[RAF96]

QUOTE (Matthew Peddlesden @ 26 Mar 2008, 12:43) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Use Windows Update to get your laptop upgraded so that it has the latest .NET Framework 3.5 on it (or whatever is the latest you can get, might take two or three goes potentially, certainly my XP laptop won't go to 3.0 or 3.5 until it's had the 2.0 service pack installed.

Once you're up to .NET 3.5 (or whatever the latest you can get is) give me an email and include the following info:

For each loco that you want to control, I need a real simple name for it (e.g. "thomas", "james", "thirty-seven" etc), the simpler the better - preferably give them a shot on your speech rec in notepad or something and see how reliably it can pick the name up when either of you speak it. Next, for each loco i'll need it's dcc id. If you're using any functions, let me know which ones and what names you want to give them (obviously "lightson" and "lightsoff" is already there. I'm also assuming that you're set to use either 28 or 128 speed step - my code will use 128 speed step (but as long as you're set to the 28/128 option it is fine, and this is usually the default).

I'll then set it up with a simple default config based on what you send me and get you a copy to play with since it should work pretty easily on your machine.

Have you installed the vista drivers for the Elite and proven it works on something like JMRI just to make sure that side of things is good? You'll need the com port name (e.g. COM4) to put in to my software so that it can talk to the Elite. I've put a thread on the hornby site detailing how to get the Microchip 1.3 driver upgrade until Hornby release an official one (if they haven't already), this will get it all working on Vista.

Drop me an email at matt *at* uktrainsim *dot* com and i'll zip something up for you to play with and let me know how you get on, it'll be good to know that it will work for more than just me

Thanks for the offer of the decoder - let's hold fire on that, i'm going to try and encourage folks like Hornby etc to contribute some kit to the cause, i'm at most of the major shows in the UK with UKDccRail DCC Workshops and UKTrainSimLive, and i've spoken with the top people from most of the major companies now many times so with something tangible to see they may well be more interested in helping out.

Cheers
Matt.

Matt
So far so good. The possibilities are enormous. Couple of questions - 1. how do you draw up your trackplan - symbol picking like Rocrail & JMRI. 2. I presume points switching is from the trackplan firing Hornby HADs. Any clues as to why Rocrail screws up the address/port thing on HAD2 when the Elite works it OK , as does JMRI.
Best of luck with getting some kit out of Hornby - they have been requested to monitor this thread.
Robbie

 

[RAF96]

Best of luck Matt, both on the development work and with Hornby.
I look forward to further reports.
Robbie

 

[RAF96]

QUOTE (RAFHAAA96 @ 27 Mar 2008, 14:25) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Best of luck Matt, both on the development work and with Hornby.
I look forward to further reports.
Robbie
Matt
Further to your response about drawing up the trackplan
I've been looking at TrainBrain from CTI-Electronics. Their software is a free download and drawing up a very clear format trackplan is a doddle using it. They support Lenz-USB, so effectively I guess the Hornby Elite. The command consoles are the standard floating screen type seen in other train control packages.
The problem is the software is rigged to run into the CS using their various TrainBrain modules.
No doubt you could easily sidestep this with your code as the code they use is Train Control Language - a type of plain English code (like programming in Basic) that is further compiled by the modules.
It may be the answer to a quick trackplan to go with your splendid voice-command application, which I trust is going from strength to strength.
Robbie

 

[RAF96]

Good news about voice recognition over XP Matt.
I had word from Rocrail that they have sorted the HAD addressing offset problem. So that may be a help whenever you can get hold of some HADS.
I'm looking for 'info' per your PM.
I will be keen to see your stirling efforts out of beta.
Best of luck, Robbie

 

[RAF96]

QUOTE (Matthew Peddlesden @ 6 Apr 2008, 21:03) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Well, for the latter part of the afternoon I set up a few extra mods to the voice throttle so that I could use names of colours to select various routes (I still don't have a decent speech rec grammar implemented

) - to go in to the two yard sidings or select the main and was able numerous times using only my voice to go from one running loco to another by putting it in the sidings and getting the next one out of a different siding etc, so it seems to work ok, including operating the signals as part of the route.

I understand a bit more about what's going on in that part of the interface now too, and it now has a nice simple API command in the SDK - it's also been used with two accessory decoders at once and seemed to always find the right accessory output regardless of which decoder it was on (one six output and one four output too), which is a bonus, means my maths is about right... though it wasn't to start with, most bizarre problem where all the outputs seemed to work fine except number four - switch it one way and it worked, switch it the other and a different output changed

simple maths error though once I sat down and saw what it was doing

A few others had a go this weekend at the speech, including one lad of about 8 or 9 who seemed to have no problem with it, I really must get my son (5) to have a go and see how he gets on.

Next step is to beef up the rest of the app a bit more so it's easy to try some things out without requiring code changes and then get it out to a few more people for testing (particularly as I can't test the accessory stuff myself normally!).

Anyway, pretty reasonable progress.

Thanks for the kind words Mike, very much appreciated - glad it's working ok. Hopefully i'll have a new version out to you soon to test the accessories, day-job permitting

Matt.
Hi Matt
More good news from you - well done.
I'm happy to do some accessory testing using all Hornby kit.
Cheers, Robbie

 

[RAF96]

Hi Matt
I also eagerly await the next instalment / version of your software.
Some of my locos are feeling left out, whilst the original nominees gladly answer to their names.
Did you also notice that Ronald has fixed the offset points addressing problem in Rocrail to everyone's satisfaction. I have changed the Wiki to match.
Regards, Robbie