New HUD movie

[AndiS]

Doesn't look bad for me. Clearly, dials would be better. But maybe they can be added. The top half of the HUD looks pretty modular, so I would not see that as a one-fits-all solution.

For a modern cab, you would actually see all the dials (compare the moment of the screenshot), all you need is a bit of a difference in the camera position. But for steam cabs, dials are distributed all over the boiler head. In this case, dials in the HUD would come handy. Also for driving from outside the cab.

They put quite some thinking into the controls in the middle with the "immediately clear" symbols for speed, reverser, and brakes. No, I don't think that everyone will immediately understand them, but I would not find better solutions. Of course, you could find different designs which would be nearer to the prototype -- again, I guess/hope that this will be configurable/reskinable.

The semi-transparent alert box looks like a good compromise to me. True, it is still obtrusive, but that is more a question of scenario design and further work on the "immersion" front. I find it simply bad to have too much text to read, or disruptive messages, anyway, no matter what they look like. I would prefer simple acoustic and visual signals from the guard for "depart", "push", "pull", "slow". Add a working timetable which I can bring up when I want to see it, and alerts become optional information for the laymen, explaining why you need to couple this wagon and why you wait and what is in the wagon and why your mission is exciting or important or spooky. Next step would be an option to show them or not, under the assumption that there is a decent working timetable.

[msey0002]

Idea: what about the option for reading the last scenario message you recieved? Kind of like consulting your clipboard in cab. Saves you from the pressure of reading everything quickly while driving or pausing the game. Thus it can be done at one's own leisure

[FoggyMorning]

Add a working timetable which I can bring up when I want to see it, and alerts become optional information for the laymen, explaining why you need to couple this wagon and why you wait and what is in the wagon and why your mission is exciting or important or spooky. Next step would be an option to show them or not, under the assumption that there is a decent working timetable.

That's already there in the F1 screen?

Personally I'd rather just have all the information from F3, 4 & 5 combined along the bottom of the screen, eliminating the problem of not being able to see your boiler pressure when driving into the sun ( ). On the plus side this looks like it's still displaying everything in easy to decipher percentages. Another thing I like is that you can see through the pop-up boxes now - hopefully this will encourage scenario writers to include more of these instructions, as this adds to the realism for me, rather than overloading information on the initial briefing screen, being told as you approach siding A that you must leave Wagon X here helps create the illusion that you are interacting with real evens, rather than following a strictly scripted screenplay

I hope it's "toggle-able" though - the dials and lights in cab models may be purely cosmetic but they are nice to look at.

[Wikkus]

when driving into the sun

What's your name? Hotblack Desiato?

Rik.

[bigphill2]

Hi all
One thing I would like to be able to do is move the F3 F5 views in game.Nitpicking i know but sometimes its in the way were it is
Phill PS I hope everyone knows they can have trasparent pop ups now

[choccy]

While I shan't use much myself I think it could be a good marketing ploy. I'm pretty sure my 5 year old grandson will like it. He's already very dexterous with the keyboard but controlling a loco with the cab controls is very fiddly. As it's an option RW can hardly be a loser with its introduction and if it gets more people into the sim all well and good.

Mark

[longbow]

Do we know yet if this new HUD can be undocked from the RW window? That's the only obvious attraction for me.

[ightenhill]

Cant say I'll ever be using it but I can see the point or attraction for new users..

[AndiS]

Add a working timetable which I can bring up when I want to see it, and alerts become optional information for the laymen, explaining why you need to couple this wagon and why you wait and what is in the wagon and why your mission is exciting or important or spooky. Next step would be an option to show them or not, under the assumption that there is a decent working timetable.

That's already there in the F1 screen?

Not really. Take away the "go via" instructions as they are aimed at the AI dispatcher, not the driver; replace the list of wagon numbers in the couple/uncouple commands by "last 3 wagons"; make a nice table for passenger stops with arrival/departure time; add the text which now pops up in the alert.

Actually, whether you should see "go via" instructions and wagon numbers depends on the setting. Are you driver, or are you shunter? For manual switches, you need to know the prescribed path, since you need to set it. For automatic switches, you do not. If you are interested in the background of your actions, you might like additional information (on wagon content and purpose of movement). If you just want to be the driver, all you want to hear is acoustic signals from the shunter.

Currently, the alert box often say something nice like "uncouple the 3 tankers" while the F1 just has the wagon numbers. The alert boxes are triggered by success and failure, guiding the player through the job in a tutorial style. The F1 is a cheap job by the programmer, extracting the information from the scenario file in minimalistic fashion.

This is way I formulated it as a new request. There is no simple "better information extraction" for the scenario file. Sure, formatting it as a table. But the point is, the currently stored messages are success-based. You don't want them listed as they are. A WTT showing the whole trip is a different act of communication compared to a string of success/failure messages with instructions for the next step.

Personally I'd rather just have all the information from F3, 4 & 5 combined along the bottom of the screen, eliminating the problem of not being able to see your boiler pressure when driving into the sun ( ).

I forgot to mention that. On the one hand, steam freaks are considered a minority. On the other hand, there are so many great payware engines out there that support for driving them must be on the business agenda. So give us all the information, and wherever possible as bars, e.g., generated and consumed steam as two bars, scaled to MaxBoilerOutput. And firemass scaled to maximum firemass with ideal firemass marked. Sure you don't see such things on a real engine, but equally sure, you have other means to determine them, like looking into the firebox to inspect the firebed. While we cannot do the later (in a meaningful way), we should have the information conveyed in an abstract way. Right now, you need to note down a few figures from the XML file and then stare at the sky to know what your engine is doing.

On the plus side this looks like it's still displaying everything in easy to decipher percentages.

I forgot to mention that we do need the brake state, not (only) the percentage. It is so confusing that 9% (or any other reading, depending on the engine's XML file) is neutral and 0% is full release.

Another thing I like is that you can see through the pop-up boxes now - hopefully this will encourage scenario writers to include more of these instructions, as this adds to the realism for me, rather than overloading information on the initial briefing screen, being told as you approach siding A that you must leave Wagon X here helps create the illusion that you are interacting with real evens, rather than following a strictly scripted screenplay

An interesting counter-position to my view. Obviously, the only solution is to make them optional. Actually, there is a 2x2 matrix of approaches:

- Stepwise guidance versus working through a working timetable at your own accord.
- Background information or just commands.

For stepwise guidance, background information would be the second half of the alert box, optionally hidden. The scenario author must ensure that you can go with the first half only. E.g.: Go to track X and couple to the tanker there. Set manual switches. // This is milk for London which you will bring to Y where train Z will forward it.

For WTT-mode, you would find a separate background section in the scenario description which you can read or discard, just like the weather and season information.

I hope it's "toggle-able" though - the dials and lights in cab models may be purely cosmetic but they are nice to look at.

I think that the dials in the cab must be made to work. With the new HUD alone, cabs will appear interchangeable. And there are many interesting devices in a cab which are specific to certain engines or countries. E.g., the train end counter in UK or PZB i Germany. Such things will never make it to the HUD, and they need to be seen.

I guess that a simple solution for the HUD position would be this: Provide 3 different options based on the current camera position.
1) as seen in the movie
2) with a modified camera view such that the HUD is below the current lower margin of the view port. I.e., the camera would move back and down a little so you see all you see now plus the HUD just below (and a bit of cab interior on the bottom corners.
3) Make it a separate window. People can then put it on the second screen, if they have one. If you don't operate the cab controls and only the HUD controls (which is likely), then the mouse will always be at the HUD window. Just make sure the view changes work from there, too (zooming in, rotating).

The last variant comes most handy when you combine it with a WTT permanently on display above the HUD, with the unobstructed full screen on the other display.

[ihavenonamenoreallyidont]

Looks rather clunky and over-engineered (to use a Dragon's Den term!) to me.

I would rather see basic Windows-style functionality provided, eg being able to press escape to close a pop-up (nothing quite like having to move the mouse for suspension of disbelief) as well as the ability to drag and resize said windows.

[iceman2117]

hi, ...

Oh.Oh, ...

Sorry I find it very bad.(The HUD)

I want to see my Control displays the locomotive and not double windows gadgets.
The Mainwindow will become even smaller.


Why do you do not like in WorldOSubway ... and semi-transparent.?

I drive no locomotive with the mouse ... my car does not go so well with a stick.
Next HUD Step is driver of a simulated arm, and then as in the FPS ..God beware

Just leave everything as is and only permanently transparent.
Everything else seems candy-colored and arcade console.
Not seriously as a driving simulation with a window full of important data.

g'ice

[RudolfJan]

I would prefer to see the F4 function extended is bit. Eg add speed limit, show reverser state for steam engines in percentages and add lights on/off state. Optionally next signal state and distance to next stop might be interesting.

I agree the message boxes should not be transparent, but much smaller and somewhere in te corner. Low priority messages should disappear automatically.

[Dougjuk]

Would try to avoid it here, I too like using the keyboard and seeing the great cabs that we have.

Doug

[hoytt]

The way it's done in this video would make me disable the HUD altogether. I'd prefer it if the HUD would fade out if you didn't use your mouse for a few seconds and secondly making the HUD transparent (perhaps a percentage in the settings window) would not give you the idea that all this HUD is, is just all the controls moved higher up in the window eating screen-space. The way it looks now isn't what I'd call a HUD if you compare it to a jetfighter for instance.

[rabid]

Nice idea, but one thing that jumps out at me watching the video are the little diddy control levers.
How will it be possible to precisely control throttle and loco/train brakes with such a short throw?
Making fine adjustments looks like it will be quite fiddly if not impossible.
One reason why my Raildriver has been gathering dust for the past 2 years (must get it on eBay one of these days)!

Edit: I would put them on the left or right side so they use the full height of the HUD.
Edit 2: Also I think the horn and AWS acknowledge should be more prominent.