Rocrail

[slowshunter]

Hello, I've just heard about Rocrail elsewhere in the forum. My initial thought was that this could be like Railmaster. Has anybody tried it out. It's a free download which is surprising.

I'd appreciate any advice, thank you.

Cheers, Phil

[ronbram]

Hi Phil, As you can see in my signature, I am a Rocrail user for my LGB layout. I have involved in adding support for the Elite into Rocrail, since the main programmer of Rocrail strictly sticks to the Expressnet specification (contrary to the Elite firmware). Not hampered by experience, my guess is that Railmaster and Elite, belonging to the same 'family' can work in perfect harmony. Since Rocrail is free, why not go ahead and give it a try, I have not found anything that I can not do with Rocrail. Keep in mind that the learning curve can be steep, But there is a very helpful forum and some instruction videa's. Common beginners fault: Rocrail is not a track design program, less is more is the golden rule.

I am sure that Rob will also say something about Rocrail.

[96RAF]

I have and still do use Rocrail but cannot get the full benefit from it as I do not have any loco detection kit. It works with the Elite (I wrote the initial Wiki for it) and with every other DCC controller and associated kit known to man, except eLink (It does work after a fashion but not properly).

 

It is essentially free (you can donate) as it is open source and anyone can have a dib at it. Updates are generally every night, but stable updates are a little more periodic.

 

My favourite part of it is auto-routing. The software will analyse your drawn layout and provide every possible to and from route between your ‘blocks’, then when you select such a route it will throw all the points along the way. 

 

In fact it does all the things RM should and maybe one day will do. Track plans can be  UK or Continental system  - signals, etc. Well worth downloading and having a play with.

 

Rob

 

 

[St1ngr4y]

I have not found anything that I can not do with Rocrail. 

 

Hi,

 

Can you record and/or  create programs for running the trains?

 

Ray

[slowshunter]

Thank you all very much for the information. Unfortunately my DCC Controller is a Select. From what I've read I need an Elite controller to use RocRail. I'll send my letter to Santa this evening.

Cheers, Phil

[96RAF]

@slowshunter

When you spoke about RM I assumed you were using it so that you would already have Rocrail compatible kit. Yes you do need one of the controllers listed in the Rocrail documentation although there is a demo simulation you can try using a virtual controller. Take a look at getting started in the document linked to below.

 

@ray

I can’t recall macros but you can generate similar programming using similar methodology to the way you set route actions in RM see here https://wiki.rocrail.net/doku.php?id=manual-routes2-en i.e. a start button begats an action and so on until the route reaches the end point designated by another button.

You may wish to have a read of the full manual to see if I missed that macro recording facility.

 

Rob

[ronbram]

@Ray: there are several options. You can create schedules (time tables), using absolute or relative time. There is the option of actions (do something when an event happens, such as sound whistle and close barriers when loco passes a detector before the crossing). There is a scripting option which records all things the operator does and can play it back.

[96RAF]

@Ray

I enquired of the Rocrail forum and they suggested this which may be what Ronald has flagged up as scripting...

https://wiki.rocrail.net/doku.php?id=rocview:cmdrecorder-en

Rob

[St1ngr4y]

@RAF96

 

 

@ron&bram

 

Thanks for that. I followed the link to have a look. The generated command "language" seems closer to the Bachmann variety than RM. Each line doesn't have a timestamp, and timing is done by Pause,n commands. Such a language would lend itself more easily to logic enhancement, such as the inclusion of conditional statements.

 

But for now, I think I'll stick with RM.

 

Ray

[PJ_model_trains]

Another interesting thread.

 

The software is good, but when compared to RM I feel, RM has been designed to take programming away and let the user click button, which should suit a wider audience.

 

It is a shame RM is almost at a standstill point, there are many small items that could be done to improve the software, I have added some, mentioned in the past, in the suggested improvements for RM thread.

 

A couple of things that is very noticable with Rocrail, is that they do not have large clumsy icons and boxes, they also have the percentage screen view which a user can very easily make their layout fit the screen at the best size to suit them. Changes to these items would be a small job for the programmers but would make a big difference for the RM user.

 

I am with Ray, stopping with RM for now, but watching the options. 

[Trickyzxr]

Hi all,

I have been looking at Rocrail as I am looking to move my set up from analogue to dcc and like the fact of open source so I can fiddle. The only thing I can't seem to find out is how to connect the RR server physically or over network to a dcc controller if I understand correctly how it works. Could anyone enlighten me to this part please? Thank you. 

[Fishmanoz]

Using Hornby gear, via a USB connection from an Elite to your computer. Cannot be done with a Select.

 

You might also re-read the 2 yr old thread first page that you've added to.  It is explained there. 

[96RAF]

Rocrail is a server - client application.

 

A good place to start is the very pro-active Rocrail forum, in particular reading the supported controllers - Hornby Elite section, which has links to how it is setup.

 

There is also a link from the forum to the extensive Rocrail documentation - a fully featured manual which includes a step by step Noddy Guide to getting started with Rocrail and covers every bit of supported controllers and ancilliary kit known to man.

 

I have used Rocrail sucessfully with Elite, but failed with eLink as the (eLink to RM style) handshake is not catered for. I wrote the initial Elite to Rocrail Wiki way back, which has been updated by others several times since and much of the initial work has now been incorporated into the main manual.

 

Rocrail allows you to use Elite in Classic or Standard modes and by a button press rectifies the points +3 offset problem seen in the early days. In fact the whole ini file scenario seen in RM is handled by much simpler selection boxes in Rocrail, something that could be carried over to RM to make life easier for folk starting out.