TrainPlayer Scripting Page

TrainPlayer Scripting

Contents

Welcome to the TrainPlayer Scripting Page

Your guide to TrainPlayer Scripting, a hobby within a hobby!

What Is Scripting?

A script is a series of instructions for operating a layout. It may contain commands to drive trains, throw switches, set preferences, execute menu commands, make decisions -- pretty much everything needed to choreograph a complex operation, then play it back and watch it all run automatically. Scripting is the activity of designing and developing these things.

This page provides a home base for those who develop scripts or would like to learn how to. Come on in! There are some easy ways to get started. Anyone with the DYI mentality of a model railroader will find it fun and challenging.

But this page is not just for the script producers, it is also for the consumers -- those who enjoy railroad ops and don't mind working for a computerized boss. Scripting has evolved to a point where it can be used to generate random switching orders, provide interactive instructions, monitor progress, provide rewards on completion. Try some of the newest layouts, and behold the state of the art.

Basic Documentation

Basic information about scripting is found in the TrainPlayer manual. Here is a web-based copy of the complete Scripting chapter:

About Scripting	Introduction and terminology
Scripting UI Devices	Dialogs, menus, windows associated with scripting
Working With Scripts	Managing, creating, editing scripts
How to Get Started in Scripting	Suggestions for getting into the subject
TP Programming Language	Guide to the language, command reference

Note: some of the links inside these chapters will not work. If you get a "page not found" error, it is looking for a page not duplicated on the web.

A better reference for commands and language details is in the Reference tab of Script Central. The info in this tab is always up to date and guaranteed to match the program capabilities.

Advanced Documentation

Richard Fletcher has provided an excellent series of detailed documents about scripting -- how it works and how to do it. Required reading by any serious student of the subject.

An Introduction to the TrainPlayer Programming Language	An overview of the user interface, history and principles of scripting -- great place for a new user to start
A Guide to the TrainPlayer Programming Language	Full guide to the language, rules, and syntax with examples
Scripting Junction Coal Part 1	Guide to automating Eric Twickler's Junction Coal to Big Flats Power
Scripting Junction Coal Part 2	Guide to converting the automated Junction Coal into an interactive layout
TrainPlayer 6.1 - Extensions to the Trainplayer Programming Language	Details of new features added in 6.1
Simplified Scripting with Subroutines	A description of subroutines and how to use them, with a guide to the first subroutine library

Where To Go For Help

If you think you would like to get further into scripting, join our TP User Forum and chat with the experts. It's a friendly group with a vast knowledge of the subject.

If you are already into it and running into difficulties, drop us a line: info@trainplayer.com. We're glad to help.

Feel free to write if you have suggestions for further enhancements.

What Is Scripting?
Basic Documentation Advanced Documentation
Where To Go For Help