Release Notes for JMRI 5.3.5 release

Date: April 8, 2023

From: Bob Jacobsen

Subject: Test Release 5.3.5 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 5.3.* test releases. It requires Java 11 to work. (See our page on downloading Java 11) We expect this series to end in the next JMRI 5.4 production release in June 2023. (See the tentative release schedule)

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

Update From Older JMRI Versions

If you are currently using a version older than JMRI 5.0, please follow these instructions carefully:

1. Is your current version older than JMRI 4.12? If so, then update to JMRI 4.12 first, and ensure everything works correctly: check start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else. Store your configuration and panel files under a new name and use those from now on. Then continue with step 2.

   If you are currently using JMRI 4.7.3 or earlier on Linux or macOS (Windows doesn't need this), then it's very important that you update to JMRI 4.12 and carrying out the migration process described in the JMRI 4.12 release note before updating to any later release.

2. Is your current version older than JMRI 4.20? Then update to JMRI 4.20 first, and ensure that works correctly (check start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else. Save your preferences again. Store your configuration and panel files under a new name, use those from now on, and go on to step 3.
3. Is your current version older than JMRI 4.24? Then update to JMRI 4.24 first, and ensure that works correctly (check start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else. Save your preferences again. Store your configuration and panel files under a new name and use those from now on.
4. Is your current version older than JMRI 5.0? Then update to JMRI 5.0 first, and ensure that works correctly (check start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else. Save your preferences again. Store your configuration and panel files under a new name and use those from now on.
5. You can then install this release.

Following this multi-step order of updating via stable major releases safeguards you against possible migration issues that can arise from skipping these versions.

New problems with this release

• Programming certain Loconet-attached boards may not work with the DCS100 command station. The fix is available in JMRI 5.3.6
• Since JMRI 4.99.1 There's a problem locating and operating ECoS sensors. The fix will be available in JMRI 5.3.7
• Since JMRI 5.3.4 DecoderPro improperly displays function names in the Function Map pane for certain ESU decoders. The fix will be available in JMRI 5.3.7.

New warnings for this release:

• None yet

Older warnings

See the JMRI 5.2 release note for more warnings predating the 5.3 development series, including pointers to various migration issues. These may be relevant to you if you're updating from an earlier version; we strongly recommend you update to at least JMRI 5.0 before installing this test release. See instructions above.

• Since JMRI 5.3.2 Some images in the resources/icons folder have been renamed. Spaces have been changed to underscore. It's images in the resources/icons/ItalianSignals/ACEI, resources\icons\ItalianSignals\Prototypical, resources/icons/smallschematics/aspects/NW-1981, resources/icons/smallschematics/aspects/NYC-1956, xml/signals/FS-1987, xml/signals/NW-1981, xml/signals/NYC-1956 and resources/icons/SNCF/Small folders that have been renamed. If you are using these images directly, you will need to update the reference.
• Since JMRI 5.1.7 The way defaults for some LocoNet connections are handled has changed. Existing LocoNet connections might give a "The Defaults preferences are invalid" warning when saving preferences. In that case, click "yes" and then go set all the default radio buttons on the "Defaults" pane to the LocoNet connection. (You can also click "no", but you'll get the message next time you store too)
• Since JMRI 4.99.1 This test release, and all subsequent ones, require the use of Java 11 or later. Java 8 is explicitly not supported. There's more information on this migration on the JMRI Tech Road Map and JVM Capabilities pages.
• Since JMRI 5.3.3 The code for Loconet programming operations was significantly changed. If you encounter any (new) troubles programming via Loconet, please get in touch on the JMRIusers list.

Download links:

Changes since Test Release 5.3.4:

The list of included changes is available from our GitHub code repository.

Hardware Support

CBUS

• Changed SPROG DCC module IDs to match similar MERG modules, to work around an issue with the FCU tool.

LocoNet

• Simplified the display of LocoNet sensor messages in the monitor

Marklin CS2

• New connection subtype for the CdB system via USB.

MQTT

• Fix typo in Sensor default name; should not have visible effect.

OpenLCB / LCC

• Add event user name to Monitor display
• Add memory space window display to Memory Tool
• Better ordering for overlapping events in Event Table
• Event table loads all saved event names when opened
• Ensure JMRI source nodes are identified in the Monitor display
• Complete the information in the memory space window
• Performance improvements in the Event Table
• Fix an error preventing multiple configuration windows from working properly
• Fix a timeout error in the hub when running on Windows
• Improved help pages for several tools
• Updated OpenLCB library (openlcb.jar) through its PR 224.

New / Updated decoder definitions

ZIMO

• Include CV's 190-191 for Decoder FW V.37+
• Added MS950 and MS990 model info
• Updated CV64 in MS models to have a maximum of 15, was 9

DecoderPro

• Improved the labelling of service mode vs ops mode programming
• Fixed the display of multiple programming tracks

LogixNG

• Cleanup LogixNG controlled Dispatcher train when the train has been terminated by an external action.
• Add a Section Expression which is used to get the state of a section. The state can be Free, Forward or Reverse.
• Add a Transit Expression which is used to get the state of a transit. The state can be Idle or Assigned.
• Apply the Clock Expression settings when creating a new expression.
• Enable the Light Action data input fields when Set Intensity or Set Transition Time is selected.
• Add the Web request action that sends a HTTP or HTTPS request to a web server.

Preferences

• Added a File Chooser Dialog file view option to the Display preference. This provides the ability to choose a List or Detail view for file dialogs.

Signals

Signal Systems

• Updated several definitions to replace invalid speed and speed2 values with proper speed indications. The invalid values had been previously interpreted as zero.
• Updated the xml/schema/aspecttable.xsd schema to ensure that only valid speed and speed2 values will occur in signal system definitions.

Throttle

• Added a feature to allow custom markers on speed sliders, see documention on Roster Media Pane page (Custom attributes section)
• Small bugs fixes : previous and next running throttle buttons were reversed, large horizontal speed slider thumb was resized, large speed slider track computation was buggy
• Throttle related Jynstruments code was refactored to use non deprecated Function methods

Turnouts, Lights, Sensors and other elements

• Preferred format for IdTag xml whenLastSeen field updated to ISO 8601.
• Memory Variable Table - If a Memory Variable value is not empty, the Java Class of the value is displayed as a tooltip.

Miscellaneous

• The NamedIcon class will now search Locations.ALL for files. This means
  • Files and filepaths will be found in the user area first for all subclasses of NamedIcon.
  • This change might result in different graphics in some cases, where it hadn't been searching before and a file was not being found (even though it really should have been). Please check your graphics carefully to see if there are any issues.

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