[Gary54]

Recently, I have encountered a number of problems with the way Raildriver behaves when running OR that appeared between X2590 and X2591. (1) When throttling up from Idle, N6 is skipped (the same occurs when throttling down from N8 to Idle; (2) The Idle setting registers 7% power on the HUD; it is not until the combined lever is moved to the Setup position that the power drops to 0% in the HUD. (3) Moving the lever into the dynamic brake range yields no response from the dynamics (i.e., the engine does not respond to the dynamic brake application). Also, I see no dynamic braking percent on the HUD, and the cabview Throttle setting remains at “Setup.” It is only when I hit “. [period]” on the keyboard that the dynamic brakes activate (at whatever dynamic brake percent the lever position corresponds with). At this point, the HUD dynamic brake percentage responds to my movement of the lever and the cabview throttle setting changes through the range of dynamic brake settings. Moving the lever progressively back into the throttle range is accompanied by the proper HUD response in terms of dynamic brake and power percentage, but the Throttle display in the cabview stops at “Setup” even though the HUD is showing that the engine is throttling up. It’s all a bit confusing and I hope the above makes a bit of sense.

I want to reiterate that none of these problems occurs when using X2590; it is only when using X2591 and beyond that I have RD trouble. At first, I thought it might be a cabview problem, but given that everything works as it should using X2590 (within the past 20 minutes) and that I have never had issues with any cabview and OR, this seems not to be the case.

Many thanks,

Gary

[ATW]

Other bug I would add here about raildriver is the Alerter never sounds no matter how idle cruising you are going with no changes or presses in buttons.

[gpz]

I had to clean up the combined throttle controller code (it was a real mess!) for implementing the yet-missed combined throttle + train brake controller in r2591. Unfortunately I don't have a RailDriver device, so I couldn't test the effect on it.

I would like to know if the problem is exclusively with the RaildDriver part, so could you please test if everything is all right in your locomotive by using the keyboard A and D keys? (Please test it not using the individual "period" and "comma" control keys for dynamic brake, but rather the combined "A" and "D".) After test we could at least know for sure it is not a general problem with the new logic, and we could ask our developer having the RailDriver to readjust the corresponding code to it.

Edit: After thinking on it, I might provide a fix for activation bug this evening, hopefully. :p

[gpz]

Could you please try r2600? I am trying to fix it blindly, without the device. :)

[Gary54]

Just had a try with X2600. Now the Idle throttle setting shows 0% power on the HUD, as it should. However, I still skip N6 when throttling up and down. Also, when I throttle down to N1, the power percentage is 13%; a slight downward move of the lever (still on N1 though) reduces the power to 7% (i.e, same throttle setting, two power percentages). Finally, moving the lever to Idle is accompanied by 0% power. Shifting the lever into the dynamic brake range seems to be accompanied by the proper response in the behavior of the engine though it seems that the brakes engage later than when using X2590 (this takes into account the 10-second delay between setup and the start of dynamic braking). The increased percentage of dynamic braking is presented in the HUD and Throttle setting in the cabview. I do hear the DBs engage when using X2600, but later than I hear it when using X2590.

When moving the lever out of the dynamic brake range, the cabview Throttle display remains at "Setup," even as I throttle up and the HUD shows the power percentage increasing. I should add that on one or two occasions, the cabview display did move from "Setup" to "N1" and so on. However, this is definitely the exception rather than the rule.

In sum, there is some positive movement with X2600 though some of the problems I detailed last evening remain.

I really do appreciate the efforts to address this issue.

Gary

[BillC]

 Gary54, on 21 October 2014 - 04:00 PM, said:

Just had a try with X2600. Now the Idle throttle setting shows 0% power on the HUD, as it should. However, I still skip N6 when throttling up and down. Also, when I throttle down to N1, the power percentage is 13%; a slight downward move of the lever (still on N1 though) reduces the power to 7% (i.e, same throttle setting, two power percentages). Finally, moving the lever to Idle is accompanied by 0% power. Shifting the lever into the dynamic brake range seems to be accompanied by the proper response in the behavior of the engine though it seems that the brakes engage later than when using X2590 (this takes into account the 10-second delay between setup and the start of dynamic braking). The increased percentage of dynamic braking is presented in the HUD and Throttle setting in the cabview. I do hear the DBs engage when using X2600, but later than I hear it when using X2590.

When moving the lever out of the dynamic brake range, the cabview Throttle display remains at "Setup," even as I throttle up and the HUD shows the power percentage increasing. I should add that on one or two occasions, the cabview display did move from "Setup" to "N1" and so on. However, this is definitely the exception rather than the rule.

In sum, there is some positive movement with X2600 though some of the problems I detailed last evening remain.

I really do appreciate the efforts to address this issue.

Gary

Hi Peter, Gary
There is possibly 2 problems with using RD on V2600.

The first is unrelated to RD, and shows up in keyboard mode. The second may have to do with the quirkiness of RD that
shows around idle. Other sims also have this problem.

Some background. I dragged my RD out of the closet. When running V2600, with MSTS Marias Pass - Dawn Tank Train could
only display B7 through N7. I am running Windows 8.1 64, and when trying a recalibration with RW calibration routine
which works on a 32bit Win7, had problems. Switched over to an virtual XP machine, using PI's calibration routine was
able to correct that problem.

Without diving into the code. Seem to recall that we take calibration values from cal file and convert them into
percentages. How ever the first problem with the KB needs to be corrected. Below are values that were recorded when
loading MSTS Marias Pass - Dawn Tank Train, and then when in cab view the values for MSTS vs ORTS. The sequence is
just running from Idle down to B8 and back again with reverser in neutral and brake in Continues Service (cs).
OR has 2 percentage setup values, where MSTS has only 1. Need to fix this first before looking at the second problem..



Data Collection 2600

MSTS Marias Pass - Dawn Tank Train HUD Values
/\
Idle = 0 | |
setup = 00.00 % | |
B1 = 12.50 % | |
b2 = 25.00 % | |
B3 = 37.50 % | |
B4 = 49.99 % | |
B5 = 62.49 % | |
B6 = 74.99 % | |
B7 = 87.49 % | |
B8 = 99.99 % | |
\/

OR 2600 Marias Pass - Dawn Tank Train HUD Values

= 0 % Idle
= 0 % Setup
= 11 % Setup
= 22 % B1
= 33 % B2
= 44 % B3
= 56 % B4
= 67 % B5
= 78 % B6
= 89 % B7
= 100 % B8

[gpz]

I will have to fine-tune the formulas in CabViewDiscreteRenderer.GetDrawIndex(), under case CABViewControlTypes.CP_HANDLE. From your numbers it is clear that somewhere the 100% is divided by 9 instead of the correct 8. I don't clearly see where the wrong percents come from in you data for Dash9. (It is the Dash9, isn't it?) Are they from notching up and down by keyboard, without RD, right? It is interesting, since on my computer Dash9's cab display worked correctly. I also have to check where HUD gets its information from.

All in all, I am really sorry, but I will not be at my computer anymore this week, so will make the rest of the fixes next week. But I hope the fix must be as simple as to add +1 or -1 somewhere into the formulas.

[Gary54]

Many thanks for your work on this, Bill and Peter.

Gary

[BillC]

 gpz, on 22 October 2014 - 02:43 AM, said:

. (It is the Dash9, isn't it?) Are they from notching up and down by keyboard, without RD, right?

Yes, it is only the keyboard with a Dash9 as indicated, with the Marias Pass - Dawn Tank Train activity. Did this from an initial load, and only did a run from Idle to B8 and back to Idle. With no RD present.I was not looking specifically at the percentage values, but more at there was two Setup states in the sequence.

[R H Steele]

:good2: - just a little - while on the subject of raildrivers, would it be feasible to use the inactive "yard view" blue key for the free camera #8? Are the other unused blue keys being reserved for some use in OR? Is there a provision for the user to keymap the blue keys in Open Rails? Thank you.