How to make the most out of VTM

Search and filter

The whole search function is based on Train Station names. You need consistent names for each type of station. For example Provider for a station where production happens and Requester for stations that want things delivered. Also for Depot and maybe Refuel stations.

For VTM to recognize the station type you have to adjust the settings accordingly, you can do that while inside your save and see the results immediately.

If you use station names like "[item=sulfur] P" and "[item=sulfur] R", you need to uncheck the "P/R search from start" setting, else your provider station would be recognised as requester.

To distinguish the stations use an icon in Front of the station name.
This icon will also make it possible to use filters, every icon that is in a station name can be clicked an the filter will be set accordingly.

What's in stock

To be able to see what's in stock, you have to wire the chests to the station. Be careful to send only the itemcounts the station represents, the icon will be cached and if a station goes to zero the group view will show the icon with a zero amount. You can limit the color of the wire in the settings.

If you accidently set a wrong item, just deconstruct the station and undo it with ctrl-z.

Trains

Trains will be recorded when they first change their state. Everytime the schedule is complete, a new record will be startet and the old data goes to the history tab.

History

New History records appear when a train starts at its first schedule record. You can swith between compact and detailed view. In detailed view, you can see how long the train waited at a station and if a depot was used.

Depots

The Depots tab can be used to display all the stations that are not provider or requester staitons. Like Depots, Refuel stations, Unused station or your Shuttle train stations.

Unused Stations

If you don't like new Stations with random names, there is a setting that gives every new station a unified name, eg. "Unused Station"

Groups

A group consists of one provider station and x requester stations and/or one or more map tags (eg. from YARM, select with right mouse button). You can have multiple groups with the same name, like multiple mines or multiple LDS provider.

Press Shift-G or the corresponding shotcut button to open the group editor.

If you delete a station that is referenced in a group, the station will be removed from the group, if it's the provider station, the whole group will be removed.

This video shows how to create/delete a group https://www.evilpla.net/VTM-Groups.mp4