Pendolino keyboard keys

[weezzah]

Keyboard keys that do not seem to do anything in the Pendolino are:

• Battery [ B ]
• Cabin activation [ C ]
• Front pantograph [ F ]
• Rear pantograph [ R ]
• Main switch [ M ]
• Light [ L ]

 

Improvement Suggestion

Currently many keys cycle through key states in 1 direction only on many items like:

• The wiper selector goes through the states Disabled | Mode 1 | Mode 2 in 1 direction only and ends up in Mode 2 (no way to disable wipers with keyboard input)
• The instrument lights only turn ON (can't be turned off with keyboard input)

Suggestion: I would add a second input key for items like these that cycle through the states in reverse e.g.

 

• Instrument light on [ ; ]
• Instrument light off [ Shift ] + [ ; ]

And:

 

• Wipers on [ V ]
• Wipers off [ Shift ] + [ V ]

I'd use a modifier key as the default combo key to preserve keyboard keys in use.

Also, I'd treat even a 2-way switch as a cyclable multi-state switch, just in case the switch needs to be a 3-way (or more-way) switch in a future locomotive 😉

 

 

 I have a feeling this topic has been mentioned before, but I included it anyways because it seems like an overlooked area of the sim 🙂

 

[Gazz292]

There is a problem using modifier keys, or setting one key to be a toggle function, 

 

Thats why the keybinds only work a single way ... needing a second key to turn a control backwards like the power / brake levers.

Hopefully this will be sorted, as it is a pretty big 'annoyance' to have to use the mouse to turn switches back off... some people like driving using the mouse to operate the controls, others hate it... i'm one of those who hate it... partially due to pain when using the mouse for too long.

 

I think the best thing that can happen is the key binds can be set on a 'per train' basis, so you can set up the same key to operate controls found only in some trains, one example is the 2 keys used for the 'shunt' lever in the EU07, that's not found in the other trains, but then neither are the cruise control keys found in the EU07.

[Stele]

Flipping two state switch by single key is done code wise. We just have to set it to buttons and check if anything brakes. What's left is some system for multipositional switches. Like making them turn arround with keyboard control.
As for reusable commands, Maszyna used same for shunt and cruise control, exactly as you suggest. (it used totally different button system than Simrail, as keyboard was prime form of input and every function had assign key command with most keys reserved with shift/ctrl modifiers included) Everything great untill you want to create vehicle using both and have to straighten all spaghetti code from past years without breaking community vehicles if possible. 😛 In Simrail it's just key code linked to move button position number in one direction. You have predefined key list with menu slots, translations and all this and can assign any of them to button in cabin, whatever that button does.  Reusing them would work, but create mess in menu and vehicles with abstract commands doing different things in different locos. I'd much prefere every command separate but with vehicle specific keybinding presets, so you could assign same key to different commands.

[weezzah]

 

It may be too early to make threads like these when it seems like the input system is being worked on and improved which is good news. It's all I needed to hear really. After all it's Early Access with limited content and features, and I agree to that every time I launch SimRail, I get it 🙂

Just for the record, what I'd like to see is:

• Support for keyboard, mouse, and controllers (game controllers, joystick devices, gamepads, etc)
• Unique input mapping per train (because it's flexible, future proof, has no dependencies)
• Make ALL user interactable items in a train mappable to keys and controller buttons, or to controller axis where it makes sense

And to keep the SimRail Controls UI nice and tidy, you can have each train displayed as its own category with all its mappable keys/buttons/axis inside. When you click a train category it unfolds its mappable items type of deal.

Also with axis input support from controllers there are also features like axis inversion and curves to customize the input sensitivity and what not.

- - end of wishlist - -

 

[Gazz292]

I wonder if having a set list of 'basic' commands that are applicable to every train, assigned via the controls menu as it is now, which keeps things simple for those drivers who just want to drive and don't mind using the mouse and keyboard together ... i.e.  the keys for power increase / decrease, brake lever increase / decrease, wipers etc,

Then have a set of extra functions that are set up by editing a text file, for those who want to assign a key to every switch and lever in the cab, even if it has no real use (like the stove switch in the EU07) 
The first one i would assign would be the windscreen washer button.

Something like we already have with the 'Buttons.conf' file, which has a few items not seen in the menu (that i don't think do anything)  :
TEST=T,
TEST2=Y, 
shp=LeftAlt, 
buttonMove=LeftControl

But either with a long list of every single user operable control, or the ability to add them by typing in the correct control name and then assigning a keyboard key to it.