Layout audit

A badly connected layout is silent: no visible error, but the supervisor cannot route a single train. The connectivity audit is here to catch it.

When the audit runs

• Automatically when opening a project (the result appears in a dialog if problems are found).
• On demand via Network → Check connectivity.

What the audit detects

The main problem categories:

• Close ports not connected — two rails laid edge-to-edge with no logical link.
• Broken blocks — start or end port pointing to a port that no longer exists.
• Isolated paths — a rail none of whose paths is connected to anything outside.
• Orphan actuators — pointing to a rail that doesn’t exist.

Each problem is listed with a clear description and the affected rail / block / actuator.

Automatic repair

When the audit offers a fix, click Repair. The algorithm:

• Connects ports that should be (snap, after the fact).
• Cleans dead references (actuators, blocks).
• Preserves your intentional choices: it never breaks an existing connection.

The total number of fixes is shown at the end (“7 connections restored”).

Limitations

The audit does not fix:

• Design errors (block too long, sensor in the wrong place) — it can’t guess your intent.
• Invalid hardware settings (duplicate DCC address, nonexistent sensor pins) — see Diagnostics and maintenance (coming soon).

Good practices

• Run an audit after a heavy edit (import, major refactor).
• Run an audit before each operation session to start clean.
• When reorganising an existing layout, audit + repair is the fastest way to reconnect ports automatically.