Release Notes for JMRI 4.1.1 release

Date: August 16, 2015

From: Bob Jacobsen

Subject: Test version 4.1.1 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 first in a series of test versions. We expect this series to end in the next JMRI production release around the end of 2015.

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.

Known problems with this release

None at release time.

New warnings for this version:

Decoder definitions that use the "ivariable" form are now deprecated. Definitions included with this release have been converted to the new form. If you have decoder definitions with the older "ivariable" form, they will no longer validate, but can still be used for the first couple of test releases in this series. Please ask on the JMRI Users group for help converting them, or just drop them and use the current definitions.

The OpenLCB 0.6.4 library in this version has a bug in its alias calculations which prevents JMRI from communicating occasionally. A patch has been submitted to the OpenLCB group. In the meantime, the workaround is to restart JMRI and/or the node and try again; that might allocate different alias values.

Older warnings

See the JMRI 4.0 release note for warnings predating the 4.1 development series.

Download links:

Please use these links for downloading:

Changes since test release 4.0:

Hardware Support

Improved error handling during start-up when something Really Unexpected happens, such as configuring to connect to a port that doesn't even exist.

C/MRI

• You can now connect to your C/MRI nodes via a network connection.

LocoNet

• JMRI can now directly program LocoNet devices that use the "System Variable" (SV) protocol version 2. Select "System Variable Type 2" as a Single CV Programmer mode to use this, and see this page for more details.

NCE

• Configure USB Tool - Removed attempted reading of the current USB cab id. It was not working for all cases and prevented reseting the cab id when the USB had an invalid (for the system currently connected) cab id.

OpenLCB

• The OpenLCB library advanced to version 0.6.4, which (among other things) fixed a problem when trying to read broken configuration definition info from a node.

  Note that this is probably the last version of this library, as prototype work is no longer a part of the OpenLCB group effort. It's not yet clear whether a new group will emerge to maintain this code. If you're interested in helping, please contact the JMRI or OpenLCB developers.

• The basic work to allow programming of OpenLCB Nodes via the DecoderPro infrastructure is in place. Later updates will connect this to DecoderPro itself.
• A basic bootloader is available for attached OpenLCB nodes. This lets you install new firmware in a compatible node from a local .hex file (provided by the node manufacturer). Nobody has announced nodes that use this feature, but hopefully since we built it they will come.

  Note: For safe and reliable operation, this relies on items that were removed from the OpenLCB specification in February 2015. For more information, see the package documentation.

Signals

Signal Mast Editor

• Ken Cameron fixed editing of signal head masts to also support old format panel files.

New / Updated decoder definitions

ESU

Dave Heap made the following changes:

• Added the "Random Single Strobe" effect to Function Outputs.
• Added the LokSound Select OEM.
• Added some new ProductIDs for correct decoder identification.
• Fixed the sense of the Adaptive Regulation Frequency bit.

MERG

• The MERG ACC5 definition has been converted to the modern format of internal variables from the older "ivariable" form.

MTH

• Michael Mosher provided patch: 1069

QSI

• A problem with the "Max Bell" and "Bell Select" variables in several QSI definitions was fixed.

RR-CirKits

• The LNCP Basic definition has been converted to the modern format of internal variables from the older "ivariable" form.

SoundTraxx

• Michael Mosher added the Econami range.
• Dave Heap clarified the interaction between the Extended and Legacy Function Map panes in the Econami range.

TCS

• The "Global lighting option 1" on many TCS decoders has been fixed.
• Michael Mosher provided patch: 1070 to update WOW diesel sound set 2

Operations

• Improved train build report to first show which tracks in staging can service the train being built.
• Made some improvements to the spur window to show the current schedule status.
• You can now copy a schedule, see under tools in the edit schedule window, or schedules window.
• The "Show Schedules by Car Type and Load" window now has the option to show all loads.
• You can now open all edit location windows at the same time. Previously you could only open two edit location windows at once.
• CSV switch lists now include hold cars.
• CSV manifests how include hold cars for tracks that are only served by the train being built.
• New "Yardmaster by Track" window can be found under "Tools" in the "Yardmaster" window. This window shows the work for a location listed by tracks. It also shows the hold cars for each track.

OBlocks

• Add feature for Tracker to follow trains into and through dark OBlocks.

Preferences

• Some preferences are now stored in properties files in the preferences directory within the current profile. The file preferences.properties contains settings that a common to all computers using that profile, while the file (or files) named in the pattern jmri-<MAC address>-<profile-hash>.properties contain per-computer settings.
• Web Server and JSON Server preferences are now stored in the above format. Although the pre-JMRI 4.1 settings files for these servers are not removed, changes to these services' settings made in JMRI 4.1 will not be available to earlier versions of JMRI. These services' settings will only be migrated to the new format by clicking Save in the Preferences window.
• mDNS / Bonjour / ZeroConf network services advertisements can be blocked on IPv4 or IPv6 addresses by editing the the per-computer preferences file to include either or both of the following lines:
  • jmri-util-zeroconf.IPv4=false
  • jmri-util-zeroconf.IPv6=false
  Valid values for these settings are true or false. Note that this is an experimental feature.

Logix

• Enhancement Request #574 implemented. Can use fractions of seconds for timing.
• Add feature to set sensor/turnout delay times indirectly from memory.

Roster Speed Profile

Improvements made to the UI.

• The starting and ending speed steps can be set for measuring a profile. Also the increment for each profile step may be set
• The speed profile will interpolate or extrapolate for omitted speed steps
• The speed profile can be viewed in a table
• There is an option to merge or replace the speed profile

Panel Editors

• Fix backgrounds of text to stay transparent when rotated.
• Fix false resizing of IndicatorTrackIcons
• Fix spurious window names appearing under "Windows" menu

Miscellaneous

• Improved the script editor (Panels -> Script Entry):
  • Now remembers the selected directory from operation to operation, so you don't have to renavigate each time.
  • Use the same file selector for Load and Store, so it's easy to work in one directory.
  • Use a proper Store dialog so you can e.g. change the filename.
• Include a python.properties for configuring the Jython environment.
• Improve instructions for making a local copy of the JMRI website and providing a local XML catalog.
• Sonny Hansen has greatly improved the Danish translation.
• The Multiple Decoder Programming tool is back to being available in the DecoderPro tools menu. Also, you can add it as a button or startup item in PanelPro and DecoderPro.
• The Danish translations has been made more general. It was coded as _da_DK, which is "Danish (Denmark)". That's been changed to _da, which is generic "Danish", no matter where spoken. If you have local translation files for Danish, this might conflict. Contact the JMRI list for help with this. Contributed translations are always welcome!
• The "Check XML File" option under the PanelPro Debug menu didn't need to be a separate item, as it was already included in "Validate XML File". It's been removed, please select the "Validate XML File" from now on.
• You can now add "Validate XML File" as a custom button via the Start Up pane in the Preferences.

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