How do I get fine control of brakes on the EP07 when using keyboard?

[BRD193]

 

The problem with the brakes is that I believe they're working properly for the Traxx but not for the EP07.

It is as if the Traxx brake key map is the same for the EP07 with the brakes. For instance, the independent brake lever goes from 0 to 100 or from 100 to 0 immediately when using the keys for loco brakes.

It makes no sense to do it like that on the EP07 but on the Traxx this works OK because the keys switches the independent brake between the 3 positions it has.

Similar problem with the train brake too.

What the game needs ( in case it is missing? ) is a proper / separate key mapping for the EP07 to allow using the normal brake keys to switch between the several brake positions and not assume that the brake positions are the same as on the Traxx.

 

[BigVern]

Devs seem to be silent on this question which is probably one of the main issues raised from the playtest so far.

[SurvivorSean]

Is there raildriver support?  You want to be looking out the window and not at your controls unless you have that IR thing.  Generally speaking you get custom to the controls.  I just thought I'd add my 2 cents though I haven't run many trains at this time and play in the signal boxes instead.

Run8 has a nice option where the information can cycle by keypresses so that you have the info you most desire while keeping your eye on the road.  In reality lights that come on or other things that need your attention are usually a perephial vision thing.  This is why the alerter is right by the windshield to get your attention when the red lights come on.

Thanks

Sean

[Gazz292]

all along SimRail has been listed as getting joystick support,
 

i really hope this comes true, and we dont get the half assed raildriver 'support' dtg did with tsw2,

not everyone wants to buy a £250 propriety controller thats is sized for kid sized hands, so i have my fingers crossed that we will get full joystick support, so we can use things like aircraft sim throttle quadrants, or build our own controllers.

[stronzio]

The best thing would be to copy Maszyna control scheme, where brakes are controlled with the following keypresses (from the keypad, but it's not important if you can rebind them):

 

1: increase direct brake

4: local release (for when the BP is fully empty)

7: decrease direct brake

8: initial train brake application

5: second step of train brake (not full service but quite heavy, about 1,5 bar)

2: full brake application

9: decrease train brake

6: running position

3: increase train brake

0: emergency application 

In Maszyna this control scheme is universal, so it also works with lapped brakes (such as the one we find on the traxx).

In simrail personally I found that the best comfortable compromise atm is to brake using the mouse and release with the keyboard, which is still the fastest way to do to so in my opinion, unless you want to stop with brakes fully applied and send the passengers out of their seats 🦘

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by stronzio

[SurvivorSean]

According to the devlog Q&A 3 months ago there will be support for many controllers including those you build yourself.  I take it that would include raildriver but we will see.

[Gazz292]

yup, my finger are crossed.

 

At the moment i'm preferring operating the controls with the mouse scroll wheel,

just had a drive in the ELF... and using the scroll wheel to move the power/ brake lever seems almost natural, 
it's just holding down the left mouse button over the control in the cab that's a pain.

part of me wants to swap left and right mouse buttons, as holding the right one and operating the scroll wheel with my index finger would be more comfortable,
I see that in the controls setup screen, the mouse buttons can't be changed.

But i am probably the only one who finds using the mouse scroll wheel cool.

[SurvivorSean]

The mouse wheel give you your zoom at the moment.  Haven't tried playing with all the key stuff yet.

Thanks

Sean

[Gazz292]

if you hover the mouse over a control, press and hold the left button down,  and instead of moving the mouse to drag the lever / switch... you scroll the wheel, and it moves the control you are hovering over.

I find this a great way to control the main power / brake lever in the ELF, and the power wheel and shunt lever in the EU07... but the train brake valve is too slow to move with the scroll wheel i find.

I also use the click and scroll method to move the rotary switches, like the door switch in the ELF, the wiper switches, the radio channel knob in the EU07.

:

Talking about wipers... going OT a little... i keep thinking i've got specs of dust on my laptop screen, and try to wipe them off... they are dead flies on the trains windscreen, and just using the wipers doesn't clean them, you have to use the washers too... but if you don't run the wash water long enough, it doesn't clean all of the screen!! 😮🤯

[Jasonic]

Thanks Gazz for the info about click and scroll, did not realise this.

 

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by Jasonic

[Gazz292]

one idea i have is to maybe allow us to assign a keyboard button to the brake lever, power lever, shunt lever etc,

Which we hold down and scroll with the mouse wheel to move the lever,

So, if say Z was set for the brake lever, and X was set for the power wheel,  the mouse can be anywhere on the screen,  but pressing and holding keyboard key X, when you move the scroll wheel on the mouse, the power lever/wheel moves,

release X, then press Z, and the brake lever moves with the scroll wheel.

 

[Loongeron]

2 minutes ago, Gazz292 said:

one idea i have is to maybe allow us to assign a keyboard button to the brake lever, power lever, shunt lever etc,

Which we hold down and scroll with the mouse wheel to move the lever,

So, if say Z was set for the brake lever, and X was set for the power wheel,  the mouse can be anywhere on the screen,  but pressing and holding keyboard key X, when you move the scroll wheel on the mouse, the power lever/wheel moves,

release X, then press Z, and the brake lever moves with the scroll wheel.

This would work well if the camera was moving without clicking the mouse button.

[SurvivorSean]

Oh that's cool.  I'll have to try the washers.  Now that you mentioned it I did hit that button when trying to find some keys last night.

What would be nice is a nice screen shot of the cabs and what each control is in English.  The english descriptions when hovering are certainly nice, but there are often so many buttons in this sim. 🙂

Thanks

Sean

[pschlik]

Noticed in today's patch notes that the E07 brakes were improved and I'm glad to report that they now behave exactly as I would expect. When initial braking is set, holding the brake apply button will now gradually increase the brake setting rather than jumping right to full service. Same is true for the locomotive brake, gradual application and release is now a breeze on keyboard. I guess someone was listening to this topic ramble on.

[Bescot]

Well this is much better, well done devs - there's even a numpad6 keybind to get from brake applied position to release quickly. Thank you!

[Gazz292]

Ditto,  the brake is now usable with the keyboard, before i resorted to dragging it with the mouse (something i hate doing)

The separate key for rapidly moving the handle to the release position is great, i've been using it already for a few days (i have my own key binds slightly different to the stock ones, but i do prefer the original idea of having all the driving levers on the number pad,   much better than the tsw /tsc thing with side by side keys operating levers that move up and down all over the keyboard.