PC Beta - "ebula" Tool For Dresden - Chemnitz

Discussion in 'TSW General Discussion' started by OpenMinded, Apr 1, 2022.

  1. OpenMinded

    OpenMinded Well-Known Member

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    Who ever was attracted enough by the title to look into this thread, is probably aware of an earlier project tygerways#2596 and myself worked on. If not, have a look, as they are somehow interlinked and the Buchfahrplan may still be the better option for you:

    "buchfahrplan" Tool For Dresden – Chemnitz | Dovetail Games Forums

    After the Buchfahrplan we wanted to go the next step and provide something that is even closer to reality. Unfortunately, we do not have an API, and as the EBuLa is an automatic system, presenting your actual position, the basic idea was to use "time" as the one thing, linking TSW world and outside world. How to deal with delays, etc, will be explained further down (oh, and also that time is relative...).

    Also, it should be noted that, just like the Buchfahrplan, the EBuLa also runs on Excel, which gives us some options for the future, however, it also means that you need to run it in parallel on a second machine or second monitor.

    And also important to note is, the intention of this release is purely for beta purposes. We want to get some feedback, less about accuracy of the represented track (this also, but not as the main focus), but about the handling, the interface and everything you would find annoying or would wish for, in another update.

    Alright, so much for the intro and as the stage is set, let me talk about our tool:

    If you enter it for the first time, you will need to accept all the usual safety requests from Excel and you will see a screen like this:
    upload_2022-4-1_10-24-37.png

    At this stage you can, as already known from the Buchfahrplan tool, enter all infos you need to set up the route for you desired train. Once you have done that, you press "Load" on the bottom (you actually need to press the "8", as we are not simulating a touch screen). The "TWF" is new and lets you specify a "time warp factor", as we found that the TSW time does not always run as fast as the real time. Why this is important may already be clear, but more on the "timelines" and their importance further down. The "TWF" can also be changed during your ride, btw.

    The next screen will appear and look like this (an IRE1 in this case):
    upload_2022-4-1_10-27-57.png

    From here it is possible to return to the earlier window by pressing "Zug" ("9" key on the bottom), for example if you want to change your TWF setting. Back in the "Zug" window you can also press "new" ("7"), for creating a new Fahrplan, or "G" ("9"), for going back into the currently running one.

    In order to operate this, it is important to understand that we are talking about two timelines, which need to be managed and controlled. The basis for the timelines is basically a calculation in the background, which adds a calculated time your train should be at each line, according to the speed profile and the timetable from TSW. These controls are:

    1) on the upper right hand side, buttons "clock", which is used to start the clock, which represents the TSW time (EBuLa display upper right corner, which is preset to the departure time), and pauses it. The actual status is displayed in the EBuLa bottom left corner, where it states "Time out" when it is paused, and "time "on"" when the clock is running. The two buttons "+10" and "-10" enables you to spool forward or backward. Again, this may be, because your TSW time was running slower and you need to adjust the time, or you forgot to "pause" with the "clock" button at the right time.

    2)
    on the bottom left corner, "up", "down" and "wait" (buttons "2", "3" and "4"). This represents the position of your train along the track (represented by the diamond), hence, controls the "delay", which will also be displayed, roughly above the button "7". Pressing "up" or "down" will move the courser one line up or down. "Wait" makes it stop but keeps the timer running. You would use it for example at a red signal, and you can watch the delay counter go up. So, lets say it is 11:03 but you have just only reached the ESig at 0,8km, your screen will look like this, once you have pressed "down" once:
    upload_2022-4-1_10-43-2.png

    Now that this is understood (sounds more complicated than it is, play around with it and it will become clearer), lets talk a little about the other features:

    My favourite feature is probably the "dark" mode, which actually works if you press the associated button on the top.

    If you are running a train with GNT equipment, you need to press the "8" button, in order to enable the GNT speed profile. This will then be indicated roughly above button "6".

    Pressing the above two options, the exact same situation as in the screenshot above will then look like this:
    upload_2022-4-1_10-59-25.png

    When pressing the button "ZLZ" (stands for "Zuglängenzähler"), the system tries to calculate how long it will take for the end of your train to reach the point you are at, when pressing it. In reality this function would not be linked to the EBuLa, however, it is a little experiment we have incorporated. It always takes the last known speed as basis to calculate the time it takes to travel the distance of the train length. Hence, its function is somehow limited... It will be indicated in the fields above the buttons "8" to "0", and looks something like that:
    upload_2022-4-1_14-21-32.png

    This basically concludes the explanation I have got, so far. If I forgot something, please ask here. I intentionally did not want to explain every little aspect of the representation of an EBuLa screen, as I would assume it is known, maybe clear enough, but in any case to complicated to try and explain it all in detail, here. If you have certain questions in this respect, please ask!

    However, I would also like to give you some outlook, what we are intending to work on next. Our big vision comes from a comment on the Buchfahrplan threat, where someone suggested to make this editable for an end user, hence, involving the community to come up with more Fahrpläne for different routes. This is what we are trying to achieve in the long run. With the EBuLa tool, tygerways has done the first step in achieving this, by coming up with a basis for an easy to use input system of the data for the track. This was still a lot of manual work and editing for the Buchfahrplan. In a next step we will probably make the Buchfahrplan part of this system, making both tools to only one. We will have to come up with an easy to use, if not automatic, way to calculate time-steps for each displayed line in a the EBuLa, but letting a user still specify specific times it takes between two station, according to the TSW specified timetable. This, today, is all very time consuming and manual as well, and not working very well, all the time, I must add. You may notice, when using the EBuLa, that for some services the last line before a station may have the same arrival time as the station arrival itself. But there are already first ideas and first try outs to solve all this. But, it will take time.

    On this note, please, dont push us to come up with a quick and simple solution. We have our plan, which we are working against and want to achieve a certain quality as well. Hence the reason for making this "beta" public, in order to get some feedback. This is fun for us and we are investing time when we have some to spare;)

    Tygerways will link his discord again to this thread later on today, making it possible for you to download it from there.

    Keep the feedback coming!
     
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  2. jamesthepershing

    jamesthepershing Active Member

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  3. OpenMinded

    OpenMinded Well-Known Member

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    Tygerways will post a link later on today on this thread.
     
  4. CowBoyWolf

    CowBoyWolf Well-Known Member

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  5. OpenMinded

    OpenMinded Well-Known Member

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    The link is correct, however, the EBuLa file has not been uploaded yet. Patience, please. It will come later today.
     
  6. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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  7. FD1003

    FD1003 Well-Known Member

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    Thank you very much guys for this, I am speechless in front of what the community can achieve. Great job.

    I've tried it a little and, please don't take this in a bad way, I had to abandon the two services I decided to use to try your "pseudo ebula" pretty early.

    For me it requires too much babysitting and correcting, it ends up more of an annoyance. Also as a major safety critical system which tells me upcoming speed limits and where to stop, I need something I can rely on, and apparently the time in TSW is too much volatile.

    I am extremely saddened to say that I'd rather continue to use the Buchfahrplan. I'm really sorry to say this as I can't imagine the work that went into making this work. It's not your fault, you did everything you could to make it work.

    I might give it a second chance later trying to mess with TWF but even accounting for time I noticed it gets inaccurate pretty fast. What % of the speed limit did you use as the "average speed"? A red signal or a slowdown can make it go out of sync and I've found it hard to sync it back outside of a station, or another known point. Which makes it unreliable and too much of an issue to keep track of.

    If you have any tips on how you guys are using it and how reliable it is for you it would be helpful. Maybe I need to play with the down and up buttons more instead of focusing on the time alone...
     
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2022
  8. OpenMinded

    OpenMinded Well-Known Member

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    Yes, fair points. And it certainly is true, it does require adjustments. It is a learning curve and I have started really using it since we implemented the TWF. I am usually not so much adjusting between two stations, rather checking while at a stop and adjusting accordingly. But it is annoying that the TSW time is not constant. And it would certainly be even better with an API available:(

    It’s for sure the best compromise we could find and it grew on me over time. Then again, it was also a carrier of technology we want to use for the final development step, as explained above. In the end you will have the choice of using either way in one tool, much automated and open for everybody to fill with new lines and timetables.
     
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  9. OpenMinded

    OpenMinded Well-Known Member

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    You can download the file already from tygerways#2596 discord server. If you need a new invitation you can get in touch with him, he will send you one.
     
  10. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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    You can download it from my discord
    https://discord.gg/jgrMNfhV
    (link valid for 7 days)
     
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  11. gazz292

    gazz292 Well-Known Member

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    Could you not use the raildriver speed display data?

    From that you can work out the distance traveled irrespective of time?

    It's a shame there's no access to the data in TSW2 as there is in Train Simulator Classic/20xx, there's an ebula system that runs on android tablets for that, as it has access to the trains GPS data from the sim, as well as the in game time and so on, so it auto updates its self as you drive.
     
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  12. Doomotron

    Doomotron Well-Known Member

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    As with the unofficial editor, it's really good to see the community brute-forcing features into the game that DTG refuse to add.
     
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  13. OpenMinded

    OpenMinded Well-Known Member

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    That’s a good thought, I was not even aware that feature works on the raildriver.

    Is there anybody on this forum who has more inside into this matter?

    only thing I would think would be a problem is the fact that, as we have found, time is everything but constant within TSW. Hence, you would still see a lag, even if the EBuLa tool would know what speed is driven when…
     
  14. breblimator

    breblimator Guest

    I am too busy to check this out but this looks amazing! I can't wait \o/ LEGENDARY
     
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  15. Diegovo

    Diegovo New Member

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    Hello to all!

    This looks fantastic, could I please ask for a new Discord invite to try this tool?

    Many Thanks
     
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  16. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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  17. Omgy24

    Omgy24 New Member

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    Hello, this mod looks gorgeous. Can't wait for using it, could I ask for new invite.
    Thank you wm.
     
  18. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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  19. vincent#3703

    vincent#3703 Member

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    Hallo,
    diese Mod sieht sehr gut aus. Ich würde mich herzlich über eine Einladung freuen.
    Danke vielmals.
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2022
  20. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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  21. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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  22. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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    I would send you a personal invite, Bill, but it seems you already are on my discord.
     
  23. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    But can't sign in [edit: can now sign in to discord, but don't know how to find my way to this thread]
     
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2022
  24. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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    You find it under "Train Sim World"/"general". Then see the pinned messages for the three tools.
     
  25. solicitr

    solicitr Well-Known Member

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    Currently I'm in a server called "Train Sim Corner" and can't figure out how to get to anywhere else
     
  26. 5cip

    5cip Active Member

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    Hello,
    amazing tool how many routes are included total ?
    can u send me an invite for discord ?

    cheers
     
  27. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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    Hey, thank you very much.
    So far it is only the Tharandter Rampe DLC that is included.
    We were working on a version for Schnellfahrstrecke Kassel Würzburg, but didn't get the necessary timetable data so far.
    Since we have the structural problem of not really being able to sync the tool timeline with the game timeline without any kind of API or similar, we put the tool out as a work in progress version.
    Here is the invite to my discord (valid for another 7 days):
    https://discord.gg/exXyRwmu
     
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  28. NightSnail

    NightSnail New Member

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    Id love to use this Tool, can you please send another Invite?
     
  29. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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    Of course!
    https://discord.gg/zuHkFSzB
    (valid for another 7 days)
     
  30. DrkCookie

    DrkCookie New Member

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    hey tygerways#2596
    i just stumbled over that thread, was always thinking why that display doesn't work.
    i would be very thankful to get access to your discord and try it out myself!

    keep going and thank you very much!
     
  31. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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    Hey! Sure thing!
    https://discord.gg/H6P286jB
    (valid for another 7 days)
     
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  32. fettpiek

    fettpiek New Member

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    May I get access to the discord server to get my hands on that please?
     
  33. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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    Of course!
    https://discord.gg/tDcESkr9
    (valid for another 7 days)
     
  34. SGTDRE

    SGTDRE Well-Known Member

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    I have been following this thread for several weeks now, will you continue to work on this tool, which leads to the reason for my question? Yes, you guessed it, TSW4, or will you carry everything over it?
    I do not really have a second monitor, nevertheless, your tool has interested me.
     
  35. OpenMinded

    OpenMinded Well-Known Member

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    We would both be up to develop it further and create new timetables for newer routes as well. We have even already worked on SKW for example. However, there is currently nobody in the community extracting the timetable times of the services. This is obviously essential in order to generate the full picture…
     
  36. SGTDRE

    SGTDRE Well-Known Member

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    Ah okay, that makes sense, hopefully, some will be willing to step up and extract the timetable times of the and for services.
     
  37. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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    Well, since I know about the upcoming release of the editor, I am dreaming about adding something like our own little API to the existing routes.. that provides maybe at least the in-game time for our tool.. if a station clock can show the in-game time, maybe with some adjustments it can be sent somewhere where excel can pick it up... or even a train position.. Then we had our "GPS" positioning and wouldn't have to fiddle about with all the adjusting.. I have no idea, if this can be done, but I am still dreaming.
     
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  38. SGTDRE

    SGTDRE Well-Known Member

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    Everything starts with a Dream, Trains Plains & Automobiles :) This would interesting to see in-game provided it can be worked out,
     
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  39. Omgy24

    Omgy24 New Member

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    Hi, do you consider about making EBuLa for other trains ?
    And can you please send me again link for Discord, last time I was a bit busy and forgot about that ;).
     
  40. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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    The EBuLa project is dormant at the moment, but we will see..
    Here is an invite to my discord:
    https://discord.gg/FNE5E8QS
    (valid for another 7 days)
     
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  41. BaNkIck

    BaNkIck New Member

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    Hey, I just found out about this tool.

    I understand it does not sync with the game but given you implemented controls to manually sync the time to the in-game, I think it's still very, very useful.

    Could I get a link to download it or an invite to the discord if that's where it is?

    Thanks!
     
  42. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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    Sure, here is another invite:
    https://discord.gg/jPpKp7Z5
    (valid for 7 days)

    Those controls to manually adjust the timer running in the tool to the in-game time are already implemented. Also a button that makes the tool "wait" for the progress in the game. So this works. Admittedly, though, it requires a lot of annoying fidgeting around.
     
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  43. BaNkIck

    BaNkIck New Member

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    Thanks a lot!
     
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  44. heyimnorbert

    heyimnorbert New Member

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    Hello! Could I get a link to download it? Thank you!
     
  45. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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    Of course, Norbert! Here you go:
    https://discord.gg/6jyJbzxm
    (valid for another 7 days)
     
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  46. razmatus#2517

    razmatus#2517 Well-Known Member

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    impressive but atm too complicated for me :) keeping my fingers crossed tho for you to achieve the goals set and hopefully in the future it will be even simpler and practical to use... kudos for the effort :)))
     
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  47. Juice#3053

    Juice#3053 Active Member

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    Could you please post the link again?
     
  48. tygerways#2596

    tygerways#2596 Well-Known Member

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