Large Scale Central

TrainOps

Operations Train Operations Software
#41
Dave Healy said:
Ken Brunt said:
Pretty kewl..................I may have to look into that...................when you guys get all the bugs out......;)
Never touch a program before version 2, unless it's Excel, in which case make that version 5c.

For those of you unfamiliar with software development, welcome to the reality!!!


Dave,
I understand what your saying. In this case I’m willing to be the quinea pig and help Bob iron out any problems with the program. From what I’ve seen of it so far it looks to be just the thing for a one or two man operation. If it’s working ok for Bruce, then the bugs should turn out to be minor. If I had a little more understanding of “programming”, I could probably be a little more helpful, but all that stuff is “Greek” to me.

Jon, it appears we may be having the same problems. The “help” pdf won’t open and the “forms” button does nothing. I also get a “no cars found” when I try to build a train. At one point I did get a list of every available car, but can’t seem to get that scenario back.

Oh well, the “geek squad” has their hands full with this one…:wink:

#42

NOTICE:
Jon Radder discovered a bug in the installer, that affects the database build! This isnt a version change, so the auto-updater won’t pick it up. All y’all will have to go to the link I emailed you and grab a new installer.

#43
Fred Ottusch said:
Jon, Funny you should mention the Housatonic RR, My 2 friends & I will be arriving around Pittsfield early Thursday afternoon (Oct 9) to railfan that and hopefully on Friday 2 other "shortlines" in Ct, Sat we plan to "hit" the Tourist Lines. Fred
Small world isn't it. I'll be heading to WNY that day for a long weekend, otherwise I'd join you :D
#44

Hey Ken,

On the help file - I don’t think the’ve converted it to a help file format yet. There is a Word document the the Program Files/Large Scale Central/TrainOps folder called TrainOps Help.doc - it is the Full Manual - So, be sure to RTFM :smiley:

I might know what your problem is building a train. Were you successful in getting it to build and run (terminate) at least one train ?

If so, the system might be stuck with nothing to do. I realized that I had created demand for loads, but no place for empties to be filled. The program delivered a few loads on the first run, but then assumed all the rest of the cars in the yard were empty, so there is nothing to do until some loads show up from somewhere. I designated an interchange track, but didn’t declare any cars as foreign road. I’ve changed that now but I have to figure out how to get the empties to the interchange (on paper at least).

Once again I’m learning that you can’t start before you are ready :slight_smile:

#45

Questions for the Gurus -

I can’t find anyplace to edit a car’s location or load status. The documentation says you can change location in the Terminate Train screen, but I can’t get that screen to do anything but highlight the car/destination. Right click does nothing. No menu buttons for “Edit”

I used to do a very small bit of work in SQL. I suppose I could find a user interface for SQL Lite and do some brute force edits :o Will MS Access interface to it?

#46
Jon Radder said:
Hey Ken,

On the help file - I don’t think the’ve converted it to a help file format yet. There is a Word document the the Program Files/Large Scale Central/TrainOps folder called TrainOps Help.doc - it is the Full Manual - So, be sure to RTFM :smiley:

I might know what your problem is building a train. Were you successful in getting it to build and run (terminate) at least one train ?

If so, the system might be stuck with nothing to do. I realized that I had created demand for loads, but no place for empties to be filled. The program delivered a few loads on the first run, but then assumed all the rest of the cars in the yard were empty, so there is nothing to do until some loads show up from somewhere. I designated an interchange track, but didn’t declare any cars as foreign road. I’ve changed that now but I have to figure out how to get the empties to the interchange (on paper at least).

Once again I’m learning that you can’t start before you are ready :slight_smile:


Yes dear, I read the full manual. I had to download it from the LSC web page…:wink:

And yes, the first time I built a train I had a yard full of cars to choose from. After terminating the train I had maybe 3 cars to choose from. I have an interchange track, so maybe I should put the cars there instead of the yard, but I see no way to do that. I only have 10 cars as foreign road, but that shouldn’t matter if I can get home road cars to the interchange.

Haven’t dealt with it much today as it’s too nice out and I’m doing my own TrainOps thing with my imagination…:wink:

#47

Not sure I follow you Ken, but no mater, I don’t understand the program well enough myself to help much.

Seems to be working better for me now that I added a few more cars and marked most everything as Foreign Road, since I don’t have industries generating loads of all car types. That was jamming me up with empties when my industries were crying for loads.

So here I sit, at the Eastern Terminus after successfully running the Eastbound train. Since this is the first “day” and I just delivered cars, the Westbound has nothing to do. So I guess it becomes a caboose hop back to the yard. Then I’ll run the mixed train and see how that goes.

Nice here too today. Cool, but very pleasant. Going back out to finish the runs.

#48
Jon Radder said:
I'm pretty sure that most of the QA happened after the software got to the real world. You just can't simulate infinitely varied environments in the lab.
Yep, sounds about right. Expect end-users to do the unexpected.
Jon Radder said:
I didn't expect TrainOps to be a ready for prime time product. There are lots of advantages to getting involved with a project like this. It's well worth the minor pain in getting the bugs worked out.
Completely agree.

What back-end DB is the software using - MySQL, PostGres, Jet?

#49
Jon Radder said:
Seems to be working better for me now that I added a few more cars and marked most everything as Foreign Road, since I don't have industries generating loads of all car types. That was jamming me up with empties when my industries were crying for loads.

.


I did the same thing. It was generating the same “off road” cars at the interchange and not much else. Now all I have to do is get it to generate a switch list. The Adobe thing hangs up when the “built train” moves to the bottom “Build Train” screen. Aside from the “bugs”, it appears to be doing what I want it to do.

I noticed in the manual it says there’s a switch list button. All I have is a forms button, and that’s where the Adobe thing is hanging up…

#50

Hey Ken - I think they simplified the two buttons in the manual to one Forms button.

So updating the desktop shortcut didn’t fix the Adobe thing? Bummer. I guess you’ll have to call Tech Support. I think the number is 1-800-328-7448 :o

I still haven’t got the interchange thing to work right. Probably because I was set up wrong when I started. I have empty foreign road hoppers sitting in my yard that should go off-line to get loads. I can’t figure out how to force them to the interchange track. I might need to create an industry to load hoppers just long enough to get it moving. I’ve also got one hopper “off-layout” but it stays empty too.

Captive cars are moving exactly like I would expect them to. I just need more.

So who’s the interchange expert that can teach us noobs how to do this?

#51
Jon Radder said:
Hey Ken - I think they simplified the two buttons in the manual to one Forms button.

So updating the desktop shortcut didn’t fix the Adobe thing? Bummer. I guess you’ll have to call Tech Support. I think the number is 1-800-328-7448 :o

I still haven’t got the interchange thing to work right. Probably because I was set up wrong when I started. I have empty foreign road hoppers sitting in my yard that should go off-line to get loads. I can’t figure out how to force them to the interchange track. I might need to create an industry to load hoppers just long enough to get it moving. I’ve also got one hopper “off-layout” but it stays empty too.

Captive cars are moving exactly like I would expect them to. I just need more.

So who’s the interchange expert that can teach us noobs how to do this?


Well, it fixed it in that it tries to open when the train is built. It wasn’t doing anything before. I have Bob working on the problem (like he doesn’t have enough to do). He sent me a an update with a “send DB” thing in it so he could explore the DB and see where the problem lies, but that isn’t working either.

Haven’t run any trains outside with it as I haven’t gotten a physical switch list yet, But I could by just writing down what the Built Train generates.

#52

Sorry for your pain :smiley:

#53

well, you know what they say…no pain, no gain…:wink:

#54

Just to keep everyone informed:

It seems Bob’s recent update has fixed the “Forms” thing…I can now generate a switch list and a “Form 19”…but it isn’t the simple switch list.

He is working on another update to fix a few other problems.

#55

Granted the user base is pretty small right now, but response time to support issues is amazing. I emailed a database last evening for debugging, got a report back within 5 minutes that the problem was identified. The fix was delivered this morning.

Thanks Bob