# A little help with movement trails **URL:** \ **Category:** Technical Support & Bugs\ **Created:** [February 18, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/a-little-help-with-movement-trails/89908 "2026-02-18T21:27:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![loudscott](https://forum.vassalengine.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/ec9cab/32.png) [@loudscott](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/loudscott)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/a-little-help-with-movement-trails/89908/1 "2026-02-18T21:27:59Z")
To you gurus out there, I’m working on a Battle of the Bulge module with [Profile - woody8297 - Vassal](https://vassalengine.org/api/ums/v1/users/woody8297) and for whatever reason we can’t get the movement trails to come back on after they have been toggled off. Any chance one of you masters could take a look and see where we went wrong? Set it up exactly (supposedly) like the Afrika Korps module where it works just fine. Here is the module (which is obviously a work in progress) : > **[Battle of the Bulge 65 Classic AH w TRT](https://www.mediafire.com/file/860qntqlozb1thx/Battle+of+the+Bulge+65+Classic+AH+w+TRT.vmod/file)** > > MediaFire is a simple to use free service that lets you put all your photos, documents, music, and video in a single place so you can access them anywhere and share them everywhere. Appreciate any help. Regards, Scott ---
**Author:** ![clanmacrae](https://forum.vassalengine.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@clanmacrae](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/clanmacrae)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 10:08pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/a-little-help-with-movement-trails/89908/2 "2026-02-18T22:08:04Z")
It worked for me. How I tested: I moved pieces from the US and German OOA cards. Moved them on the board, the trails appeared. I turn the trails off (From the piece options menu), the trails disappeared. I turn the trails back on, and the trails reappeared. The Trails On button on the menu had no effect. Do you plan on adding a hex grid so the pieces snap into place on the hex map board? ---
**Author:** ![loudscott](https://forum.vassalengine.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/ec9cab/32.png) [@loudscott](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/loudscott)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 10:23pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/a-little-help-with-movement-trails/89908/3 "2026-02-18T22:23:42Z")
The “Trails on” button is precisely what should be working and it’s not. ---
**Author:** ![cholmcc](https://forum.vassalengine.org/user_avatar/forum.vassalengine.org/cholmcc/32/8319_2.png) [@cholmcc](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/cholmcc)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 11:52pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/a-little-help-with-movement-trails/89908/4 "2026-02-18T23:52:03Z")
> [@loudscott](#): > > Set it up exactly (supposedly) like the Afrika Korps module I see you copied the stuff from my [Afrika Korps (3rd Ed.)](https://vassalengine.org/library/projects/afrika_korps_cholmcc) module. The trail toggle goes a little like this: - User presses the global button _Trails On_, _Trails Off_, or _Trails toggle_. - This sends the corresponding key commands _TrailsOn_, _TrailsOff_, and _TrailsToggle_ to the `Game Turn Marker` on the current map. - The `Game Turn Marker` then sets the Global Property `MovementTrails` to `true`, `false`, or `{!MovementTrails}`, respectively - The `Game Turn Marker` then sends the Global Key Command `Shift-T`, `Alt-T`, or `Ctrl-T` to all pieces on the current map - and within the zone `Hexes`. This may seem a bit convoluted, but the point is, if a user drags a piece from another map or zone into the `Hexes` zone, then the module can enable or disable movement trails for that piece based on the value of the Global Property `MovementTrails`. All this _requires_ that the piece `Game Turn Marker` is present on the map. If not, then the global hotkeys will send their command to no-where. In your set-up - _US setup, cards[?] loaded_ there is _no_ `Game Turn Marker` on the map, and so the global hotkeys goes no-where. If you start with the save _New Game: Pieces in their starting positions_, then the `Game Turn Marker` piece _is_ on the map, and the commands works as intended. If you turn on `Debug` in the _Preferences_→_Battle of the Bulge_ dialog, you should be able to trace this in the chat log. In short, the fix seems to be to re-add the `Game Turn Marker` to your _US setup, cards[?] loaded_ save. It also seems like you need to update all the pieces in that save, because they do not have all the commands you need. Remember, if you change _anything_ in a piece (prototype) definition, then that does _not_ propagate to saves made before the change - the pieces in the save will still have the old definition. You can possibly use the _Refresh Counters_ tool. If that does not work, try to redo the save from scratch. A few other points: - What do you mean by _cards loaded_? As far as I know, there are no cards in this - rather old - game. - I see you use my [`ak.ObliqueHexNumbering`](https://gitlab.com/wargames_tex/vassal_my_contrib/-/tree/master/oblique/cholmcc?ref_type=heads) class to do the hex-numbering. Perhaps you want to leave a note pointing to the source repository so that - should the need arise - someone else can rebuild that custom code. It is generally a problem with custom code, that it goes out of sync with Vassal, and then the module will stop working. The way to fix it, is typically to rebuild the custom code against a newer Vassal, but for that someone will need access to the code. Yours, _Christian_ ---
**Author:** ![clanmacrae](https://forum.vassalengine.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@clanmacrae](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/clanmacrae)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 12:01am UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/a-little-help-with-movement-trails/89908/5 "2026-02-19T00:01:15Z")
You didn’t have the Shift+T Global Key Command to tell the pieces to turn on. ![image](https://forum.vassalengine.org/uploads/default/original/2X/4/4d3e3182d323a40835aec4130a6a85ebdcae0a99.png) ---
**Author:** ![loudscott](https://forum.vassalengine.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/ec9cab/32.png) [@loudscott](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/loudscott)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 12:18am UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/a-little-help-with-movement-trails/89908/6 "2026-02-19T00:18:27Z")
Christian, Thanks for weighing in. Frank said you might. I’ll get this post in front of him. I am just now starting to learn the Vassal system by looking over his shoulder. Your help is much appreciated! > [@cholmcc](#): > > If you start with the save _New Game: Pieces in their starting positions_, then the `Game Turn Marker` piece _is_ on the map, and the commands works as intended. Even doing this the command does work for me. Either from the menu or from turn marker context menu. > [@cholmcc](#): > > I see you use my [`ak.ObliqueHexNumbering`](https://gitlab.com/wargames_tex/vassal_my_contrib/-/tree/master/oblique/cholmcc?ref_type=heads) class to do the hex-numbering. Perhaps you want to leave a note pointing to the source repository so that - should the need arise - someone else can rebuild that custom code. It is generally a problem with custom code, that it goes out of sync with Vassal, and then the module will stop working. The way to fix it, is typically to rebuild the custom code against a newer Vassal, but for that someone will need access to the code. I will let Frank know about this as well. Regards, Scott ---
**Author:** ![cholmcc](https://forum.vassalengine.org/user_avatar/forum.vassalengine.org/cholmcc/32/8319_2.png) [@cholmcc](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/cholmcc)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 5:38pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/a-little-help-with-movement-trails/89908/7 "2026-02-19T17:38:45Z")
> [@loudscott](#): > > Even doing this the command does work for me. Either from the menu or from turn marker context menu. You have a spelling error in `Game Turn Marker` → `TurnOnTrailsCounters` - the map name is `Main map` - it _must_ be `Main Map`. With those two fixes: - Making sure the `Game Turn Marker` is present on the `Map` - Fix the spelling in `TurnOnTrailsCounters` it should work for you. > [@clanmacrae](#): > > You didn’t have the Shift+T Global Key Command to tell the pieces to turn on. No, that would be wrong. The Global Hotkey need to send `TurnOnTrails` to `Game Turn Marker` so that it can register the state and then delegate the `Shift-T` global key command to all pieces on the map and in the `Hexes` zone. See also the previous post for more on the logic. Yours, _Christian_ ---
**Author:** ![clanmacrae](https://forum.vassalengine.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@clanmacrae](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/clanmacrae)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 6:50pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/a-little-help-with-movement-trails/89908/8 "2026-02-19T18:50:16Z")
Got it. I didn’t realize from his original question that it is setup to do the extra states via the Game Turn Marker. Thought he was just looking for the simple toggle on/off via the menu. The additional steps add a little more control to the whole process. ---
**Author:** ![loudscott](https://forum.vassalengine.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/l/ec9cab/32.png) [@loudscott](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/loudscott)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 9:26pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/a-little-help-with-movement-trails/89908/9 "2026-02-19T21:26:38Z")
Christian, You are very kind for taking the time. We appreciate you. Regards, Scott