JMRI: DecoderPro 3
Author: Nigel Cliffe
Keywords: JMRI help DecoderPro 3

# Introduction to DecoderPro 3

THIS HELP FILE IS WORK IN PROGRESS. Please help JMRI by contributing to improve this help file !

DecoderPro 3 presents a list of your locomotives (the Roster) and provides access to tools for programming decoder configuration variables (CV's).

## Description of DecoderPro 3 Window

The DecoderPro 3 Window is divided into five main sections from top to bottom.

1. The Menu Bar.
2. The Tool Bar (or Button Bar). Containing buttons and controls.
3. The Roster Table. Containing a list of decoders in your Roster. An entry in the Roster can be highlighted with the mouse.
4. The Decoder Information Area. This shows information about the highlighted entry in the Roster table.
5. A status bar. This reports information in a single line. Error information is also posted here.

## Main Tasks with DecoderPro 3

DecoderPro 3 is designed for the management of DCC decoders fitted to locomotives. The locomotives known to DecoderPro 3 are displayed in the Roster Table. The anticipated main tasks are: creating a new locomotive and changing the settings in an existing locomotive (programming).

### New Locomotive

To add a new locomotive (or first locomotive), click on the "New Loco" button on the Tool Bar. This will open a "Create New Loco" window, where the decoder can be either identified or selected from the list. To create the locomotive, having selected (or identified) a decoder, select the Programmer format (Basic or Comprehensive) and click "Open Programmer". A Programming window for the new locomotive will open, with the "Roster Entry" tab foremost. It is recommended to give the locomotive a name in the "ID:" field, and then click "Save to Roster". You can also proceed to program the decoder, giving it a DCC address (in the "Basic" tab), and set other values. On closing the Programming window, if prompted, save the results into the Roster.

### Identify Existing Locomotive

If a locomotive is placed on the Programming Track, the "Identify" button will read details from the decoder and try to match it to an entry in the Roster Table. Some decoders only work with a limited range of programming modes, and it may be necessary to change the programming mode with the "Programming Mode" drop down list.
If a locomotive is correctly identified, it will be highlighted in the Roster Table, and its details will appear in the lower Decoder Information Area.

### Programming an existing Locomotive

Once a locomotive has been selected, either by manually finding it within the Roster Table, or through the "Identify" button, a summary of its details will appear in the lower Decoder Information Area. Buttons to open the programmer are to the right of the Decoder Information Area.

Select the type of programming required with the radio buttons, choose between the Programming Track, Programming on the Main Line or Edit the file only (no programming of a locomotive). Having selected the type of programming, you can open either the Basic Programmer (which allows change of locomotive address) or the Comprehensive Programmer (which allows changing of all locomotive decoder features known to DecoderPro).

### Changing Throttle Labels and Roster Media

Throttle Labels are used by the JMRI on-screen Throttles and by the smart-phone throttles through the WiThrottle interface. They allow Function keys to have meaningful names such as "Horn", "Whistle", rather than "F2" and "F4". Their use is optional.

Roster Media is where pictures of locomotives can be loaded into JMRI. These are displayed in the Roster, and can be used within Throttles. Their use is optional.

### Roster Groups

Roster Groups are a means of filtering your entries in the Roster. For example, you might have "diesel locos", "steam locos", but also "Burlington Locos" and "Canadian Pacific Locos". Thus a single locomotive in the Roster could be a member of several groups. Roster Groups are used to filter the Roster View in DecoderPro 3, and select the locomotives offered in an on-screen Throttle.

To create your first Roster Group, use the "Create Roster Group" command on the "Settings" menu. When you have created a Roster Group, a new drop-list is added to the Tool Bar in DecoderPro 3. Having created a group, it is initially empty. The next step is to add locomotives to the group. This is done with the "Roster Group Table Association" command on the "Settings" menu. With the "Roster Group Table" window, select the Roster Group in the drop-menu, and then place a tick alongside all locomotives requires in that group. Repeat for any other groups, and when finished close the window with the close-box in the upper right-hand corner.

## Menu Bar

### File menu

- New Roster Window
- Import Decoder File...
- Import Decoder URL...
- ------------------
- Export Roster Entry...
- Import Roster Entry...
- ------------------
- Export Complete Roster...
- Import Complete Roster...
- ------------------
- Rebuild Roster
- Validate XML File
- ------------------
- Open PanelPro Window
- ------------------
- Close Window
- ------------------
- Print Roster ->
  - Selected entry
  - Summary
- Print Preview Roster ->
  - Selected entry
  - Summary
- -------------------
- Quit (on Windows and Linux; on macOS it's in the DecoderPro menu)

### Edit menu

- Cut
- Copy
- Paste
- -----------
- New Loco...
- Duplicate Loco
- Delete Loco
- -----------
- Preferences

### Settings menu

- Hide/Show Summary Pane
- Reset Window sizes
- Reset Column Widths
- Hide/Show Roster Image
- Hide/Show Roster Groups
- --------------
- Programming ->
  - Programming Track
  - Programming On Main
  - Edit Only
- --------------
- Create Roster Group
- Rename Roster Group
- Duplicate Roster Group
- Delete Roster Group
- --------------
- Roster Group Table Association

### Actions menu

- Program
- Labels and Media
- Edit Throttle Lables
- New Throttle
- Load default throtttle layout
- --------------
- Consisting Tool
- Turnout Control
- Power Control
- SpeedoMeter
- Single CV Programmer
- Multi-Decoder Control
- --------------
- Start WiThrottle Server
- Start Web Server
- --------------
- Recreate Roster Index
- Recreate Decoder Index
- Update Decoder Definitions
- --------------
- Run Script...

### Command Station Specific menu

A menu will appear for the command station connected to JMRI. The command station is set in the Preferences. The content of this menu will be specific to your command station.

### Window menu

Lists the windows that are currently active.

### Help menu

Window Help opens this page.

## Tool Bar

### Help button

Opens this page.

### New Loco button

Opens Service Mode Programmer Decoder selection Screen.

### Identify button

Attempts to identify the loco on the Programming track.

### Programming mode drop down

Opens the selection of programming modes.

### Roster Group Pane

The Roster Group Pane only appears if a Roster Group has been defined. It appears to the left of the Roster Table (if not hidden using the Settings menu). Further groups can be added using the "+" button, and groups can be removed with the "-" button. Locos can be dragged from the Roster Table to the Roster Group Pane. The Roster Group Pane can be hidden with a menu option (under Settings), or with the triangular shrink/expand keys in the frame border. Removing a loco from a Roster Group can be done using the "Roster Group Table Associations" pane, accessible from the "Settings" menu.