Small train GUI change

[Ghoulish]

I'd like to request a small change to the train / track GUI.

When building track and hovering a signal the UI shows you where the trains will be relative to that signal with white brackets, which is very usefull. Please could we have more white brackets, so those who use longer trains, can see where the train / cargo wagons etc would be? I am using 2-6-2 trains in my current factory, and the big base builders may even use 2-8-2 (which I believe is what ColnelWill uses). So additional white brackets would be most helpful, and usefull.

[nosserior]

Maybe with + (plus) and (-) minus keys adjust the total pool of displayed wagons maybe ?!

[Optera]

Maybe with + (plus) and (-) minus keys adjust the total pool of displayed wagons maybe ?!

+1 for that option
also should work to increase the area at which the positions are displayed in front of train stops.
Placing larger blueprints for 2-6-2 trains never shows them since the blueprint center is too far away from the stop.

[Factoruser]

It should be automatically depending on the current zoom level. Someone zooming that far out is claiming for CPU wasting. Although that long trains aren't sensible in factorio yet...

[Optera]

I beg to differ, 2-6-2 or even 3-8-3 are needed to supply a real megabase.

[ssilk]

Well, I supplied a whole mega-mega-base only with 1-2-0 trains. But in general this is right: if possible the game should show more train-positions.

[Deadly-Bagel]

But on the other hand more indicators would be annoying for players only using 1-2-0 trains, ideally it would show exactly the number of carriages you have so you don't have to count down the line but of course how to sense that, so I'm all for an option to adjust it. It'd be something most players would only set once in most games and should probably start at 3 as it seems to be the most common model of train.

[ssilk]

Hm. I thought a bit: I think it would not be annoying, cause it is in every case helpful.

And to make it not so annoying:
How about fading the markers out with each step? Marker #1 is clealy visible, marker #10 is barely visible and from #11 not visible.
And something like this also into the other direction (front), but shorter: #3 is barely visible, from #4 not visible.

[Factoruser]

No fading, and the wagon count should be limited depending on the zoom factor. Of course, much more than 10 wagons won't make sense anyway, because/if it won't fit in the screen.

[Ghoulish]

IMHO the best solution would be to add another UI item to allow each user to specify the length of trains they use. This way they could have this feature and those who use short trains or new players, wont have unneccessary UI clutter. So the default would be as it is now, but if you wish you can specify 8 or 10 etc in the UI.

The fading idea is neat as currently the brackets vanish when you move the cursort away from the tracks/signal/train stop. If the bracket faded out or just stayed when they cursor moved away, it would allow you to place the signal more precicely.