OS_Ats1.dll is Windows only - is there a replacement for Linux?

Hi all,

I ran into a problem with Dexter's excellent Czech class 163. It uses the OS_Ats1.dll, which is surely a great plugin, but Windows only. This is unfortunate, because my main computer, which runs OpenBVE, is Linux only, and I don't happen to have a single copy of any version of Windows in the house. Has anybody got any idea for a replacement plugin that could be configured instead?

cheers,
Juhana Siren
Joensuu, Finland

Well,

I have done a bit of searching and I came across Anthony Bowden's plugin. However, that would require a bit of reworking from my side - I am not sure if the controls can be reassigned, or if there is a given layout of keys that have to be used for the given purpose. I have contacted Anthony with some questions, so we shall see about that.

One more thing that came across my mind would be to take the source code of os_ats and recompile it... I am not very good in coding, though, so I might be unaware of issues/obstacles that await anyone who tries that.

Thanks for the detective work. Those were the options I was thinking as well. The way see it, if those two are the best options, it may be easier to adapt the UkTrainSys plugin than to attempt to recompile Oskari's plugin.

I was thinking about trying Anthony's plugin myself, but I was unsure about how to map things around, since you have implemented a lot of things that aren't usually assigned a button in the UkTrainSys cab - such as separate headlight buttons and independent front and rear pantograph control. Here are the button assignments: http://www.railsimroutes.net/libraries/uktrainsys/release_notes.html#virtual-key-assignments It seems that keys 7 (wipers off) and 8 (freeze animations) are unused as of now - I don't know if that means they can't be assigned anything no matter what, or if they just don't have any sensible function in a UK cab.

I took a brief look at the os_ats plugin, but the most sensible thing to do in order to make it platform-independent would be to port it to Mono, requiring a complete rewrite from C++ to C# - a major task indeed. I believe the plugin is probably excellent, but unfortunately it is at this time out of my reach. It is up to the author to decide if the effort of a complete rewrite is necessary.

I am going to see what I can accomplish with UkTrainSys in the following few weeks. I will gladly share whatever information I am able to gather.

Sorry about taking so long, some other things have been keeping me away from OpenBVE.

Nevertheless, here's the news. I tried simply dropping in UkTrainSys.dll, copying over the UK Class 323 configuration file, and I've gotten to the point where it works about as well as OS_Ats1

There are some problems: key assignments are problematic, as I don't know the underlying functions; it seems that InterlockManager must be disabled and AWS enabled for the locomotive to power up, and then you need to press Space and Insert (as per the default OpenBVE key assignments) to get power and release the brakes. Also, UkTrainSys seems to only know about one pantograph, and the security system is naturally UK-style with AWS and TPWS.

My startup sequence is currently something like this:
 - flick the direction both ways, leave it at neutral
 - release brakes to B1
 - at departure, set direction forward, fully release brakes, press Space and Insert (or equivalent joystick buttons), apply power.

I still haven't figured out which key is the main switch (is it Insert = A1? It makes a thud) or rear pantograph.

It would be whichever key is set to safety system function A1. Check your key assignments and see what's mapped to A1.

Insert it is, then. Thanks. The space bar is the S function, would that be the vigilance device?