Chronology

Version 8

8.3:

Locations: overhaul and expansion, with elimination of Stations
New script commands and functions:
   $CAR(..DistTo..) for distance between cars
   $EXPIMAGE to create image file
   $OUTPUT to capture text output
   $TIMER to report elapsed time
   $INT to truncate real numbers
   $TRACK(..FindFromJxns..) to find track between junctions
Multi-line script comments
New pseudo-modal $MSGBOX
Improvements in Advanced Ops (besides Locations):
   Improved industry build from cars
   New subroutines for setting up and testing ops
   New grid column for specifying intermediate yards
   Improved AO Checklist in Ops Central
   New and improved AO documentation and tutorials
Text size choices in dialogs and alerts
Improved New Layout dialog
Search car collections by type (AAR code or initial)
Ability to lock grid to prevent moving while while drawing track
Grid anchor point is now more easily visible
Added modelling scale T
Removed little-used feature: animated scenery objects
All-new TrackLayer Tutorial for beginning tracklayers
Choice of line widths for highlighting track, in Track Preferences

8.2:

Dynamic Toolbars & UI

All new toolbars & subtoolbars, reworked menus
All new toolbar/menu icon artwork in SVG format
Quick-Customize arrows on toolbars for add/remove/reset
Dynamic Positioning setting => automatic toolbar arrangement
Tabbed document list on frame title bar
Quick-Access toolbar with full menu for customization
Updated BCG framework and app class => new application styles
Full Screen mode: new defaults for controls shown
Car monitor totals now shown on status bar
Windows toggle on/off like others: Route Finder, Check Track, Scenery/Car Chooser
Menus now indicate up/down status of all windows and toolbars

Scenery

Fix for setting line width in Scenery Props/Styles; now works on multiple selection
If default is no line, select the Line/Poly tool, then any line you draw becomes solid
Painter/Dropper tool revamp: now can pick up entire style when pointing to scenery object
Line widths are now handled correctly when applying or defaulting styles

Scripting

Rework of rewind points, now ok with linked and AO. New toolbar button Set Rewind Point.
$View function now takes: any item on View or Tools menu, or name of any toolbar
$Track function adds FindFromJxns to find track given jxnnos
$Jxn function adds X, Y properties for getting coordinates
$Car position now settable using (t,j,d[,r]) -- optional R for direction
Train Name command now works correctly with argument
On a script rewind, all train speeds are set to zero
Script toolbar improved: Record button shows inactive/playing/recording status

Other

Anyrail import: now gets transfer tables; fix for certain Peco wye
Export Image adds choices for Car IDs, track numbers, track labels
Edit commands (cut, copy, delete, undo, redo) are now activated when there is a selected car
Transfer table moving improved => platform does not get stuck
On closing doc, if prompted about saving, trains stop moving until prompt goes down
All referenced urls changed to https protocol
Removed What's New folders from web choosers, and Web Recent machinery
New Toolbars section on Style tab: sets button sizes and labels, DP on/off
Track line display active on using Edit Track, Straight, Circle, Turntable; turns off on other tools
Paint Shop: new decal type Shaded Cylinder for tankcars
Paint Shop: New Wireframe decal for lifting details and painting underneath
Remove Show Notes on Open feature and preference checkbox

8.1:

Linked Layouts

Overhauled code to eliminate bugs and drawbacks, support multi-layout scripting
New layout property: LayoutID, a short string unique among open documents
New: hand-drag a train across links -- push on one end, pull on the other
A jumping train can couple or uncouple while jump is in progress
No more duplication of car or train ids: automatic renumbering on layout jump
Link info is now accessible from the Track Properties dialog
Clipping improves appearance of jumping cars
Now supported: "self-jump" from one track to another on same layout
Layout Link dialog: improved appearance and behavior
Window activation follows active train

Scripting

New way to follow the action: watch commands as they execute
Fixed: automatic echo of script comments
Certain menu commands now take arguments, such as "File Open <filename>"
Several new $car, $train, $layout properties accessible to scripts
Stop All Scripts: now works over all open layouts, also instantly stops trains
Now possible: scripts running simultaneously on multiple layouts
Fixed: script enable/disable flags

New Features

New File Save All to save multiple open documents
Removed: support for track cad systems other than AnyRail
Track Check dialog: better zoom, handling of link paths, dialog sizing
Turntable rotation now handles cars overhanging table rim
New preference for car-top labels: numeric ids of train-dot-car
File Open dialog now allows multiple selection
Schedule Window fix: does not clear when layout changes

Fixes

Paint jobs now work correctly on Pedersen right/left image pairs
Paint Shop now handles images of low bit depth
Missing decals are now named at startup, with auto-download on click
Fixes for inverting certain decal types
Fix for AO incorrect handling of NCarsToPull
Arrow keys fixed to again act on track, scenery objects
Allow > 100 trains for selection by script (fixes Greg R's DropKick scheme)

8.0:

Features

Paint Shop -- new facility for decorating cars and locos with paint and decals

Enhancements

Improved color chooser dialog
New collision type: dead stop
Linked tracks now shown with special track labels, with settable font
Improvements in car drawing speed, both side and top
Map View: settable array of colors; now showing layout links
Full Screen view: allow show/hide of status bar
Remember selected car on close/reopen layout
Scale Pedersen side images to match Schenk and other 200px cars
Better algorithm for accel/decel, taking elapsed time into account
Do not select active engine if Zoom On Open is unchecked

Fixes

Better limits on dialog resizing, not dependent on display scaling
Fix engine running sounds for multi-window scenarios
Reduced jerkiness in train moves, as when switch is thrown
Handle UTF-8 text in $file script function
Fixes for script after/at conditions
Update control displays after certain script commands
Note window: do not force left-justified text
Waybill text: update car sets as needed
On flip car: update top views to match; suppress selection X
Uncouple sound now plays when invoked from script
Fix in displaying car-top selection X in some circumstances
Add toolbar icon for Stop All Trains
Ops Central grids: add "Row" to appropriate edit commands

Version 7

7.2:

AO: better use of staging yards with multiple start/end locations
New AO documentation, new layouts
New BridgeTraffic column in Industries grid
Switchlist Robot: automatic switchlist completion, via new AO dev commands
Route Finder: faster, car count filter, auto-throw along route
Clock: add choice of digital, 24-hour display; adjustable font size
Track capacity calculator in AO and new script function
Add 1:1 to list of scales; remove new layout size limitations
Fix zoom slider to adjust based on scale
Add popup menu and keyboard shortcuts to operate scrollbars
Suspend background tiling during scenery drag
Better AFTER script condition: now waits until last car is past
Fix for black areas while scrolling
Revamped code for car side display -- now all scale to 200px on load
Improved appearance of text loads, with adjustable font
New items on Track menu
Many small fixes throughout

7.1:

FEATURES

Car Swap by Drag and Drop
AAR Override
Overpass Track
Sound Enhancements
Full-Screen View
New AO Layouts

IMPROVEMENTS

Car Shift: rearrange a train by shuffling a car forward or back, with built-in keyboard shortcuts
Grids: AO grids now stay up to date as you run, with improved multi-row delete, duplicate
Train Control Panel: more flexibility in arranging buttons, resizing
Strict H/V Draw: press Ctrl while drawing for exact horizontal / vertical track
Updated AO Doc: revamped Advanced Ops User Guide twice the size of the first version

FIXES

Bug with foreign characters in paths, leading to "cannot find default cars" at install
Allow access to AO layouts for users with TP license
Selecting car now correctly brings up waybill
Car chooser now allows picking a collection when brought up from Car Bar
AO: improved devevelopment checklist; fixes in switchlist generation; logic fixes
New comment column in Industries grid
Improved version of FixOps routine
Chooser tree Find command repaired and improved
Fix to avoid duplicate car collections after download
Delete temp folders on program exit

7.0.0:

Advanced Ops: many features
Ops Central
Map View
AO Layouts
New Check for Upgrades dialog
Fix for unavailable web downloads

Version 6

Changes in 6.6.1:

License dialog fixes -- addressing customer problems with registration
More AnyRail import fixes -- gapped crossovers from Kato
Script enhancements -- LAUNCH command, new $FILE functions
Video clips -- play little movies on your layout
Clickable scenery -- create action-launching buttons with custom appearance
Easier browsing in Script Central -- new Back/Forward buttons; returns to previous page/row
On browse in chooser, start in current directory
Fixes in clipping for Hide Track & Trains scenery objects; crash prevention in train dragging
Improvements in Cars grid -- taking steps toward Advanced Ops in TP7

Changes in 6.6:

Background Tiling -- smoother graphics as the trains move
More AnyRail import fixes -- now handling curved switches from Fast Tracks, Atlas, and others
YardMaster Y2 -- improvements in waybill generation
YardMaster Y3 -- introducing a new system of generating switchlists, with new layouts and subroutines
New Car Data Props -- new tab in Properties dialog gives access to all car data fields in one place
UI improvements -- two-part list in Load combos; adjustable Courier font in text input dialogs
New script functions -- $layout, $car functions add new capabilities

Changes in 6.5.2:

AnyRail fixes -- crossovers, single and double slipswitches
Restore focus correctly after displaying note window

Changes in 6.5.1:

YardMaster 2 -- improved subroutines and layouts for better YM operation
AnyRail fixes -- now correctly handles curved switches from all manufacturers
XP support -- fixes to allow running on Windows XP (no longer supported by Microsoft libraries)
Track line display -- now single-track display is turned on automatically after AR import
User-defined toolbars -- remove this feature, which never worked
Toolbars customize -- fix crash
Fix to allow multiple selection of layouts in chooser
Layout thumbnails: use 1-pixel black line for track

Changes in 6.5:

Road styles -- new scheme for customizing track display, with a new tabbed dialog for style design
Accurate scaling -- fixes in grid scheme for correct car measurements in all scales
AnyRail import fixes -- fix for Kato N-scale double crossover and parts having electrical gaps
Dev environment upgrade -- upgrade to the newest Visual Studio and Microsoft libraries
New licensing system -- new homemade system allows unlimited demo, easier maintenance
Scripting fixes -- various enhancements requested by the YardMaster authors
Persistent sort order in Script Central
Fix for rails in clip boxes
Many other small fixes and improvements
New sets of small and YardMaster layouts -- great new scenic YM- and ops-ready layouts

Changes in 6.4:

YardMaster, a collection of over 80 excellent ready-to-play switching layouts
New improved random train generator, populates a large layout quickly and accurately
Automatic display of designer’s notes on opening layout
Scripting enhancements: $set combination functions, IsSpotted, Dedupe
Significant speed improvement in running scripts
New editable Variables tab in Script Central
AnyRail conversion improvements
No more Kalmbach: 101 Track Plans removed from product, manual, website
Track labels on/off view setting and per-track display
Track properties dialog now modeless, for setting values over multiple tracks
Many bug fixes, repairs of memory and graphic leaks, fixes for various crashes

Changes in 6.3.1:

FEATURES

car orientation revamp
no more Reverse Engine flag or checkbox
consistent train orientation in window (forward = rightward)
CP cars use left-side images where available
$track(length) property
variables are now saved in layout file
can delete a variable by assigning no value (let x= )
user variables are now editable in Script Central Reference tab
rail thickness preference
idsets available to scripts

FIXES

resource leak in scenery chooser
error message if default car collection not found
handling of multi-line data in saved variables using $file functions
avoid saving changes in script text as requested
allow switch throw when fouled if using spacebar or menu
fix for dragging car window divider
fixes in quoting: allows multi-word commands, retains quotes in cmd box mru
layout can save script variables if configured
resource leak in drawing scenery
suppress echoing return in command window, except at end of text or start of line
allow use of schedule window popup commands in scripting
allow friendly versions of all popup menu names in scripting
after editing script in Script Central, warn about saving on closing doc
fix for data wrongly saved on changing tabs in Script Central

Changes in 6.3:

• See 6.3 Features, also TP Scripting pages on the web

FEATURES

Multi-track transfer table -- transfer tables are no longer limited to a single bridge track
Auto-follow selected car -- new options for auto-scrolling when following train
Auto-hide selection X -- pink X on car top can go away after a few seconds
Move uncoupling pin -- new commands, keystrokes to move uncoupling position along train
Default scenery styles -- new context-menu commands to apply or set default line or fill styles
Car dest property -- car top can display user-supplied destination code; also in Cars Window
New snap angles -- snap to #10 or #12 angles when drawing switches
Keyboard chart -- new dialog shows keyboard accelerators for all commands
Track labels -- user-assigned labels for track and junctions serve various purposes
No blank layout -- new preference can prevent creating blank layout on program start
Car ID display reset -- new Remove All Car IDs command to reset all car labels off
Allow Train Drag -- preference to turn hand-drag of train on or off
New scripted layouts -- see new layout folder Scripts and Puzzles \ Switch Games

SCRIPTING FEATURES

new variables and functions -- $crashes, $track(label), $jxn(label), $file(delete), $car(showlabel), $note
new layout properties -- $layout(readonly / tracklabels / jxnlabels)
$view functions -- now apply to all checkable items on View menu and submenus
portable junction actions -- new Attach To Junction command can move script to a different location
automatic subroutine update -- check at program startup keeps local sub library up to date
restart master script -- new command in Script Central to rerun master script
no save/load of rewind point -- rewind info is no longer saved to layout file; fixes various problems
warn on rewind -- if rewind will change train inventory, new alert allows cancel
improved text editor -- in all script windows: new context menu, improved keyboard operation
start executing at selected line -- undoable Set Next Command Here in script editor
interactive command box -- execute one command at a time in a scratch pad window
script command prompt -- execute a single command or call from one-line dialog with MRU list
fun with DOG -- Directed Ops Generator: schemes for creating randomized challenges

FIXES

Start/stop/rewind on toolbar now apply to all scripts
Revert To Saved now works from script
Stop All Scripts includes master script
deletion of junction no longer loses attached action script
updating of SC subroutines list no longer requires a layout be open
fix for layouts with startup scripts opened via double-click in Win Explorer
fix for crash when filling reference tab of SC
can now set speed units separately from metric length units
improvements in display of text loads
improved performance of turntables and transfer tables
fix crashes after certain data downloads
fix confusion in downloads from defaults6/loads6
simpler web catalog of cars, layouts
unfound scenery objects: no longer erased
fix for value input in transfer table props dialog
throwing a switch no longer unselects car
station context menu no longer displayed when stations not visible
improved consistency in keyboard accelerators, same now in TP and TL
fix for car label display at 1:1 zoom
prevent throw of switch when fouled
retain selected car after coupling
no more distinction between content delivered in TP vs. TL
auto-scroll is no longer automatically disabled when view dragged by hand
enable View > Pause when any script running, even if trains not moving

Changes in 6.2:

• For promo and screen shots, see web page 6.2 Feature Documentation. 
• For additional documentation, see TrainPlayer 6.2 - Enhanced Scenery.

NEW GRAPHICS SYSTEM

tiling scheme: revamped tile-based graphics allows both maximum zoom and smooth scrolling
auto-scroll: now smoother, no need to rebuild drawing while scrolling

SCENERY ENHANCEMENTS

scn files: develop a scenery object from shapes and lines, save as reusable single object
hq scenery: new collection of high-quality scenery, auto-download in welcome dialog
patterned lines: thick lines can be filled with hatch or bitmap patterns
smoothing: smoothing of polygon corners with auto-generated bezier curves
polygon edit: delete a polygon or polyline segment; auto-close a polyline
updated tutorial: step by step process to create a detailed layout using new scenery tools
hatch colors: object or line can now be filled with two-color hatch pattern
hide track/trains: precise clipping under grouped objs, polylines marked as hiders
line flat ends: polylines have rounded joins, flat ends
flip horiz/vert: flip object or group about an axis
reworked scenery resize: accurate resize/reshape of grouped object without loss of precision

SCENERY UI DEVICES

scenery grid: adjustable snap grid aids in fast drawing of precise scenery objects
scenery styles dialog: new tabbed dialog for setting current or default fill, line, text styles
paint bucket tool: one click fills closed object or group with color or pattern
dropper tool: click anywhere on screen picks up color to be applied to scenery
arrows on tools: drop-down arrows on line, text, fill tools lead to matching style dialogs
plus cursor for points: new cursor aids in drawing and connecting polylines
stat bar measurements: length or dimensions are shown on status bar while drawing scenery
export image fg/bg separate: individual layers may be suppressed when exporting images
fixes in click select: better selection of hidden objects, multiple selections, groups
rect->polygon on menu: convert rectangle to polygon object; allows modifying shape
keyboard arrow keys: arrow-key one-pixel nudging now applies to resize as well as move
improved scenery props dialog: updates in background, line, text tabs

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

new rail display: double rails are now a track display style, thus faster, more dynamic, more flexible
new track props dialog: specify detailed display features per track segment
improved note window: better auto-fit of text, improved display and saving of status
change ordering of drawing: better ground-up drawing, e.g., rails on top of roadway
fixes in AnyRail conversion: repairs for flex track, beziers, wyes, other parts
fixes in scripting: fixes in translation and parsing certain expressions
fix for car jumping on uncouple: fixes for long-standing bugs causing jumps or flips on couple or uncouple
move pin on menu: use keyboard or menu to move uncoupling pin position

Changes in 6.1.0:

• For promo and screen shots, see web page 6.1 Feature Documentation. 
• For details of updates to TPL, see TrainPlayer 6.1 - Extensions.

SCRIPTING ADDITIONS

settable functions
local variables
custom $car, $train props
add T(oggle) as $train direction
save/load variables to/from delimited file
new system variables and functions:$SYSTEM(cmd)  $DATADIR
new function families: $FILE $STRING $TURNTABLE $STATION $SCENERY $TRACK $LAYOUT $TRAIN $CAR
new scripting commands:  Continue  Exit  Local  Return

SCRIPTING FIXES

fix in set->let conversion
fixes for argument translation when passed to system functions
on error translating variable, do not continue
load subroutine from file when needed at call time
new parsing of location (T J D) expression: order-independent with initials
do not split comment at semicolon

FIXES IN SCRIPT UI DEVICES

fix to prevent duplicate id's when creating new junction actions
r/w designator in SC Reference tab shows which functions are settable
adjustable text size for all script text windows; set in SC Settings tab
subfolder column in SC Subroutines tab
subroutines list now includes those next to layout file
prevent drag of SC divider beyond window edges
command hiliting in script editor now skips over proc definition blocks
prevent crash on adding note or master script
commit when adding note or master script so changes are not lost
fix so comment-only master script is not considered empty
update train controls after setting speed via script
improved appearance of SC Reference tab
fix for wrap in SC text windows
more robust method of handling clicks in SC list window prevents crashes
on cancel from junction action editor, do not leave empty action on list

OTHER ENHANCEMENTS

track to scenery => create backdrops and scenery objects using track tools
resizing input box for more convenient user input
wider line by default when creating polyline or polygon scenery
improved display on turntables when using Show Numbers
prevent car from running off end of stub, except on turntables or linked tracks

FIXES

when sorting car collection, include self-propelled (EP) with engines
pass keystrokes when note window is on display => avoid having to click layout window
better handling of carnote, allows terminating via carriage return
report error if rrw file cannot be read due to xml error

Changes in 6.0:

No list available.  See 6.0 Features Page.

Version 5

Changes in 5.3.0:

• For main list of new features, see web page 5.3 Feature Documentation
• Many new scripting features are in this version, not yet exposed or documented
• Bug fixes and small improvements in 5.3: too numerous to list

Changes in 5.2.0:

• Moving trains by hand: improved motion, cursors, auto-scroll
• Support for CP cars: large images, car orientation fixes
• Load chooser now works by drag-and-drop; ctrl-drag loads cut
• Improved load combo boxes; now uniform in four locations
• Load Choose by Name no longer a menu, now a list box with type-in
• Fixes for problems with engines flipping, cars appearing on coupling
• Purchase Upgrade, Check for Updates dialogs now support CP cars
• Loads show as text when on closed cars
• Fix for strange clipping behavior due to ill-defined region
• Prevent car jumps after chopping track
• Changing image for closed-car load now works more sensibly
• Fix for importing car collections
• Car display in dialogs now shows text if no image or generic
• Fix to prevent screen zoom due to creating thumbnail in chooser
• Fix in Publish to allow non-bmp images

Changes in 5.1.0.5:

• Modeless properties dialog -- remains on display as you select and modify car, train, layout props
• Property changes now undoable
• Improved cursors: no more four-headed arrow for view panning
• Subroutines in scripts!  Store some code in a file and call it when needed.
• Restore view on open; eliminate Snapshot Windows mechanism.  View, zoom, settings (including Car ID display) are restored when opening a layout.
• Fixes for coupling and uncoupling -- no more surprising flipping of engines on couple
• Auto-follow setting persisted -- last choice you made remains in effect until changed again
• No highlight of track when cursor is pointing to train
• Fixed bugs in choosing default collection; highlighting script command in window; adjusting volume level via registry setting
• Improved train horn menu: now shows all available horns, displays correct name instead of "Other..."
• Fixed subtle problem with clip boxes defined by unclosed rectangle -- caused unexpected clipping of cars
• Prep work for large car images -- results to be seen with upcoming release of Pedersen cars
• Auto-follow begins closer to center of screen when dragging by hand; can be adjusted by registry setting
• "No car selected" indicated in car props if applicable

Changes in 5.1.0.4:

• Improved dragging by hand: works with any tool; cursor changes over car or uncouple point; auto-scroll follows dragged car (not lead car); improved algorithm for tracking mouse; improved touching when zoomed out
• Auto-save: backup file is saved periodically, as specified by new preference; new Restore Backup command retrieves saved backup
• Modeless dialogs now behave as child windows of layout, hidden when layout is closed or minimized; avoids crashes when layout is closed
• New cursors: hand for train move, custom new cursor for uncouple, 4-head arrow for panning view
• Fix for download of large layouts -- problem with utf-8 conversion was failing to retrieve large rrw files
• Changes in defaults: shift-click to uncouple, mouse wheel zoom now off by default
• Load name "none" now handled correctly in car props dialog
• Train tree now updates after Train > Name dialog is used
• Change in click-to-load: when load chooser is up, clicking an eligible car loads it but clicking again does not unload; easier and less problematic
• Support for passenger cars: can now load all types (coach, diner, mail, etc.) with passengers
• New definition of car cut:  cut now includes neighboring cars of same general (not exact) type
• Improvements in publishing: background image file is now copied rather than remade from image; lowercasing of filenames improved
• Changes to Route Finder dialog: no close or minimize button; better modeless behavior

Changes in 5.1.0.3:

• Drag trains by hand!  With the RUN tool active, press and drag a train or car along the tracks.
• Fixes in switch window: restore switch lights; stay in synch with current layout

Changes in 5.1.0.1-2:

• Fix for inability to find default cars when no document open
• Restore missing load indicators on closed-car loads
• Missing cars alert: report if license does not permit download
• Fix problem with missing cars on opening Hornby layout
• Fix misspelled "jubliee tender" in British collections

Changes in 5.1.0:

FEATURES

• British content added to installer and web: layouts, car collections, scenery, sounds
• Ability to choose UK translations for car classes: drop-downs in Preferences and AAR Classes dialog
• new preference for choosing default car collection to be used for new layouts
• allow png format for car top and side images
• British flag displayed when UK translations are in effect
• improved alert for car collection and scenery errors: shows layout name, progress reports; better update of buttons depending on status
• Improved downloads: show status while downloading; prevent same error more than once; better progress and filename display
• car collection editor improvements: better list of car classes; selection of aar adds to list when in load chooser; no car class shown for loads
• multiple selections now allowed in web chooser, for downloading more than one file
• new items on chooser tree: download entire folder, download only items missing from local set
• installer now allows choice of US vs. UK settings: sets default preferences and file locations
• new welcome dialog at startup if UK chosen: allows download of entire set of UK data with one click
• no more toolbar customization reset at startup: updates are now automatic, do not erase keyboard settings
• fixes in Purchase Upgrade dialog to correct version numbers
• new Stop All Trains command on Train menu

• improved car descriptions in tooltips, car properties, car collection editor, ops windows

FIXES

• on change of default car collection: update car dimensions, do not modify loads, convert more car types
• better error message on finding duplicate car collections
• use upper left pixel when determining background color for car sides, not lower left
• remove Classic collection from trains shown in about box
• show cartype names instead of generic class names in tooltips and other places
• when looking for layout background file, search Layouts folder
• scenery objects are now named for background file if any, rather than generic object types
• more reliable train bounce: do not check for overlapping trains
• do not hilite track when mousing using scenery tools
• in choosers and aar car classes dialog: when selecting item, unselect others
• eliminate Install All Scenery button; now done using folder download
• eliminate menu index column from list view of car collection
• improved search for loads when reading car definitions: use display name as well as file name
• hour glass cursor added in several places, e.g., when bringing up web chooser
• when displaying scenery objects or sounds in chooser, do not show file extensions on names
• top chooser: always set to icon view instead of list view
• new note in car collection preview window: "click car to see preview"
• use RELOAD flag when opening web file, so web version will overwrite cached if any
• remember last selected folder in layout chooser, return there on next open; works across sessions
• on fail to load basic data, retry after creating new choosers file: eliminates "default car collection not found" error
• no check for car collection errors when opening invisibly, e.g., linked layouts, modules, etc.
• improved handling of foreign non-ascii characters when loading text files
• use improved download routine when getting a single text file
• add line feeds to output when exporting to xml: better readability
• avoid reporting error when loading car collection fails to find some image files
• update tree on refresh folder in web chooser
• car collection page: button says Download not Install when folder chosen
• summary alert on completed export from chooser tree
• sort names alphabetically in load chooser
• fix to restore ability to drag loads from load chooser into industry lists
• eliminate lengthy search operation when determining if web file has local counterpart
• assume layout background files in web collections are all jpg: reduces time to load web index
• do not create chooser items for any which failed to download
• load header data when exporting folder of layouts to xml or delimited text: gets correct values of scale, size
• better export of folders to xml: eliminate unneeded fields; lowercase all filenames; do not output "scale" item except for layouts
• when loading data from web, get additional info: ops-ready flags on folders, notes on car collections
• what's new folder: sort items case-insensitive
• improved way of choosing item which comes up on opening folder in chooser tree
• improved method for finding files by pathname: consider \ same as /
• update icon when creating folder in tree
• better way of determinining if web item has local counterpart: uses path only, no search
• prevent adding duplicate car collections when reloading chooser tree
• avoid crashes in preferences dialog when no layout is open
• on cancel preferences restore to previous default car collection if changed
• remove "% cabooses" item from train generator preferences
• fix so rotation angle can be entered by hand in scenery properties dialog
• fix to avoid car jump on cancel car properties
• update descriptor in car properties after edit collection
• choosing OK in the alert for missing cars no longer causes cars to be permanently converted to defaults
• help page and button added to missing car/scenery alert
• screen now updates during mouse wheel scroll

INTERNAL

• refactoring and preprocessing to separate Mac-specific code from Windows and shared
• move trainplayer.com to new host; rebuild shop site
• eliminate need to tag car collections as defaults for various types of layout
• do not save temporary train names to layout file
• new registry setting to keep track of current layout folder in chooser; initialized by installer
• eliminate ability to read car-top images from single file: all tops must all be separate files now
• preliminary code for handling large car images
• preliminary code for annotation system for recording demos
• move global preference data to shared location with Mac
• handling of car collection and scenery errors now done by reporting dialog
• develop but do not use facility for translating names via language-specific translation file
• ability to export xml in web-ready format, for internal use
• multi-purpose debugging dialog for internal use

Changes in 5.0.0.1-4:

• Default car collections displayed randomly in About box
• Car button tooltips now show correct cartype names
• Fix to ensure module collections show sizes in N on chooser
• Fixes for downloadi of euro loads from web -- processing xml with foreign chars
• Fix for identifying certain types in default collections
• Default setting for Whats New time frame now "last 30 days"
• Crash protection in several places

Changes in 5.0:

• Modular Railroading.  New dialogs, new capabilities, new layout properties, new chapter in the manual
• Ctrl-drag duplicates and drags objects, both track and scenery
• Status bar shows cursor position and object data while dragging
• Fix for faulty handling of scenery objects in rotating layout
• Can now enter degrees as floating-point numbers when specifying rotation angle
• Improved performance in rendering scenery objects
• "Touch maps" improve performance when moving mouse using any non-Run tool
• Fix for umlauts and other special chars in xml handling
• Ability specifying absolute sizes of scenery objects using external sizes.txt files
• New checkbox in scenery object properties allows changing layers
• New Advanced tab in Layout Properties, allows change of background image, module type
• Layout size column in Layout Chooser now shows sizes in N scale for folders with N layouts only (e.g. NTrak folders)
• Various crash fixes
• New RZP files: zip files for packaging layout with components
• Layout scale no longer defaults to Z if unspecified; now HO
• New search path scheme for locating external files -- smarter and more flexible
• Fixes for setting properties over multi-object scenery selection

Version 4

Changes in 4.2.2:

• Built-in updating: if newer version of program is available on web, alert at startup and allow download; new Check for Updates command on Help menu
• Faster startup: delayed data fetch; cache web data; no check for duplicate car colls; simpler finding of default cars; cache status icons; status on splash
• Multi-line text in scenery objects: allow wrapping text in scenery objects (no rotation); enter returns via "\n"
• Text alignment: choose left/center/right for text on scenery objects
• Grid sorting: multiple sort in ops grids; add SortOrder column to sort on user-supplied data
• Grid space saving: resize grid rows on show/hide Image; smaller header row
• Train menu: do not allow train menu to come up empty
• Layout background color: do not hide layout color button; alert if changes will not be visible
• Load car type override: new scheme allowing loads at given industries to be restricted to certain car types
• Train selection in scripts: allow TRAIN <name or id> in scripts
• Car label duplications: non-default labels now retained on copy/paste; dash-num suffix applies when needed to keep labels unique

• Mouse capture on drag: moving off screen while dragging no longer releases the item being dragged
• Short-integer truncation: fix for various problems with objects having id's greater than 64K
• Car tooltip: now includes id in addition to label
• Missing loads: repairs in data files ensure all provided industries and cars have recognized default loads
• Image export: retain layout background color in exported image
• Waybill generation: disregard car's current load if same as default for the cartype
• Linked layouts: open target layout at same zoom level as source
• Linked layouts: prevent bounce or couple before jump is finished -- if cars foul the entry link track, roll over them
• Linked layouts: prevent check for missing data on opening target layout
• Layout rotate: now works with large layouts
• Internet session: once opened, do not close and require reopen later
• Loading of chooser list: allow interrupt via ESC key
• Default car collections: no longer hide any named "Default"; these are now visible in tree but not useful
• New Window: copy view settings from existing window
• Splash screen: now comes up immediately, displays status messages during startup
• Scenery properties: improved alert when changes made both in dialog and on layout; fix for applying changes on clicking Yes
• Help file: fix to bring up the correct file
• Car menu: change Other... to Car Chooser...; move More Cars to bottom of menu, add where missing in track context menu
• Preferences: remove unused Check Car Collections from startup prefs
• Startup: suspend timer during warning of missing data, otherwise can crash if animation is going
• Train menu: fix train so selection by click has an effect
• Fix for crashes occurring during and after jumps between linked layouts

• Chooser trees: prevent drag and drop in tree controls

Changes in 4.2.1:

• New Station Style dialog for setting station text and outline colors (access via Station Props)
• Drop track junction onto circle using Edit tool => forms curve
• Prevent drag by hand except in valid direction(s)
• Load lookups faster via name map
• Background color now applicable per layout
• Attaching stations to tracks: now works for multiple tracks
• Fix for flickering selection rect
• Prevent zoomout to infinity
• Fix in Industry Browser to show all AAR codes
• Handle trains with no names in Schedule Window
• Less flashing on zoom in and out
• Fix for hovering over track or circle and pressing Del to delete
• Fix for rail separation, now works on straights and curves
• Add rail separation value to Prefs
• New mechanism for handling loads in industries; allows aar override
• Improved highlighting while dragging and while creating stations
• Fix for creating new station around multiple tracks
• Scripts: Train command now selects by train name or car label

Changes in 4.2:

• Revamped graphics system -- infinite zoom, smoother scrolling, better highlighting
• Dragging view by hand
• Fixes in track transforms -- curves, circles, turntables now reflect and rotate correctly
• Setting of individual car sizes -- as it used to work, before spring 2010
• New preferences for setting layout and window background colors
• New scheme for highlighting junctions and switches -- better performance and appearance
• Load combos in Car and Car Collection Properties no longer allow typed input -- you must choose from the list
• Auto-scroll turns off automatically upon scrolling or hand dragging (as before) but now only if the selected train is moving
• Fixed display of crashed cars so not cropped
• Fix for turning off car labels while moving
• Fix for broken combo box in Animation Obj Properties
• Remove script welcome dialog
• On zoom out: remove double flash of layout before display
• Select All with track or edit tool now includes circles
• Allow choosing layout-specific background color -- new button in Layout Props
• Fix allows selecting and moving circles when no track present

Changes in 4.1:

• Animation
• Ties
• Export image; replace Export dialog with wizard
• Track transforms: rotate, flip
• Car ID display rework
• Road Preferences tab
• Select Ties, Roadbed only
• Remove Tools > Options, redundant menu
• Remove nonfunctional Add to Schedule, Add to Switchlist menu items
• Remove 4.0 Welcome dialog
• Remove "Save view settings" checkbox and feature; use default view on layout load (improved scheme under development)
• AnyRail import enhancements: fixes for turntables; straight flex sections now converted to single track pieces
• Select All with track edit tool now selects circles as well as track
• Do not highlight stations when selecting track
• Improved cursors when using station tool
• Selecting polygon scenery objects now uses accurate touch detection
• Add parameter to load def to allow fitting to partial car length; used internally
• Remove Refresh Thumbnail menu item when in web chooser
• Add index column to car chooser to allow sorting default sets in menu order
• When creating layout thumbnails, apply basic view settings (no stations, color codes, etc.)
• Repair of progress bar during downloads
• Publish layout now uses default view settings
• Manual and help buttons updated to 4.1
• Better initial choice in layout chooser
• Updated and expanded sets of installed layouts and car collections
• Fix for deletion, selection when using scenery tool
• Scheme for more efficient highlight detection; disabled until further tested