Swapping one loft for another

Swapping one loft for another

Postby Rockdoc2174 » Tue Jan 24, 2017 1:38 pm

Just on the Ilkeston side of Bennerley viaduct the line crosses the Erewash Canal. We have the line of the canal in place but, doing some work there for the first time in a very long time, I've realised that the loft that's been used is for a canal like the Aire & Calder and not one for a British narrow canal, as the Erewash is, so it's about twice as wide as it should be. I suppose we could live with it but we do have a loft available that has the right dimensions. Can lofts be swapped easily? Is there something equivalent to the change rolling-stock function in RW Tools or will I need to edit the associated loft tiles?

Keith
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Re: Swapping one loft for another

Postby AndiS » Tue Jan 24, 2017 4:31 pm

Moderately easy, I should say. The good new is that it is less delicate than track. The bad new is that it is still a hack.

Now don't ask me whether there is a function for it buried somewhere in RW Tools but I doubt it.

Precondition for the following: Know the exact filename of what you want to get rid of and what you want to put in.
It helps if they are from the same provider & product.

1) Make a backup of the Networks/Loft Tiles folder.
2) Go to that folder and open the tile file in question.
3) Search for the filename of the loft to replace. Replace it with the new one.
4) Repeat for all occurrence if you are certain that you don't match anything else with your search.
5) Repeat for other tiles.

If the provider or product is not the same, there are two options, in my view.

Option 1: If the loft to rip out is the only loft in the tile, i.e., there are no roads, fences, platforms, walls, on that tile that (might) come from the same product or provider, then you may dare the same search and replace procedure described above.

Option 2: If there is any chance of collateral damage, better do the deleting manually.
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Re: Swapping one loft for another

Postby Stone75 » Tue Jan 24, 2017 6:31 pm

Just a thought for a quick swap depending on how long your canal is, by using he offset tool to lay one alongside say a foot over then delete the existing.

Stephen
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Re: Swapping one loft for another

Postby brysonman46 » Tue Jan 24, 2017 6:46 pm

Stone75 wrote:Just a thought for a quick swap depending on how long your canal is, by using he offset tool to lay one alongside say a foot over then delete the existing.

Stephen


Yes, I have already suggested that to Keith. I have done it on numerous occasions for roads. Sometimes the height of the centre line can vary, but t is fairly simple to drop or raise as required. You can always repeat, with the offset the other way, and so finish up on the exact line!
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Re: Swapping one loft for another

Postby AndiS » Tue Jan 24, 2017 6:52 pm

Stone75 wrote:Just a thought for a quick swap depending on how long your canal is, by using he offset tool to lay one alongside say a foot over then delete the existing.

Stephen

My thought exactly, initially. However deleting the original one could be the point where he curses me so I did not dare suggesting it. :lol:

Since the new one is smaller, it ought to be possible to select the old one, though through individual clicking on the parts as the circle tool would get the new one, too. But I have next to nil experience with route building at any significant scale, after all these years, so I prefer to speak about XML file hacking. This is what I did since 2007. :roll:

P.S.: Brian is right in suggesting that you just raise the new thing, while it is still all selected after you placed it. How it works out when you do it for a decent length with a few curves, I can't say.
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Re: Swapping one loft for another

Postby Stone75 » Tue Jan 24, 2017 7:39 pm

If you need to reselect the loft, I find moving eye level below terrain works best. Much easier to see miles into the distance. Just beware of grass, that stuff stops you selecting anything :D

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Re: Swapping one loft for another

Postby brysonman46 » Tue Jan 24, 2017 10:55 pm

Stone75 wrote:If you need to reselect the loft, I find moving eye level below terrain works best. Much easier to see miles into the distance. Just beware of grass, that stuff stops you selecting anything :D

Stephen


The trick here is to "switch" off the scenery whilst you do the amendments. Once you have found the correct loft, selected and deleted it, the next section is usually the first highlighted, so you can select "follow network" and zoom along, deleting as you go!
Just to let you all know, I have used the "swop item" in RWTools to change the canal type successfully. Keith is now checking the terrain at each side to see what needs "tweeking". Hence, the "offset" trick was not necessary in this case.

Nick
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Re: Swapping one loft for another

Postby Rockdoc2174 » Wed Jan 25, 2017 9:52 am

I've replaced the existing tiles with those modified by Nick and the change has been made. Thanks for all of the responses. I'm sure that they'll be useful to other people in future.

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