TrainPlayer Mac
Beta Version 1.916  19 Apr 07

Welcome and Thanks

TrainPlayer Mac is on the air!  After six months of development, preceded by many months of false starts, we are pleased and probably a tad over-eager to post the first beta version of TrainPlayer/TrackLayer for Mac OSX. 

Thanks for your interest in TrainPlayer, and your offer to test and evaluate the Mac version.  We hope you enjoy the program, and will look forward to your feedback.  If you are not interested in testing a rough version and prefer to wait for the release, just sit tight for another month or so and watch your mailbox.

If you provide useful feedback and bug reports, we will send you a free copy of the release version when available.  Or, if you have purchased the Windows version, you are entitled to a free upgrade to the Mac.  Details at release time.

About TrainPlayer Mac

TrainPlayer Mac is a new application developed natively on the Mac using Xcode.  The framework is written in Cocoa / Objective C, while the railroad logic comes in the form of C++ / MFC libraries shared with the Windows version.  Between the two bodies of code are new translation layers built for this project, but designed to be of general use in Windows->Mac conversions.  Someday we'll write about how we did the job.

The first release of TrainPlayer Mac will be called 2.0, since it branched from the Windows version at about that stage and has roughly the same set of features.  Some of the fancier gadgets in the latest Windows version will not be available in the first Mac release -- see list below.

The Cocoa app was the work of our friend Glenn Howes, of Generally Helpful Software in Nashua, NH.  Glenn actually enjoys wallowing in the soup of Objective C / NextStep / Quartz / Cocoa that is Mac development.  He's done a brilliant job of design and development on this project.

Requirements: OSX 10.4 or later.  Some of the graphics features require at least 10.4.  if you have an earlier OS, please give the program a try and let us know how it goes. [Added 2/23: a user reports that the program is a non-starter on 10.3]

Documentation: the Mac version of the manual is not ready yet, nor online help.  In the meantime you will have to make do with the Windows doc, which comes in the form of a pdf file:  TrainPlayer Windows Manual (pdf).  If you have not used TrainPlayer before, consider going through the tutorials.

Bugs: the beta version has plenty of known bugs and deficiencies.  A partial list is below.  This list will be upgraded periodically with new reports and status indicators.

Package: the download includes TrainPlayer with TrackLayer, plus ten layouts from 101 Track Plans for Model Railroaders (by Linn Westcott, Copyright Kalmbach Publishing Co., 1956) and four car collections.  Track plans include jpg images; by agreement with Kalmbach, these images are not to be used in any other program, and will be in encrypted form at release.

Layouts: ten layouts are included with the beta.  There are a lot of downloadable layouts on the TP site, but they are packaged inside a Windows-only installer and cannot be installed directly on the Mac.  However, you can download one of these (exe file), then use Stuffit Expander to extract the rrw and jpg files.  Put the rrw in your Layouts folder, and the jpg in Layouts\Images, and you should see them in the Open Layouts list.

Download

This is not a demo version for general distribution.  By downloading the software, you agree to test and evaluate the program only on your own machine, not to distribute any downloaded files to other users, and to provide feedback and bug reports. 

Before you download for the first time, drop us a note to let us know who you are and to make sure we have your correct e-mail address.

There is no installer as yet.  The program comes in the form of a dmg file, which automatically unpacks when it arrives.  To begin, click here:

Version 1.916    posted 4/19/07     size 12.9 MB

 

When the file arrives, double-click TrainPlayer.app.  The first time you start it, it installs layouts and car collections into Users/<you>/Library/Application Support/TrainPlayer.  The first time you exit the program, it writes preferences to Users/<you>/Library/Preferences/com.trainplayer.tracklayer.plist. To uninstall or prepare for an upgrade, delete this folder and file.

 

Reporting Bugs

To file a useful report:

1. Check the list below to see if we already know about the bug.

2. Reproduce the bug, so you have a set of steps beginning with when you start the program.  If you can't make it happen more than once, it's not worth reporting.

3. Experiment a bit.  See if you can reproduce it on another train or layout.

4. Write down the steps and any relevant data, such as layout name.

5. Send details in e-mail to mac@trainplayer.com.  Send the Mac error report along with your own.

Known Bugs

Known bugs as of 4/08/07:

Description	Reporter	Status
edit menu works for track but not trains or text		fixed 908
on change units drop-down in inspector, values do not update nor do other units drop-downs		fixed 902
new layout props: must enter both x and y values and then click outside a box; close button cancels		fixed 903
minimize button on control panel has no effect		fixed 902
when switch window is up, switches on layout are supposed to highlight as train moves		fixed 902
switch window: does not allow click to throw switch
space bar to throw switch does not work while using throttle slider or when dialog is up		fixed 903
crashes: random crashes happen when objects are deleted or reassigned		improved 902
cars are not clipped when going onto hidden track
cars on hidden track are barely visible		fixed 902
can't edit text in description box of layout props		fixed 902
undo/redo not reliable for trains and cars, can lead to crashes		fixed 908
on open jpg, should bring up grid automatically		fixed 902
need a way to select trains other than clicking on top of moving cars		fixed 902
need 'view inspector' or 'get info' command on menu		fixed 903
document does not notice when modified and warn about closing		fixed 903
car top image in inspector does not change when car size is modified		fixed 902
name TrackLayer appears where it should say TrainPlayer in some places		fixed 903
train does not position correctly on resize of train props inspector window
stop, forward/reverse, uncouple buttons needed on toolbar
online help not yet available
link to TrainPlayer Mac page (this page) is going to wrong place		fixed 902
first time you use file new, you get no dimensions sheet		fixed 902
while adjusting grid, layout size in inspector does not change
steam loco chuff sounds not working		fixed 908
train display panel in customize tool set does not work
inspector icon has white background rect
layout window comes up too small	AK	fixed 902
Using the customize tool bar and dragging the "Train" window into the tool bar, loses the right hand directional button	RGT
When adding cars to a train using the Cars window, the direction of the train randomly changes	RR	not a bug
You cannot add two of the same car sequentially (example: I cannot add two Amtrak baggage cars in a row - I must add a baggage, a coach, and another baggage, then delete the coach car)	RR	fixed 902
Download too slow	AK	fixed 902
Save As loses background file	RM	fixed 903
View menu. background, grid & tracks. When "on" there is no check mark next to the menu item.	RC	fixed 902
Hang at initial opening of certain layouts		fixed 902
Track disappears when marked as tunnel		fixed 902
File New: enter data in layout size sheet, layout does not always resize		fixed 903
Select train by clicking in control panel: doesn't highlight car on track
Train names being assigned are truncated (e.g., "s1")		fixed 903
Random crashes after clicking to select cars		fixed 906
Reverse Train menu command not working		fixed 903
File Open, Save not reliable: background images lost		fixed 904
Software protection mechanism		fixed 904
read TPG files		fixed 904
track obj properties not updated dynamically in inspector		fixed 908

Features Not Available

The following features are in TrainPlayer 2.25 on Windows, but will not be in the first Mac release.

train tree control for viewing and choosing trains

multiple windows on the same layout (coming instead on Mac: split window)

random train generator

uncouple by clicking on train top

random switch throwing

click or double-click to rotate speed dial

rotate layout by 90 degrees

tooltips on cars and track objects

record/playback (being phased out on Windows)

linked layouts

Contact

Send comments, bug reports, suggestions, complaints to mac@trainplayer.com.  For phone support, send e-mail and request a call.