Rail Driver: is it ORTS Compatable

[Boat23]

Hello i was wondering if Raildrive was COmpatible with Open Rails i want to play Train SIms with the Highest Professionalism Keyboard Controls Take Away From that and i wold like to get a Rail Driver so i can play it Like a COnductor

[EricF]

Yes, RailDriver is compatible with Open Rails, although there are some things you should know about it. First, the "Official" release and "Experimental" versions of Open Rails have basic support for it built-in, but the control response is sluggish and sometimes troublesome. Read the Open Rails setup instructions carefully to learn how to calibrate the RailDriver and create a calibration file which must be kept in your "Train Simulator" folder(s).

Second, there is an unofficial forked version of Open Rails being worked on which specifically includes improved RailDriver support which has a much improved calibration system, and the RailDriver controls work much better; also there are customization options for what the buttons and controls do. This is the "Ultimate" unofficial version that's based on the "Unstable" builds of Open Rails which are used for testing the latest (but potentially unstable) changes. Features being tested in this and the Unstable builds will eventually work their way into the official release once they're thoroughly tested and ready.

Either way, the RailDriver works with Open Rails.

[Boat23]

so i'll need to Download and Install Open Rails v1.3 the Latest Version

But How wold i create a Calibration FIle ?

[R. Steele]

so i'll need to Download and Install Open Rails v1.3 the Latest Version

But How wold i create a Calibration FIle ?

http://openrails.org/download/program/ <<<< bottom of this page, left hand side, read "Does Open Rails suppport RailDriver?"
full instructions are included...how to calibrate and where to place the "ModernCalibration.rdm" file.
There is also a link to Eric's review on his MSTSRoundhouse blog, you should bookmark the blog, lots of other good information there...for both OR and MSTS.


The OR raildriver branch has its own calibration protocols.

[EricF]

Probably one of the best-kept secrets of Open Rails is that it's had rudimentary RailDriver support from it's earliest beginnings. If you have OR at all on your computer, it should work if you calibrate it according to the instructions.

Thanks for the kind words, Gerry! I tend not to "toot my own horn" much and don't consider myself an expert or authority on much of anything, but I try to keep some useful information out there in a little corner of the Web for everyone.

Here's a couple of direct links to the items that might be helpful:
http://msts-roundhouse.vnxglobal.com/opinon/raildriver-review
This is the narrative that describes setting up and using the RailDriver, including some tips about the device itself and some of its quirks (like the fact that it may keep your computer from going to sleep if you leave it plugged in) and it also has a step-by-step summary of the steps to get it calibrated in Open Rails. It's a longer read, but it will tell you everything you need to know about the RailDriver as a user. (I've actually opened up the RailDriver and inspected its innards, and I could go into a lot of technical detail about it, but that would probably put most folks to sleep! I did offer some explanation of the electronic theory of how its analog controls work to the author of the improved RailDriver interface for Open Rails, which might have helped the project along so there's that. But it would make for terribly dry reading unless you're an electronics aficionado... )

Here's the more recent delve into the experimental Open Rails improvements for the RailDriver:
http://msts-roundhouse.vnxglobal.com/archives/669
This will give you more information and screenshots of how to setup and use the RailDriver with a special branch of development versions of Open Rails. Consider this an "alpha" branch of the software, with early unstable code, compared to the "Experimental" branch used by a lot of OR enthusiasts, which is more of a "beta" version.

There's a link to the GitHub download of the special RailDriver version in my article, but in case you miss it in the narrative, it's currently here:
https://github.com/perpetualKid/ORTS-MG

Pay close attention to my note about running the built-in updater for Open Rails if you have more than one version installed for testing (which is easy to do, and typical for a lot of OR users). You can be running one version and accidentally update it to the wrong "channel" if you aren't paying attention. It's not the end of the world; you can always re-download and install the version you want, but it's worth knowing about.

[Boat23]

Wold it work in X4083

[cn bala]

Sorry to miss your message before about this. Yes it will work with Open Rails. And here is the link below:


http://raildriver.com/assets/documen...structions.pdf


Hope that will help you with this.

John

[Don6218]

I had a Rail Driver, and ended up selling it. It was too cumbersome for my desk-top and I lost interest, because at the time there were numerous "Updates-Revisions-Updates again-more Revisions". My patience ran out and I decided that someone else needed this unit more than me.

It seemed that whenever I wanted to use it, the program or whatever was "out-of-date". I sold it and have never regretted it.

'nuff said! Hi John!

[stephenwl]

First off, Hi folks. Been out of train sims for a few years. Guess I'm an addict and slipping back.

I'm going to add a comment here hoping to help noobs. Getting a free game for buying a RailDriver is pretty compelling. Now you want to run Open Rails and a bit confused getting the controller working.

I ended up putting a dab of tape by the lower left RailDriver pushbutton, Run/Stop. Has to be done in game. You are in the cab. Hit Run/Stop. The display will change to 0.0
Do I have to admit such a common error on my part?

Another beginner problem is "but my train will not move!" Yep, could be several reasons but let's eliminate the RailDriver. Press F5 on your keyboard. This will bring up the Train Driving Info panel. Moving the Direction, Throttle and Train Brakes (Tee handle level) on the RailDriver will all show changes here. It does? RailDriver is ready.

Hope this helps someone.