[Csantucci]

OR NewYear MG rel. 95 has a tentative feature allowing to selectively throwing the first facing switch or the first trailing switch.
In following picture

the extended F8 pop-up window can be seen. At the left side the first switch in front and the first switch behind of the train are displayed (as was up to now), and at the right side the first switch in front and the first switch behind with opposite orientation are shown. So in the upper part the trailing switch just in front of the locomotive is shown on the left side, while the subsequent facing swith is shown on the right side. In this case also backwards the first switch is a trailing one.
All four switches can be thrown by clicking on them (if the reservation/occupation conditions are satisfied), or by using one of following commands:
G: throw first facing switch in front
Shift-G: throw first facing switch behind
Ctrl-G: throw first trailing switch in front
Ctrl-Shift-G: throw first trailing switch behind.

The feature works in explore mode and in manual mode.

There is still a small display issue that I'll try to solve, but it's priority 2.

[Weter]

@Vince
Manual don't give any point on "picked"
When the train is moving, it's much harder to "catch" the switch with cursor, then click Alt+MouseLeft.
@atsf37l
You're right, but:
-the exit signals are just behind the cab-I've passed them to show this switches more closely/clearly;
-I've mentioned earlier (see post #33), that, like Jonas, I talk here only about Explore mode, so desired maneurer is not wrote in plot of an activity.
but there is no traffic and rules, needed to obey.

[jonas]

I've download and try OR NewYear MG rel. 95 - thanks for the quick implementation Carlo, I like it!
I'm not sure, but maybe the F8 window would be a bit more intuitive that way?

[Csantucci]

I had considered that solution, that might be a bit more intuitive, but discarded it because I think that the implemented solution is less intrusive on the screen.

[eric from trainsim]

Thanks, Carlo!

I'm getting ready to do a debug week on a bunch of 3 and 4 track universal crossovers, and this should come in very handy.

[Weter]

Thank for response and solution, Carlo.

[fireflyer]

Csantucci, on 27 March 2021 - 07:49 AM, said:

the extended F8 pop-up window can be seen. At the left side the first switch in front and the first switch behind of the train are displayed (as was up to now), and at the right side the first switch in front and the first switch behind with opposite orientation are shown. So in the upper part the trailing switch just in front of the locomotive is shown on the left side, while the subsequent facing swith is shown on the right side. In this case also backwards the first switch is a trailing one.
All four switches can be thrown by clicking on them (if the reservation/occupation conditions are satisfied), or by using one of following commands:
G: throw first facing switch in front
Shift-G: throw first facing switch behind
Ctrl-G: throw first trailing switch in front
Ctrl-Shift-G: throw first trailing switch behind.

I gave the new ORNYMG revision a try over the weekend, and my personal experience was that I seemed to become easily confused by the changing switches in the window.

As an example, in your post above, Ctrl-G will change the trailing switch shown in the upper left of the switch window, and G will change the facing switch in the upper right. But as soon as the train passes the first switch in front, G now changes the switch in the upper left because it is facing and Ctrl-G changes the upper right (the next trailing switch, which could be several switches down the line). Basically, the shortcuts do not map to the location on the window, but the orientation of the switches. This became confusing to me, especially when traveling over several consecutive switches all facing or all trailing. Then the top right switch could be way down the line somewhere and I don't know what it does to my path.

Again, this is my own personal experience and thoughts on using the facing/trailing switch shortcuts and window. Two suggestions that would work in my case follow, though I understand implementation might be difficult:

• Allow the user to choose between the default window and shortcuts, or the trailing/facing window and shortcuts
  
• Make the window show the next two switches, regardless of orientation, with consistent shortcuts to change the switches immediately before/after the train (left side), and the next switches after those (right side)

Just my 2 cents...

[jonas]

This occures in ORNYMG rel. 95:

(Click the picture to see it as animated gif)
1. The train is still before the signal -> both the facing switch and the following trailing switch are set by G key.


(Click the picture to see it as animated gif)
2. The train has passed the signal -> G key only sets the next facing switch. The trailing switch remains unmoved.




3. The train has passed the first facing switch -> it's not possible to reach the next facing switch (red arrow) by simply clicking on G key, because the trailing switch in between is closed.

Note the difference between picture 1 and 2.
In picture 1 we are in a signaled area, but a few meters further in picture 2 we are (suddenly) in a non-signaled area.

Does that mean for OR in general: If a train successfully passes a signal (and the signal had turned to red) then the switches ahead are considered as being in a non-signaled area?

[Csantucci]

Jonas,
I don't know exactly how the logic allowing or not allowing manual throwing of a switch works. That logic is outside the modification I have inserted, and I don't have modified it. Someone else might be able to answer your question.

fireflyer,
there are other implementation possibilities, of course. To be less confused you might consider that the left hand side of the new window (eye plus the first vertical couple of switches) is identical to the old window.
Anyhow I'm collecting here objections and preferences, and at the end will decide whether to stick to the actual implementation or to modify it.

[Niknak]

Carlo, in response to your comment about collecting opinions on the new switching driver aid window - Love your DemoAutoSounds but would prefer the original switching aid window, probably because I'm old and easily confused lol.

[roeter]

jonas, on 29 March 2021 - 06:07 PM, said:

Does that mean for OR in general: If a train successfully passes a signal (and the signal had turned to red) then the switches ahead are considered as being in a non-signaled area?

That depends on the situation in general, and the route of that specific train.
If the route of the train is such that there is another signal ahead, the train will remain in 'SIGNAL' mode and the area is considered to be controlled by signals.
However, if the route of the train is such that there is no further signal ahead (e.g., routed into a dead-end bay, or the route ends at such a point that there are switches between the end of the route and the next signal, and other such situations), then the train will change to 'NODE' control and the area is not considered to be controlled by signals. There is no logic which looks 'behind' the train, the system only looks in forward direction, and what it finds there will determine the control mode.

Regards,
Rob Roeterdink

[jonas]

I have learned if the trailing switch ahead is closed and the train has passed the signal it is in a dead end. This in turn means that the train here is in a NODE controlled area.

In a NODE controlled area, the trailing switches ahead are not set automatically, what in turn means that the G key cannot reach the next facing switch (red arrow).

In the current ORNYMG, the trailing switch must first be opened with Ctrl + G, so that the facing switch can then be set by G. Do I understand this right so far?

[Csantucci]

Yes, it is so, although I noticed a slightly different behavior of Explorer and Manual mode.

[jonas]

Yes, I have now test the different modes with ORNYMG too.


I am in Activity Mode and stand directly in front of a facing switch. I press Ctrl + G to set the trailing switch behind the facing one -> a message appears that the trailing switch ahead is locked and that I could change to manual mode.
If I switch to manual mode and then press Ctrl + G again, the message appears: "Warning - No switch found"

If I start ORNYMG in Explore Mode in the same situation and press Ctrl + G, no message appears at all. After passing the signal, I can set the trailing switch by Ctrl + G.

[jonas]

roeter, on 22 March 2021 - 02:51 AM, said:

This discussion goes back a VERY long way, some 10 years to be precise. Then, the same arguments were raised as now. ...

Was this discussion here at ET and is there a chance to get the link to it? Or at least a hint how one can find the according thread? Thanks.