[James Ross]

Open Rails 1.0 has been released!

Download: http://openrails.org/download/program/
Manual: http://openrails.org...-and-tutorials/

Summary:
- Installer for easy set-up
- Localized in 9 languages
- Mouse control in 2D cabs added
- Timetable mode added - brand-new alternative to MSTS-style activities for enjoying routes
- Gear boxes in diesel and steam locomotives now supported
- Activities can now start at speed
- Loading screen replaces the text console
- Improved steam and smoke effects (with wind and other variations)
- Autopilot function to drive the train for you (experimental)
- 3D cabs are supported (experimental)
- MSTS environments such as KOSMOS are partially supported (experimental)

Details:
- Hundreds of bugs fixed
- Improved looping of sounds
- More sound triggers
- More monitoring devices
- Many more cab view controls (steam especially)
- Refueling supported
- Hazards added
- Odometer available
- Horn triggers bell is now supported
- Quad tiles now work properly
- Car operations window: handbrake, power toggle and more
- Clear, rain and snow sounds added
- Restricted speed zones are now supported
- Coal level shows in steam tenders
- Improved fog effects
- No more trackside camera 'bridge mode'
- No more rain under bridges and in tunnels (maybe)
- Hot start option for steam locomotives
- Activities start in cab if cab view exists
- Absolute time waiting points (3HHMM)
- Air piped and vacuum piped break system types added
- Pickup animations
- Walking around in passenger view
- Dynamic FOV (mouse wheel)
- 'Passing path' for signaling (experimental)
- Signal light glow (experimental)
- LOD bias control (experimental)

Also:
- Portable mode
- Revamped main menu
- Tolerant saves allow loading from different versions when possible
- Improved default settings
- Automatic updater with stable, testing and unstable channels
- High DPI support
- Watchdog to catch hangs in a similar way to crashes
- Improved performance with precipitation
- Swapped mouse buttons now work correctly
- Compiled with Visual Studio 2013 instead of 2008

Important notes:
- Open Rails develops features and bug fixes in public at http://launchpad.net/or
- Open Rails is distributed under the GNU GPL v3 free software license

[rdamurphy]

Awesome James!

Robert

[Csantucci]

And more:
- (option) friction force generated also from curves and tunnels
- extended shunting for AI trains (experimental)
- manual in-game weather change (weather type and precipitation/fog/overcast intensity) and adhesion changing correspondingly (experimental)
- sounds triggered by activity events
- optional AI train horn blow at all level crossings and/or at predefined locations (experimental)
- embedded powerful track viewer and path editor
- embedded timetable mode editor
- highly improved compatibility with rolling stock, routes and activites generated for MSTS
- standard large address aware executable