Hey has anyone had any experience with EX RAIL? The support guys over at the DCC++ EX discord server got to talking about it while they were helping me out. It seems to be a train automation programming language. The examples I saw operate at the route level, so e.g. you would define your routes and get them working in JMRI, and once they're working you could control them from EX RAIL, something like execute route from A to B, wait until Track1 is clear, execute B to C on Track1, wait for xx seconds, then reverse all of the above.
At the moment I don't plan on using it but I do have thoughts on how I might use it in the future. One nice feature is, if I understand it right, you can run a DCC++EX command station alone with its WiFi and run trains and have automation without needing anything else. DCC++EX has come a long ways in a short period of time and they are working on more features. Sumner
As long as there's only one train on the layout, I can see how it could work with nothing else (throw the switches the way you need them, then run trains at set speed for set amount of time, etc.), but with more than one train running, block occupancy detection becomes necessary (with ability to identify train/locomotive in block via railcom, etc.)
Yes of course, unless you have the choreographed dance happening in the code. It knows where train#2 is because it just put it there, before it moves train#1 somewhere else. For example.
So it only moves one train at a time? Okay, but that seems limiting and unrealistic... I might enjoy the setting it up and watching it run a few times, but darn it, I LIKE driving the trains!!! But that's what's GREAT about this hobby: there's something for everyone!
With EXRail you can create multiple routes, assign a different train to each route, and let them all operate autonomously, which is ok for displays, but not much fun to interact with. One thing that I find most enjoyable is not just driving trains, but driving trains in a real world environment, and that means with other trains. With EXRail you can set the autonomous trains running while you drive another train and have to interact with them (and them with you). All this assumes that you have sufficient blocks and detectors, this is vital to EXRail as it has to know where each train is somehow.
