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How do you numbers the lines?

Started by Emil Sawicki, February 25, 2012, 11:33:42 AM

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Emil Sawicki

I developed line numeration key for in-game line list. Idea is simple: letter + number_of_hundreds + double-digit line number. Now it looks clear and easy to find each type of line:
A100 ÷ A199 - bus lines (in Polish language 'autobusy', so letter 'A');
A200 ÷ A299 - bus lines (second hundred for huge networks);
C300 ÷ C399 - goods trucks (in Polish 'ciężarówki', so letter 'C');
E400 ÷ E499 - trolleybuses ('E' for 'electric', because letter 'T' is used for trams);
F500 ÷ F599 - ships (no idea for better letter);
I600 ÷ I699 - intercity standard gauge trains, that don't stops on each station on the way, so they are faster than 'regio'
K700 ÷ K799 - maglev/monorail (letter 'K' for polish 'kolejka', it means 'small railroad');
L800 ÷ L899 - planes (in Polish 'lotnictwo' = 'aviation');
P900 ÷ P999 - post trucks (because each line of each type in my game must have post vehicles; post trucks has same routes as trams, because i don't use post trams);
R1000 ÷ R1199 - regio trains, that stops on each station on the way, so the're slower than intercity;
S1100 ÷ S1199 - S-Bahn from Deutsch means 'fast rail', I use this letter for on-ground 'narrow gauge' fast city pax lines;
T1200 ÷ T1299 - trams;
U1300 ÷ U1399 - underground passenger railroads;
V1400 ÷ V1499 - 'narrow gauge' passenger trains;
W1500 ÷ W1599 - 'narrow gauge' goods trains;
X1600 ÷ 1699 - standard gauge goods trains.
Narrow gauge in my games means short (max 4 tiles) trains on tram-rails. Standard gauge has 8-tiles platforms and uses normal rails, see my screenshots
I realize, that it can be hard to remember line numbers with letters for Polish words, so there's an English list:
A1xx - aviation;
B2xx - buses;
B3xx - buses;
E4xx - trolleybuses ('E' for 'electric');
F5xx - fast narrow gauge city pax trains;
G6xx - goods trucks;
I7xx - intercity;
M8xx - maglev/monorail;
N9xx - narrow gauge regio trains;
P10xx - post;
R11xx - regio trains, standard gauge;
S12xx - ships;
T13xx - trams;
U14xx - underground;
W15xx - narrow gauge goods trains;
X16xx - standard gauge goods train.
So how do you numbers your lines?
Simutrans 123, Windows 10

Combuijs

I don't number the lines, I use a prefix and then the name of the line, e.g.

PL: Manchester North Local
PR: Manchester Central - Manchester North
PN: Manchester - Newcastle
FL: Manchester Transfer - Manchester Bookshop
FR: Lancashire Transfer - Manchester Transfer
FN: Middlesex Transfer - Lancashire Transfer

P stands for passenger and mail transport, F for freight transport.
L for local level, R for regional level and N for national level.

In this way you will find your lines very quickly, as for example all local passengers lines in Manchester will be grouped together.

I never use numbers, they just don't tell anything.

(which is a strange thing to say for a mathematician...)

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Emil Sawicki

I like your system, it's clear and simple. I'm wondering if I can use your method in my games.
Quote from: Combuijs on February 25, 2012, 11:59:22 AMI never use numbers, they just don't tell anything.
Sorry, I forgot about names, when I described my system. For lines operating between cities there is e.g. 'X1624 city_start - city_end' or even 'L806 city_name station_start - city_name station_end'. For lines that don't leave city there is e.g. 'A216 city_name street_start - street end'.
Simutrans 123, Windows 10

AP

Quote from: Combuijs on February 25, 2012, 11:59:22 AM
I don't number the lines, I use a prefix and then the name of the line, e.g.

I've started doing
R1 pass Ldn-Edin
R2 pass Ldn-Yrk
R3 coal Ldn-Newc

The numbers can be useful - my 1-3 indicate speed/priority (and what should overtake what). That way the 1s are at the top of the list, and all the trains (R) are together. I don't have generic "freight" lines, so I specify which commodity is being moved. 

I do similar with stops. R- is a railway station, A- an airport. It makes reading the list of vias /destinations much easier, as the big stops jump out.

ӔO

I use whatever makes it easier to sort through

For rail, I use this:
(modal) (region) | (type of service) - (serviced city)
(modal) (Type) | (terminals or named service)
e.g.
Rail West | Main - Castlecombe
Rail North | Branch - Harting
Rail North | Regional - Bathurst
Rail Express | Elfield to Hatington
Rail Express | King
Rail Cargo | Coal - Newark

For bus and tram lines
(modal) (region) | (Number) - (City)
Bus West | 01 - Newark
Tram East | 01 - Toronto

Then I might add some suffixes when upgrading lines, or to make a note of a problem with it.
Max - maximum number of convoys possible on line
E - Electrified line
175 - 175km/h operation
Pwr - sheer power is desirable, meaning the line is very straight
Trq - more torque over power is desriable, meaning the line is fairly twisty
temp - temporary line
My Sketchup open project sources
various projects rolled up: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17111233/Roll_up.rar

Colour safe chart:

AP

Quote from: ӔO on February 25, 2012, 01:48:07 PMPwr - sheer power is desirable, meaning the line is very straight
Trq - more torque over power is desriable, meaning the line is fairly twisty
Those are rather useful, might have to do that myself.

sdog

i just leave the default numbers, when i need a specific line i get it from one of the station dialogues. meaningful names only slightly improved finding a specific line (was it Shrewsbury A or B?). So i gave up on renaming them at all, with some exceptions. (important express lines) that stand out of the list when renamed.

ojii

Commuter/Local Trains: Name of the main city + either a second city it serves or direction.

Examples:

Big City Metro - Small City Line
Big City Commuter - North/South Line

Intercity Trains get named services.

Examples:

Panther
Eagle

Etc.

Sometimes I use colored line names (eg Blue Line, ...)

Busses are numbered, triple digit numbers indicate trolley lines.

VS

#8
I gave up on systematic naming, and created a system that survives the chaos by becoming one with it :D

In front stands the number from auto-created name. This ensures that there is always something unique. First word says what kind of line is that - bus, train, or name of cargo. This is capitalized, if important. If the line can be related to two towns at most, I put that there. And a number, letter, direction, or some other thing to allow easier finding in human language (my brain tends to omit the number in front most of the time). All of this is somewhat uncertain.

This gives names like "05 TRAIN long west", "13 Bus Ashden", "7 flour Hillcross C", "64 CARS" and so on.

(The numbers also ensure that lines are ordered by order of creation, mostly.)

My projects... Tools for messing with Simutrans graphics. Graphic archive - templates and some other stuff for painters. Development logs for most recent information on what is going on. And of course pak128!

kierongreen

I tend to use descriptive names usually of the form:
London Bromley Railway
Bromley South Bus

Where I need names for lots of bus lines within a town I'll use North South East West Central then start using names of attractions the line passes.

Sometimes lines might need a longer text to be unique, e.g.
London Birmingham Railway
London Oxford Birmingham Railway

At times instead of place names I describe the route instead
Cumbrian Coast Railway
Far North Railway

I tend to focus almost exclusively on passenger transport, however goods traffic uses names such as
Inverurie Harrow Piece Goods
Alford Orchard Freight

An_dz

#10
I don't number my lines, but make some text that explain the line.
I always add a word in parenthesis that shows the type, like:
(I) => Industrial
(T) => Tourism
(P) => Passengers
(P!) => Passengers Intercity
(C) => Post (It's because in my language is Correios)

When there's only 2 stations I add the city name and the station names. Like:
Joinville Central Station - Blumenal South Station

When there are more than 2 I add the direction, or the area it runs. Like:
Joinville North - South
Blumenal Central - Southeast
Florianópolis South Circular

Here are some examples:
(P!) Joinville Central - Blumenal South
(P) Florianópolis Circular Central
(I) Joinville Coal mine - Schroeder Automotive factory
(T) Blumenal North - East Castle
(I)(P) Jaraguá do Sul Market - Olive Oil factory

I'm also thinking about adding the vehicle type between brackets, but using my language obviously. Like:

[O] => Ônibus (Bus)
[C] => Caminhão (Truck)
[A] => Aviões (Airplanes)
[M] => Maglev
[B] => Bonde (Tram)
[T] => Trêm (Train)
[N] => Navegação (Water)

And add a + together if it's electrified, [T+]

ӔO

#11
oh yeah. for light rail/tube/metro, whatever you want to call it, I use the same descriptions as bus and trams.
Tube (region) | (largest city in area of service) - (Number)

e.g.
Tube | Workmere Area - 01
LRT | Elfield Area - 01


This is to distinguish it from rail service which does not run on the same set of tracks.

I might add suffixes 'Express' or 'Regional to the end, if they skip stops.
My Sketchup open project sources
various projects rolled up: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17111233/Roll_up.rar

Colour safe chart:

el_slapper

I keep the given number, followed by the line type, and by the town(s) for passengers

can be :

(1)Bus Paris
(2)Bus Paris St-Denis
(3)Bus Paris(another line in Paris)
(4)Bus Paris circular(means it makes a loop and does not come back)
(5)Train Coal
(6)Train Coal(same electric station, other mine)
(7)Express Paris Bordeaux(train with only 2 stops)
(8)Omnibus Paris Strasbourg(train stops in many towns between)
(9)Tram Bordeaux Circular


the idea is not to identify the line accurately, but to have enough info to replace old vehicles without the hassle. Circular trams, especially, I find, need a different(maybe easier) management for replacing without breaking the traffic too much.

isidoro

Now I prefer non-circular lines.  For each line in a city, I use a letter: A, B, C, ...

If it is a Tram line, I use TA, TB, etc.

Each line has a main station, e.g. A0.  On one direction you have A1, A2,...  On the other direction you have A-1, A-2...  That makes the lines easily extensible.

Some stations may have several labels.  For instance, Football Field A3 B-1.

In the picture you can see an easy example.  Some station have to belong to the public player because I have different companies to deal with urban transport, mail, etc.