Assign Trains to Schedules (Train Routes)

Darinth · Post by **Darinth** » Tue Nov 13, 2018 3:14 pm

As an alternative, 0.17 is providing the ability to blueprint trains. Could train blueprints be given an added functionality whereby if you click a train blueprint with a schedule on an existing train it re-writes the schedule? Would hopefully be a reasonably simple change and with a tooltip it would likely be discovered naturally when you mouse-over an existing train with a train blueprint and it highlights the whole train and provides mouse-over text indicating it will replace the schedule. Means blueprints become your source of quickly rescheduling a bunch of trains. Maybe even give the ability to use blueprints on the train list to quick reassign trains.

mrvn · Post by **mrvn** » Fri Nov 23, 2018 9:15 am

Darinth wrote: ↑Tue Nov 13, 2018 3:14 pm As an alternative, 0.17 is providing the ability to blueprint trains. Could train blueprints be given an added functionality whereby if you click a train blueprint with a schedule on an existing train it re-writes the schedule? Would hopefully be a reasonably simple change and with a tooltip it would likely be discovered naturally when you mouse-over an existing train with a train blueprint and it highlights the whole train and provides mouse-over text indicating it will replace the schedule. Means blueprints become your source of quickly rescheduling a bunch of trains. Maybe even give the ability to use blueprints on the train list to quick reassign trains.

That's not really better than having a train depot stashed somewhere on the map with one train per schedule and coping that around.

The benefit of schedules would be that when you change a schedule all the assigned trains change without you having to hunt them all down.

SLB · Post by **SLB** » Mon Feb 11, 2019 4:25 am

When you have hundreds of trains in a huge rail system
It’s very difficult to find a few of them and modify them.

Need some way to search for eligible trains. This will return a list of trains and then select some of them to add a station to their schedule.

Post by **Koub** » Mon Feb 11, 2019 5:39 am

I think this suggestion is what you really need

SLB · Post by **SLB** » Mon Feb 11, 2019 7:51 am

Thank you, this is exactly what I need.

Post by **Koub** » Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:13 am

[Koub] Then topic merged

rldml · Post by **rldml** » Tue Feb 26, 2019 7:53 pm

wrong, Thread, sorry

CrashDive · Post by **CrashDive** » Tue May 12, 2020 6:34 am

TL;DR

The train menu (located in the top right of the screen) is underutilized and could be used to assign multiple trains to one schedule quickly, eliminating frustration and tediom.

What is the issue?

Trains can be annoying to work with. Moving all of my iron trains from "Iron Ore Pickup 2" to "Iron Ore Pickup 3" one by one gets old pretty quickly. Having to do this every time a resource deposit is exhausted is unelegant and detracts from the game.

My solution

Currently, each train is assigned its own schedule. I propose, instead, that schedules have trains assigned to them. This way, by creating or editing only one schedule, many trains can reflect this change without the need to micromanage them.

This functionality can be added in place of the existing train menu. The below image shows my vision for the new train menu. Its functionality includes creating new schedules independent of a train, modifying/ removing existing schedules, and drag-and-drop assignment of trains to and between schedules

: Factorio Train Menu.png (121.75 KiB) Viewed 5767 times

The utility of the current train menu (which shows the location of trains) could easily be included as a tooltip by hovering over a train in the list. In addition to the completely new train menu, a drop-down menu would be added to the locomotive GUI allowing players to assign the train to a schedule from within the locomotive GUI.

This sounds like a radical change to how trains work, won't players be upset by having to learn this new system?

No, players will not have to learn a new system. I don't suggest that this system outright replaces the current system (creating schedules within a locomotive and copy-pasting it between trains). It is not necessary to remove the existing functionality to realize my suggestion. I suggest that the train menu is completely integrated with the existing system (i.e schedules which are created or edited within a locomotive GUI are automatically added train menu; trains that have duplicate schedules should be automatically placed within the same existing schedule; etc.). The new train menu should be implemented in such a way that it is an optional (although powerful) feature.

Why does this add value to the game?

Trains are an essential part of the game. At the very least, most players will use trains to transport ores long distances and all of them will experience the unelegant, slightly tedious, and error-prone process of assigning their trains to a new ore outpost once their existing one runs dry. My suggestion will streamline this process and make it more enjoyable. I think the displeasure with the current system is obvious by the popularity of mods such as Logistics Train Network by Optera and that trains should be more manageable in the vanilla game.

mmmPI · Post by **mmmPI** » Tue May 12, 2020 7:01 am

one problem i see despite all those you took into consideration is a situation where you have like from 10 trains to even more like 50 trains , 100 + , going from the same-named-station, to the same other named-station , but having different waiting conditions , those can be differences of 1 second and would multiply the number of different schedule. Same would be true if you plan to use different signal condition as waiting condition, it could end up with a system where each train has its own schedule, and there would be difficult to identify from each other using the proposed system.

Also train ID are generated by the game each time you add/remove a part of it, you can't just give a name to a train right now

Instead you could just rename the new "iron ore pick up #" by giving it the name of a previously used "iron ore pick up#", this would make all trains change their travel path, without changing their schedule ( which include the naming of the station AND waiting/departure conditions).

Post by **Koub** » Tue May 12, 2020 12:07 pm

[Koub] Merged into older topic with same suggestion.

tamanous · Post by **tamanous** » Wed May 13, 2020 11:30 am

Brilliant. Love it. My workaround is annoying my all the time ..

I get the problems (most of them), but still, the ability to bulk-edit trains is lovely.

Post by **ssilk** » Thu May 14, 2020 5:36 am

I don’t think this will be implemented (soon), as I found similar threads from 2013. (For example viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7787 )
Sorry for killing hope

steinio · Post by **steinio** » Thu May 14, 2020 9:55 am

SmartTrains https://mods.factorio.com/mod/SmartTrains does exactly what the thread suggests.

(Assigning trains to schedules, not altering the train menu)

Aves · Post by **Aves** » Wed Jun 17, 2020 1:24 am

Hi,
If anybody is in the habit of having multiple trains perform exactly the same role, would it be interesting to them to have shared orders for trains?
ie. Two locomotives have the same order set - and changing an order on either modifies both. Open Transport Tycoon Delux allows this and it can be useful.
Thoughts?

Post by **Koub** » Wed Jun 17, 2020 6:22 am

[Koub] Merged into older topic with same suggestion.

SackCFix · Post by **SackCFix** » Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:32 pm

TL;DR

Copying Train Schedules from one Train to another via Shift-Click isn't that bad but having "Train Routes" would be even better!

What ?

Instead of every Train having its own Schedule, every Train should be assigned to a "Train Route". This Routes can be edited and overviewed easily in a Menu. (Instead of the actuall Train Menu where every Train is shown, this Menu only Shows the Trains assigned to that Route)

: Factorio_TrainSchedule3.jpg (57.28 KiB) Viewed 5553 times

By default, a new placed Locomotive creates its own empty Route -> Route #1, Route #2, ... but can be renamed to something like "Green Circuits 1 - Iron Mining". And if you need more Trains just assign them to that Route.

: Factorio_TrainSchedule1.jpg (77.56 KiB) Viewed 5553 times

In Case the Schedule needs to be changed, and these Changes are made in the Locomotive's Menu, you can either apply them to the actual Route or create a new Route.

: Factorio_TrainSchedule2.jpg (82.67 KiB) Viewed 5553 times

Why ?

- Shift-Click from one Locomotive to another: "...uups... that was wrong, everything in the Schedule is now cleared"
----> The new Shift-Click only applys the Train Route, the Schedule itself is still present in the Menu

- Shift-Click from one Locomotive to another: "...okay... just 42 Locomotives to go"
----> Select the Route, apply Changes, done

- Shift-Click from one Locomotive to another: "...ahhm... where is that Locomotive???"
----> Open the Menu, select Route

Seriously, this would help so much in keeping our Factories organized. And why in the World shouldn't a Game with Trains have no Possibility to set up nice and clean and easy to handle Schedules?

I know, time is short...it took me 1600hrs of Factorio...and 2hrs of MS Paint for this Post...but if you Devs can do it, please do it for the 1.0!

@Mods: i know this has been discused before but not that explicit i think

Post by **Koub** » Thu Jun 18, 2020 5:23 am

[Koub] It has. Merged into older topic with same suggestion.

Post by **ssilk** » Thu Jun 18, 2020 5:32 am

Koub was faster .

I also found
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=34887 Add Train Routes (rework train)

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7787 Train Lines and global filters

Both very old, but interesting to see that some things don’t change over time.

varundevan · Post by **varundevan** » Thu Jun 18, 2020 3:49 pm

+1

i believe , that would be easier to manage trains ..
in my case i have many stations of same schedule and have same stations names ...
when want all trains to go to different stations ...
or when i want to split the trains to a different stations .. .. it is hard to manage like it is now ..

foamy · Post by **foamy** » Sat Jun 20, 2020 5:10 am

The fact that this same suggestion has come up for literally years would indicate to me, at any rate, that it's a good idea.

Also, I think it's a good idea. It'd not be any more hassle in the worst case -- one train on each route -- and in any situation where you have more than one train on a route, it's a useability improvement.

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