[PA1930]

Although I would suggest on not removing the option of being able to do both just clicking on F9 and onwards operations...

[Csantucci]

I have a proposal for an improvement that adds clarity and simplicity for electric locos: replacing for electric locos the command "Toggle Power" with two commands, that is "Toggle panto 1" and "Toggle panto 2".

[gpz]

But for electric locos toggling the pantograph is not equal to toggling the power / main circuit interrupter. (And toggling the cooling fans is a third task, just for looking into the future.)

[Csantucci]

I agree and I would be happy that commands for the main circuit breaker and for the ventilation were added. However, as for now ORTS automatically powers the electric loco when a panto is raised, and as for now the new pop-up window raises panto 1 and powers loco when the "toggle power" is clicked and there was no panto up. So I think the window should be coherent with the actual working of ORTS. Separating for the future the panto raise command from the power on command on the pop-up window can be done when the main circuit breaker functionality is available.

[JTang]

This makes helper control in MP possible. Will try to make it possible these days.

[roeter]

Power on and Panto up should be separate - otherwise it will not be possible to properly control 3rd rail electric stock which, ofcourse, has no pantographs.
Multiple mode stock, and multiple current stock, is even more complicated as it is likely to have multiple pantographs for the systems they can run on - e.g. the many modern multicurrent engines, German ICE's and the old swiss Ra stock (ex - TEE) have upto four different pantographs for the various different systems. So which pantograph is raised depends on where the train is at that moment. These trains can switch pantographs 'on the run' when they pass the system change-over locations.
In the UK there is multimode stock (overhead / 3rd rail) which can have power with or without the pantograph raised.
And finally there is ofcource electric stock with alternative diesel power, which can switch to diesel away from the wires.
I don't think the present MSTS eng-files can handle definitions for all these multi-power systems, but it is something to keep in mind.

Regards,

Rob Roeterdink

[markus_GE]

Thinking of the many different .eng Versions made for the american dual-mode electric-diesels, putting all These definitions into 1 file would definitely be a step towards cleaning uo the MSTS mess a bit :cheers3:

Good Idea!

Cheers, Markus

[Csantucci]

I would be very happy if JTang made helper control in MP possible. I expect this would be appreciated by MP players.
I also completely agree on Rob's considerations, and moreover I think they should be implementable in ORTS without needing to upset MSTS compatibility. Commands to switch on/off power in diesels have already been implemented in ORTS without affecting MSTS compatibility, so why shouldn't it be possible for electrics? I hope Matej will start considering implementation of main power breaker management in electrics.

[Genma Saotome]

Please make it short & wide (to match our screens), drop the word toggle because they player already knows the state of things, that's why he's clicking on it, and you get something that doesn't take up so much of the screen.

Also, PLEASE do not not it into another GAME console for the player to be game-god; put the commands into a window by what role is being performed: brakeman, engineer/driver and so on. If the player needs to be doing switching at an industry, let him open up two or three long, narrow windows. When he's cruising down the mainline he only needs one. Eventually multi-player should do multiple persons per train and each person has his role (with a command window that is correct for him).

[Csantucci]

The welcome new function allowing to singularly powering locos misses the sound triggers hooks.
Moreover there is an incoherence between power toggling electrics and diesels by the existing commands:
- in electrics raising or lowering pantos with P and Shift-P has effect only on MUed units (better)
- in helper diesels powering on or off with Shift-Y has effect on both MUed and non-MUed helpers.

I have opened a bug report https://bugs.launchp...or/+bug/1238185 in launchpad for this, and have provided a patch that adds sound trigger hooks and that applies to helper diesels the same logic used for electrics.

I would be happy if this patch were committed by Matej or someone other enabled.