Run 8 has released their newest update which includes new and improved sounds, Direct X 10 compatibility, shadows and much more. A full change log can be found below
V2 Update Change Log
Update 01 (Version 02.20.2016)
- Mojave Sub: NB signals at north-end of Wash fixed, removed naughty switch-link for Vulcan
- If able, sim will automatically use DX10.1 shaders if the card cannot support DX11. NOTE: Shadows will only work in DirectX 11 mode!
- Null-reference crash condition fixed regarding MU Connections during uncoupling
- Options Menu is disabled except for the License Tab, until the License is entered
- Fixed Hyrailers not showing properly over the network
- Occasional F3 Horn Menu Crash (Null-Reference) should be fixed
- Cab Signal now shows the correct indication, for the signal currently governing the train (ie, the one you just passed), instead of showing the next signal
- Fixed CSX Boxcar loading the wrong model when empty\full. Note: there is no “open” model at this time, so the car will appear with the door closed
- Fixed several wellcars showing the wrong model
- Fixed a duplicate Xing-Gate at West Amboy
- Reverser can no longer be changed when in Dynamic-Brakes mode
- Brake Squeal is now only heard on your own train; other players will not hear your squealing, as it was getting “stuck” on the network
- Fixed a bit of floating track in the Barstow Departure Yard
- Doll-Arm blue-lights will now stay lit at all times if no Day-Nite Sensor is specified
- Fixed a crash-condition when riding another player's locomotive during coupling
- Fixed exporting of Switch-List (was exporting to the wrong location)
- Fixed Clients not seeing Host-TMU trains spawned with locomotives
- When entering the Transaction ID to the License Tab, it will automatically remove any spaces, and check the text for illegit characters. If bad characters are found, the user is notified with a message box
- AI Trains can now call stops and signals, new F1 Menu Slider sets the functionality
- If a train corrupts somehow on the Host, the Host's log should show the tile number of the location of that train's controlling-unit
- ATSF Rock load fixed
- Couper-Force display for the RailDriver has been fixed (simple division error)
- Erroneous leftover duplicate couplers removed from a few boxcars
- Fixed Handbrakes always being set on a train after relinquishing (Auto Parking Brake option has to be turned off)
- Setting zero for car-capacity for a car-type at an industry will now cause that type of car not to be included in the generated manifests
- Generated manifest trains no longer include cars for industries on missing routes
- AI, when calling signals and stops, will call its direction if it has been set
- Fixed bug preventing AI from blowing for the nearest crossing under certain circumstances
- Defect Detectors now have an option to be heard in-cab only, or always when within range
- Adjusted "Home" train-brake key operation to prevent issue with very quick keypresses
- Fixed null-reference condition regarding thunderstorms and lightening
- EOTs can now be hung on Cabeeses
- Increased the stretch-force limit when uncoupling (ie, you can still pull the pin)
- Train Directions set on the DS Screen are now seen by all Client-DS users
- Fixed a condition that prevented menu settings from saving properly when exiting the simulator
- Fixed a condition that allowed negative speeds to show on the DS Screen
- Added Speed-Limit as an option for the RailDriver Display
- Fixed minor issues regarding bell and reverser changes not immediately showing over the network, both keyboard and RailDriver
- Circuit Breakers and Gauge Light switches now have a keyboard assignment, see Keyboard pdf file
- ES44 Radio Lights fixed
- New menu option for Horn-Bell Config: you can choose to use the Host's, or stay with your own config. This is an F2 Menu Client Tab option and must be set before joining the Host
- Included files for two Terrain Tiles that were problematic on the Cajon Sub next to West Colton Yard
- Air-Flow CFM added to locomotive "Shift-Z" display
- Acid tankers now load properly
- Maersk-Hyundai wellcar now loads properly
- Fixed an airbrake condition when client-spawning from the TMU, where the EQ Reservoir would be stuck at zero even when using the Airbrake Cheat
- When in Emergency in the old EMD cab, the red PCS light will now start blinkingonce the system has timed-out and is ready to be reset. Reset the PCS by putting the reverser in Neutral, and moving the Train-Brake Handle to Release
- Headlite Switch sound will now play when actuated via RailDriver
- Network Text message now sent when a client AI-Recrews a train
- Fixed a PCS glitch regarding a train in emergency being AI-Recrewed over the network
- AI Locomotive "Power-Moves" should no longer stop at passenger-stops
- Fixed an audio problem when SD70-ACes going into emergency
- Axle-Clank sounds have been improved
- Railcar rolling sounds have had their volume increased a bit
- Correction to locomotive brakepipe to prevent accidental emergency-application of train brakes on very short (or single-loco) trains
- RailDriver Users: mitigated an issue due to channel-noise caused when actuating the front headlite (wiper) switch after a train-brake application, which causes a small amount of cross-channel noise onto the train-brake channel, which causedthe train brake application sound to play at odd moments. The sound is prevented from playing for a brief time after the headlite switch has been moved
- Fixed an Auto-MU condition that could errantly set DPUs against the train
- Minor tweak to hump-code
- Avatar Tags now default to Off, and the setting now also saves
- Fixed a condition where a locomotive's bell would stay ringing when relinquished or when changing control-units
- FIxed Auto-Saves leaving old .Info files behind
- Fixed an errant switchstand inside a building at the Barstow Marine Corp base
- Fixed missing decal on Phase-4 P42
- Fixed a condition that could allow over-length auto-generated AI trains at Yermo, which could end up spawning over an incorrectly-thrown switch
- Auto-generated AI Amtrak trains in the Selkirk region now moBetterly reflect real-life consists
- Added Block-Lights at Yermo on Mains 1, 2, and 3
- Fixed a stuck-camera condition with the "4" TrackingCam, when the unit being tracked was deleted or had disappeared
- Frame-Rate control changed to a slider for moBetta control of fixed frame rate, between the values of 10 and 120. Slide all the way to the Right for Unlimited
- Brad created a cool new world-save session
- Correction to AI behavior regarding consecutive Approach-Medium signals
- Optimization of train update logic to reduce the number of other trains considered as coupling-candidates each cycleFixed SD40T-2 loading the wrong default model
- Nigel tweaked a few model and terrain textures
- Run8 now has Shadows! They are Off by default, so you will need to enable them. They are controlled from the F1 Menu's Graphics Tab:
- The Update Slider controls how often the shadow-angles are recalculated (which can reduce shadow-shimmer), and does not affect performance. When all the way to the Left, angles will update each frame; each notch to the right increases the delay by one second. Having updates each frame can cause a shimmering effect due to the quantized and pixelized nature of rendering as the shadow moves with the sun; using a delay causes the shadows to “hold still” for a few seconds at the expense of a small jump as the matrices recalculate to match the current sun-angle. Pick your poison...
- The Samples Slider sets the number of shader-samples used when smoothing the shadow edges, and might affect performance. Setting towards the right increases the shader-sampling value. The effect is most noticeable when viewing up-close shadows
- The Quality Slider sets the number of Shadow Maps used, as well as affecting the render-distance and amount of objects used to cast shadows, and this will affect performance the most. Set to the left for lesser-but-faster shadows; to the right for maximum-quality-but-slower
- There are several on-off switches for choosing which scenery items cast shadows, which can be set to suit performance needs. NOTE: Turning off the Shadow Master switch will disable the other switches
- On the Graphics Tab is a new option for "Presenter Mode", which is related to the Frame Rate Note below. Depending on your system, one setting or the other may give you smoother performance:
- When set to "Immediate", DirectX will not wait for the next monitor refreshcycle, it will simply render immediately
- When set to "One", DirectX will wait for the monitor-refresh to render. If set to "One", the highest FPS you'll ever see is your screen's refresh-rate (usually 60hz, sometimes 120hz or 144hz). Set it to suit your purposes
- FRAME-RATE NOTE: If you were used to seeing FPS higher than your monitor's Refresh Rate (for example, 332 FPS), you may notice you only see 60 or 120 now. The truth is, you only ever saw 60 or 120 before, since your monitor will only ever display a maximum of its Refresh Rate. The other frames above that simply get ignored and do no good; that is not a V2 thing, but rather is simply how rendering works. The card "renders" the frame, but it never makes it to the monitor. So basically what I'm saying is "Don't freak out if your old FPS of 697 dropped to 60, because you never actually saw more than 60 (or 120 or 144, depending on your monitor's refresh-rate). You're not seeing a degradation of performance."
- GSYNC Note: For NVidia graphics users who also have a suitable GSync Monitor, if you wish to properly use GSync with V2 you'll need to set your graphics-card's GSync option for "Windowed and Full-Screen". Those using GSync will never see FPS higher than the monitor's max refresh-rate, typically 60, 120, or 144hz, regardless of the above settings. I have noticed, on my machine, GSync works best above 35 fps and when set to values away from even-divisions of monitor refresh (ie 55 or 63 instead of 60). Set V2's FPS Slider to a value that suits your purpose