Copy/Paste Train Conditions

[PiggyWhiskey]

With Train conditions getting more complicated it can be a little annoying/time consuming setting a new outpost for a train having to copy across the settings from a previous one.

My request/suggestion is to allow copy/paste the Train Schedule like we do for item filters.

And with trains as well, the ability to click/drag either conditions/stops to re-order them as needed.

[zanven]

not sure if already implemented partially but the first thing i did when i made 2 trains for 1 stop, was fully setup one train and leave it in manual then copy paste like i would with assembler settings and it worked for me, in 0.13.2

[Lucius]

not sure if already implemented partially but the first thing i did when i made 2 trains for 1 stop, was fully setup one train and leave it in manual then copy paste like i would with assembler settings and it worked for me, in 0.13.2

Yea, that definitely works!
Shift+Right Click the locomotive to copy, Shift+Left Click another locomotive to paste!

And yes, would be sweet if it worked from the "train manager window" too!

[TheUnknown007]

While the copying of train schedules between trains is useful, I want the ability to either drag-drop train stops, or to copy-paste them. Currently it is a pain in the buttocks to move a stop one earlier in the schedule (I have some pretty extensive leave conditions)

And also the ability to copy-paste (sets of) conditions or to change the train stop without removing the conditions. If I build a new outpost, I copy the train schedule from another one, but I have to manually setup the outpost leave conditions since it is another stop. This is annoying.

[ssilk]

Copy content of train-stops is already possible. Currently It copies just the name.

[TheUnknown007]

Copy content of train-stops is already possible. Currently It copies just the name.

No, I mean copy pasting the train stops within a train schedule.

[ssilk]

Do you mean a feature-complete schedule-editor?
I would support a schedule-editor with drag-n-drop, copy, delete, etc. But someone needs to write a suggestion about it. In a side-note of an implemented suggestion it doesn't make sense.

[TheUnknown007]

Delete is already implemented. Thank god. Without delete would have been unusable.

I posted this here because copy pasting within the schedule was also part of the original request, and I didn't really look at which forum it was posted on. But I'll make a new suggestion then.

[ssilk]

Well, the originating post was about the train conditions. Then someone said it is already implemented and I didn't take that literally and moved it to Implemented.

So I moved it now back, cause this wanted feature (copy of waiting conditions) isn't implemented yet.

I personally would like to have some kind of "defaults" instead, like

"Wait 30 seconds" (current default)
"Wait 5 seconds"
"Wait 120 seconds or cargo empty"
"Wait 120 seconds or cargo full"
...

And you have a an simple editor for those conditions, where you can also add your own or change the order.

[Jürgen Erhard]

I'd actually have preferred a completely station-based condition system. That is, read info from stop (wait time, inactivity time, cargo consist), process in circuit network, give leave command to train via stop (so stations, unlike now, would need both in- and output signals).

Because blueprinting circuit networks is already implemented and copies conditions too.

[ssilk]

I'd actually have preferred a completely station-based condition system. That is, read info from stop (wait time, inactivity time, cargo consist), process in circuit network, give leave command to train via stop (so stations, unlike now, would need both in- and output signals).

Hm. The longer I think about this, the longer I think it's a good idea. But it needs some finetuning to be really useful.

I'll make an own suggestion about it.

[coretorque]

in the same way we can copy a trains entire schedule from engine to engine in the game, i would like to have some kind of "favorites menu" in the locomotive schedule for creating trains with the same or similar schedules fast

[gsezz]

This sounds like a great idea for a mod. A condition manager, not only for trains, but also for combinators, stations, signals and so on. Just a place where you can save some presets.
I already use blueprints of single combinators or signals, to save their settings. But you can't blueprint trains. In fact, I keep some locomotives and filtered wagons in my base, just as a source to copy and paste their settings to new ones.

[alercah]

With the new train GUIs, would like to revive this suggestion. It would be particularly valuable to copy-past train schedules from the all trains or trains for a stop view, using shift-left/right click as normal. It could make a big simplification to things!

[lordsith]

It really is a pain in the *** not to be able to copy a station condition to repeat it multiple times in one train schedule.

Example:

artillery train must go to loading shells station, then defensive station 1, and depart when artillery shells = 0, then go back to loading shells station, then defensive station 2, etc.


Since I have like 20 defensive stations, I'm quite bored to repeat 20 times the "stay at station either 60s or when shells = 300"... and then repeat the "stay 300s or depart when shells = 0" for every defensive station.

When I have 1 train ready, it's easy to C/P to other train, but setting up the first train is a really long and useless task without the ability to C/P train station & train condition.

[beatryder]

Not really sure how else to bump this. But I came here searching to see if it was indeed already requested.

Even the ability to choose a different default condition would be amazing, or if it just remembered whatever the last used was.

[Arty0m]

Please, make possibility to copy/paste train stop conditions.

[Antuanos]

I concur... I'm so tired of manually entering, 1 second inactivity, 2.0k copper or 7 seconds time passed every single time... I just want to copy what the train did on it's earlier station.

[ptx0]

why not offer a mock-up of the UI you think this would use? I don't see any way to implement it without feeling crappy and I'm sure that's one of the Wube developer issues in implementing it, as well.

[TheUnknown007]

I don't have time / skill to make a mockup, but I can describe something in text.

Terminology

• List: the list of stations and conditions in the train GUI.
• Station: station element in the list.
• Condition: condition element in the list.
• Element / item: either a station or a condition.
• Selection: the elements that are selected.
• Copy button: the button to add a copy of the selected items at the bottom of the list.

Summary

This proposal is based on file system GUIs, where you can often select/deselect multiple items by clicking while holding CTRL.
Players can select elements to be copied, and can then add copies of the selected items to the list. After copying, they edit the names of stations to the ones they want.

Selecting elements

Selected elements are highlighted with a yellow outline.
When selecting / deselecting a station, it will also select / deselect all conditions for that station. If you only want the conditions and not the station or only the station and not the conditions you have to (de)select the conditions all one by one.
Selections are kept when closing the train GUI, to allow for copying to a different train. This selection is cleared when selecting something in the next train GUI. Selections can either use the same "slot" as normal shift+right click / shift+left click copying, or get their own "slot".

shift + right click an element: set element as currently selected item (all other selected elements become deselected).
ctrl + shift + right click an element: add/remove element to/from current selection. Allow dragging the mouse to (de)select / toggle selection of everything that is dragged over (allows quickly selecting stations / conditions, in particular, it allows quickly selecting all conditions of a station without selecting the station itself)

Copying selected elements

Option 1: copy button at the bottom of the list.
There is a copy button either next to the "add station" button (divide "add station" button in half to make space) or below / above it. The copy button has the text "add copy of selected items".
When the copy button is clicked (left mouse button), it adds a copy of the current selection at the bottom of the list. [todo: some way to copy into the middle of the list?]
If nothing is selected, disable the button. Optionally change the text to "use shift+right click or ctrl+shift+right click to select stations or conditions" or link to a tutorial or something. This could also be a hover text.

Option 2: copy with shift + left click anywhere in list.
The player can hold shift to make a white bar appear between elements, which follows the location of the cursor (see attachment). When they left click, the selected items are copied to that position in the list.
Valid positions where the selected elements will be copied to (and thus where the white bar moves) depends on the selection:

• Only conditions -> anywhere where you could drag and drop an existing condition.
• Also has stations -> anywhere where you could drag and drop an existing station.

I personally like option 2, it feels fluid and more powerful (can copy to anywhere instead of only at the bottom). Disadvantages: the white bar appears when holding shift, which you also need to hold while selecting elements, and it is far less discoverable than a disabled button with an explanation.

Edge case:
If a condition is selected but its station is not, create an "invalid" station element instead. This invalid station acts the same as a station that doesn't exist anymore. The player should use the edit button to change it to a valid station.

Changing station names

Station elements get a button (icon: that pen one. There was a pen icon no?) to edit the station. Editing the station opens the same dialog/menu thing that the "Add station" button does. Editing keeps all the conditions of the station, it just changes the station. This can be used after copying a station and its conditions to reuse the same conditions for a different station.

Example use

IRON ORE 5 is depleted. I want to send the train to IRON ORE 6 instead.
1. Use the "edit station" button.
2. Select IRON ORE 6.


The coal train should go to the power plant more often. I want to add a copy of the current power plant station and its conditions between other items to make it go more often.
1. Shift + right click on power plant station to select it (and deselect anything I may have had selected)
2. Shift + left click at the position where I want it to go, or click copy button and drag and drop where I want.


I built a new outpost IRON 7. I need a train to go there. Either:
Option 1: new train
1. Build a new train.
2. find an existing train to copy from, shift+right click train to copy.
3. shift + left click on newly build train to paste full schedule.
4. left click on train to open train GUI.
5. edit IRON 6 to IRON 7.

Option 2: add station to existing train, the smart way
1. find train, open GUI
2. shift + right click IRON 6 station to select it and clear any previous selection
3. shift + left click where in the schedule I want the new station.
4. use edit button to change IRON 6 to IRON 7

Option 3: add station to existing train, the "I added the station first" way
1. find train, open GUI
2. click "add station" button
3. choose IRON 7
4. realise I should have copied and edited instead as described in Option 2.
5. ctrl + shift + right click and drag over conditions of IRON 6
6. shift + left click on/under IRON 7 to paste conditions.

Attachment

bar_between_items.gif (33.35 KiB) Viewed 40548 times