[dforrest]

One of the features in MSTS which I find very useful is the intensity of the Station (or other location) name given with the F6 key display, varying in intensity the closer the user is to the actual location, dim some distance from the location, gradually becoming intense as the location is reached, and dimming again as the location is passed.

Will this be implemented in OR?

-------------
David

[captain_bazza]

I have this feature activated in all my sims.....it's a switch listed under 'perils of old age'. :jawdrop2: <sup>"!!?"

Cheers Bazza :sorry2:</sup>

[dforrest]

I can't find the "perils of old age" switch.

Can anyone else help?

[hytek1999]

dforrest, on 29 October 2013 - 05:03 AM, said:

I can't find the "perils of old age" switch.

Can anyone else help?

For me it's under the "astigmatism" option. But then I think it's different for everyone.

[dforrest]

This was intended to be a serious request!

[dforrest]

dforrest, on 27 October 2013 - 03:52 PM, said:

One of the features in MSTS which I find very useful is the intensity of the Station (or other location) name given with the F6 key display, varying in intensity the closer the user is to the actual location, dim some distance from the location, gradually becoming intense as the location is reached, and dimming again as the location is passed.

Will this be implemented in OR?

The attached screenshot gives and example of the erroneous information which can be given if this is not done. "Hebron Platform" is the closest to the loco, less than a mile away. "Halfway Platform" is more than a mile on past "Hebron Platform". The route take a bend to the left over the brow of the hill.

--------------
David

[Genma Saotome]

IMO there is lots of room for improvements with these sprites. Adjusting the brightness is, IMO, a good idea. I think the activity file should be enhanced in some way to allow you to record which sprites should be shown in that activity, the rest remaining invisible. There's no reason to show 40 sprites if only 4 make sense for the task.

Also, some thought should be given to the question of how far away is too far to display? In MSTS the answer was always the next tile over is ok. But now with OR being able to show 10,000m the rules of the game are changed. Is next tile only still the right answer? Is 10,000m the right answer. I don't know.

[dforrest]

I raised this a few years ago and it was not taken particularly seriously.

I believe that this feature of MSTS should be replicated in OR. It makes navigation very much easier. Can the request be taken more seriously now?

[Jovet]

I am in support of this. It is not a feature I use very often, but actually yesterday I turned these labels on in an area and was confused at first by the labels far away that were showing up.

[timothyskinner]

Jovet, on 15 January 2017 - 12:10 AM, said:

I am in support of this. It is not a feature I use very often, but actually yesterday I turned these labels on in an area and was confused at first by the labels far away that were showing up.

Feature would help enhance night activities... especially in narrow gauge, high density routes where you get a forest of overlapping signs... no pun intended

[mbm_OR]

I support this too.

That why I have made the following patch to it:

- Change the siding labels color from Yellow to LightYellow color. It allows better differentiating siding labels from station labels.
- Add a new numericUpDown control (numericViewingLabelDistance) in 'Menu/Options/Video', named 'Station/Siding viewing distance(m)' to set the range between the 'PLAYER TRAIN' and Station/Siding labels.
- According to the value setting (numericViewingLabelDistance) only the labels within this range are displayed, for 'PLAYER TRAIN'.

With this patch we can set the distance from 'PLAYER TRAIN' and Station/Siding labels from 200 meters to max value which is limited by View Distance value (numericViewingDistance).

The density of labels is reduced drastically with a low setting like 200 m.

Station/Siding labels for 'AI TRAIN', are not displayed.

If numericViewingLabelDistance value and numericViewingDistance value are equal, the original code take up the task. Then all Station/Siding labels are displayed, according to the numericViewingDistance value setting.

All this is an attempt to reduce the labels' density.

This is the source patch.
30/01/2017. Deleted for a new patch update.

[mbm_OR]

Performing test with the proposed patch when the player train travels through a distant station or siding area, doubts may arise if Siding/Platform names (F6) are enabled or not.
One way to avoid this kind of doubt would be to display “[F6]” text on the HUD (F5) when Siding/Platform names (F6) are enabled.

With the updated patch the “[F6]” text is displayed in the first row of the HUD, at the right of the Open Rails software version, when Siding/Platform names (F6) are enabled.

This is the updated source patch.
07/02/2017. Deleted for a new patch update.

[James Ross]

mbm_OR, on 21 January 2017 - 04:23 AM, said:

- Change the siding labels color from Yellow to LightYellow color. It allows better differentiating siding labels from station labels.
- Add a new numericUpDown control (numericViewingLabelDistance) in 'Menu/Options/Video', named 'Station/Siding viewing distance(m)' to set the range between the 'PLAYER TRAIN' and Station/Siding labels.
- According to the value setting (numericViewingLabelDistance) only the labels within this range are displayed, for 'PLAYER TRAIN'.

This does address the density when viewing distances are high, or a crowded area is some distance away, but it does not do anything for identifying which of multiple labels is closest.

I would be more interested in just setting the maximum label distance to 1000m or such and focusing on the issue of disambiguating labels.

mbm_OR, on 30 January 2017 - 02:16 AM, said:

With the updated patch the “[F6]” text is displayed in the first row of the HUD, at the right of the Open Rails software version, when Siding/Platform names (F6) are enabled.

I am rather against this particular way of showing the status; instead, please use either the messages window (MessagesWindow.AddMessage) or notice window (NoticeWindow.SetNotice). I think the messages window makes more sense, and it should show when the labels are turned on/off as well as when Shift is used to change which types of labels are shown.

[dforrest]

James Ross, on 04 February 2017 - 04:37 AM, said:

I would be more interested in just setting the maximum label distance to 1000m or such and focusing on the issue of disambiguating labels.

On that I totally disagree!

[James Ross]

dforrest, on 14 January 2017 - 09:18 AM, said:

I believe that this feature of MSTS should be replicated in OR. It makes navigation very much easier. Can the request be taken more seriously now?

dforrest, on 04 February 2017 - 06:26 AM, said:

On that I totally disagree!

Which is it? Do you want the fading of the labels or not?