Automations.

Top of the page

DensitySegmented buttons

How each automation is drawn. List is one row each. Compact cards are little DejaBots holding up the name. Comfy cards show the blocks. Remembered on this device.Options: List · Compact cards · Comfy cardsDefault: Comfy cards

Marker 1Stop all & pauseButton

Stops every running automation and pauses them all, so nothing new starts. Everyone sees it: it's your panic button.

Marker 2NewButton

Opens a blank Automation Studio. Owner only.

ResumeNotice + button

While automations are paused you'll see “Automations are paused after E-stop. Nothing starts until you resume.” Tap Resume to let them start again. Stop all & pause and an Emergency stop step both pause them.

Each automation

DejaBotDisplay

Its eyes show how the automation is doing. It sleeps when the automation is disabled or paused.

Top blockDisplay

The name, and what starts it: “When Log Dump activates”.

StepsDisplay

Comfy cards show up to six step blocks with their values (STOP, PULSE, 40, RED, ON). Compact cards show the step icons; List shows them as small tiles.

StatusPill

Disabled, Needs update (made before the studio; open and save it), or the live run: “Running · 12s”, “Running · lap 2 · 12s”, “Waiting … · 12s”. Tap a live pill to watch the run. A run that ends badly shows for about ten seconds: Timed out, Failed, Taken over, Interrupted or E-stopped.

Run · Run with… · StopButton

Starts it on the server. Run with… means it asks you something first, such as which loco. While it's running the button becomes Stop. Greyed out when the automation is disabled or automations are paused. Everyone can run and stop automations.

EditPencil button

Opens it in Automation Studio. In List it's in the ⋮ menu. Owner only.

DeleteBin button → confirm

Asks in place: Cancel or Delete (Esc cancels). In List it's Delete… in the ⋮ menu. Gone for good once confirmed. Owner only.

Start from

Signal follows a turnoutRecipe tile

When the turnout goes divergent, set the signal to red.

Stop a loco when a signal goes redRecipe tile

A signal turning red brings a loco to a stop.

Station stop: arrive, wait, departRecipe tile

A train trips a sensor, stops, waits 20 s, sounds the horn and pulls away. The blocks: Throttle at 0, Delay 20 s, Loco function F2 pulse, Throttle at 40.

Shuttle between two sensorsRecipe tile

A loco runs back and forth between two sensors until you stop it. Started from its Run button, it's a Repeat holding: forward at 40, wait for the far sensor, stop, wait 10 s, reverse at 40, wait for the near sensor, stop, wait 10 s.

Blank automationRecipe tile

An empty studio: build it block by block.

One field per parameterPickers

Labelled with what the automation asks for. A loco shows your roster as buttons, plus a # field for any DCC address 1–10239. Turnouts, signals and the rest show as buttons. Defaults are filled in already.

Cancel · RunButtons

Run starts it with your answers. It stays greyed out until every field has a valid value.

Name and statusDisplay

The automation, and what it's doing now, such as what it's waiting for.

The blocksDisplay

Read-only. The step running now is lit, finished steps are ticked, a Repeat shows its lap, and DejaBot narrates.

Show the run viewer when I press RunCheckbox

Untick it to run without this window popping up. Remembered on this device.Default: On

HideButton

Closes the viewer. The run carries on.

StopButton

Stops the run. It reads “Stopping…” while it does.

Top of the studio

← AutomationsLink

Back to the list. Like Cancel, it doesn't save.

NameText field

The big title. Type straight into it. Empty, it reads “Untitled automation”.

Test runButton

Walks DejaBot through the blocks on screen, about a step every two-thirds of a second. It's a preview only: nothing is sent and nothing moves on the layout. Tap Stop to end it; any edit ends it too.

CancelButton

Leaves without saving. It doesn't ask first.

SaveButton

Checks the automation, saves it and returns to the list with “Automation saved”. If something's missing it says what, under the block concerned.

Notes above the blocks

Needs updateNotice

An automation made before the studio. It has been converted for you; Save finishes the upgrade. Any action the studio can't do is listed as dropped.

This automation is runningNotice

Changes apply to the next run, not the one going now.

Loco is also driven byNotice

Another automation drives the same loco. The last command wins, so make sure they won't clash.

The blocks

WhenTop block

What starts it, and any only if checks. Pills show Disabled, Guests and how many parameters it has. Tap it to edit (next section).

Step blocksBlocks

One per step, in order, each in its own colour with its value at the right. Tap one to open its editor right under it. Tap again, or press Esc, to close it without keeping changes.

If and RepeatC-shaped blocks

These wrap their own steps. If has a Then lane and an Else lane; Repeat has one lane with a loop at its foot. Each lane has its own Add step. You can nest them three deep.

Add stepButton → menu

Opens the menu of steps. Your pick lands at the end of that lane, with its editor open.

Move up · Move downTool row buttons

Shown on the selected block (and always on a touch screen). Shuffle the step in its lane.

Disable step · Enable stepTool row button

Mutes a step without deleting it. It's struck through and skipped when the automation runs.

Delete stepTool row button

Removes the step.

Help and templates

How it worksPanel

Six lines on how the studio works. With a block open, it shows that block's help instead, the current choice marked Now.

Start from a templateRecipe tiles

The same starting points as an empty layout: Signal follows a turnout, Stop a loco when a signal goes red, Station stop, and Shuttle. If you already have steps it asks “Replace the current steps?” first, with Replace or Cancel. Your name is kept.

When Save says no

The common messages, shown under the block they belong to. Once you've tried to save, they update as you fix things.

Give the automation a nameMessage

Type a name in the title.

Choose what starts itMessage

Open the top block and pick under Start it when.

Pick a targetMessage

A block that needs a sensor, turnout, loco or other item doesn't have one yet.

Add at least one stepMessage

An automation needs something to do.

A repeat needs a wait or a delayMessage

Put a Wait for… or a Delay of at least a quarter second inside every Repeat, so the layout can breathe.

Steps can only nest 3 deepMessage

Flatten an If or Repeat that sits inside two others.

An automation cannot run itselfMessage

Pick a different automation in that step.

Parameter needs a defaultMessage

Started by a sensor, turnout, signal or the server, nobody is there to answer, so every parameter needs a default.

NameText field

The same name as the title, e.g. “Station stop”.

DescriptionText field

Optional: what it is for, in a line.

Starts

Start it whenPills · pick one

What starts the automation. Each one is a row below.Options: Button in the app · Sensor · Turnout · Signal aspect · Server startDefault: Button in the app

Button in the appTrigger

Runs from the Run button on its card, the quick menu, or another automation.

SensorTrigger

Which sensor, then When it: activates (the default), clears, or train has passed (it went clear and stayed clear for half a second).

TurnoutTrigger

Which turnout, then When it: is straight (the default) or is divergent.

Signal aspectTrigger

Which signal, then When it goes to one of its aspects, or Off. Red by default.

Server startTrigger

Runs once, each time the DEJA Server attaches to this layout. Good for setting the layout up.

Only if

ConditionsList

Checks made at the moment it starts. With none, it reads “Always”. Add some and all of them must be true, or it does nothing. See Conditions, below.

Add conditionButton → menu

Pick what to check.

Parameters

Run it with a different loco or turnout each time: add a parameter, then pick it in a step instead of a fixed one.

Add parameterButton → menu

“Ask for a…”: Loco, Turnout, Signal, Effect, Sensor or Route.

Asks forText field

The question the Run with… prompt shows, e.g. “Loco”. It also sets the parameter's key, which stays fixed once made.

KindPills · pick one

What sort of thing it asks for.

DefaultPicker

Filled in when you tap Run. Ask each time leaves it blank. If a sensor, turnout, signal or the server starts the automation, every parameter needs a default.Default: Ask each time

Remove parameterBin button

Deletes it. Any step still using it is flagged when you Save.

Below Parameters.

EnabledSwitch

Disabled automations never start, and switching one off stops it if it's running.Default: On

Guest accessSwitch

Lets visitors run it from the guest app — it appears beside your guest effects with Run and Stop. Adds a Guests pill to the top block. Automations that ask for parameters can't be opened to guests, and nothing runs while automations are paused after an emergency stop.Default: Off

Advanced

A folded section; tap it to open.

CooldownNumber field (s)

The shortest gap between starts, in seconds. Empty means none.

If triggered while runningPills · pick one

What happens when it's set off again before it has finished.Options: Ignore it · Start overDefault: Ignore it

DoneButton

Closes the top block.

Every step

DoPills

On a Do something step: switch it to another action without starting again.

Use parameterPills

Shown when the automation has a parameter that fits. Pick it to be asked when it runs, or pick a fixed item below.

NoteText field

Optional: why this step is here. It shows on the block.

Remove step · DoneButtons

Remove step deletes it. Done keeps your changes. Closing the editor any other way drops them.

Do something

ThrottleStep

Sets a loco's speed and direction. Which loco: pick from the roster (“Search roster…”) or type any DCC address; a Speed from 0 to 126 (speed 0 stops the train); Forward or Reverse.

TurnoutStep

Which turnout, then Set it to: Straight (the default) or Divergent.

SignalStep

Which signal, then Show: one of its aspects, or Off. Red by default.

EffectStep

Which effect, then Turn it: On (the default) or Off.

RouteStep

Which route. The step runs it.

Loco functionStep

Horn, bell, lights. Loco from the roster or any DCC address; Function F0 to F68 (F2 by default); Mode: Pulse, On or Off; and for a pulse, Pulse length: on for this long, then off.Default: F2 · Pulse · 800 ms

SoundStep

Plays a sound from your library through the DEJA Server. See the Sounds guide.

Emergency stopStep

Stops every loco and pauses all automations until someone taps Resume.

Wait, decide, repeat

Wait for…Step

Holds the run until something happens. Wait for a Sensor (the default), Turnout, Signal or Loco, pick Which one, then Until it. For a sensor: activates (next time), is active (now or next), clears, or train has passed, with Clear for: how long it must stay clear before the train counts as passed (500 ms by default). For a turnout: is straight or is divergent. For a signal: is one of its aspects (green by default). For a loco: has stopped.

Give up after · On timeoutWait for… settings

How long to wait, in seconds, before giving up; Forever waits until stopped. Then Stop this run (the default) or Carry on.Default: 300 s (5 minutes) · Stop this run

DelayStep

Waits a set time, in seconds (tenths allowed). Random extra adds up to that much more, picked fresh each run, so things don't look mechanical.Default: 5 s

If…Flow

Checks All of its conditions as it gets there. All true: it runs the Then lane. Otherwise: the Else lane. A true/false switch on the block picks which lane Test run walks; it doesn't change the real run.

RepeatFlow

Runs its lane again and again. Until stopped (the default), A number of times (Times, 2 by default), or Until conditions hold (its Until list). It needs a Wait for… or a Delay inside.

AutomationFlow

Runs another automation. Start or stop: Start (the default) or Stop, then Which automation. It can't pick itself.

Stop hereFlow

Ends this run here. Steps after it never run. Handy inside an If.

What to check

Add condition opens this menu. Then pick Which one, and what It must be.

SensorCondition

It must be is active (the default) or is clear.

TurnoutCondition

It must be is straight (the default) or is divergent.

SignalCondition

It must be is one of its aspects (red by default) or is off.

EffectCondition

It must be is on (the default) or is off.

LocoCondition

Pick from the roster or type an address. It must be is stopped (the default) or is moving.

AutomationCondition

It must be is idle (the default) or is running. Good for keeping two automations apart.

In the editor

CheckPills

Switch the condition to another kind.

Use parameterPills

Check whatever was picked for a parameter instead of a fixed item.

Remove condition · DoneButtons

Done keeps it, once you've picked an item.