Ability to set minimum track spacing along with warning system

[kimbo]

Just had another thought - minimum track spacing.

The NEM has fairly strict rules about minimum track spacing for both straight and curved tracks.
I personally would like to follow them not only because it ensures the track look great, but it also means that wagons won't bump into each other when they cross each other's paths.

It would be awesome if we could, in the same way that we set a minimum radius for curved track that we could also set minimum track spacings for track. The software could then tell us if groups of track are too close to one another.

One would need to distinguish between minimum track spacing at curves, and at straights in accordance with NEM rules... but if somehow this could be coded into the software, it'd be a great way to make sure we push the track as close to one another as possible.

[David]

This is a good idea, and it might even be taken a few steps further.
There are many things the software could warn about: short circuits due to a loop, tracks too far away from the side to reach, not enough headroom between two crossing tracks, etc.
Do you have any ideas how you would like to be warned by the software?

[kimbo]

Thanks David,

Indeed, the extra possibilities would also be really useful to know about!

I think the way flex trax warns us about a radii being too tight is a good way to go about it...Maybe these are options that can be turned on or off - different colours could indicate different things being wrong?

Otherwise possibly an exclamation mark appearing at the spot where there's a problem and then if you click on it, a message can come up informing the user of what the exact problem is based on the user's expressed desires for minimum spacings, etc.