Open Rails and MSTS/MSTSBin sound management system discrete triggers

[twpol]

While I was working on a fix for https://bugs.launchpad.net/or/+bug/1080252, I found that Open Rails definitions for the various wagon discrete trigger sound events was a bit weird. So I've done some detailed testing on MSTS and MSTSBin and inspected real content and would like the community to double-check what I've found and fill in any gaps.

I started off by testing MSTS itself, using custom sound files and SMS file which plays a unique sound file once for each trigger value from 1 through 69 (I believe MSTS only goes up to 64, but MSTSBin certainly adds a couple beyond that). Then I spent some time with various locomotives attempting to trigger every possible sound and recording what was played when.

Here is my list of discrete triggers for MSTS:

2 - dynamic brake increase
3 - dynamic brake off
4 - sander on
5 - sander off
6 - wipers on
7 - wipers off
8 - horn/whistle on
9 - horn/whistle off
10 - bell on
11 - bell off
12 - compressor on
13 - compressor off
14 - train brake pressure increase
15 - reverser change
16 - throttle/regulator change
17 - train brake change (only works first time)
18 - locomotive brake change (only works first time; MSTSBin fixes)
20 - dynamic brake change
27 - injector 2 on
28 - injector 2 off
30 - injector 1 on
31 - injector 1 off
32 - damper change
33 - blower change
34 - cylinder cocks toggle
36 - firebox door change
37 - light switch toggle
38 - water scoop down
39 - water scoop up
41 - firebox door close
42 - steam safety valve on
43 - steam safety valve off
44 - steam heat change (only works first time)
45 - pantograph 1 up
46 - pantograph 1 down
47 - pantograph 1 toggle
48 - reset vigilance alarm
54 - train brake pressure decrease
56 - vigilance alarm on
57 - vigilance alarm off (constant)
58 - couple (1-3mph?)
59 - couple (3-6mph?)
61 - uncouple

Next I investigated my installed content and investigated what it thought the triggers were for, in particular those that were missing above:

21 - locomotive brake; does not work
22 - locomotive brake; does not work
25 - vigilance reset, maybe; does not work
26 - sander toggle; does not work
40 - firebox door open; does not work
51 - engine brake of some kind; does not work
53 - train brake normal apply; wrong
54 - train brake emergency apply; wrong
60 - couple
62 - uncouple
63 - uncouple

And finally, the additional sounds defined in MSTSBin were tested:

23 - MSTSBin power on
24 - MSTSBin power off
66 - MSTSBin pantograph 2 up
67 - MSTSBin pantograph 2 down

There were a few interesting finds, for me, in all this; in particular, the observation that the train brake sounds (14 and 54) are dependent on the direction of the pressure change, not the application/release of the brakes.

Anyone have any data to add? Please note that "what content does" is only academically interesting, since content can and is wrong sometimes - what happens in MSTS/MSTSBin is much more interesting, particularly if there is something I have been unable to trigger.

[csantucci]

Hi James,
my partial knowledge coincides with what you have found out, thank you for your effort. You only didn't mention what triggers are heard only with cabcam and what triggers are heard only with external cams. Below I write T (true) where I agree with your note, and C (cab) and/or E (external) where I am also able to specify with what cameras the trigger can be heard. In case I don't know you don't get any note

Here is my list of discrete triggers for MSTS:

2 - dynamic brake increase
3 - dynamic brake off
4 - sander on T
5 - sander off T
6 - wipers on T
7 - wipers off T
8 - horn/whistle on C/E
9 - horn/whistle off C/E
10 - bell on C/E
11 - bell off C/E: note that it is managed differently in MSTS and in latest versions of ORTS: in MSTS you get trigger 11 when you release key B; in ORTS you get trigger 11 when you press a second time key B; personally I prefer the MSTS solution, because it allows to use the two triggers for a second horn/whistle in locos that don't have the bell.
12 - compressor on E (C is available only in MSTSbin, improvement by George)
13 - compressor off E (C is available only in MSTSbin, improvement by George)
14 - train brake pressure increase T
15 - reverser change C only
16 - throttle/regulator change C only; note: after some keystrokes does not work any more
17 - train brake change (only works first time) C only
18 - locomotive brake change (only works first time; MSTSBin fixes) C only
20 - dynamic brake change
27 - injector 2 on
28 - injector 2 off
30 - injector 1 on
31 - injector 1 off
32 - damper change
33 - blower change
34 - cylinder cocks toggle
36 - firebox door change
37 - light switch toggle
38 - water scoop down
39 - water scoop up
41 - firebox door close
42 - steam safety valve on
43 - steam safety valve off
44 - steam heat change (only works first time)
45 - pantograph 1 up C/E
46 - pantograph 1 down C/E
47 - pantograph 1 toggle C
48 - reset vigilance alarm C
54 - train brake pressure decrease C/E
56 - vigilance alarm on C
57 - vigilance alarm off (constant) C
58 - couple (1-3mph?) E, in my opinion should be modified in order to be heard also in CabCam
59 - couple (3-6mph?) E, in my opinion should be heard also in CabCam
61 - uncouple E, in my opinion should be heard also in CabCam

Next I investigated my installed content and investigated what it thought the triggers were for, in particular those that were missing above:

21 - locomotive brake; does not work
22 - locomotive brake; does not work
25 - vigilance reset, maybe; does not work
26 - sander toggle; does not work
40 - firebox door open; does not work
51 - engine brake of some kind; does not work
53 - train brake normal apply; wrong
54 - train brake emergency apply; wrong
60 - couple
62 - uncouple
63 - uncouple

And finally, the additional sounds defined in MSTSBin were tested:

23 - MSTSBin power on C/E
24 - MSTSBin power off C/E
66 - MSTSBin pantograph 2 up C/E
67 - MSTSBin pantograph 2 down C/E

I use this occasion also to say that a hidden but useful feature of MSTS sound management is that for electric locos Variable1 in Variable Triggers proportionally follows the throttle value.

[twpol]

Thanks; it hadn't occurred to me that the triggers might vary for outside vs. inside (I presumed that the difference was just down to what triggers and sound files the different SMS files used) but I'll have a quick test of it.

[midneguy]

I'd like to throw a complaint I've had about MSTS and the inside vs. outside sounds, particularly with regards to steam. One thing I've noticed is that the sounds for the injectors only play in the cab and I've never gotten them to play outside. You really should be able to hear the injectors going on and off from the outside as well, so if that could be addressed in OR that would be fantastic