Desirable features for future Railmaster Software updates

[RDS]

Hi Pietrarsa

The Pro version of RailMaster, includes the facility to select multiple lines together with additional editing features.

[96RAF]

The ability from within RM to present proposed features for future upgrades for HRMS consideration

 

 - as a separate Help Area feature rather than the extant fault reporting feature.

 

Kind of like a 'contact us' area, maybe even to the extent of a live chat dialogue (a facility which I wish HCC had).

[Hansman]

Hi,

Because RM does everything on time you depend on many variables. Is it possible to affect a program termination with a percentage higher or lower. Example: an overall outcome lasts 58 seconds. You would then have the opportunity to shorten or extend the time by several percent. This would be something in connection with, wear, temperature, and voltage difference.

Gr. Hans

[ModelerXYZ]

Improved usability when used on 2 screens of different sizes. I want my layout on my larger screen in the corner of the layout, but still be able to see the clock which otherwise appears below the bottom of the laptop screen, thereby making it invisible if I have a loco list showing on my small laptop screen. XYZ

[RB51]

Would it be possible to have a track piece to indicate a buffer stop on the track plan? A simple "T" shape would suffice - in all 8 orientations please. R-

[Bigskybirds]

Remove the display settings nag screen once it has been shown once or give us an option

[96RAF]

A choice of track symbols and signals to represent national and international systems e.g. U.K. , USA , continental , etc.

ability to scale icon buttons to suit small or large screens and whether mouse driven or touch.

[PJ_model_trains]

@HRMS

I agree RAF96, the request to scale icons and buttons has been made many times.

 

RailMaster is still the same screen layout as it was from the beginning. Yet there is so much more demanding the space we have on screen.

 

These include three areas for consideration, although two (items 1 & 3) are very important

 

1 - The Loco boxes side of the layout.

• The boxes are to large
• The button icons are very big and could be much smaller use image instead of world in buttons
• reducing these buttons will increase layout area on screen

 

2 - The icons at the top of the screen could be smaller, again increasing the layout area mid screen

 

3 - The main screen for our layout design

• The icons that make up layout in track design are 50x50 pixels and are far to big
• double slips demand a large section in layout design
• points have to have a track piece between them to separate them
• points on an angle need more space so that the buttons are  clear of other programmable items
• signals need to be clear of point buttons
• if signals with feathers are used they demand more space
• using bi-directional tracks means even more screen with little room to add them
• loco detection programmable blue boxes need to be clear of other programmable pieces
• if point/signal code boxes show then the whole layout is a cluttered and many item end upoverlapping

 

The track pieces are very big and clumsey looking, they either need to be much smaller or the user should have the facility in the software to scale all layout design pieces from 50x50 to either 40x40 or 30x30 providing a 100%, 80% or 60% view on screen. With this option it will allow us to add extra track between the programmable items mentioned, minimising the risk of items being to close to each other and providing us with a more proportional layout view.

 

The reduced sizes will also allow users with large layouts to see more or all of their layout on screen.

 

Please HRMS

[96RAF]

You can on PRO hide the top and bottom bits of the screen to expand the visible track and throttle area a bit but I think this is the electronic version of sweeping dust under the carpet. It merely masks the problem not solves the problem of a clunky user interface.

[St1ngr4y]

For those users who would like to use two controllers attached to Railmaster as A and B, would it be possible, in the programming of decoders (both loco and accessory dialogues), to specify which controller is to be used to do the programming?

Ray

[PJ_model_trains]

Yes, RDS, I agree re the default zoom level. I wish mine would default to 50% to show the whole of my layout without me having to change it each time I start the program up. Also I think it's a little bit confusing to set loco regions. It defaults to showing

Hi Graskie/RDS

 

Thanks for raising this issue another way. I have asked many times and for more than two years for the loco boxes, usually on the right to be smaller. But, the main layout screen is of great importance, especially due to all the extra items added to RM in the last few years. Rather than zoom itself what I asked for was the facility to see more of my layout by reducing the track icon pieces in layout design from 50x50 to give an option of 50x50, 40x40 and 30x30. In effect reducing to 80% or 60% for the last two options when going back to the main screen.

 

It seemed easier to me to set the level either in layout design or in our master settings so it will always be viewed at the level set. 

 

To much screen space is taken up for spaces between points, even more so when using double slips. Points on the angle, signals, etc, etc. The layout design we have now is outdated, based on two even three years ago when we didn't have all these extra items on screen. With LD, when it comes, if it comes there will be even more. For those who want to see ID's of signals and points it is just a mass of items overlapping each other.

 

However HRMS do it, a complete screen overall is needed so that we can see more of our layout. Buttons for locos do not have to have the text explanation, small icon images in the button can be easily used. Complex software as MS Word and Excel, graphics programs such as Adobe Photoshop, and others, have all done this. Once we know what an icon is we do not need big clunking boxes, small icons are all that is needed. The throttle is needed but could be narrower, it would not be hard to reduce and improve these items.

 

Thanks for requesting the same another way. We want the same thing, I guess it doesn't matter how they do it so long as they improve it and make it look and work better.

 

[96RAF]

Anyone with Pro can have their zoom level of choice set as default startup level.

 

Rocrail (sorry to keep quoting this excellent free package but it has everything we are asking for in RM already done and more) has the ability to replace any button text with an icon of your making.

 

I was going to post a screen grab of some first attempt throttles I made in another package for comparison - not perfect but just as an example of what can be done simply in C+ code - but I'm on the wrong pc so will do it later from the Trains-PC. 

[Nick_]

Desirable features has now reached 54 pages, but one big question not so far mentioned is: Are we willing to pay HRMS for new features? OK, bugs I think we can all agree should be fixed for 'free'. When LD is finally released I wouldn't expect to pay for a software update to use it because I would assume all software costs would be bundled as part of the new hardware cost. But general new functionality for exisitng users? I'm not convinced that we should expect it to be delivered by HRMS out of their income from new sales and, after all, HRMS has to make a living. So, on consideration, I for one would be willing to pay a similar sum again to the cost of the Pro pack (£29.99) to gain a bundle of new features (such as improved graphics etc). What do you think? Is HRMS more likely to develop new functionality if there is an income stream to pay for their time? And would anybody else be willing to pay too?

[St1ngr4y]

I'm surprised they haven't started charging an annual subscription to cover the costs of development as well as maintenance. Even Microsoft have started this with Office 365.

Ray

[NormanQ4]

Since larger layouts are also more likely to have more locos on them, perhaps RM can create a simple method to split the track plan and locos list onto two screens.  This would also create space to have multiple columns of locos instead of just two.

[Fishmanoz]

Norman, 2 is just the default, you can have 0-3. See Setup.

[NormanQ4]

I realise that Fishy, I don't need any more than two but I'm pretty sure that others might and that's why I mentioned it.

I certainly don't need the track plan area any smaller since my soon to be started new layout has 5 loops and a fiddle yard and is 4.0m x 1.8m that's why I would like a full screen dedicated to the track plan.

I know I could reduce the size but I've got the feeling that may be a bit squashy.

[Chris Surrey]

I haven't gone through all the comments here so apologies if this has already been suggested. It would be very useful to be able to mirror the track plan on both the PC or laptop screen and the handheld apps. This would allow the operator to be able to be either behind or in front of the layout when at an exhibition. For me with an end to end layout that I operate from the front at home but which I would operate both from the rear at an exhibition, the ability to flip the view at will would be invaluable.

[Nick_]

 

Why don't you just create a second track plan which is the mirror of the first? You could then switch between these track plans depending on whether you were at an exhibition or at home?

[96RAF]

When reading CVs and a problem is met, say because RM is trying to read an unknown decoder, a dialogue pops up saying "RM can't read......do you want to continue reading CVs" - tick/cross.

 

It would be useful to be able to tick a box saying 'do this for all events' as I have just sat there for a couple of hours monitoring and approving the better part of 255 values as RM didn't recognise a TTS decoder and had loaded the default CV set instead of the TTS CV set.

[Peter Ruifrok]

 A desirable feature would be a "pause" button or command on the main screen. This command would stop any running program, but by clicking it again would resume it. This would enable anyone to leave the scene, if only because mother nature calls. Currently the only option is to abandon the program (or Railmaster) entirely which has all sorts of unwanted consequences, or to allow the program to continue unwatched.

[RDS]

@Peter Ruifrok.

As we discussed in the other thread in this section (Pause-Resume) it would require the Loco's to stop as well as the program and a suggestion has been put forward that the Pause button results in the program being paused and an 'Emergency stop' being applied to the Track.  I think this would work quite well.

[Tarabuses]

There is a real need to increase the range of CVs that can be accessed when programming a decoder beyond 255.  Sound decoders use CVs well beyond the 255 limit of Railmaster which need to be read and/or written to.  An up to date DCC programmer cannot be limited to 255 accessibe CVs.

[Tarabuses]

I had a quick response from Hornby Railmaster support when I made this request.  They have told me that they are implementing the ability to access all 1024 CVs natively from within the software and eLink.

[WesternDave]

LD would be a bonus, but how about something simple like allocating the spacebar to emergency stop. It's a lot easier to find than the mouse in an emergency especially with ageing hands.