Backing up JMRI panel

[NP01]

I am interested in backing up my JMRI panel. This would include the panel itself, tables of signals, turnouts, sensors and Logix's. Would it be enough to back up that one XML file which I save my work to?

I selected a different icon for some items (nothing custom, just selected a diff picture from the library). is this information also stored in the XML?

What about the op switches on my SE8C? I am guessing the loco roster would be separate.

Thanks,

NP 

[Stevert]

This is the type of question you should really be asking on the JMRI Yahoo! group.  The developers hang out there and can easily give you an authoritive answer:  http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/jmriusers/info

Having said that, a quick look at the XML for one of my panels shows links to the locations for the various icons and background image resources, and not the image resources themselves. 

On the other hand, it looks like all the sensor, turnout, and Logix information is there (no signals on my layout yet). 

So I guess the answer is that the XML contains some but not all of the data required for the panel.

But I have to ask:  Why don't you just back up your entire hard drive?  Sure, back up the panel, but what about everything else?  Are you prepared to recreate everything else from scratch if your hard drive dies?

[Robert Frey]

All of the JMRI work you do goes into the “JMRI backup” Folder.  You can find this by going to your C: drive, click on User, (next is Public, or your name), try your Folder.  The Folder name you are looking for is “JMRI-backup”

Make a copy of this folder and put it off line.  If you want you can also make a copy of the “JMRI” Folder that created this backup for you.

 

Bob Frey

[NP01]

Stevert, yeah but I like this forum better.   

Bob, Thank you.

- NP.

[Stevert]

Bob,

  Those "JMRI_Backup" folders are created when you install a new version of JMRI, and you tell it "Yes" when it asks if you want it to back up your existing files.  So it's a point-in-time backup, and won't contain *any* of the work you've done after you install that newer version.  See section 3.ii of the JMRI Install Guide for Windows.

  Also, the "User" folder is merely the default location where JMRI puts it's stuff if you don't specify an alternate location.  But you don't have to put YOUR stuff there, and if you don't, backing up that folder won't buy you anything.  As an example, I keep all my JMRI data on a network share so all my computers can access it.  

[Robert Frey]

Thanks’ Stevert for the correct information on JMRI Backups.  To me the “backups” of my JMRI Operations data is very important. (I have put in a lot of my time on this and the making of maps to support Operations in my home.  This is why I have been putting a complete working Backup Files of JMRI and Map Data of my layout, and those of my friends on to yahoo.)

A discussion group for those in Southeastern Wisconsin using JMRI Operations for car routing.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wisejmriops/messages

 

Bob Frey

[gandydancer19]

As far as I know, everything in your panel is saved within the one XML file.  What I tend to do when working with any of the tables, is to save them often, then when I bring up the panel view to test it, I save it again also.  Along the way as I am developing a panel, I will often save it with a different name as well.  As an example, if the panel is saved as 'MyPanel', after about five changes I will save it as 'MyPanel2' or 'MyPanel2a'.  That way if something does happen, I can always go back to the last version and retreive most of my work.

[Stevert]

The background and icon image files for a panel are most assuredly NOT saved in the XML file.  

Pointers to them, yes.  But the image files themselves are not.

XML files are simply text files that follow a specified format.

You can easily confirm that by opening the XML file for your panel with Notepad or a similar text editor.  Scroll through it and you'll find lines similar to this which contain the pointers to the locations of the image files (the exact format may vary depending on the version of JMRI you're using):

<turnouticon turnout="LT1" x="688" y="186" closed="file:C:\Documents and Settings\xxxxx\JMRI\resources\New\GT_New_RNS.GIF" thrown="file:C:\Documents and Settings\xxxxx\JMRI\resources\New\GT_New_RRS.GIF" unknown="file:C:\Documents and Settings\xxxxx\JMRI\resources\New\GT_New_RUS.GIF" inconsistent="file:C:\Documents and Settings\xxxxx\JMRI\resources\New\GT_New_RUS.GIF" rotate="0" class="jmri.jmrit.display.configurexml.TurnoutIconXml" />

So again, if you back up *just* the XML file, you won't be backing up everything that's needed to recreate the panel.

Now if you only use the "stock" images and icons included with JMRI, that probably doesn't matter since if you lose your hard drive, you're going to have to reinstall JMRI anyway, and that will get those "stock" images back for you.

But if you've created custom backgrounds and/or icons (as I have), you'd be well advised to back those up along with the XML file(s) for your panel(s).

[NP01]

Ok, backing up XML and the "icons" folder. I just created my first custom icon, a grey arrow (indicating a turned off green arrow) to indicate the direction to which A single track main is set. So good that JMRI takes PNG files!