate goals are based on performing an action (or even arriving) at a particular location. This instruction and the associated field specify the goal location. Multiple locations may be specified (see Multiple Destinations in One Instruction). To add an instruction, click on the green plus sign, and then select the name of a valid destination. You can either navigate using the World Editor or use the 2D map to find the location.
Delete Instruction: To delete one of the locations from the list, select the location you want to remove and then press the Delete icon.
Destination List: Displays a list of locations.
Display Message: The text entered into this field is displayed as a pop-up message in-game when the destination has been reached and neither the successful or unsuccessful message is activated.
Achievement Text Successful: This message is displayed if the instruction is completed successfully.
Achievement Text Unsuccessful: This message is displayed if the instruction is completed unsuccessfully.

Note: On the final instruction disc, the achievement text successful/unsuccessful behaves slightly differently. The success message is displayed if all previous instructions have been successful. The unsuccessful message is displayed if one or more of the previous instructions were unsuccessful. Thus the text in the final instruction disc should be more general as it relates to the success or failure of the scenario as a whole. Trigger instructions do not distinguish between success or failure so it is not recommended to use a trigger as the final instruction.

The Consist Operation Instruction and Pick Up Passengers Instruction have slightly different Properties Tabs, see Creating a Consist Operation Instruction and Creating a Pick-Up Passengers Instruction.

Multiple Destinations in One Instruction

Using multiple destinations in one instruction is a useful shorthand and allows you to concatenate a number of similar instructions. In addition, the success, failure and completion messages apply to the whole sequence, so if you concatenated 5 passenger pickup instructions into one instruction, then no message would be displayed until the final destination is reached. If rather than concatenating the destinations, you had specified these as individual steps, you would be able to issue messages after each destination.

Destination-Specific Parameters

Each individual instruction destination type shows information on the Properties tab, depending on the type of instruction that it is. You can edit these properties further by clicking on the instruction. The following properties are common to all instructions:

Handle Off Path: If selected, Train Simulator calculates the best path for the train based on all the values contained in the scenario and then measures the player against that. Deviating from this path for a player train results in an error, which could cause the player to fail the scenario. Leaving the box unchecked means the path does not have to be adhered to, and no error will be given for leaving the path until the instruction is completed. This is useful in scenarios where you want the player to leave the pre-calculated path, such as in yard activities, where the player should be free to use any path through the yard as long as the instruction gets completed. Checking the box means the path is enforced and the player must stick to it for this instruction.
% Performance: The average expected performance is set to 75% by default. Adjusting this value higher will create a stricter timetable and changing the value lower will create a more relaxed timetable. If this value is edited, the anticipated arrival and departure times on this, and all subsequent instructions will be updated.

Viewing Intermediate Goals

By pressing the Play button you can check the Assignment Assistant and see the instructions, as the end user would, when playing the scenario.

This is how a single Stop At Destination instruction appears in the Description tab and how the same instruction appears in the Assignment Assistant. Notice the large red cross indicates that the instruction has not been completed yet.

Creating a Stop At Destination Instruction

The Stop At Destination instruction is used to specify that the player needs either to stop at a specific location or pass over a specific location.

A valid destination for this type of instruction can be a platform marker, a siding marker or a destination marker.

The Stop At Destination instruction would be treated as being unsuccessful if the player failed to stop at the required destination. If there are multiple destinations listed, failure to stop at any one of them will cause the unsuccessful message to be displayed.

A Stop At Destination instruction containing multiple elements shows the name of the individual destinations, the anticipated arrival time, the anticipated departure time, the average expected performance percentage and the speed needed to complete the instruction.

The following further options can be specified on individual elements of the Stop At Destination Instructions:

Timetabled

By default, instructions do not have to adhere to a strict timetable. If you wish the scenario to fail if the calculated timetable is not met, click on the alarm clock icon to clear the cross. The player will fail the scenario if the timetable target is not met.

Speed

This is the speed at which the player needs to be travelling to complete the instruction. The default speed is 0 mph, which is stationary. However, this value can be changed when the destination needs to be passed at a certain speed. Using a Stop At Destination instruction with a speed of 1 mph is a good way to ensure the train takes a certain path. The train will be travelling at a speed of over 1 mph and thus will automatically complete the instruction and move to the next. This turns this instruction into a waypoint follower and is especially useful for controlling the exact paths of AI trains. You can use this mechanism to force the AI train to follow a series of small steps and accurately control the timing of the steps.

Unload Passengers

This will force unload all passengers at this Stop At Destination instruction.

If you try to add a destination that the train cannot access (this may be due to the directionality of the track, or a break in the track) then the expected arrival and departure times are not displayed and are replaced with exclamation marks (!).

When this error happens, select another destination or carefully check the tracks between your train and the destination. Some reasons for this failure often include wrong track directionality, another train in the way or a gap in the track.

Creating a Pick-Up Passenger Instruction

Use a Pick-Up Passengers instruction to specify the player should stop to collect passengers. All destination elements in a Pick-Up Passengers instruction should be platforms.

The player will fail the Scenario if they failed to stop at the required destination or moves away before passenger boarding is complete.

The separate elements of the destination instruction in the list show the name of the location of the Passenger Pick Up, the predicted arrival time, the predicted departure time and the average expected performance percentage.

The predicted arrival and departure times are not enforced unless the Timetabled option is enabled (by clicking the alarm clock). Once the instruction becomes a timetabled instruction, these times determine whether the instruction is assessed as being successfully complete.

In a timetabled instruction, the arrival time is based on the start of the passenger loading process. This means that even if the process of passenger loading (which lasts 20-30 seconds) completes after the scheduled time, the instruction will still count as successful as long as it starts at the specified time.

If you want to edit the arrival time (perhaps to make the Scenario harder or easier), you must alter the performance value, which is set to 75% by default. This is a value indicating how hard your train is expected to work. If your timetable is based on a lower value, such as 50% then the time will increase, as Train Simulator allows the player to take longer to reach the destination.

To make timetabled scenarios tougher, increase the performance value to reduce the expected arrival time.

Departure times can be edited manually and are not based on the percent performance value.

A timetabled instruction lists both arrival and departure times. These times will remain fixed and not update. Non-timetabled instructions will periodically update the arrival and departure times based on current performance.

Creating a Fuel/Freight Pick-Up Instruction

The Fuel/Freight Pickup instruction is used in freight scenarios to collect and deliver goods or refuel.

To set a Fuel/Freight Pickup Instruction, click the green plus sign on the Properties tab, and select a valid Fuel/Freight Marker from the World editor or from the 2D Map. The name of the marker will then appear in the list.

The player will fail a Fuel/Freight Pickup instruction if they fail to stop at the required destination or collect the fuel.

The separate Fuel / Freight instructions in the list show the name of the transfer point and the average expected performance %.

Setting Coal/Water/Diesel levels

You can display the fuel levels of a diesel locomotive by double-clicking the locomotive itself. In the case of some steam engines, you must double-click the tender. Electric trains have no such properties.

There is a sliding bar which you can use to set the start fuel level percentage for the locomotive in the scenario.

If your scenario involves refuelling or filling with water, you might want to consider reducing the initial levels at the start of the scenario to enforce early refuelling.

The number in the bottom field is the number displayed on the locomotive or tender and can also be edited from this properties tab.

Setting Wagon Load State

By double-clicking each freight wagon you can display its properties window and set whether its initial state is loaded or unloaded. You cannot load freight, such as coal, onto an already loaded wagon and nor unload freight from an empty wagon.

Viewing Fuel/freight Pickup Instructions

By pressing the Play button you can check the instructions as the end-user would see when playing the Scenario.

How the instruction is worded is based on the type of transfer point that was selected:

For a freight container crane the instruction displays as "Pick up a Freight Container from transfer point name".
For fuel (coal/diesel/water) the instruction displays as "Pick up Fuel fuel type from transfer point name"; for example, "Pick up Fuel (Coal) from Coaling Stage".

On the 2D map, water transfer points display as a water droplet, whereas diesel and freight transfer points display as a fuel pump, along with the name of the refuelling point being listed.

Creating a Consist Operation Instruction

Consist Operation instructions allow you to set goals that involve collection and delivery of rolling stock into yards.

Consist Operation Properties Tab

Consist Operation properties are different to other Intermediate goals. The properties for Consist Operations are as follows:

Marshall

Use this button to create an instruction where the player must move rolling stock, either in a pre-determined order or not, to a designated location. This type of instruction will allow the player to decide how best to accomplish the task. Click this button then click each item of rolling stock you want them to move. Then click the siding, platform or destination where this rolling stock should be placed to complete the task.

Add to Front

Use this button to create an instruction where the player must add rolling stock to the front of the locomotive. Click this button then click each item of rolling stock you want to hook up. Then click the siding, platform or destination where this rolling stock currently resides. The instruction will then be created with the numbers of the rolling stock listed.

Add to Back

Use this button to create an instruction where the player must add rolling stock to the back of the locomotive. Click this button then click each item of rolling stock you want to hook up. Then click the siding, platform or destination where this rolling stock currently resides. The instruction will then be created with the numbers of the rolling stock listed.

Drop Off

This button creates an instruction where rolling stock must be dropped off at a certain location.

Train Order

This is a checkbox that is on by default. With the box checked, the order in which the player completes the consist operation instructions is important. When it is unchecked the instructions can be completed in any order. Errors in the operation order are reported at the end of the scenario.

Duration

This is the suggested duration of the instruction in minutes. Adjusting the length of time in this field will have an effect for the Arrive and Depart fields and the estimated timing of subsequent instructions. Exceeding this time will not fail the instruction, it is present as a guideline only.

Display Message

A message typed here will display as a pop-up when the operation is complete if no success or failure message is present. Consist operations normally generally have a clear pass or fail criteria so text should be entered in the success/failure fields instead.

Achievement Text Successful

This message is displayed if the instruction is completed successfully.

Achievement Text Unsuccessful

This message is displayed if the instruction is not completed successfully. Examples of failure, in this case, would be if the player coupled to the wrong end of the engine, uncoupled the wrong wagons or dropped off the correct wagons in the wrong location.

Editing Individual Consist Operation Instructions

Each separate Consist Operation instruction you create will show the location of the consist operation, the suggested duration, the rolling stock involved. If more than one instruction is listed then a scrollbar will appear to view additional instructions.

In this example, the first few wagon numbers (607245, 607159, etc) of the instruction are listed for reference, as well as the location (Margam Knuckle Yard 13) where the consist operation will happen.

Once the elements of the Consist Operation have been inserted, the Train Order toggle is displayed for each element. When it is selected, the sequence in which the rolling stock is arranged is important. When it is off, the order of the rolling stock of the train can be in any order. Errors in the train order are reported to the user at the end of the Scenario.

Trigger Instructions

Trigger instructions are used to provide pop-up messages or event triggers within a Scenario. When initially placed, all fields are empty. Holding the mouse over an icon in this tab will display a tooltip.

The Trigger Instruction tab contains the following fields:

Trigger Message

This is the text which will be displayed in a pop-up box when the timer is met.

Trigger Animation

This function is currently inoperative.

Trigger Sound

This function is currently inoperative.

Trigger Train Stop

Checking this box will force the emergency brakes on, eventually bringing the train to a stop.

Trigger Wheel Slip

Checking this box will force a wheel slip.

Timer

This is the time, in seconds from when the previous instruction has been completed (or failed) that the trigger activates. If this is the first instruction, it counts from the start of the Scenario.

Scenario Specific Content

There is more to creating an interesting Scenario than having a player train with instructions. Other elements will create a much more challenging and satisfying Scenario, such as adding AI trains and static rolling stock to adding scenario specific objects and sounds.

Adding AI Traffic

Having Train Simulator controlled Artificial Intelligence (AI) trains passing and interacting with the player train adds to the realism and interest within a scenario.

Setting Up AI Traffic

Moving AI (Artificial Intelligence) traffic is important in creating realistic and dynamic scenarios. Authoring the behaviour of AI trains is no different to authoring the instructions of the player train in a scenario.

Place a locomotive from the Engines & Tenders list then complete the consist with an arrangement of coaches/wagons from the Rolling Stock menu.
Add a driver by left clicking on the Driver icon on the upper tab and then left-clicking on the locomotive.
A disc with an icon of a driver will appear on the locomotive. Double-click this disc to open the driver properties tab.
Ensure that the Player Consist box remains unchecked to keep the train as an AI train. The box is unchecked by default.
At its very simplest, the contents of the driver properties tab need be all you edit to create working AI traffic. Simply specify the start time (this cannot be before the start time of the scenario), set a Service Class and set a destination.

In drive mode, when the specified start time occurs this basic AI train will follow a path to its destination where it will stop.

For more information on creating a train, see Setting up a Driver.

See Previewing AI Traffic to ensure that the AI traffic behaves as expected without having to switch to drive mode.

More complex instructions can be given to AI trains in the same way as the player train. For passenger AI trains, you may want them to perform passenger stops. AI trains can also perform Pick Up Fuel / Freight (i.e. from a water tower or a container loader) but cannot at this time perform Consist Operations.

Here are some hints to bear in mind when setting up AI traffic:

A maximum of one train should be placed per signal occupation block.
Stagger the start times of the AI trains so that the player will see spaced and frequent traffic.
Set the final destinations of the AI traffic to be different from each other (if not a portal), or the trains will stack up.
A good final destination for AI trains is portals. Portals are markers that can be placed on the track and can then be set as a valid destination. Running an AI train into a portal as a final destination removes the AI train from the simulation. This has benefits for performance as well as clearing the way for other AI trains. As long as the times are staggered, the same portal can be used by multiple AI trains.
Don’t set any AI final destinations to any location that will interfere with the running of the player train.
Don’t assign AI trains the Service Class "Special" as this will give the AI train running priority over the player and could result in the player sitting at red lights.

Previewing AI Traffic

Once an AI train has been placed you should check it has a valid path to its destination.

If the train has any instructions other than the driver information you can see the expected start and leave times for those instructions. If times are displayed then that AI train has a valid path to that instruction. If the destination has exclamation marks then a valid path could not be found.

If this is the case you can attempt to troubleshoot the failed path (see Troubleshooting Scenarios) or pick a different destination.

If your AI train just has the driver instruction disc then there is no feedback whether your train has found a valid path to its destination. To test if the train works, you can preview it within the editor.

To preview how your AI trains work you can use the time display at the bottom of the screen:

Press the play/pause button to start and stop the passing of time in the editor. This mimics drive mode but has the added advantage of having the camera in free mode and editor functions still enabled.

Fly to your AI train and use the time display to accelerate the time to when your AI train should start. The multiplier buttons accelerate time by the number on the button. If your train moves then it has a valid path.

Previewing AI train movement with the time display is also an excellent way of knowing where an AI train will be at a certain time. If you do not want to fly to the location of the AI train to watch it you can open the 2D map and scroll to the AI train there. The 2D map will show the movement of all the AI traffic.

Placing Static Consists

As well as authoring moving AI trains, which is detailed in Setting Up AI Traffic above, static consists can be placed in the scenario. Static consists are simply items of rolling stock or a full consist, that does not have a driver attached. This means it will have no instructions and will remain where it is placed.

Once you are in the scenario you want to edit you can place stock from the Engines & Tenders and the Rolling Stock lists.

Static consists do not have any signal occupation as this only occurs when a train has a driver, so they should not be placed on the main line or anywhere that is likely to interfere with the player or any AI trains.

Good locations for placing static consists include yards and sidings which are not being used by AI trains.

Scenario Objects

You can place most objects and sounds so that they only appear in the Scenario you are directly editing. Using objects in this way can give each Scenario a unique feel and enhance the story of the Scenario.

Ensure you are in Scenario Edit mode of the Scenario you wish to add objects to and select your required assets from the object filters on the Browser tab. Objects and sounds are placed in the same way as normal within the World Editor although they are filtered slightly differently to save space.

When saved, new scenery tiles are created within the folder of the Scenario you are editing. These new scenery tiles load in conjunction with the existing route scenery tiles.

Scenario Track Markers

Instead of adding track markers to a route in the World Editor which can be used and seen in all Scenarios, you can add scenario-specific track markers. These will only be visible and usable by the Scenario in which they are placed and do not count as an edit to the route.

Enter the Scenario Editor and ensure you are in the Scenario you wish to work in. To add scenario-specific track markers, click the Track Infrastructure filter on the Browser tab. The available scenario-specific track markers will then be displayed.

These are placed and used in the same way as normal track markers placed from the World Editor. You will notice that while in the Scenario Editor, markers placed from within the World Editor are slightly greyed out to distinguish them from scenario-specific markers, although both types can be used freely in Scenario instructions.

Preset Junction States

Within a scenario you can specify the starting junction states of manual junctions:

Enter the Scenario Editor for the scenario you wish to edit.
Enter the 2D map. You can see which direction the path is currently set through a junction by the thicker line passing through it.
Change the junction state by holding the <Shift> key and left clicking the blue circle which represents a manual junction.

The initial junction states for the Scenario will be saved as a separate file called InitialSave.xml, which is located within the folder for that Scenario.

Saving a Consist

It is possible in Train Simulator to save the formation of a train (known as a consist) so that you do not need to build it each time you wish to feature the same train at various points in the same scenario, or in any subsequent scenario you author.

To save a consist for later use:

Select the Consist Tool from the top left flyout. This will generate small grey boxes above each vehicle that forms part of a train (consisting of more than one rail vehicle).
Click on one of these grey boxes, and a window will appear on the right-hand side.
In this window, type a name you wish to call the consist. This name will appear in the middle left browser list for later use.
To save another consist, simply click on another grey box on another train.

To select a consist already saved:

Choose the Consist filter in the middle left browser window. This will filter all items in the list to just show saved consists.
Select the consist you want, and drag it into the main window.
Place the entire consist on the track as you would any normal rail vehicle.

Troubleshooting Scenarios

Sometimes a scenario can fail, usually due to the setup of AI traffic or the instructions of the player train. Usually, this is because the Dispatcher cannot find a path to a location. AI trains can also have accidents that result in an AI collision causing the scenario to end.

It is recommended that scenarios are initially tested with just the player train completing all its instructions to ensure it can be completed without errors. If this same train fails after AI trains have been added then somehow the AI trains are interfering with the player train.

When the Scenario fails to load you should see a pop-up listing the first few errors which caused this failure. Make a note of the trains which form part of this error as well as the error itself. You can then edit the Scenario directly in an effort to fix it.

Add -ShowDriverList to the launch options for Train Simulator to view all trains in the Scenario in one list.

When double-clicking on any driver icon in the Scenario you will see a Drivers option, which when selected brings up a list of all trains in the Scenario. The player train is marked with (P) next to its name and whether each train has Succeeded or Failed in calculating a path to its destination.

Selecting the name of a train in the list will set the coordinates on the compass to that train, allowing you to jump to it for faster editing of scenario instructions. If you make edits to any instructions you can check if the train path succeeded by bringing up the Driver List again, pressing Apply to apply the recent changes and pressing refresh if the pathing calculations take a while to output a result.

If the train does not path to its destination at all

Check the Service Class of the AI train. Freight trains, for example, will aim to path over track flagged as freight, whereas passenger trains avoid yard and freight track.
Check the track directionality using the space bar visualisations. AI trains will not go against the line direction.
Check the track for any errors that may explain why the train is not pathing where you want it to go. Track errors can include:

Physical breaks in the track.
Line type error where a section of track may be flagged as the wrong type (ie, a bit of yard type track in the middle of the mainline).
Junction which is unrendered and therefore does not register as a valid junction to pass over.

Check the final destination and see if it is occupied by another AI or the player train.
Check the destination and see if another AI or the player train is using it as a destination at this point. You can either differ the start times, set a different departure time or set one train as a higher priority to avoid the problem of two trains wanting to be at the same location mid-journey.
To identify where the failure occurs, set a destination that is closer to the AI train’s start position as the first instruction. If it paths to this location and the timetable is displayed then the error occurs further out. Keep changing the destination to be further out until it fails then check the track and activity of other trains in that area.
Check the order of any instructions the AI train has. The order in which the instructions complete is from front to back. All instructions on the first disc are completed in sequence before progressing to the instructions on the next disc. Ensure that the train isn’t being forced to double back on itself to complete instructions.

If the train paths to its destination along a path you are not happy with

You will have more control over the path the AI train takes if you add more instructions. Add a Stop At destination instruction but set the speed in the instruction to 40 mph so it acts as a waypoint and the train doesn’t have to stop (it will pass that location at the speed you define, in this example 40 mph). Add as many waypoints as you want along the path you want the AI train to take. If there are no destination markers set up along the path you want to take you can add them via the World Editor.
Check the Service Class of the AI train. Freight trains, for example, will aim to path over track flagged as freight, whereas passenger trains avoid yard and freight track.
Check the track directionality using the space bar visualisations. AI trains will not go against the line direction.
Check the track for any errors that may explain why the train is not pathing where you want it to go. Track errors can include:

Physical breaks in the track.
Line type error where a section of track may be flagged as the wrong type (i.e. a bit of yard type track in the middle of the mainline).
Junction which is unrendered and therefore does not register as a valid junction to pass over.

If there is an AI collision

There will be a pop-up box telling you of the AI collision. Make a note of the time when the collision occurred in the scenario and replay it to just before this time then pause it. Look at the 2D map and see if your AI trains are near any static consists. If there is a static consist in the path then your AI train may have collided with it. While static consists have signal block occupation, yard areas can consist of many unsignaled sidings and AI trains will have difficulty knowing it is there. Move the static consist to a new location or delete it.
Two AI trains can sometimes collide. Using the same method as above, look on the 2D map to see if any two trains are in close proximity at the time just before the collision. If there are, then make a note of the names of the trains and look at their driver properties. Check the Service Class and change it if it's "Special" as this is a very high priority. Check the start locations of the trains; if they started in the same signal occupation block this could cause signal confusion. The performance of the trains affects their speed, so if the trains have more instructions other than the driver try adjusting the performance values so the trains don’t catch each other. Finally, try adjusting the start times so the AI traffic is more staggered. If all else fails, try removing one of the offending consists.