Increase Horn Distance

[dr1980]

Hello, I recently bought the excellent DTM Also FA's. My one gripe is that the horn is not audible until you get very close. Is there something in the HornControl proxyxml file that controls this distance? I'm spoiled by the searchlight horns and far away they can be heard from, but this one seems to have an unusually short distance, even for non-searchlight style horns, to the point where I can't usually hear them when passing a whistle post with my camera view set at the crossing. If there's a decent replacement Leslie A200 that someone really loves I'd love to hear about that too.

Thanks for any pointers.

[buzz456]

Here is the one I use a lot.http://railworksamerica.com/index.php/d ... =25:sounds

[dr1980]

Thanks Buzz, I’ll give that one a try.

[CArailroader]

There is at the top of the horn or whistle proxy file a distance number. I always change the value to 1609. I read somewhere once that it reads as being able to hear the horn a mile a way. I don't know if its exactly a mile, but it greatly increases the distance of the horn sound and its what I use whenever I modify horns and whistles.

[buzz456]

There is at the top of the horn or whistle proxy file a distance number. I always change the value to 1609. I read somewhere once that it reads as being able to hear the horn a mile a way. I don't know if its exactly a mile, but it greatly increases the distance of the horn sound and its what I use whenever I modify horns and whistles.

1609 meters (which is what that value is) is 5279 so darn close to a mile.

[Chacal]

I'm a bit confused, possible senior moment. Who's gonna be listening to your horn from a mile away?

[mindenjohn]

In the middle of the night the sound travels further than that especially when you’re trying to sleep!

[gtrtroger]

I can’t speak for everyone, but I live 1/4mile off a CSX mainline in daytime and I can hear horns as far away as a road crossing two miles away.

[buzz456]

Yeah when we're up North we are just under a 1/2 mile from the tracks and when the wind is blowing from the right direction I can hear the horns at might in the crossings at the nearest town which is about three miles away so I can tell which way the train is going since there is a crossing right at closest point also.

[dr1980]

Thanks, I had a look and the activation distance line looks like this:

<ActivationDistance d:type="sFloat32">2000</ActivationDistance>

With that number I wonder why I can't hear the horn until the train is very close ( I would guess inside of a 1/4 mile)? The bell sounds kick in at the exact same time.

[kris120]

Be a bit careful:
</ActivationDistance> (on the top) is the distance the TS-program activates the sound.
</AttenuationStartDist> is the minimal distance of full loudness, and
</NoFutherAttenuationDist> is the distance where you start to hear the sound. This value should be smaller than the Activationdistance, otherwise the sound appears abruptely without a curve.

(devdocs "8.01 Audio Control and Blueprints.pdf" page 9)

[dr1980]

Thank you, I think we're getting somewhere. The exterior horn sounds are set at:

<AttenuationStartDist d:type="sFloat32">100</AttenuationStartDist>
<NoFutherAttenuationDist d:type="sFloat32">5000</NoFutherAttenuationDist>

The exterior bell sounds are set at:

<AttenuationStartDist d:type="sFloat32">7200</AttenuationStartDist>
<NoFutherAttenuationDist d:type="sFloat32">7230</NoFutherAttenuationDist>

except for X_Bell_Start.dav which is:

<AttenuationStartDist d:type="sFloat32">50</AttenuationStartDist>
<NoFutherAttenuationDist d:type="sFloat32">300</NoFutherAttenuationDist>

[dr1980]

Also, I'm trying to find the pdf referenced so I can read up on this, all I can find is an online devdocs that doesn't appear to have any detail on horn audio

https://sites.google.com/a/railsimdev.c ... s1sdk/home

Are the PDFs available somewhere?

[kris120]

https://sites.google.com/a/railsimdev.c ... io-Control
is ok here.
That's the same I've mentioned. You don't need more as there.
Look into a "Horn Proxy" (such a thing does not exist !)
It is only a "<cGenericAudioControl", you can see it in the 3rd line of such a proxy.
People create extra so called "Horn Controls" as it is easier to maintain the sounds of a horn. There is no technical reason for it.

Just try it first without a curve and look at your distances. Don't mix AttenuationStartDist and noFurtherAttenuationDist .

[Chacal]

I'm a bit confused, possible senior moment. Who's gonna be listening to your horn from a mile away?

I meant, in the game, you are in the cab or not far away. AI trains don't sound the horn. Why increase the horn range?
Just curious.