Problems with shape files in Z-line

[walter1948]

I downloaded the splendid hungarian route V-line, but it crashes in some points due to the lack of 2 files according to the following Route Riter report:

"oldSainsburysTrailer.sd did not have a ESD_Alternative_Texture entry
Shape file A1tXover12_6d.s is missing from your route, no alternative is available in the other installed routes."

Old salysbury... is in route's shapes, but the problem seems to be "ESD altenative", something I don't understand what is all about.

A1tXover12_6.sd shows in MSTS Global/Shapes so realy A1tXover12_6.s seems to be missing. Where can I obtain it ?, or is it simply to copy .sd and rename it? Can someone help me ?, because the route is very beautiful and very long ( 400 km) and I wouldn't like to start producing activities to it just to discover that it crashes here and then.

Thanks a lot

Walter Meimes

[inflammable]

If you open the file, oldSainsburysTrailer.sd with WordPad,
Take a look at it. Note the line beginning with SIMISA, which should be on top. The second line will start out with 'Shape ( ' and should list the corresponding shape filename. Third line will mention ESD_Detail_Level and a value in parenthesis'. Fourth line is this ESD_Alternative_Texture. See if it is altogether missing, or perhaps has a poor parameter. To make it work the easiest way, make it say 1 in the parenthesis'. The fifth line will mention ESD_Bounding_Box with six values in a set of parenthesis'.

If it looks like everything is there, just not working, then count up the opening and closing parenthesis'. The shape paremeter, encompasses the filename, and the three ESD parameters. The closing parenthesis for it will be at the bottom of the SD file, usually by itself on the line.

Each of the ESD parameters should have an opening and closing parenthesis. They should each be on the same line, though there is a slim chance that for the Bounding Box line, if each of the six numbers has a lot of decimal places, then it could kick the closing parenthesis to the next line.

Moreso, if everything is there, and not working, make sure that there aren't any extra closing parenthesis'. It is possible, that there is an extra one before the Alternative Texture line, in which case MSTS will stop reading the file at that point, and be displeased that it didn't see the Alternative Texture parameter.

And finally, to put the donkey after the cart, an SD file is a shape definition file. It tells MSTS some extra information about how that shape is to be portrayed in the simulator.

the shape line tells MSTS which shape that is being defined.
Detail level value corresponds to the detail level slider from the options menu. If the slider is set below the level of the shape, then the shape will not be displayed.

The Alternative Texture line tells MSTS whether to look for a different seasonal texture. Since all the textures are supposed to default to a summer daytime, then you can create nighttime, snow, fall, winter, several of them, and the sim will display them accordingly, if this is correct. The ( 1 ) tells the sim that there is just one texture, in the main texture folder.

The Bounding Box tells the sim a 3D box of how big the shape is, for calculations. With locos and wagons, this can affect the coupling calculations. All the information in the normal Shape File is just for display information, not for the hundreds of calculations that must be performed to get the train to act correctly.

And for the other thing, according to the Master TSection file, that cross over is available from RailTracks, which was made by Dietmar Julich. I didn't find RailTracks here at Train-Sim, but it may be available from the site where you found the Route.

I hope this helps you out some.

James

[jpmurd]

You seem to have an explanation. But if that doesn't help here are the 2 files. Don't know which package the s file is part of. John

[walter1948]

Well John, thanks to you and specially to James with his complete explanation, that I have to study more carefully. I used your files ( that seem to be according to Jame's explanation), and the result in Route Riter was fine, showing no error enymore. But the route still opens accusing "no extended shape data for A1tXover12_6d.s" and runs , although sometimes showing the same message ( with some stuttering) that if checked, keeps the game running. So it seems not to crash anymore, but keeps on calling for the file.
I installed it in GLOBAL/SHAPES and in the Z-line Route's SHAPE. Could this be the problem?


Walter

[walter1948]

James

I didn't find RailTracks nowhere in the web. Do you know someone that could?

Walter

[jpmurd]

You might also try replacing both the s and the sd files in the global/shapes dir. I would make copies of the ones you have now just in case. Here is the pair. In my setup the files are only in the
global\shapes directory. John

[walter1948]

Well, that's it John. Sd file was missing and now the route is perfect. Thanks a lot.

Walter

[inflammable]

No, I don't know where to get it from. I just got the information from digging through the Master TSection file, which has quite a few shape creators registered to it. I used Build 32, though I think it's up to 33 or 34.

James

[jpmurd]

Great!!! Glad I can help someone once in a while. Now if I just had Otto's artistic ability and spare time...Oh, and Great attitude... John

[walter1948]

Well John, now I downloaded an even better route, that seems to be real, from Budapest to the frontier wiyh Romania, with about 250 km. For my taste, it's the best I've ever seen. Nevertheless, Route Riter report shows some files missing:

"Environment texture file hitw-frost.ace is missing from your route, no alternative is available in the other installed routes.
Sound file EuropeSteamTrackkanyarIn.sms is missing from your route, no alternative is available in the other installed routes.
Sound file EuropeSteamTrackkanyarEx.sms is missing from your route, no alternative is available in the other installed routes.
Sound file EuropeSteamTrackkanyarIn.sms is missing from your route, no alternative is available in the other installed routes.
Sound file EuropeSteamTrackkanyarEx.sms is missing from your route, no alternative is available in the other installed routes."

It's basicly an environment file, and four sound files that as far as I understand, should be installed in MSTS Sound portfolio. By the way, the route seems not to suffer anything with the absence of those files, but I just runned it a small fraction...

Can you help me on that?

Walter

[jpmurd]

In the affected route folder there is a file called ttype.dat. Rename it ttype.dat.bak. Copy the same file from the usa1 or usa2 folder into it. This will solve the missing sms file problem. Take a look at the old ttype.dat and see how it works.
The other problem is caused by a missing Kosmos file. In the routes
.trk file there is a section

Environment (
SpringClear ( USA1sun.env )
SpringRain ( USA1rain.env )
SpringSnow ( USA1snow.env )
SummerClear ( USA1sun.env )
SummerRain ( USA1rain.env )
SummerSnow ( USA1snow.env )
AutumnClear ( USA1sun.env )
AutumnRain ( USA1rain.env )
AutumnSnow ( USA1snow.env )
WinterClear ( USA1sun.env )
WinterRain ( USA1rain.env )
WinterSnow ( USA1snow.env )
This one is from USA1. You can change all the entries to match this one from the USA1 folder. Then COPY the envfiles folder from USA1 into the affected routes folder. Overwrite. This will solve the other problem. Hope this helps.
I would suggest trying Kosmos on some of your routes to see
how it changes these entries in the trk file. Fixing all the problems that come up with routes is just a LONG process of learning.


John

[walter1948]

Thanks John for the thorough explanation. Actually, if I change the ttype I lose access to the fine sound default in the route, so I'd like to find the real files.
At the end, my evaluation of the route was a little precipitated. Running a little more I was able to see that it's quite incomplete, and abuses of 2d scenery. Isn't good at all, and wouldn't worth the effort to fix. I abbandoned it and concentrated on Z-line, that is noe neat and clean. But your explanations were very good, specially regarding the env. files.

Walter

[meimes1948]

Almost 2 years ago you people helped me by sending two files that were missing or corrupted in z-line and of course explaining me the whole stuff. Now downloaded the route again and on re-installing , the errors come a little different. Now Route Riter says:

a1t500mstrt.s appears to be a Track or Road section being used as a static shape.

Shape Definition (SD) file a1t500mstrt.sd is missing from your route. no alternative is available in the other installed routes.

oldsainsburystrailer.sd did not have a ESD_Alternative entry.

Can you help me again?

Thanks a lot

Walter