Hi Klaus
Thanks for your response in the previous post, Here's some feedback:
Q1. JMRI simulator mode
You can use JMRI without a connection to the layout. This is the simulator mode. I use the LocoNet Simulator () and VSD works fine with it.
Please create a new profile in Edit >> Preferences >> Config Profiles >> New, if you want to give it a try. After a JMRI restart select "Digitrax" as the system manufacturer and "LocoNet Simulator" as the
system connection.
Awesome !!? I got that going pretty quickly in my study on my Windows laptop, changed a few settings and tidied up my roster, copied the changed files up to my Google Drive and replaced them from the GD onto the memory stick in the RasPi which runs the layout. Love the simulator mode as it allows me to do heaps "offline".? My wife thought I'd moved the layout into the study, with all the Bells and Whistles going off !
Q2. Throttles
When I add a VSDecoder in VSDecoder Manager, I add a JMRI throttle as well. One JMRI throttle for each VSDecoder. When I have a connection to my layout, I prefer physical throttes. The DCC address in VSDecoder and throttle must match, of course. Using WiThrottle and Engine Driver is a common way to control locos (up to four, I think). An open VSDecoder Manager with minimum one VSDecoder is required to control a loco.
Copy that !! What a good idea. I did that in the simulator and also on the layout with monitor/keyboard attached to the RasPi. Then I SSH'd and VNC'd into the RasPi from my Linux laptop and iPad in the garage and removed the monitor/keyboard?(which gets in the way of running the trains.? So now I've got a match-box size computer running everything with remote UI access to change anything !
Q3. "VSD faceless" is not yet part of JMRI. The setup could be something like:
1) Create and configure a roster for each VSDecoder
2) Put them into a roster group named "VSD"
3) Configure a throttle key for each VSDecoder to start/stop the engine
4) Set JMRI startup: Start Virtual Sound Decoder Manager and Web Server
5) Run JMRI with option apps.JmriFaceless
On your last SD> comment:
It should be possible to auto-start RasPi and JMRI and VSD without any interaction, and to shutdown as well. On my local test environment I can drive a loco with VSD sound (simulator mode) via JMRI Web server (http://localhost:12080/web/webThrottle.html). Open point: how to shutdown.
I'm going to leave the faceless stuff for now, but I'm already able to start the RasPi from cold or reboot with the following Startup "init-jmri" code in the Pi:
#!/usr/bin/env bash
?
set -o errexit
?
if [ `mount | grep google-drive-ocamlfuse | wc -l` -eq 0 ]
then
?
? echo "mounting google drive"
? google-drive-ocamlfuse ~/google-drive
fi
?
echo "starting DecoderPro"
?
$HOME/JMRI/DecoderPro
This code mounts and syncs Google Drive each time i start/reboot the RasPi then starts up VNC server with the required settings, then launches JMRI which has a bunch of internal startup commands which start WiThrottle, Webserver, VSDecoder, roster, turnout-table, turnout panel, etc. so that when I VNC into the Pi a can see and interact with all these windows on the laptop.
As for shutting down, i just ssh a Linux "reboot" command to make a fresh start of JMRI, or else ssh "poweroff" to shut down the RasPi completely.
I'm going to have a play with configuring the VSD files, including looking at which function buttons (is that the same as "notches" ?) each sound is allocated to. Is there any JMRI or other standard specs for what particular function applies to a particular button ?
BTW. Is there any provision for including photos in the jmriusers posts ?? I wanted to include a shot of the RasPi JMRI UI as seen by my iPad.
Cheers
Graham - @SettleDown
