Progress report towards 0.8

[Havner]

Small progress report.

1. I've implemented small font outline that you can see on the screenshots below (click them to see this not blurred). It makes it much easier to read the fonts on the very light background. It might not look the prettiest but it does its job. It's also optional, you can turn it off if you want.

2. I did all the MeshTools locos (2F, 3F, J50). Also previously done J94 (from Maerdy) has seen some improvements.

3. Much more granularity for the overlay on what you want and don't want to be displayed:

Code: Select all

                         Main HUD parts toggles

  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -m1       |   SHIFT+ALT+F1    |            speed
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -m2       |   SHIFT+ALT+F2    |            boiler
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -m3       |   SHIFT+ALT+F3    |       distance/countdown
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -m4       |   SHIFT+ALT+F4    |        next speed limit
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -m5       |   SHIFT+ALT+F5    |         acceleration
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -m6       |   SHIFT+ALT+F6    |           controls
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -m7       |   SHIFT+ALT+F7    |          indicators
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -m8       |   SHIFT+ALT+F8    |            brakes
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -m9       |   SHIFT+ALT+F9    |           gradient
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -m10      |   SHIFT+ALT+F10   |           reserved
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -m11      |   SHIFT+ALT+F11   |     warnings (AWS, DSD...)
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -m12      |   SHIFT+ALT+F12   |            clock
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------

                         Steam HUD parts toggles

  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -s1       |   SHIFT+CTL+F1    |    driver's primary controls
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -s2       |   SHIFT+CTL+F2    |   driver's secondary controls
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -s3       |   SHIFT+CTL+F3    |   fireman's primary controls
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -s4       |   SHIFT+CTL+F4    |  fireman's secondary controls
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -s5       |   SHIFT+CTL+F5    |             fire
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -s6       |   SHIFT+CTL+F6    |        fire indicators
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -s7       |   SHIFT+CTL+F7    |         fire controls
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -s8       |   SHIFT+CTL+F8    |           reserved
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -s9       |   SHIFT+CTL+F9    |             water
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -s10      |   SHIFT+CTL+F10   |        water indicators
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -s11      |   SHIFT+CTL+F11   |         water controls
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------
         -s12      |   SHIFT+CTL+F12   |         safety valves
  -----------------|-------------------|--------------------------------

4. Axes for FireboxDoor, ExhaustSteam and LiveSteam with their FEF-3 couterparts. I'm buying some saitek throttle quadrants and want to drive steamers using only axes :-)

All those changes mentioned are already on the github. You can try them out. Unfortunately I might not be here next week (business trip) and the week after that (private issues) so probably no progress there and my responses might be limited.

Happy driving!

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

for your continuous efforts in improving this add on.

I think this hasn't been asked before, but can lua scripts be used to hook up Saitek flight instruments to Railworks 15?

With FSX revamped, I am interested in buying new controls for that sim. It would be nice to use some of them for Railworks

[Havner]

I think this hasn't been asked before, but can lua scripts be used to hook up Saitek flight instruments to Railworks 15?

You mean controls that work like axes (throttles, etc) and are seen as a normal joystick? Of course, that is the primary objective of the joystick part. I'm waiting now for 2 saitek throttle quadrants myself (for use with steamers) and I'm already using saitek X52 pro throttle and TM warthog throttle (that give me 7 axes in total including rotaries and sliders).

I have a user that's using 3x saitek throttle quadrant successfully.

If you mean some other stuff, like displays, etc. Yes, but you'd need to program this externally. All the data is exported to a text file while the sim is running (that's where my overlay gets the data) and you'd need to have something that reads this file and displays the values on the displays. I know there was some API for X52 pro and its small throttle display so this is definitely doable. One user on the UK forum has made his own German train desk with an external displays imitating a dashboard of a loco using my helper. Joystick part for the axes, data extractor to feed the dashboard displays.

With FSX revamped, I am interested in buying new controls for that sim. It would be nice to use some of them for Railworks

You should definitely try the X-Plane. It's sooo much better than FSX :-)

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

So it depends on the Saitek API and its documentation. Must do some research first. I believe the Saitek gauges are only small LCD panels, not real analogue gauges.

[Havner]

So it depends on the Saitek API and its documentation. Must do some research first. I believe the Saitek gauges are only small LCD panels, not real analogue gauges.

Most likely from what I've seen. In any case you always need some "glue" code that's working on the saitek side. I couldn't have programmed this myself as I don't have them (except for the poor X52 pro throttle display). But from the LUA part on my side you're pretty much covered. Just use the "trainsim-helper-overlay.txt" file for the data.