Controlling trains with Android (Androc & Rocrail)

[Dani]

I did some tests, and it works really nice!!!! You can also use Android tablets, and more than one in the same layout:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/KH7e59emTWs" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/KH7e59emTWs</a>

[cteno4]

very cool! nice thing is there are some cheap android tablets out there for stuff like this where power and pretty screen or gobbs of memory are not needed!

cheers

jeff

[keiman]

Looks very interesting but unsure whether I could use it on  a std  DCC layout and what hardware would be needed.
Links to software/hardware would be useful.
Android tablet seems good idea -can it work with bluetooth or just wi fi.

[Webskipper]

Android and iPhone

http://jmri.sourceforge.net/

[Dani]

Yes, you have clients for almost every device:

Androc = Android smartphones / tablet
iRoc = iPhone and iPod touch
RocJ: the Java client for Pads and MIDs
padRoc: the ultimate iPad client

http://wiki.rocrail.net/doku.php

[Martijn Meerts]

The main question remains though, why do those things need to be so ugly? :)

[keiman]

May be a winter project.
Downloaded the software,now need to sort out the hardware.

[domino]

I did some tests, and it works really nice!!!! You can also use Android tablets, and more than one in the same layout:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/KH7e59emTWs" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/KH7e59emTWs</a>

Hey Dani

That looks great, this is what im looking for , i have a Samsung Galaxy tablet that runs on android, can you please tell me what i need to make this work and how to put it all together.
Right now i control all my DCC trains with ESU ECOS 50000(can i still use that with android ??), but would love to walk around with my galaxy and control all trains.

thanks

regards
Brian

[Dani]

Hey Dani

That looks great, this is what im looking for , i have a Samsung Galaxy tablet that runs on android, can you please tell me what i need to make this work and how to put it all together.
Right now i control all my DCC trains with ESU ECOS 50000(can i still use that with android ??), but would love to walk around with my galaxy and control all trains.

thanks

regards
Brian

Hi Brian!

I'm using Intellibox, but I've seen in Rocrail specifications that your central is sopported (http://wiki.rocrail.net/doku.php?id=ecos-en). In that link you will see how to set up your station with Rocrail. First of all you need a PC connected to the central (Linux or Windows) with rocrail installed. After you set up you station and check it works ok, download "Androc" from the Android Market.

With rocrail running in your pc or laptop, run Androc in your Android device and connect to the IP of your PC. And that's all!!

Rocrail it's not an easy program (well, neither of the other software are easy), but you will discover every day a new good functionality. I'm now very happy with the possibilities to store all the information in the Loco table like date of purchase, decoder installed, CV configured and last set up, attach loco and decoder manual, see time in use of the loco, .....

If you need more detailed explanation, I'm at your (all) disposal.

Cheers,

Dani.

[Martijn Meerts]

ECoS is fully supported by RocRail.

Not sure you'll be able to figure out how RocRail works before your exhibition though, it's not an easy program. The problem is that the UI is "designed" by the programmers, and programmer designed UI's are often terrible :)

[Dani]

ECoS is fully supported by RocRail.

Not sure you'll be able to figure out how RocRail works before your exhibition though, it's not an easy program. The problem is that the UI is "designed" by the programmers, and programmer designed UI's are often terrible :)

You are right! I'm also programmer, and many times I can find the options or know what something does just by intuition. xDDDD
In their web page there is a very useful step-by-step manual, but ask your doubts and we will try to answer.

[Martijn Meerts]

I'm a programmer as well, but I'm also a bit of a designer.. I started designing websites, but moved more towards the programming end. Now I'm also doing some iOS and OS X programming. Apple has a fairly extensive set of guidelines for UI design, which really helps creating a user-friendly UI. RocRail however uses a cross platform set of widgets, which completely ignore Apple's HIG. That's why RocRail looks very non-Mac ..

[domino]

Thanks alll

Is there an another easier program to use than Rocrail, ??

Im sure that i will have big problems with Rocrail because im not that great with programming 

regards
Brian

[Dani]

Thanks alll

Is there an another easier program to use than Rocrail, ??

Im sure that i will have big problems with Rocrail because im not that great with programming 

regards
Brian

I think all programs for train controlling are complicated due to the many functionality they have. Rocrail may be fails in the UI design and makes it a little messy at the beginning, but I don't feel it much more complicated than others. Don't be scared, you don't need to be a programmer, just need to know its philosophy and which are the check-boxes you need to mark or not to have the desired behaviour. Probably I can guide you in concrete doubts if you want to give it a try.

I also tried Win-Digipet, a good program with an affordable license price. There are better programs but are too expensive for me and I would't use the extra functionality, seems they are to control a Wunderland like layout!!!

Regards,
Dani.

[The_Ghan]

Thanks alll

Is there an another easier program to use than Rocrail, ??

Im sure that i will have big problems with Rocrail because im not that great with programming 

regards
Brian

Brian,

Have a look at TrainController.  There is a free demo that you can download and try.

Cheers

The_Ghan