Run8MapHost 0.5.0

What's new in 0.5.0

• Switch positions. The map now shows which way every switch is thrown, read from
  the world save: the leg a switch is not lined for is dimmed, so the set route reads
  at a glance (clearest when zoomed in). It updates live each time Run8 saves. Turn it
  off with the "Switch positions" box under Overlays.

The first start after updating rebuilds the map (a couple of minutes).

Run8MapHost 0.4.0

What's new in 0.4.0

• Local-only by default (#108). A fresh install now opens the map only on your own PC
  (http://localhost:8000/) - no network exposure, no firewall prompt. To share the map,
  set HOST=0.0.0.0 in settings.bat; see README "Sharing your map publicly".
  Updating an existing install? Your settings.bat has no HOST line, so your map stays
  shared exactly as before.
• Player-train highlight fixed (#112). Only trains with a locomotive that moved since
  the last save are highlighted; the highlight now drops at the first save after a train
  stops, and cuts of cars a player sets out are no longer highlighted.
• Light power visible when zoomed out (#111). Trains with a locomotive (including a
  single light engine) and highlighted player trains always show in the zoomed-out view;
  only short loose cuts are hidden.
• Updates rebuild the map automatically. The first start after updating rebuilds the
  map (a couple of minutes) so you get the new map page; later starts are quick.

Run8MapHost 0.3.0

Viewer and authoring improvements since 0.2.2.

New features

• Repeated area labels (#95) — a single label can now repeat its name evenly
  along a line (start → end point), so long yard tracks read clearly at a glance.
  The label editor is now a docked side panel with a live preview of the copies as
  you drag the start/end handles or change the copy count.
• Inverse zoom gate for label types (#106) — label categories can hide when
  zoomed in, not just when zoomed out. The shipped configs use it so per-track
  labels appear up close and yard labels take over as you zoom out, with a clean
  hand-off (no overlap).
• Session persistence (#98) — the viewer remembers your view, base map,
  overlays, enabled regions, sliders, filters, and manual alignment across reloads
  (stored per map in the browser).
• Alt+drag to align (#100) — hold Alt and drag to slide the track onto the real
  map; a plain drag just pans. Replaces the old modal "Align mode" button. A one-time
  hint appears the first time you pick a base map.
• Help window adapts to edit/view mode (#94) — editing-only shortcuts are hidden
  when the map is read-only, plus an accuracy pass over the help text.
• Ctrl+Shift+click to drop a label (#95) — in edit mode, drop a new label right
  where you click without toggling Add Label first.

Included configs

• Adds the Southeast (CSX Depot) config + area labels as a second worked example
  (config-se.ini / areas_se.ini), alongside SoCal.

No breaking changes. Operator files (config/areas/settings) are preserved across an
in-place update — unzip over your existing folder.

Run8MapHost 0.2.2

First-run fix for fresh installs.

• Fix: on a new install, Start Map.bat now correctly creates your config-socal.ini on first run. (In 0.2.0–0.2.1 the launcher passed the config name explicitly, which skipped the first-run seeding, so the map failed to start until you ran the exe directly.) Updating from an older bundle: unzip over your existing folder — your settings.bat, config-socal.ini, and areas_socal.ini are preserved.
• Docs: README now covers the full first-run prompt sequence — the "Open File - Security Warning" for Start Map.bat, the "Windows protected your PC" SmartScreen for the exe (More info → Run anyway), and the required Windows Firewall "Allow access".

Run8MapHost 0.2.1

Fixes the first-run launcher and adds a config example.

• Fix: Start Map.bat now creates your settings.bat on first run. A parenthesis in the launcher's first-run message was prematurely closing the if block, so settings.bat was never created on 0.2.0. To update, just unzip this release over your existing folder — your config-socal.ini, areas_socal.ini, and settings.bat are preserved.
• Docs: added a switch_ctc (CTC / dispatcher-controlled switch) color example to the config template.

Run8MapHost v0.2.0

First stable release since v0.1.0 (it rolls up the v0.2.0-beta.1 / beta.2 prereleases). If you're on v0.1.0 you'll see a one-line "newer version available" notice at startup.

Install: download Run8MapHost-0.2.0.zip below, unzip, and double-click Start Map.bat. On first run it creates your settings.bat — edit it to set your world-save path and port (and, optionally, an edit password). See README.txt inside the zip.

Updating from v0.1.0 (or a beta): just unzip this release over your existing folder. Your settings.bat, config-socal.ini and areas_socal.ini are not in the zip, so your settings and labels are kept — only the program, README, and templates are refreshed. (v0.1.0 users: you'll create a settings.bat on first run; your old Start Map.bat edits move there.)

What's new since v0.1.0

• Optional label editing (#56). Hosts can let trusted staff add and edit the map's text labels live, behind a shared password. The map stays read-only by default — turn editing on by setting RUN8_EDIT_PASSWORD in settings.bat. Staff type the word edit on the map (there's no visible button) and enter the password to get the Add-Label tools; "Leave editing" locks it again. The password itself is never sent over the network. If you enable editing, serve the map over HTTPS via a free tunnel (Tailscale Funnel) rather than a raw port forward — see the "ENABLE LABEL EDITING" section of README.txt.
• Grade heat map (#57). A new Grade overlay colours the track by steepness (grey → yellow → red), with a legend. Hovering or clicking a section also shows its grade.
• Track labels (#58). A new Track label category for individual yard tracks (e.g. "WC 904"), shown only when zoomed in close so they don't clutter the map.
• Text Size slider now scales all map text, including industry tags — not just area labels (#82).
• Updates keep your files. Your settings.bat / config-socal.ini / areas_socal.ini now live beside the program and survive updates — a new release can't overwrite your edits or labels.

Config quality-of-life

• Region directory = entries can now be just the route-folder name (e.g. BNSF_MojaveSub) instead of a full path (#55).
• The [tile_based_plot] config section is renamed to [tile_grid] to reflect that it's the coordinate grid, not the old removed viewer. The old name still works.

Notes

• The .exe is unsigned, so Windows SmartScreen / antivirus may warn on first run — see README.txt ("Run anyway"). Nothing about your Run8 server is exposed except the read-only map (unless you deliberately enable editing).
• Run8MapHost-0.2.0.zip.sha256 is the checksum of the zip.

Run8MapHost v0.2.0-beta.2

Beta. Bundle now keeps your settings.bat / config-socal.ini / areas_socal.ini across updates (unzip a new release over the folder; nothing of yours is overwritten). Plus everything from v0.2.0-beta.1.

Run8MapHost v0.2.0-beta.1

Beta / prerelease. Everything below is new since v0.1.0. Existing v0.1.0 installs are not auto-notified of a beta (the update check only points at stable releases), so grab this one manually to try it. Please report anything odd.

To run it: download Run8MapHost-0.2.0-beta.1.zip below, unzip, edit Start Map.bat (set your world-save path and port), and double-click it. See README.txt inside the zip.

What's new

• Optional label editing (#56). Hosts can now let trusted staff add and edit the map's text labels live, behind a shared password. The map stays read-only by default — you turn editing on by setting RUN8_EDIT_PASSWORD in Start Map.bat. Staff type the word edit on the map (there's no visible button) and enter the password to get the Add-Label tools; "Leave editing" locks it again. The password itself is never sent over the network. If you enable editing, serve the map over HTTPS via a free tunnel (Tailscale Funnel) rather than a raw port forward — see the new "ENABLE LABEL EDITING" section of README.txt.
• Grade heat map (#57). A new Grade overlay colours the track by steepness (grey → yellow → red), with a legend. Hovering or clicking a section now also shows its grade.
• Track labels (#58). A new Track label category for individual yard tracks (e.g. "WC 904"), shown only when you're zoomed in close so they don't clutter the map.
• Text Size slider now scales all map text, including industry tags — not just area labels (#82).

Config quality-of-life

• Region directory = entries can now be just the route-folder name (e.g. BNSF_MojaveSub) instead of a full path (#55).
• The [tile_based_plot] config section is renamed to [tile_grid] to reflect that it's the coordinate grid, not the old removed viewer. The old name still works.

Notes

• The .exe is unsigned, so Windows SmartScreen / antivirus may warn on first run — see README.txt ("Run anyway"). Nothing about your Run8 server is exposed except the read-only map (unless you deliberately enable editing).
• Run8MapHost-0.2.0-beta.1.zip.sha256 is the checksum of the zip.

Run8MapHost v0.1.0

Self hosted version of the Run8 track mapping server