Desirable features for future Railmaster Software updates

[PJ_model_trains]

Fishmanoz said:

PJ_model_trains said:

1 - allow users to reduce the size of loco setup control boxes
2 - allow users to have their layout, either fit to screen or to be able to adjust the percentage size not just have 50%, 75%,

100% etc every computer and laptop etc has a different size screen but also type percentage eg. 62%, 58%, 74% etc as is best for viewing on their system. Also layouts vary from person to person, narrow shelf, oval, L shaped etc.

I would also

suggest smaller icons at the top of the screen. Give users the option of larger icons and side boxes but also give them the facility to reduce them. Newbies to the software can see and learn, once you know what icons/buttons do they need to be smaller to allow

maximum use of the main screen/working track area but keep a balance for train programming.

Many thanks

[PJ_model_trains]

The more you play with RailMaster the more you realise the top bar needs smaller icons, the train control boxes need to be smaller or floating, the bottom bar can also be half the height. All these improvements will make the layout area larger.

 

Reasons

 

for having a larger track control area are mentioned previously, size of layout, shape of layout, etc, etc. But there is another reason... points don't like to be next to each other in RailMaster so an additional piece of track is added to separate the two

 

this also increases the size of a layout. Another item that increases the size of the track layout in RailMaster is points cannot be added on angles, they have to be made straight and then add the points. It all increases the working track area which in turn

 

is shouting for more screen space.

[HornbyRailMasterSupport]

Just to let you know all of these points have been addressed for the next major update of RailMaster, which will be released for automatic update in due course.

 

One or two minor (maintenance) updates may be released in the mean time.

 

[walkingthedog]

Who said Hornby don't listen?

 

They certainly do if you ask them properly.

[PJ_model_trains]

walkingthedog said:

Who said Hornby don't listen?

They certainly do if you ask them properly.

I do hope I have asked properly.

Although being polite is one thing, I think the other most important thing is letting

Hornby know of things they may not have considered and where necessary the reason why we ask these things.

I think I mentioned it earlier but if not I feel this should be considered also.

The working area is definitely shouting for more space

but due to the variety of track sizes and shapes along with the variety of screen sizes on PC's, Laptops and Tablets there should also be the option 'fit to screen' not just 100%, 75% and 50%. Having said that another way to do this would be to give the user

the option to adjust the percentage of working track area viewed. I feel the latter is the better option as it gives the user more flexibility. Some users may have a 'L' shaped layout with sidings down one leg. They may not want to view the sidings all the

time and concentrate on the main layout, fit to screen does what it says on the tin but, doesn't allow user flexibility which has to be the main consideration to an effectively working system. After all we may be train driversssss depending on how many trains

are running but, we are also signal men (sorry ladies). User control of the percentage of screen viewed does seem to me, and hopeful many others the best improvement Hornby can make in this area giving the user flexible control over their layout.

[walkingthedog]

I'm not referring to being polite I'm referring to going through the correct channels.

 

For instance don't ask for new items on the forum, send them to Hornby using the link at the top.

 

You can make all the suggestions in the world on here

 

but they won't end up with the right people.

 

RDS has obviously done a good job as I thought he would.

[GarH]

When programming accessory decoders in RM can there be a message confirming that the decoder has in fact been programmed? At present there is a message to show the decoder is being programmed but nothing when it has finished other than the wait message

 

disappearing and the Decoder Selection Box (DSB) remains on screen with the Accessory icon greyed out until the Decoder Selection Box is closed down manually. I appreciate the DSB stays open so that you can program another decoder if you wish but maybe the

 

message "Decoder has been successfully programmed do you wish to program another one - Yes/No" If no is chosen the DSB disappears and Accessory Program Icon becomes active again. If Yes is chosen the DAB remains on screen to program another decoder.

[PJ_model_trains]

GarH said:

When programming accessory decoders in RM can there be a message confirming that the decoder has in fact been programmed? At present there is a message to show the decoder is being programmed but nothing when it has finished other

than the wait message disappearing and the Decoder Selection Box (DSB) remains on screen with the Accessory icon greyed out until the Decoder Selection Box is closed down manually. I appreciate the DSB stays open so that you can program another decoder if

you wish but maybe the message "Decoder has been successfully programmed do you wish to program another one - Yes/No" If no is chosen the DSB disappears and Accessory Program Icon becomes active again. If Yes is chosen the DAB remains on screen to program

another decoder.

I am not at that stage yet (using evaluation version whilst building track and waiting for the new Majestic set) but agree totally with GarH if a process does not tell you it has finished how do we know it is safe to do the

next one.

[PJ_model_trains]

walkingthedog said:

I'm not referring to being polite I'm referring to going through the correct channels.

For instance don't ask for new items on the forum, send them to Hornby using the link at the top.

You can make all the

suggestions in the world on here but they won't end up with the right people.

RDS has obviously done a good job as I thought he would.

I understand what you are saying but, if there is a thread on the forum 'asking' for peoples input

then that is what we do.

When you say 'send them to Hornby using the link at the top' are you referring to the link on the side of the Hornby page - Support and then Contact Us?

Thank you

[RDS]

PJ_model_trains

I think walkingthedog is referring to the thread called wishlists on the main Forum page. I believe that this was set up to allow people to identify potential new products and things they would like to see modelled.

For requests for

 

changes to 'Railmaster' we started to keep them all together in this thread and I am very pleased that Hornby have not only contributed at times to this thread but it appears that changes to future versions are being considered as a result of our inputs.

[GarH]

PJmodel trains WTD is referring to the comments at the start of forums. When you select Forums the opening page has the following statement at the top:

"Would you like to suggest a future Hornby product?

Please complete a comment form to let us know

 

what you would like to see in the range. This is the only way to suggest new products. All ideas are read by the Hornby marketing team."

The "comment form" is a link to a form to complete with your suggestion - well I think that is what WTD means?

 

[PJ_model_trains]

RDS said:

PJ_model_trains
I think walkingthedog is referring to the thread called wishlists on the main Forum page. I believe that this was set up to allow people to identify potential new products and things they would like to see modelled.
For

requests for changes to 'Railmaster' we started to keep them all together in this thread and I am very pleased that Hornby have not only contributed at times to this thread but it appears that changes to future versions are being considered as a result of

our inputs.

Thank you for clarifying what walkingthedog meant, no problem. I think the idea of a separate thread for RailMaster was a good idea and has been worth it to date, thanks for all your hard work. Hopefully Hornby will not take to long

to deal with any upgrades. Surely they would be better to filter them in on a priority basis rather than to many at once, this way they can ensure there are no or very few people with problems with software upgrades.

Thanks again for all your hard work.

[Fishmanoz]

RM manual to advise schematics can contain RH point icons where the point is in fact LH, if this makes the schematic neater. See the Point Icons in RM Schematics thread for details.

 

And the manual to be specific that points need to be spaced out

 

to avoid point light snapped position clashes only when point heels would otherwise be in adjacent squares. Again see the above thread.

[PJ_model_trains]

PJ_model_trains said:

I would also suggest smaller icons at the top of the screen. Give users the option of larger icons and side boxes but also give them the facility to reduce them. Newbies to the software can see and learn, once you know

what icons/buttons do they need to be smaller to allow maximum use of the main screen/working track area but keep a balance for train programming.

Many thanks

Having had more time to play and add more and more loco's I would like to add

the following to the suggestions.

The priority has to be reducing the header icons, the size of icons and boxes for loco control and the bottom bar depth to make the screen layout area larger.

With regards to the right hand boxes for loco control.

As well as making icons small and reducing the size of the loco boxes I would also suggest the following.

Loco boxes should be two sizes. Minimum showing just the Loco name, forward and reverse buttons and 3 speed/stop icons. Each box would have a thin

header to minimize or maximise the loco boxes needed. This would give basic controls in the minimum size and everything in the maximised size. It would also greatly increase the number of locos visible for use.

I would suggest also the forward and reverse

buttons be red and green. The colour changing when clicked to show either forward or reverse direction at a glance. No need for the wording forward/reverse at all.

[PJ_model_trains]

PJ_model_trains said:

Having had more time to play and add more and more loco's I would like to add the following to the suggestions.

The priority has to be reducing the header icons, the size of icons and boxes for loco control and

the bottom bar depth to make the screen layout area larger.

With regards to the right hand boxes for loco control. As well as making icons small and reducing the size of the loco boxes I would also suggest the following.

Loco boxes should be

two sizes. Minimum showing just the Loco name, forward and reverse buttons and 3 speed/stop icons. Each box would have a thin header to minimize or maximise the loco boxes needed. This would give basic controls in the minimum size and everything in the maximised

size. It would also greatly increase the number of locos visible for use.

I would suggest also the forward and reverse buttons be red and green. The colour changing when clicked to show either forward or reverse direction at a glance. No need for the

wording forward/reverse at all.

I have another item for consideration please.

My layout is added to RailMaster schematic and although Hornby do not have points and accessories de-coders I have programmed all points, cross lanes two points

on one code and they look and work (on screen) great.

Looking ahead I also put in a few red/green loco traffic lights. They look good at 100% but as discussed very few people will view their layout at 100% once complete they will more than likely view

it at 50% to see it all or as much as possible. When reduced to 50% the lights reduce also and on a laptop they are so small they are hard to see whether they are red or green.

Can this little problem also be given consideration.

The signals

are clear it is just the size of the loco traffic lights. Compare the size of these lights to the circles for point control.

Thank you.

[AndrewP]

Red/green can be difficult; ISTR 8% of UK men are colourblind - including me - and find it difficult to distinguish the two. Perhaps the traffic light solution would help; the green is actually a mix of green and blue so it's easier to tell from the red.

 

-Andrew

 

PJ_model_trains

 

said:

 

I have another item for consideration please.

 

My layout is added to RailMaster schematic and although Hornby do not have points and accessories de-coders I have programmed all points, cross lanes two points on one code and they look and

 

work (on screen) great.

 

Looking ahead I also put in a few red/green loco traffic lights. They look good at 100% but as discussed very few people will view their layout at 100% once complete they will more than likely view it at 50% to see it all or

 

as much as possible. When reduced to 50% the lights reduce also and on a laptop they are so small they are hard to see whether they are red or green.

 

Can this little problem also be given consideration.

 

The signals are clear it is just the size

 

of the loco traffic lights. Compare the size of these lights to the circles for point control.

 

Thank you.

[96RAF]

I also have problems, but with the logic of the RM points 'traffic lights'.

Rather than have them just light or dark red and green, why not have them switchable red/green - green/red depending on which track way is selected.

What I mean is - if

 

I select a point to branch then the branch side light goes green and the main route light goes red and vice versa.

This is the way I have my trackside bi-colour leds set up via switches on the point motors and when I set a route I can trace a green track

 

way from A to B.

[RDS]

@AndrewP

Me too!

In view of the fact that Red/Green appears to be the most difficult to overcome, I am often surprised that this combination is used so much.

I would struggle with Traffic Lights on the road if the Red was not always at the top.

 

[St1ngr4y]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but the seconds clock which runs at the top of the main screen when running a program, is hard to read because, irrespective of the colour scheme in use, it always displays as red numbers on a black background.

 

Could another pair of colours be used such as white numbers on a black background, or better still, black numbers on a white background? Even better, could the colours be chosen by the user, either in the system settings or as entries in the .ini file?

Ray

[Fishmanoz]

See the Point Icons in RM Schematics thread regarding 45 degree icons (already planned for a future update according to HRMS) and, more importantly, incorporation of point lights into the point icon rather then having them separate. Thanks to PJ for this

 

suggestion.

[St1ngr4y]

Fishmanoz said:

See the Point Icons in RM Schematics thread regarding 45 degree icons (already planned for a future update according to HRMS) and, more importantly, incorporation of point lights into the point icon rather then having them

separate. Thanks to PJ for this suggestion.

Another suggestion was to make the red/green point lights optional, and to make the point icon itself right-clickable in the layout designer for configuration purposes.
Ray

[St1ngr4y]

Apologies if this suggestion has been mentioned already...

There is a command which can be included in a program MOVE PLAN [x,y]. The manual says "Simply specify the x-coordinate and y-coordinate grid square and the plan will

move to that position".

 

By trial and error I believe that the grid square they mean is the one which will appear at the top left corner of the window after the command has been executed.

My suggestion is that the x,y co-ordinates of the grid square currently on display at that

 

position, are displayed somewhere on the screen, so that you can drag the screen to the position you want, then using the displayed co-ordinates, use them in the MOVE PLAN command in your program.

Ray

[RDS]

Just above the Track Layout on the Main Screen, there is a Pink coloured area that changes to Green when a program is running. Currently when longer program lines such as 'Decelerate Forward [30 to [2]' are being executed, there is very little room left

 

to show the name of the Loco. Sometimes only 2 characters on a standard monitor.

Would it be possible to allow more room for the program line to be displayed.

Some suggestions for making some more room:

1) There is an area just to the left of the

 

window where the program title is entered, that contains the word 'Program:' - The window could be moved to the left slightly, i.e. closer to the word Program.

2) The word 'Program:' could be shortened to Prog:

3) The various words being displayed to

 

show progress of the Program could be shortened, Forward could become Forwd., Reverse could become Rev., Executing could become Exec., Accelerate could become Accel. etc etc.

4) There is small square Black box just to the right of the 'Stop the Program/Start

 

the program Icon', that does not appear to do anything, except flash brighter every now and again. Does this box need to be there at all?

 

[St1ngr4y]

RDS said:

4) There is small square Black box just to the right of the 'Stop the Program/Start the program Icon', that does not appear to do anything, except flash brighter every now and again. Does this box need to be there at all?

Have

you noticed that if you hover the mouse cursor over the 'Stop the Program/Start the program Icon', it always displays the text "Stop the program" even when there is no program running. It's a trivial fault, but one of so many which are too trivial to report

through the online system.
Ray

[RDS]

@St1ngr4y

Ray, Yes I have noticed that as well.

I don't think it is too trivial to report though because we should strive for a program that is 100% correct. You have reported it now anyway. Well done!