Pros and Cons
NOTE: The proliferation of MC Versions has gotten ahead of my ability to keep current with the Pros and Cons of each different MC ... sorry. Just try one and see if you like it. Look at The Creators section.
SWITCH LIST CREATOR:
The reason for developing SLC was to have more prototypical documents. Not being a historian, I can only go by what Inspector Dave, the inspiration behind SLC, has told me.
Pros:
With SLC you can do a LOT more to set up your railroad to run the way you want it to. Dave and I have put in a lot of codes that can go in the JMRI Location and Track names to give you the ability to sequence the way the Tracks print on the Switch List.
Just a heads up: Switch Lists in this "environment" are generated from JMRI manifest information. There is an additional program within the SLC "family" called Location Lists (LLC) that will provide information from the JMRI Switch Lists.
You also have a great amount of control of the final output document size, fonts, colors, etc without the need for many Preferences.
You can produce Train Lists, Switch Lists, Train Orders, and Location Lists
Cons:
Produces a number of sheets of paper. But original design was to use a 4.25 x 11 inch sheet of paper. This is an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper cut in half vertically so this reduces the amount of paper actually printed. However, most users have gone for a wider format. If you know the general length of your trains, number of Cars per Location, you could cut down the 11 inch portion of the paper. So you might end up with 4.5 x 5.5 inch sheets and even though this would not save on the number of pieces of paper, it would reduce the amount of paper used.
MANIFEST CREATOR:
Manifest Creator (MC) was the original effort to provide a different view of the JMRI Manifest. The original document was something that I dreamed up based upon helping a friend run his operations from the computer. The second format available within the same Excel Application was a suggestion provided from an early user. Both use a standard 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.
Pros:
Original Version: Allows Pickups and Setouts for a Location to be placed beside one another and in this way saves some paper.
New Format: Prints information in a column format with Pickups preceding Setouts at each Location. However, it is meant to be folded in half to allow it to be stuck in a shirt pocket.
All information is on one (or perhaps two) pieces of paper.
Cons:
Original Version: Would required a clipboard or something to hold the manifest. Requires the use of one hand. This can be a problem if you have throttles and/or radios to use during a session.
New Version: I don't know of any.
NOTE: If you are using MC, have your tried both formats? If not you can change a Preference to switch between Original and New. The Preference reads: Original Version | YES or NO where YES gives the Original Version and NO gives the New Format.
The reason for developing SLC was to have more prototypical documents. Not being a historian, I can only go by what Inspector Dave, the inspiration behind SLC, has told me.
Pros:
With SLC you can do a LOT more to set up your railroad to run the way you want it to. Dave and I have put in a lot of codes that can go in the JMRI Location and Track names to give you the ability to sequence the way the Tracks print on the Switch List.
Just a heads up: Switch Lists in this "environment" are generated from JMRI manifest information. There is an additional program within the SLC "family" called Location Lists (LLC) that will provide information from the JMRI Switch Lists.
You also have a great amount of control of the final output document size, fonts, colors, etc without the need for many Preferences.
You can produce Train Lists, Switch Lists, Train Orders, and Location Lists
Cons:
Produces a number of sheets of paper. But original design was to use a 4.25 x 11 inch sheet of paper. This is an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper cut in half vertically so this reduces the amount of paper actually printed. However, most users have gone for a wider format. If you know the general length of your trains, number of Cars per Location, you could cut down the 11 inch portion of the paper. So you might end up with 4.5 x 5.5 inch sheets and even though this would not save on the number of pieces of paper, it would reduce the amount of paper used.
MANIFEST CREATOR:
Manifest Creator (MC) was the original effort to provide a different view of the JMRI Manifest. The original document was something that I dreamed up based upon helping a friend run his operations from the computer. The second format available within the same Excel Application was a suggestion provided from an early user. Both use a standard 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.
Pros:
Original Version: Allows Pickups and Setouts for a Location to be placed beside one another and in this way saves some paper.
New Format: Prints information in a column format with Pickups preceding Setouts at each Location. However, it is meant to be folded in half to allow it to be stuck in a shirt pocket.
All information is on one (or perhaps two) pieces of paper.
Cons:
Original Version: Would required a clipboard or something to hold the manifest. Requires the use of one hand. This can be a problem if you have throttles and/or radios to use during a session.
New Version: I don't know of any.
NOTE: If you are using MC, have your tried both formats? If not you can change a Preference to switch between Original and New. The Preference reads: Original Version | YES or NO where YES gives the Original Version and NO gives the New Format.
WAYBILL CREATOR: - Includes Empty Car Bills
Version 1 was the first attempt at creating individual Waybills from the JMRI manifest information. This a user request. The original version prints 12 Waybills per 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper. These Waybills print 4 wide and 3 deep with an overall size of a x b inches.
Version 2 is a modification of Version 1 and also user driven. Version 2 also prints 12 Waybills per 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper. These Waybills print 3 wide and 4 deep with an overall size of c x d inches. There are several enhancements over Version 1. Version 2 allows one to print multiple train Waybills at one time thereby saving paper. It also prints without dividing lines. This makes it much easier to cut the Waybills on a paper cutter and make them all the same size.
Pros and Cons are only discussed as it comes to Version 1 or Version 2 of Waybills. The decision to use Waybills or Manifests is up to you.
Pros:
Allows the use of Waybills in your existing Car Cards and retain the same functionality ... to a degree. There are no more four (4) position Waybills.
Cons:
Waybills need to be printed and replaced for each session as you build new trains. This means some additional setup time is required for an OPS session.
Version 1: Provides cut lines if a paper cutter is not used but with printer margins makes it difficult to get the Waybills to the same size.
Final note: All Creators are Excel/Windows based. If you do not Excel nor run on the Windows platform, Creators are not for you.
Dan Foltz
Creator ... Creator
Version 1 was the first attempt at creating individual Waybills from the JMRI manifest information. This a user request. The original version prints 12 Waybills per 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper. These Waybills print 4 wide and 3 deep with an overall size of a x b inches.
Version 2 is a modification of Version 1 and also user driven. Version 2 also prints 12 Waybills per 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper. These Waybills print 3 wide and 4 deep with an overall size of c x d inches. There are several enhancements over Version 1. Version 2 allows one to print multiple train Waybills at one time thereby saving paper. It also prints without dividing lines. This makes it much easier to cut the Waybills on a paper cutter and make them all the same size.
Pros and Cons are only discussed as it comes to Version 1 or Version 2 of Waybills. The decision to use Waybills or Manifests is up to you.
Pros:
Allows the use of Waybills in your existing Car Cards and retain the same functionality ... to a degree. There are no more four (4) position Waybills.
Cons:
Waybills need to be printed and replaced for each session as you build new trains. This means some additional setup time is required for an OPS session.
Version 1: Provides cut lines if a paper cutter is not used but with printer margins makes it difficult to get the Waybills to the same size.
Final note: All Creators are Excel/Windows based. If you do not Excel nor run on the Windows platform, Creators are not for you.
Dan Foltz
Creator ... Creator