DigiTrains 2.9 on Play: Domino Dispatcher design

Dispatcher game: Domino


New design is available for dispatcher game: Domino.

You can choose from more design in dispatcher game. Select the menu icon in the top right corner to change design:

On tablets:                         

On phones: 

In Domino design the use of Common accessory button and Unlock route button is different. You do not have to hold the buttons for 2 hand accessory change.

Use of the buttons if Adv. (Advanced security logic) is off:

· Unlock Route button releases all routes (KO)
· Common accessory button is not functional


Use of the buttons if Adv. is On:
· Unlock routes button releases routes by double touch
· Press Unlock routes button first. You can see it is on, because it lits. Then press the endpoint of an active route. The route will be released. Unlock routes button goes off.
· Accessories can be changed only if the Common accessory button is touched and set on (it lits). Then touch an accessory, it will change. The common accessory button will go off automatically.

Block occupancy release

Occupied blocks get only free after 2 seconds of unoccupied state.

Z21 Locomotive options bug fix

For Z21 users Locomotive options menu crashed in DigiTrains 2.8. Now this bug is fixed.

DigiTrains 2.6 on Play

New features in DigiTrains 2.6:

Driving Cab

The Driving Cab can be opened by pressing the driving wheel button in Train Control menu.

If we have more than 6 functions, we can reach them by pressing F+.

The settings of the Driving Cab can be opened by pressing the DigiTrains icon.

You can select from 3-3 different accelerate and decelerate dynamic. These moving dynamic parameters can be different for each locomotive, depending on how fast it can accelerate or decelerate. Try out the different settings to find the one you like the most. The moving dynamic is affected by the CV3 and CV4 settings in the locomotive decoder. Settings them to 8 will be fine in most cases, but you can use them with different values, too. If you have sound decoder you may also want to set a startup delay, so the speed display will be in syncron with the locomotive movement. The speed display can be customized by touching the speed in Train Control menu (speed customization is not available from Driving Cab screen). See details in Speed Display section.

JMRI user names

JMRI user names are used instead of system names (if available).

Longer names available in lists

Longer locomotive and accessory names are displayed in lists.

New loco sounds

7 new US locomotive horn and 2 railroad crossing sound. Below video shows how to use the loco sounds:

The latest documentation on DigiTrains is always available on this link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By2pZ2n1CiqmYmF2MmRWTDJqX1E/view?usp=sharing

New feature in DigiTrains 2.6: Driving Cab

The biggest new feature in DigiTrains 2.6 is the virtual Driving Cab In-App Product. The graphics are based on a modern Stadler Flirt train. Check out the video here:

You can try it for free on your phones using JMRI, Z21 or DigiWifi with your model railroad layout.

You can open the Driving Cab by touching the "Driving wheel" icon on Train control screen:

Short description on how to use the driving cab:

To change accelerate and decelerate dynamic touch the DigiTrains icon:

Detailed description and Tips are available in the latest DigiTrains documentation:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By2pZ2n1CiqmYmF2MmRWTDJqX1E/view?usp=sharing

Video: how to use the real loco sounds in DigiTrains

Video: speed display (in km/h or mph) configuration

DigiTrains 2.2 on Play

Several new functions in DigiTrains latest version. It is available now on Google Play.

Release notes:

-Train control screen will return to the same train from the quick-list if you navigate to another window.

-Control your locomotive with volume buttons in train control menu. No need to watch the screen.

-12 new function icon for your locomotives:

-New In-App Product: Loco Sounds: If you do not have sound decoder for a locomotive, with this solution you will be able to play certain sounds on your phone or tablet speaker. More than 25 different sounds, like horns, whistles, door sounds, etc.

-If you use a black Z21, and beside the smartphones you also use Freds to control locomotives, sometimes you need to change the loco address in Freds. If you use DigiTrains you can change address in a Fred from DigiTrains Settings / Dispatch address menu.

-Optimized usage of background pictures to avoid app crash because of out of memory error on certain devices. This error usually happened on Samsung devices, where the Samsung Android OS handles the memory on a different way compared to simple Google Android OS.

-When DigiTrains used with JMRI, there was a bug in showing the locomotive pictures which have a space in their name (Roster ID). This bug has been fixed.

DigiTrains - JMRI quick start videos

I created two videos today to show how easy is to use DigiTrains with JMRI.

 It is also useful for not JMRI users, the main difference is what you select after startup in Connections menu. Of course not JMRI users (Z21, DigiWifi) must add trains, accessories by themself and create routes and layouts as well.

DigiTrains 2.1 on Google Play

I updated today the app on Play. New features:

1. JMRI compatibility

2. New sound in Station Speaker
3. Application error report in e-mail

TEMOFESZT 2014 Model Railroad Exhibition

Last weekend we were on the biggest Central-European model railroad exhibition in Hungary, the TEMOFESZT 2014. Digitools exhibited a big digital layout controlled by DigiTrains.

There were 2 stations controlled by two dispatchers with 2 10" tablet running DigiTrains android application on it:
- showing occupied blocks
- route control
- security logic: no route crossings, no route to occupied blocks
- station speake announcements

The block occupancy feedback works currently with Roco Z21 command station and Roco 10787 feedback module OR with Digitools's DigiWifi and DigiSense boards.

The new DigiTrains 1.9 will be availabe soon for download from Google Play. Follow us here on the blog or on our Facebook or Google+ page. You can find more pictures about the exhibition on on Facebook and Google+.

Track occupancy feedback short demo

The next big step in the DigiTrains development is the track occupancy feedback. This new feautre can be used for those who bought the Dispatcher game In-App product in DigiTrains and use the layout editor menu.

So far in this editor you could create your unique layout and set routes between start- and endpoints. With the two-touch route selection you are able to change group of accessories with one command and see the green path on your layout which is given to your train.

On the below picture you can see that platfrom 3 and 4 is occupied (red). I gave route from the right side to platform 5 (green). At this point all 5 turnouts and one light signal is switched automatically.

With this new development you will be able to see the occupied blocks in red color. The testing of the program is still underway and will debut on the biggest Hungarian exhibition 2 weeks later on TEMOFESZT. In the next weeks I will share more video on how it is working and how you can create layouts to use this feature. Now you can check this short demo video showing this new feature on a simple station: block occupancy demo video .

DigiTrains 1.8 update on Play

I updated DigiTrains today on Play. You find the following new functions in it:

New accessory icons (the bottom row).

You can change the name and address of locomotives, accessories and routes.

In Profiles menu you will see the active profile. You also have the possibility to load an empty profile at any time to start from scratch.

New track elements in dispatcher game layout editor menu. Now you can make crossings.

New layout design in Train control menu for tablets. you can control two locomotives at the same time. On the right panel you can slide between the quick-list locomotives. In the middle panel you can choose what to see: accessories, routes or station speaker.

Brand new design in the whole app.

Animated video test

I saw a cool animated video yesterday evening, and I got the feeling to make one about DigiTrains. I played with it for 3 hours. Maybe I will do more in the future, since I like these kind of videos. Watch it fullscreen, it is better like that.

Click here to watch it

DigiWifi 2.0

DigiWifi can be purchased in shops or on www.digitools.hu for 6 month now. It is used by individuals and some clubs as well. We got several feedbacks, and we made some changes based on them.

The new version is called DigiWifi 2.0 and it supports unlimited android device connections. So by purchasing one DigiWifi for the price approximately 260€ you can play with as many android handheld as many you have. So friends, kids from the neighbourhood can come and play on their phones. Knowing that one MultiMaus costs something like 140€, if you do not play alone then it worth to use DigiWifi and DigiTrains.

There are serveral new functions also in DigiTrains 1.7, for example the graphical route control module, called dispatcher.

DigiTrains used by Hungarian Model Railroad Clubs

In spring I played on several exhibitions with one of the Hungarian model railroad clubs called "Tram no. 1 Club". They have a Z21 command station, so we used the Z21 and DigiTrains application in parallel. Some of the visitors could also try it walking around the huge layout with their phone in their hands.

Since the Z21 command station has an XPressNet interface, we are able to connect the DigiWifi to it, just like connecting a MultiMaus. The two smartphone application (DigiTrains and Z21) can work at the same time without any problems, so everyone can decide which one to use. Several club members decided to use DigiTrains, since it has an additional functionality for Hungarian users, and this is the station speaker announcment. With this they can play announcments edited by them, choosing signals, track numbers, train types and so on. I am looking forward to make this module also for other langauges if somebody can provide me sound files and help to do it. If you can, please contact me.

Some picture and video from the exhibition:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG252OBEeuI

DigiTrains can be downloaded from Google Play

Now the DigiWifi is in stores in Hungary in shops Vasútmodell-centrum and Modell & Hobby. DigiTrains can be downloaded from Google Play.

DigiTrains

TEMOFESZT - the first serious test on an exhibition

After 6 month of development we have the first test release of the application, called DigiTrains.

Locomotive library:

Accessories:

Locomotive control:

Furthermore the XPressNet - WiFi adapter is also ready, called DigiWifi. I think it has a nice and professional housing.

DigiTools

In February, 2014 Tamás from Digitools contacted me. He liked the application and we decided to work together. Digitools is a Hungarian company developing and manufacturing electronics for model railroading.

The plans was to enhance the functionality of the app and to change the design a bit using colors of Digitools. Furthermore instead of using the PIC 32 Starter kit we made a more complicated circuit with WiFi module and XPressNet communication. So there is no need to use a WiFi router if you use DigiWifi, it creates its own WiFi network. Also with the XPressNet connector it is compatible with the most command stations already used by modelers.

Command Station

Of course I needed a circuit which communicated with the TrainDcc application running on the android devices and generated the dcc signals for the booster. I used a PIC 32 Starter kit (from Microchip) and I wrote a program which generated the dcc signals based on the commands get from LAN. The router made my LAN connection to wireless and the android devices were connected to it.

Here is a shematic how it worked.

TrainsDcc

TrainsDcc...that's how it started. I decided to write an android application to my Sasmsung Galaxy Ace phone to be able control my modell railroad layout. This happened in autumn, 2012.

This time I was already finished my first dcc decoder and house-made booster. I also made a handheld, similar to a MultiMaus. It was made from a counter machine, actually. To be honest, I did not like to control the layout using the lot of buttons and the small 2 row LCD display. It was hard to switch the turnouts, and control 2-3 locomotives at the same time. It took too much time to change always the addresses of locos and accessories to control them. I also tried a MultiMaus after that, but actually I felt the same. Also the CV programming was quite complicated. So I decided to create to myself an easy-to-use user friendly application to my touchscreen phone.

I did not want to use a PC for that, because a PC is more expensive than a phone, it consumes much more power and usually it is noisy. Also I work on a PC every day, and I do not want to use one when I play. Other thing compared to a PC is that with my phone I can control the layout by moving around it and using the WiFi of my device to communicate with the command station.

So I bought a book about Android and JAVA programming. After 3 month I had the first release of my application with the following functions: locomotive library, locomotive control (throttle) and CV programming. It looked like this:

Locomotive control screen:

I know it is not the most beautiful one, but it worked. Locomotive library (pictures made by the camera of the device from the application):

Detailed information