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[gordy]

I use a graphic patch and the directions (NESW) match up with the directions I want the track to take. I presume I should be able to make a single winding track and so long as they guide the cart in the starting direction they'll push it all the way to the end regardless of any direction changes the track makes? But they wont start to push it, saying there's a DIR error.
What am I doing wrong? I can get straight line tracks to work fine but I want to level it up some. I shouldnt need a track stop at every corner.

[PatrikLundell]

Your problem description is a bit unclear, but my understanding is that you have two problems?
1. You fail to get your tracks created correctly to turn.
2. In some cases (non straight tracks?)(?) you can't get the dorf's to start the cart.

1. Creating turning tracks isn't exactly intuitive, so you might get it wrong there:
To create an EW track turning north at the west end:
a. Start the track at the starting tile (often a track stop), and end it at the tile that turns from west to north.
b. Start the track at the turning tile and stop it at the destination (or the next turning tile).
Graphically, the tileset I use (Phoebus) display this as two parallel lines going EW with little graphic thingies ["track stop" indications?] at the ends at step a.
When step b is finished the turning tile graphics is changed to the parallel lines turning upwards (sort of a mirrored L shape), creating an unbroken track that changes direction.

2. My guess is that your problem happens because the track stop isn't actually connected to the track, i.e. the track starts/stops in the tile beside the tracks stop, not at the track stop itself.

If my guesses are wrong, more info might help in figuring out what's going wrong and what the possible causes are.

[se5a]

when carving tracks on an upwardslope, you have to tell them to carve through to the next tile iirc.

but yeah, you need to stop and read what you wrote and put yourself in the readers shoes.

[Aslandus]

You are correct in teh guiding thing, they will follow the track as long as it has been carved/built properly, but you need to make sure the problem areas are in fact correctly made. Carving tracks can be a bit tricky on elevation changes, because of the way track carving works, it links between tiles in a single designation, but not between designations...

for example: T - track R - ramp W - wall
z:
TTRWW

z+1:
WWRTT

You would have to designate tracks carved into the walls because the ramp won't carve the east tracks if you designate just the west tracks carved from the bottom (hard to put into words without making word salad, just trust me, you need to designate tracks carved through the ramp into the wall without removing the wall or it won't work)

[gordy]

I am not talking about elevation changes or carved tracks, only placed tracks. I just want a single long track with a few left and right turns. They load the cart and never push it. It feels intuitive to build the corners using the pieces that match the curve I am making (using graphics pack) even if the name of the track piece (NESW whatever) doesn't actually mention the dir I want it to travel in, is someone suggesting I need to build or designate more than one track in a single square? I should think I would be able to just build a big block of crossroad tracks, two stops and say haul from here to there, figure it out, but it's not that smart?

[blue sam3]

I am not talking about elevation changes or carved tracks, only placed tracks. I just want a single long track with a few left and right turns. They load the cart and never push it. It feels intuitive to build the corners using the pieces that match the curve I am making (using graphics pack) even if the name of the track piece (NESW whatever) doesn't actually mention the dir I want it to travel in, is someone suggesting I need to build or designate more than one track in a single square? I should think I would be able to just build a big block of crossroad tracks, two stops and say haul from here to there, figure it out, but it's not that smart?

Follow the names. The names are correct.

[Aslandus]

You don't need to build track stops, you need to make a route ('h') and add stops to the route, the built stops are only useful for automated tracks with rollers where they can serve to slow or stop the cart, or if you want to dump out the contents of a minecart...

[gordy]

Ok so if I want an ew track turning south I need the corner to be ES but what if I want it to get pushed back the other way? Should I just make a loop? I do want dumping I have been stops at either end but understand I only need one at the dump end?

[Aslandus]

If you want to make a minecart track you need to first make the track, this you have done and I'm sure it is fine.

Next you need to make a route for it, and stops on the route where you want the cart to stop (and at any diverging paths so your dwarves know where to push the cart), presumably where the items are loaded in and possibly where they are offloaded if you choose not to make dump-stops. When you make the route stops you arrange them so the dwarves will know which direction to push the cart when it is empty/full of stuff as well as whether to push, ride, or guide the minecart, and this is important because if you tell them to guide it the wrong way and there's no track, they will have to haul the minecart to the next stop, which takes forever. The difference between pushing, guiding, and riding the cart is as follows:
-push: dwarf shoves the cart and walks away. Good if you are setting off an automated cart system and only need Urist Mcpushy to get the cart on the track and nothing more.
-ride: dwarf will push the minecart, then jump in and ride it to the next stop. Useful if you want to make sure a hauler is present to fill a cart, but already have an automated system set up.
-guide: the simplest to use, the dwarf will guide the minecart along the track, ignoring rollers and following the track. They will stop at the next route stop unless that next stop says to go on. No automated system needed, but accidents can happen when you have dwarves guiding carts up ramps.

Since you do want dump stops, you need to build those, just a single track stop at the place you want to drop the items, tell the stop what direction to drop the items and the contents of the cart (yes, all of it) will be dumped out at the track stop in the direction you ordered. You don't need a loop as long as you do the route properly, but it would be simpler to automate later if you did have one.

[gordy]

It must be the allowable directions of the tracks that is mucking me up.

[Larix]

To "guide" (not "push") a cart, a dwarf needs
- a working depart condition: filling status of the cart must fit requirements, any extra delay must be over
- a target to guide the cart _to_: a second stop on the route, assigned through the hauling menu. If there's no target, dwarfs may step onto the cart's square and blink the "?" a bit, but won't actually move the cart.
- unbroken guideable path between the two stops. If the path doesn't line up, dwarfs will pick up the cart and move it by hand. Depart directions also need to be switched around so they line up with the actual track; default direction is always North, which isn't particularly appropriate if the track points east.

If the cart doesn't get moved in the first place, it may be that you've specified an unfulfillable loading/waiting condition or "guide" without a target stop, Check the "h" menu to see how full exactly the cart is. If you want it 100% full of thread/cloth, that may take a while (2500 bolts of cloth or somesuch).

You can use the track in both directions, just like on a normal rail track. All you need is a useable "return" guide order from the second route stop at the drop-off.

[gordy]

The cart is 100% full of wood. I get the yellow ! text saying dir/ something. It must be the direction of corners not matching somehow. So if there is a branch I need a new stop for each choice? I will try it tonight and see. I honestly thought they would guide to the end of the track using whatever tracks are available.

[Aslandus]

The cart is 100% full of wood. I get the yellow ! text saying dir/ something. It must be the direction of corners not matching somehow. So if there is a branch I need a new stop for each choice? I will try it tonight and see. I honestly thought they would guide to the end of the track using whatever tracks are available.

They need to know which direction to go at a branch, so make the stop there (on the tile where the track branches) have two directions for different conditions. I've never made a branching path, so I can't help you beyond that. Could you take a screenshot of the track you are trying to build? It would probably help us to help you.

Here's the wiki if you want to troubleshoot this yourself instead of working off our advice:
http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Minecart

[PatrikLundell]

If your track is on rock, using an engraver to carve a track is a lot faster than having masons building the tiles, but building gets the job done as well.
Personally I've never used branches, and Push carts along impulse ramp powered tracks.

You say you get a ! dir error: When does this happen? If it is at the departure, there is probably something wrong with the conditions set up for the Route Stop (not to be confused with a Track Stop). The Route Stop conditions specify direction to move in (N, E, S, W, empty), when to move (100% full, 50% full, etc), and how to move (Push, Guide, Ride). The defaults are usually not usable, but have to be modified to match your needs, and you probably want only one.

If you've got a branch you cannot just expect the dorf to guess which branch you want to take, so the Route would need to have a destination Route Stop (that is probably on top of a Track Stop set to dump the cart contents), i.e. two Route Stops, one for the start and one for the end. I've never done this myself, though. For a non branching track you could just let it end in a Track Stop that dumped the contents, but that would cause the empty cart to be carried (not guided) back to the starting stop. With a Route Stop on top of that Track Stop you should be able to order the dorf to guide the empty cart back to the start.

[gordy]

Ok. The problem was with the junction. I added a condition to push either east when full (to the dump) and north when empty back to the wood stockpile. Dorfs do tend to carry it occasionally but at least it's doing something.