How to build a throttle oriented JMRI interface
For this how to we assume you're an already experienced user of JMRI.
Particularly we assume that your JMRI layout connection is already working and that you're
already able to open a Throttle Window and control a locomotive.
Further more we assume that your Roster database already exists, all most of these Throttles
features are tightly linked to the Roster DB and need it to work correctly.
1) Prepare your rosters entry
First step is to
fill in the Media and Functions labels
panes in DecoderPro.
Once this is done and all functions label are defined for your rosters,
you want to make sure that the options to hide the undefined
function buttons and the one to use roster image as a background for a throttle window
are enabled.
2) Design your throttle panes
At this step, when you open a throttle and select a roster (or enter an address that match a
roster (there is a
preference setting to enable that
look back)), the background image should be there, and the function butons should reflect
what you entered in DecoderPro.
Now what you can do, is set up the Throttle Window the way you like it, particularly its
size, and then for each roster set the Function and Control Panel position and size as you
like ( I personally choose to close the Address Panel, you can still reopen it through the
View menu, and I don't need it most of the time, the save throttle menu entry will also save
the closed (or iconified) status of inner windows).
3) Customize with Jynstruments
You can also add some specific
Jynstruments to
your Throttle Windows, actually you can mix Function Labels in the Function Pane for
Functions that are not used that often, and Jynstruments for the most used one, or some more
complex functionalities where only a Jython script can do it.
When you're satisfied with step 3) and 4 ) for a specific roster, you want to hit the Save
menu entry in the
Throttle Window File menu in order
to save the current Throttle configuration, next time a throttle is acquired for that Roster
entry, this backup file will be automatically loaded and the Throttle Window updated.
4) Design your throttles layout
Next step is to set up the gloabl screen layout, with maybe several Throttle Windows, the
Throttle List Window (accessible from the
Throttle Window toolbar) and finally hit the Save throttle layout
(or Save as default throttle layout) in the
JMRI
Throttles Tools menu entry.
5) Get more control with Jynstruments
Using Jysntruments it is also possible to set up an
external controller for a Throttle Window. (at the moment USB Joypad or Nintendo Wiimote,
but more classic Jython scripts exist for USB Raildriver device and ...)
6) Finally adding a quick start button to the JMRI main window
And finally, using the Launchers
Jynstruments
that can be dropped at the bottom of the JMRI main Window you can add some fast launchers for
specific JMRI applications, particularly
loading the default throttle
layout button.
Note: It is not possible to save customizations of steps 5)
and 6) at the moment.
