Release Notes for JMRI 3.7.5 release

Date: May 9, 2014

From: Bob Jacobsen

Subject: Test version 3.7.5 of JMRI/DecoderPro is available for download.

Notes:

This is a test release. Please post a note if you encounter any new or old bugs! And please back up your JMRI files before installing this, in case you want to go back to an earlier version.

This is the next in a series of test versions. We expect this series to end in a JMRI 3.8 production release around the middle of 2014.

Some of the changes involved are quite extensive. They may require a certain amount of experience before they are working well. Therefore, this test version should be considered experimental.

JMRI is now only available under the GNU General Public License. For more information, please see our copyright and licensing page.

New warnings for this version:

Older warnings

The XmlIO web service has been deprecated and is scheduled to be removed in JMRI 3.11. All users who are relying on direct access to the XmlIO API are recommended to begin using the JSON API. inControl web throttle users are recommended to begin using webThrottle instead, or to plan on investing in devices that can support webThrottle, the iOS WiThrottle, or the Android Engine Driver.

This release has some changes to the application-initialization structure, particularly in the apps.Apps class. If you have written code of your own that runs applications based on JMRI, please check for use of deprecated methods.

The internals for handling CV read and write addressing have been extensively reworked. The change should be transparent (invisible) to users. If you do notice anything problems involving CV reading, writing, storage or anything else, please let us know.

The configuration structure for JMRI is changing to use Configuration Profiles. Configuration Profiles allow a single JMRI application to have multiple, user selectable, configurations that can be changed as application startup. For some users, this change will have no impact; other users will be visibly impacted by this change. See http://jmri.org/help/en/html/profiles.shtml for more information.

The JMRI SRCP implementation is undergoing extensive revision, in part due to testing with 3rd party SRCP clients and servers. If you are using the SRCP support, you will need to upgrade both the client(s) and the server to the same JMRI version.

The JMRI Web Server is being extensively rewritten. Some functionality has been temporarily lost while this rewrite continues.

This release, and all other releases in this cycle, require Java 1.6 or newer.

Known problems with this release

Do not use this release for programming any ESU Select or V4.0 decoder. Instead, please use test release 3.7.7 or later.

Download links:

Please use these links for downloading:

Changes since test release 3.7.4:

Additions to Warrants

• Added "Halt All" button to Warrant List window
• Enabled recording warrant scripts when dark blocks are included in the route.
• Improved correlation of ramp down speed timing with block length in NX warrants

Operations

• Train manifests are now available in a JSON format.
• Train manifests are in the web server again.
• New feature for manifests and switch lists, the ability to add headers describing each of the car attributes. Select "Print Headers" in the "Manifest Print Options" You can also customize all of the header text, see under "Tools" in the "Manifest Print Options" window, "Edit Header Text".
• Made some improvements to the train build report.
• Fix a bug where the build report didn't always report which cars were ignored when all of the moves for a route location were consumed.
• The sorting for local moves has changed, if you sort by track, the program will sort the cars by the pick up track name. If by destination, the program will sort the cars by the set out track name.

Alain Le Marchand updated the Digitrax decoder definitions:

• New Digitrax series 6 sound decoders: SDH166D, SDXH166D, SDN136PS, SDXN136PS (including extended CVs/options for John McMasters sound projects)
• New Digitrax series 6 non-sound decoders DH126D, DH126P, DH126PD , DH166D, DH166P, DH166PD, DN136D, DN136PS, DN146IP, DN166PS, DZ126, DZ126PS, DS126IN, DZ126T, DZ146, DZ146PS
• Digitrax/Con-cor decoder definitions added for most of the existing ones.
• Functions labels added for sound decoders.
• New pane for sound decoders, with sound project information (Series 3 only).
• Comments/tooltips extended to most of the recent Digitrax decoders.
• Specifications (size, connectors) updated according to Digitrax documentation
• A lot of refactoring through new fragment/parts files in the digitrax directory. Will help further maintenance and internationalization.

Dave Heap made the following changes:

• Corrections and other improvements to existing ESU decoder definitions.
• Added the ability to import decoder CSV files, as created by the existing "Export CSV file..." command.
• Added a new Grid Layout feature to the decoder pane programmer, for greater control of pane layouts.

Ken Cameron has:

• Fixed issue with NCE SB5/TWIN and ops mode programming. Was trying to use raw packet commands instead of specific ops mode programming commands in the USB.
• Improved correlation of ramp down speeds with block length in NX warrants

Fixed a problem with the handling of decoder definitions that was causing certain TCS decoders (and perhaps others) to not display properly.

John Crellin provided a decoder definition for the MRC Sound Brilliance 1806 and 1955.