[Railroad Librarian]

Sirs,

A thought occured while running a train last night...

Is it possible that in a future update a second window that could be set inside the main window? This would allow one to have both the cab view, as well as a trackside view. Mostflight simulators offer this feature. It assists operators who also enjoy outside views, while maintaing close watch on the gauges. (see attached image)

Just a thought.

Thank you for your time.

KB
Amherst, Ohio
(Living right next to the old NY Central tracks)

Attached thumbnail(s)

• 

[B & O GUY]

Librarian

That's already available with the HUD or Heads Up Display. By hitting the F5 key you can cycle through several screens of information about coal and water usage as well as many other things. Seems like having a separate cab view would just obscure the outside view. Just my opinion.

Allen

[thegrindre]

Considering that 'we' run on the ground rather then fly in the sky, an additional interior cab view would definitely obstruct the scenery as we rolled by.
I'd have to agree with Allen on this suggestion.

:dance3:

[Genma Saotome]

Multiple windows are necessary; the question, IMO, is how do you design them to provide just what is needed -- and no more -- so as to take up the least amount of screen real estate?

You could have one "Driver's Aid" that shows everything: a ctc board, dials, knobs, switches, numeric displays, lights, stock market charts, and sports scores -- the works -- and it would score 100% on the information scale but take up a third or more of your screen. Unless you could shove it over to the other monitor you've set up... then -- and IMO only then, might it make sense.

Or there could be multiple, smaller screens, each fairly narrowly focused on one subject or another, that individually would contain just what was needed for that subject. So long as you needed only one, maybe two at a time, it might work -- certainly if you had another monitor. But would one or two at a time be enough to be useful? Maybe. Maybe not. FWIW, I've been advocating a trial of "Role Cameras"; Select the Fireman's Camera, you get a screen aid specific to the fireman; Brakeman Camera, an aid just for what a brakeman does, and so on. The idea is don't replace ordinary key commands for all tasks but do provide info and command icons for the specific role being performed so when you are doing a particular role things can be done as efficiently as can be.

An off the wall idea: is there any information that could be conveyed by voice... something that, if spoken, could eliminate the need for a screen display? I dunno, maybe signals. Maybe.

My intuition tells me that all of those things would be needed for the best solution, tho that is certainly is asking for a whole lot. Doing less is far more realistic, but which subset?

p.s. I just LOVE the looks of those WWII British fighters....