Serge NOEL
377 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
377 lines
20 KiB
Plaintext
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<title>JMRI: PanelPro, an application for making Control Panels</title>
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<h1>JMRI: PanelPro</h1>
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<div class="noted">
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<span class="since">since 4.23.3</span>
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<p>Note: The PanelPro main menu has changed. See <a href=
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"../LoadStoreWork.shtml">Loading and Storing Your Work</a> for details. The menu references
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below are for the new menu structure with the old menu paths in braces.</p>
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</div>
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<p>The JMRI libraries contain the PanelPro application for creating panels to control or
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follow your (virtual) model railroad. This page introduces the application, and how to use
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it.</p>
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<hr>
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<p>The PanelPro main menu provides access to the PanelPro components.</p>
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<dl style="margin-left: 2em">
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<dt>File</dt>
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<dd>
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The PanelPro tables and panels are stored in an XML data file. There are menu entries for
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loading and storing this content. See <a href="../LoadStoreWork.shtml">Loading and
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Storing Your Work</a> for important details.<br>
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There are also options for <a href="../DecoderPro/Roster.shtml#summary">printing decoder
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information</a>.
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</dd>
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<dt>Edit</dt>
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<dd>
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The Edit menu contains the standard Cut/Copy/Paste menu items. Depending on the the OS
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and display preferences, there is a menu entry for <a href=
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"../../../package/apps/TabbedPreferences.shtml">JMRI Preferences.</a>
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</dd>
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<dt>Tools</dt>
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<dd>
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Most of the PanelPro features are included in the Tools menu items and sub-menus. See
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<a href="ToolsMenu.shtml">Tools Menu</a>. For an overview of the PanelPro tools, see
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<a href="../../tools/index.shtml">PanelPro Tools</a>.
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</dd>
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<dt>Roster</dt>
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<dd>The Roster entry opens the DecoderPro roster window. The other entries provide direct
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access to the indicated functions.</dd>
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<dt>Panels</dt>
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<dd>The Panels menu has items for creating and deleting panels. There is also an item to
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show a panel that has been hidden or minimized.</dd>
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<dt>Scripting</dt>
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<dd>
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JMRI can be extended by using scripting. The Scripting menu has items for creating,
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running and displaying scripts. For details on scripting, see <a href=
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"../../tools/scripting/">Scripting</a>
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</dd>
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<dt>Connections</dt>
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<dd>Depending on the defined connections, there might be a menu that has connection
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specific menu entries. There can be multiple connection specific menus.</dd>
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<dt>Debug</dt>
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<dd>
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See <a href="DebugMenu.shtml">Debug Menu</a> for details.
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</dd>
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<dt>Window</dt>
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<dd>The Window menu lists all of the open JMRI windows. This can be used to show a hidden
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or minimized window, or make it the top window on the display.</dd>
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<dt>Help</dt>
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<dd>
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See <a href="HelpMenu.shtml">Help Menu</a> for details.
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</dd>
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</dl>
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<hr>
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<p>Optional Main Menu Items</p>
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<dl>
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<dt>Operations</dt>
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<dd>
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<p>In OperationsPro Settings, enable <strong>Add Operations to Main Menu</strong>. After
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doing a save and restart, the main Operations menu will be located after the <em>Scripts</em>
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menu item. For details see
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<a href="../../../package/jmri/jmrit/operations/Operations.shtml#Settings">Settings</a>.</p>
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</dd>
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<dt><span class="since">since 5.15.6</span>Tables</dt>
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<dd>
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<p>The <strong>Tables Settings</strong> menu item at the end of the table list is used to
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enable/disable the Tables item in the main menu. A save and restart are needed to make
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the change.</p>
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<img src="images/tables_menu.png" alt="tables menu">
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<p>When enabled, the <strong>Tables</strong> menu will be located between the <em>Tools</em>
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and <em>Roster</em> menus.</p>
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</dd>
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</dl>
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<hr>
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<p>PanelPro provides four separate ways to create Panels:</p>
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<ul>
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<li>The <a href="#pe">Panel Editor</a> lets you graphically draw a Panel exactly the way
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you want it, and then animate parts of it to show the status of your layout and let you
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click to control it.
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</li>
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<li>The <a href="#cpe">Control Panel Editor</a> works like Panel Editor but provides an
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alternative interface.
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</li>
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<li>The <a href="#le">Layout Editor</a> provides tools to make a smart schematic of your
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layout while constructing the logic for signals, etc. This constrains how the panel appears
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a little, but it can save significant time when first bringing your layout up.
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</li>
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<li>The <a href="#swb">Switchboard Editor</a> is a graphic, straightforward control
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interface, showing a range of switch keys to watch and control items.
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</li>
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</ul>
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<h2>Which Editor to use?</h2>
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<p>All Panel Editors use the same information about your layout stored in JMRI but each
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serves a different goal and approach.</p>
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<p>The <strong><a href="#pe">Panel Editor</a></strong> and the <strong><a href="#cpe">Control
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Panel Editor</a></strong> let you build purely <em>graphical</em> (image based) Panels.<br>
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You can have as many Panels as you like, covering as much or as little of your railway as you
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like, with overlaps in area or functionality if required. Panels might be diagrams showing
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the state of the track and signals, or they might be prototypical signaling and dispatcher
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panels. Or anything else you find useful to control your railroad; you have total flexibility
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over their appearance. There are several standard graphics sets distributed with JMRI, but it
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is often necessary to make some of the elements in an external graphics package to be
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imported as PNG files. These might include the Panel Background, or the icons to attach to
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active elements (switches, levers, track state, signals, etc.) which are then placed on the
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Panel.</p>
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<p>The <strong><a href="#le">Layout Editor</a></strong> builds a "Layout" which is a
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<em>logical description</em> of your layout. A Layout, built with the Layout Editor, can be
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used for directly controlling elements such as Turnouts and Signals; indeed many users find
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it very suitable for this task. But, it is primarily designed for automation and
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semi-automation within JMRI. For example, you can use the Layout Editor to construct a
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description of your track and its blocks and signals. The software can automatically work out
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how to set your signals based on the position of turnouts and whether blocks are occupied,
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and the rules appropriate to your railroad (ie. select the signal rules based on different
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company practices!, and no need to know how to create the rules to link your signals to the
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state of turnouts, blocks and other signals !). Layout Editor Panels may also be used to set
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up automatic running of trains on your layout using <a href=
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"../../../package/jmri/jmrit/dispatcher/Dispatcher.shtml">Dispatcher</a>. In addition, the
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Layout description of your railway can be used by scripts such as the included <a href=
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"../../tools/scripting/Examples.shtml">AutoDispatcher2</a> to automatically control your
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trains. There are many other tools within JMRI which require a description of your railroad
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and the description comes from the Layout built in the Layout Editor. The Layout Editor has
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many rules built into it about how track is connected, the naming of blocks, etc. In order to
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function, there are constraints on the appearance of track elements and how they are
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used.<br>
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You can have multiple Layout panels, but you have to tell the software how to connect track
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elements across the boundaries between multiple Layout panels.</p>
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<p>The <strong><a href="#swb">Switchboard Editor</a></strong> is easier to set up, using a
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simple grid of pre-defined buttons or indicators. It is limited to the basic inputs (Sensors)
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and Outputs (Turnouts and Lights) and has a couple of ready-made graphic display styles.</p>
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<h3>Panel Examples</h3>
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<p><a href="http://quaker-valley.com/CTC/JMRI%20Panel%20Tutorial.gif"><img src=
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"http://quaker-valley.com/CTC/JMRI%20Panel%20Tutorial.gif" class="floatRight" height="216"
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width="313" alt="Quaker Valley"></a> Many people use a combination of panel types, with the
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Layout Editor creating schematic panels to handle the actual configuration for signals and
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Panel Editor providing exactly the appearance desired.</p>
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<ul>
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<li>Bob Bucklew has prepared a three part <a href=
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"http://www.quaker-valley.com/CTC/JMRI_Panel_Tutorial.html">tutorial</a> that describes how
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he used Panel Editor and Layout Editor together.
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</li>
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<li>Our <a href="https://www.jmri.org/community/examples/Gallery.shtml">Gallery page</a> shows
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examples of how model railroaders have used panels on their own layouts, including using
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PanelPro for <a href="https://www.jmri.org/community/examples/Modules.shtml">Modular
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layouts</a>.
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</li>
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<li>Rodney Black's <a href="http://cats4ctc.org/">CATS</a> (Computer Automated Traffic
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System) application is another tool for creating modern-style Control Panels.
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</li>
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<li>Our <a href="../../tools/signaling/index.shtml">Signaling help page</a> explains how to
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add logic to operate the signals on your layout under the control of or shown on your
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panel.
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</li>
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</ul>
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<h3>Panel operation basics</h3>
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<p>Clicking on a Turnout symbol on any of the Panels flips it from Closed to Thrown and
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vice-versa (unless operation is disabled in the Configuration). A Turnout also has "Unknown"
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and "Inconsistent" states, represented by an icon with a "?" and "X" respectively. These
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represent a state where no information has been received, and where the information is
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internally inconsistent (e.g. both Closed and Thrown at the same time).<br>
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Control of items like Turnouts from a Panel can be done in various ways. For example in Panel
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Editor, you could have a turnout icon covering a turnout on a schematic diagram. When you
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click on it, the turnout on the layout would be commanded to change, and the track diagram
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would show which way a train would be routed. Or you could use icons that show a lever to the
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right or left, and create a panel that looks like a traditional US&S panel.</p>
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<p>"Sensors" can be used to represent occupancy indicators or other inputs. The default icon
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is a small circle, with color used to represent the state of the sensor. These respond to
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changes on the layout automatically. Clicking on a sensor causes the sensor to alternate
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between "Active" and "Inactive" states. With the default icons, Active is a green circle and
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Inactive is an empty circle. These are meant to represent a lit/dark panel indicator. A red
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circle represents the "unknown" state, used when no information has yet been received from
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the layout.</p>
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<h3>Creating a panel</h3>
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<p>JMRI Panels are made using one of the Editors. Start the Editor by selecting "New
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Panel..." then "Xxx Editor" from the "Panels" menu on the main window.</p>
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<p>After getting the Panel the way you want, you use the <strong>Store ALL table content and
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panels...</strong> {<em>Old: <strong>Store Panels...</strong></em>} entry in the
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<strong>File</strong> {<em>Old: <strong>Panels</strong></em>} menu to write it to an .xml
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file on disk, allowing you to reload it the next time you run JMRI and see all your turnouts,
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sensors etc as you configured them.<br>
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A PanelPro xml data file contains ALL of the tables and panels. It is recommended to start
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with just one panel/configuration file for your layout. Except for some specific use cases,
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multiple xml files create confusion and errors.</p>
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<p>Think of the xml file as a book. There are chapters for turnouts, sensors, signals,
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blocks, Logix, etc. Each panel is also a chapter. As the layout design is progressing,
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various chapters are created and modified. It is a good idea to periodically save the
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changes. Some people use an incrementing file naming approach. Others rely on the
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<em>backupPanels</em> directory where you can find older versions of the configuration file
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(see the <a href="../../setup/Files.shtml">JMRI Configuration Files</a>)</p>
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<h3>(Re)opening a panel file</h3>
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<p>When starting your next PanelPro session, either load the latest xml file via the
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<strong>File ⇒ Load table content and panels...</strong> {<em>Old: <strong>Panels ⇒ Open
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Panel...</strong></em>} menu item or add an "Load table content and panels..." entry to <a href=
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"../../../package/apps/TabbedPreferences.shtml#Startup">"Preferences > Start Up"</a> to do
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it for you.</p>
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<h2 id="pe">The Panel Editor</h2>
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<a href="../../../images/CornwallPanelLit.gif"><img src=
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"../../../images/CornwallPanelLit.gif" class="floatRight" alt="screen shot of Cornwall panel"
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width="333" height="200"></a>
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<p>With the Panel Editor, you can make a control panel look and operate any way you want
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because they are icon-based. For example, instead of using track-schematic icons for
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turnouts, you could use small images of the levers and plates on CTC machine. This would give
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you "mechanical" levers you can flip back and forth with a click. This can be made absolutely
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prototypical, or can be simplified for easier and faster operation, as you prefer.</p>
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<p>A panel is one or more background pictures, on which are drawn icons to represent
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Turnouts, Sensors and Signals on the layout. You can build the background from small icons
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(as in the image above left), or provide a detailed drawing that you created in a drawing
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program (image above right).</p>
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<p>You can use these tools to configure quite complicated panels for even large layouts. The
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example above is from <a href="https://cornwallrailroad.blogspot.com/">Nick Kulp's
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Cornwall Railroad</a>. There's a <a href=
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"https://www.jmri.org/community/examples/Panels-Cornwall/Cornwall.shtml">page on the main web
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site</a> that describes this in detail.
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Robert Bucklew's Quaker Valley Lines is also building a <a href=
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"http://www.quaker-valley.com/CTC/QV_CTCnew.html">CTC panel</a> using PanelPro.</p>
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<p>For more information about Panels created using Panel Editor see the <a href=
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"../../../package/jmri/jmrit/display/PanelEditor.shtml">Panel Editor help page</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="cpe">The Control Panel Editor</h2>
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<p><strong>Control Panel Editor</strong> is simply an alternative view and controller with
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the same content data as <strong>Panel Editor</strong>. Control Panel Editor allows you to
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edit a Panel using menus instead of a separate editing window.</p>
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<p>It's also possible to create a Control Panel where the "track" lines change color to
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indicate whether the block is occupied. Control Panel Editor supports using <a href=
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"../../../package/jmri/jmrit/logix/Warrant.shtml">Warrants</a> and automatic running of
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trains.</p>
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<p>For more information, see the <a href=
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"../../../package/jmri/jmrit/display/ControlPanelEditor.shtml">Control Panel Editor help
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page</a>.</p>
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<h2 id="le">The Layout Editor</h2>
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<p><a href="../../../package/jmri/jmrit/display/images/EnhancedPanel.gif"><img src=
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"../../../package/jmri/jmrit/display/images/EnhancedPanel.gif" class="floatRight" alt=
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"screen shot of layout editor panel" width="296" height="86"></a> The <a href=
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"../../../package/jmri/jmrit/display/LayoutEditor.shtml">Layout Editor</a> helps you create
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simple schematic panels, while simultaneously setting up the block and signal logic needed to
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operate the layout. Its strength is its ability to capture how the tracks are connected,
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where each block is located and how each signal is related to blocks. On the other hand, it
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limits by design the ability to customize how the panel appears. For example, you can only
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place one Turnout symbol with the same User Name.</p>
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<p style="clear: both"><a href=
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"../../../package/jmri/jmrit/display/images/OvalLayoutEditMode.gif"><img src=
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"../../../package/jmri/jmrit/display/images/OvalLayoutEditMode.gif" class="floatRight" alt=
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"screen shot of layout editor panel" width="271" height="85"></a>In Layout Editor you edit
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your Panel by activating the "Edit Mode", which makes the connections between elements and
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the layout visible (See figure to the right, notice the small circles). For example, you can
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click on the circle in the middle of a track segment and select the associated occupancy
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detector (Sensor) on the layout. Once you've done that, the color of the track segment on the
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screen will change when the track is occupied. You can configure the colors used, the width
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of the track lines, and other details of the presentation.</p>
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<a href="../../../package/jmri/jmrit/display/images/Switchboard.png"><img src=
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"../../../package/jmri/jmrit/display/images/Switchboard.png" width="198" height="154" class=
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"floatRight" alt="Switchboard"></a>
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<h2 id="swb">The Switchboard Editor</h2>
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<p>Switchboards provide a visual control grid for your JMRI layout "out of the box".<br>
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To create a new Switchboard, from the Panels menu, choose New Panel > Switchboard
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Editor.</p>
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<p>For more information, please see the <a href=
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"../../../package/jmri/jmrit/display/SwitchboardEditor.shtml">Switchboard Editor help
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page</a>.</p>
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<h2>Communicating with Multiple Systems</h2>
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<p>PanelPro can communicate with more than one layout control system. For example, the
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Cornwall Railroad mentioned above uses C/MRI hardware for sensing the status of blocks and
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turnouts on the layout, but drives turnout positions through a Digitrax DCC system.</p>
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<p>To configure the program to talk to multiple systems, add both in JMRI Preferences using
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the + tab on the Connections pane. For more information, see the <a href=
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"../../../package/apps/TabbedPreferences.shtml">Preferences panel Help page</a>.</p>
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<p>If you add a Turnout, Sensor or Signal Mast to a Panel using just a number, e.g. "23" in
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the Add... pane of a table, its System Name will be created using the System Connection
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Prefix as set in the Preferences panel -> Connections tab (e.g. LT1 for a turnout on the L
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LocoNet connection). As a second system connection is required to use a different prefix, it
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is simple to use more than one hardware system at the same time. See the page on <a href=
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"../../doc/Technical/Names.shtml">Names & Naming</a> for more information.</p>
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