New FBS-Features And Current Developements
FBS Yearly Update February 2025
Below you will find new features that we partly presented at the FBS user conference in September 2024 in Graz.
Overview:
iPLAN, General
Improved presentation on large monitors
FBS now supports "DPI-awareness per monitor", i.e. it scales windows implicitly larger, when the monitor has high DPI. This allows a better readability, especially on very large monitors.
In context with support of high DPI monitors, the large symbols in the network window have been activated and revised. Additionally, the font size (lists and status bar) have been slighty increased again. The standard setting has been changed to large symbols, though small symbols can still be chosen in the settings.


Option to synchronise geo-coordinates
The function Replace infrastructure of current line... now also allows geo-coordinates to be transferred. This allows map data to be transferred between different (or identical) lines.
Infrastructure
Addition of platform symbols to station tracks
This offers the option of adding the "Platform top/bottom/both" information to each route. The symbols are displayed in the station track input window, in the window for assigning operation day-dependent station track exception rules and in the menu for assigning the standard track. Compared to the manual entry of platform symbols in the designation, the advantage here is that the symbols are also rotated/mirrored in iPLAN graphic timetables if necessary. This function is to be expanded in the future.
Furthermore, the presence of a platform at the respective track is now always displayed when using the mouse mode "Determine station track (F4)", provided that the column "Platf." has been filled in the station infrastructure (station tracks). Information on platform availability is then provided by = before and after the track name of the route (i.e. without orientation if the above symbols have not been entered).


Changes of the map window
Coordinates are displayed without “latitude” and “longitude”, but instead with the information N/S and W/E. The coordinates can be switched on/off in the configuration of the map window (cogwheel button), the number of decimal places (2-7) can be selected. The other text fields at the bottom right can be resized manually and adapt to the text width (kilometres, coordinates).
iPLAN, Graphic Timetable
Copy train in intervals function extended
When selecting train numbers, additional options are now available which can be used via the expanded corresponding window:
- Search conflict free train number interval
- Use next free train numbers
In normal mode, train number conflicts can occur, which are displayed in red in the preview list on the right. The following conflict resolution options are available using the right mouse button:
- Set individual train number: an individually different train number and/or train number index can be assigned for the respective copy.
- Skip this copy: a gap is left in the (new) interval group for an existing interval deviator.
- Delete other trains with this number: deletes all other trains in the current graphic timetable (not in the entire network!).


New mouse modes Split/Merge train at intermediate station
The new mouse modes have been added to group F8 (train changes to this line, train leaves the line) at the top. The group has been renamed to Change route. The symbols are rotated and mirrored to always match the time-distance axes.
The new mouse mode Split train at intermediate station: Makes two trains out of one, to split a through service. The mouse mode can only be called up at intermediate stations of the current graphic timetable. After that the next free train number or the next free train number index of the current train number can be searched to avoid a train number conflict
The mouse mode Merge train at intermediate station: connects two trains to one - basically a ‘through service’ with the result that only one train remains. Alternatively, this function can also be called when exactly two trains are marke via the context menu point Merge selected trains to form a continuous train... if they match each other (can continue each other).
Normally, a window Merge train ... in ... is then displayed, which mainly serves to answer the question of which of the train numbers the combined train should receive. The train properties of the train that donates the train number and are not compatible are retained; those of the other train are lost.

iPLAN, Customer's Timetable
Restricted days of operation don't have to be displayed anymore
The hint about restricted days of operation is now optional. When creating or synchronising (MISSING TRANSLATION) a customer's timetable it can now be selected, if and how the hint about restricted days of operatuin is to be shown. It is even possible to combine both ways of viewing it. Furthermore it can now be freely chosen, whether a redundancy avoidance should be done or not. The former dependency is still expressed by the default setting: When the operating period is to be shown via inverted header, the redundancy avoidance is turned on and vice versa.
If the days of operation are restricted, the way they are displayed can be changed retrospectively via View --> Title & remarks, as that is also where the text of the inverted header can be edited. The days of operation themselves and the redundancy avoidance cannot be changed without synchronising, though, since they affect the legend's symbols and texts. This is only possible using the now third synchronising option via Edit train table --> Synchronise and then choosing the option Synchronise times and train routes only, with new input.

Addition to interval display
Since the header "Interval" can be quite wide and doesn't necessarily fit in one or two columns, the column width of trains belonging to one interval will be increased if needed. Should that lead to less space in the table and thus to trains wrapping to the next page, the whole interval group will be wrapped instead. In that case it may be sensible to show more trains per interval than absolutely necessary.
iPLAN, Train Data
Deleting Station Tracks Without Days of Operation
When changing the days of operation of a train, copying a train with spreading of operating days, adjusting trains to line blockings and continuing the period of a network, station track variants based on operating days with reference to dates are also adapted/continued. If that creates constellations with 0 operating days, these will be deleted, as they have occasionally been forgotten in the past which then lead to undesired behaviour of iPLAN.

Copying and Deleting Supplements
Since time supplements don't necessarily get reset when setting a train category, it could happen that a new train copying train data of an existing train going the opposite direction got/kept its supplements involuntarily. Copying train data does not include supplements; they are to be reset when the (copied) train category does not have a supplement rule. This applies to copying train data of the opposite direction as well as the same direction. Copying trains however, still includes supplements.
In this context it is also desired that a conconscious shortening of a train route resets possible supplements of the (now gone) route section. This is to avoid having a train with apparently arbitrary supplements from earlier "generations". At the same time it is not desired that supplements are lost, if a train temporarily doesn't have a route if, for example, there is no free rout, the load is to high or a track has been chosen that is a dead end - these actions are deemed as involuntarily.
iPLAN, Station Timetable
Simultaneous track occupancy easier to recognise
If several trains occupy a track, they are displayed when the mouse cursor is hovering them.

iPLAN, Arrival & Departure Poster
More Individual Settings
- The arrival & departure now allows for far more symbols. This regards mainly train configurations. To show these symbols the corresponding checks have to be set and the properties have to be set in the direct connection.
- The customer's timetable's colour definition from the train category editor can now also be used in arrival & departure posters.
- Several station tracks can be displayed if needed. However, this is done without any indication of which platform is to be visited on which days. Therefore, this function is also optional if station tracks are to be output at all.

Better Integration of user-defined fields (UDF)
- It can now be chosen which UDF is utilised to select the train/line name
- The operator can also be shown via choosable UDF. The text can also be replaced by a symbol if it has been specified in the train category replacement list. There may be an optional legend of operators to refer to phone numbers etc.
railML-Export

New FBS-railML-Export Interface
The railML-export interface has been completely revamped. As the amount of possible settings can be overwhelming quickly, there are now predefined templates that can be selected via tiles. Here the user is supposed to choose their export target. After that only settings that are defined as variable for that particular export target remain to be set by the user. The previous, complete settings are only accessible through the developer mode, being a special case.
The templates are now divided into predefined and user-defined, whereby the former can only be defined and changed by iRFP. A predefined tile is usually labelled with (target) program name and logo. User defined templates can be created by the user by creating new templates or changing existing ones and saving them.
To edit a (predefined) template with the developer mode, first the developer mode is opened and then the option Load settings from this computer is selected. This way it can also be "controlled" the settings of a particular template. Exporting a template modified by this method is not necessarily identical to exporting directly from the template, though.
Right clicking the UI opens the window Edit template, which allows rearranging and hiding predefined templates (via drag & drop) as well as deleting and renaming user defined ones (predefined templates cannot be deleted but be hidden). The same window can also be accessed in developer mode by clicking Load settings from this computer and then Edit settings.
In developer mode "not accredited" is clearly displayed at the top. This is to make it clear that exports from this mode are not intended for regular, standard use and therefore requests for such exports are only supported to a limited extent. It is intended to encourage users to have us create predefined templates for their regular exports (possibly via their developers).
DISCLAIMER: developer mode is only accessible for a limited transition period in 2025. If you regularly export railML-files from developer mode, please contact the manufacturer of the importing software (or us) to set up a predefined template.
Export destinations can be registered (accredited) with us using the appropriate form (German) - by users as well as by programme developers.

Numerous additional technical changes can be found in this seperate list.
railML-Import

Manual selection of the train route
If the train route cannot be determined automatically, it is now possible to select it manually. In the ‘Infrastructure incompatibilities’ step, there is a list of all routes that could not be assigned. Double-clicking on one of the elements then opens a window in which you can select which of the available routes should be used for the relevant section and train. Once a route has been selected for each section and train concerned, you can continue with the import as normal. If some assignments are missing, the corresponding sections of the trains will not be imported. This will be pointed out again in the remarks when selecting the trains to be processed as a reminder of any forgotten assignments.