Testing Tracks

Okay, so I don't own any of the tools for No Limits. I was wondering how I would test and check my track without any of the tools. How do I check E-Stop and the MCBR? Do I need to do tunnel tests? Any advice would be helpful.

[hyyyper]

The two most common safety tests performed on no limits tracks are the E-stop and tunneltest.

Both can be tested without tools.

The E-stop test checks if the ride is safe enough in case of an malfunction. Basically, if the ride wants to pass a test, you must be able to press (and de-press) the E-stop at any time during the ride, and when the E-stop is released, the ride must resume normal operation.
In 90% of the ride this is not a problem, but certain areas are more vulnerable for crashes and valley-ing.
Some examples:
The mcbr is not placed high enough so that after a stop, the train does not get enough speed to complete the course.
Trains do not clear the finals brakes fast enough, causing the next train to crash into them.
The station cannot speed the train after it has been stopped, and it has not got enough speed to reach the lift hill.
The first and second element after a launch are both high and have a slow speed over the top, making it possible for the train to stall between those elements.

The tunneltest is done to check clearances with supports, other track and terrain. The execution is simple, you select the entire track and tunnel it. Then you ride it in the sim and see if anything sticks through the tunnel walls, such as supports, other track or trees.
The tunneltest is not exactly like the envelope that manufactures use, but it is a very good tool to give you a general idea about the clearances.
If a tunnel collides with another tunnel, that can be a problem if those track section are from different blocks.
For example, you have a track with a station, lift and mcbr. We call the section from the lift to the mcbr block 1 and from the mcbr to the station block 2.
If there is a tunnel-to-tunnel collision where both the track sections are in block 1, then it is not a problem because there can only be one train in that block. But if the tunnel-to-tunnel collision is between two track sections from different blocks, it could happen that two trains go through the 'intersection' or 'overlap' at the same time, resulting in a crash or very near miss.

[mkingy]

The E-Stop button is F12 to clarify on a very good explanation

Ah! Thanks guys. This will really help a lot.

Tunnel testing is not ideal but is still helpful. An item can stick into the tunnel while still being perfectly safe, and this can easily happen even on real rides. It's the reason why riders are always instructed to keep arms/hands/legs inside the vehicle at all times. That said, "fixing" a minor tunnel test intrusion is often easier than dealing with bullshit ratings.

Example is for inverted coaster types. An item (given it's not a tree as those can grow) intrudes into the tunnel during testing, but if it does not go closer to any rider's feet than the catwalks/station floor does, then it's perfectly safe. Take tunnel testing with a grain of salt, but be aware that it is a useful method, in that tunnel test passing is a GUARANTEE that the ride is safe. (But likewise, tunnel testing failure does NOT guarantee that the ride is unsafe, despite what some people seem to think.)

Yeah wooden coasters in real life are obviously not tested clearance wise as far as the hand rails go, because i can touch the hand rails easily just sticking my arm out far enough. During the ride though my arms always end up either being up, or holding on, so its not much a problem.